The first step in choosing a CRM is to address why you need one in the first place. What is the problem you are trying to solve in the sales department? Translate this problem into a CRM goal. A CRM goal is the objective you aim to attain using a CRM. Common Sales CRM goals are to improve customer service, shorten sales cycles, and increase sales. Clearly identifying your CRM goal will illustrate what your priority is when selecting a sales CRM.

If you don’t know what specific problem you are hoping to solve, but you know that sales need to start improving, ask yourself the following questions to determine what CRM goal best addresses the discrepancies in your sales process.

• Is the sales cycle too long?
• Do you find difficulty qualifying leads?
• Do leads get stuck in the sales pipeline?
• Do you have a reliable way to track and report results?
• Do you have an organized contact data storage system?

How much money the sales department has to invest in sales CRM software will dictate the options you have access to. It would be a shame to create a list of CRMs with all the features and benefits you are looking for to find out that you can’t afford half of them.

When speaking to a CRM vendor sales representative, verify that there are no hidden costs and that the features you need do not cost extra. Research to see if there are different subscription offerings. You may find an affordable CRM option that will fit your needs but not cost a fortune. For small businesses with small budgets, there are free sales CRM options on the market.

Pricing varies from thousands of dollars per month to free. Many SaaS companies price products on a monthly basis. It is preferable to pay on a yearly basis, as many companies offer discounted rates. Be careful to check if subscriptions are “per user”. “Per user” means you have to multiply the monthly or yearly price of the CRM by the number of people in your sales department that will be using it.

Now that you know what your CRM goal is and what price range you can afford, you can decide what you want your CRM to be able to do. If your goal is to improve customer service, a CRM with a call center and ticketing features

If you are choosing a CRM for a sales department, you may want a sales CRM or a general CRM that has tailored features like customizable data fields to track industry-specific key customer details.

Review your team’s current processes, goals, and budget to create a list of features that the chosen CRM must have. Then you can create a secondary list of features that would be nice to have but aren’t a necessity. It is important to take into consideration the opinions of the sales team. They know best what day-to-day processes look like and how a software system can assist or hinder them.

Adoption is the single most important metric in determining CRM success, and likewise the culprit in failed projects. A CRM cannot be properly implemented unless the people are able and willing to use it. If your sales team is not accustomed to using more complex technology, then complex CRM software will only fail.

An easy solution to this issue is to look for a simple CRM that has a familiar feel. Certain CRMs like Prophet CRM are embedded directly into your email inbox and have recognizable interfacing, allowing users to navigate and operate a powerful CRM solution comfortably.

It is not likely that you will be able to decrease sales quotas to set aside time to focus on implementing a sales CRM. Implementing a CRM properly is the first and most important step in properly utilizing your new CRM. Decide on an implementation strategy that will work with your team’s workload, daily schedule, and standard processes. Once you know how you plan to implement your CRM, choose a sales CRM that will make the process easy.

Training your team is an essential step to implementing a CRM. Ask your CRM vendor if they offer a training program or pre-recorded tutorials. Some companies will offer free training, while others require a fee. This may affect your CRM decision if you have a large team that needs to be trained.

One key step in implementation is to integrate your CRM with the other software and SMB tools that your sales team and other departments use. Guarantee that you choose a CRM that has integration capabilities.

Once you have narrowed down your list of prospective CRMs, research each. Check their reviews online to see what the average star rating is. Search for reviews from salespeople in a similar industry as you to see if they usually face any major challenges while using the CRM. Ask other companies that use these CRMs about their experience and if they would suggest it to anyone else.

Schedule a demo of each CRM option in your list to see how each operates. Reading other users’ reviews may have brought up a few worries. Make sure to ask the CRM vendor about these to see if your uneasiness is rational. You may want to ask questions such as:

• Does this CRM specialize in my certain industry?
• What is your customer success rate with this CRM?
• What types of records can be stored in this system?
• Are there any additional features for an added cost?
• Does this CRM integrate with my specific email inbox provider?