What are Key CRM Selection Critieria?
Finding the best CRM solution for your business is determined by the key requirements of your company and your customer base. There are certain selection criteria that you need to consider in your process to support your decision-making.
Key steps in your selection process
to find the best CRM
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Step 1
Steps list section: Title 1
- Reflect the requirements of key stakeholders and end users during the scoping process. A formal interview step in your CRM project should address these needs (current state to future state). End users are better informed about the inefficiencies and gaps in current ways of working plus management will be able to provide a steer on business strategy for future-proofing the CRM. An additional benefit of this step is to motivate and engage users from the start, increasing their job satisfaction, boosting adoption and ROI and improving the service they provide to customers.
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Step 2
Steps list section: Title 2
- Assess customer needs by segment. If your business hasn’t formally captured the needs of your audience, take the time now to carry this out – a Customer Experience survey. This should then be added to the user and management feedback in order to provide context and importance.
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Step 3
Steps list section: Title 3
- Make a current audit and data analysis of requirements. Organize and classify the feedback and capture data insights by business area and severity. Trends will start to emerge in order for you to build a picture of common themes and business critical levels. Ensure that validation is carried out by end user peer groups and management of all requirements.
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Step 4
Steps list section: Title 4
- You can then move on to prioritize requirements which will help in any RFP process or vendor scoring and shortlisting. You can do this by group interviews, workshops and discussions. You will make a CRM Project Scope document from this exercise.
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Step 5
Steps list section: Title 5
- Create a vendor ranking system. You will see below what vendor selection criteria you need to include, balanced with your prioritized requirements and what to look for in a CRM solution itself. Be specific in this vendor scoring, it needs to be focused on functionality and the ability of each vendor and platform to specifically address requirements, rather than on general features and benefits. Even if you do not engage in a formal RFP process, a scoring system will help you cross reference these multiple elements and ultimately save time in your project.
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Step 6
Steps list section: Title 6
- Perform digital research (including free trials) on relevant vendors and CRM platforms and make a shortlist. Brief the shortlisted providers of your current state and your ambitions (this is where your documented requirements are very useful) in advance and schedule calls and demonstrations. Whilst a generic demonstration is useful at shortlisting stage to show you what is possible and indeed might reshape your requirements, you should move to tailored demonstrations from your shortlist in an efficient manner.
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Step 7
Steps list section: Title 7
- An optional step, that requires budget and time on your part, is a “Proof of Concept”, where your business data is input into the preferred CRM solution by the vendor within key functional areas, often within a limited and agreed scope. This can be as much time as both parties are willing to engage in as there are business costs associated with jobs required for you to undertake such as data preparation and cleansing.
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Step 8
Steps list section: Title 8
- CRM selection, procurement and negotiation. This is where you and your preferred vendor need to clearly understand license requirements, costs associated, any storage needs, and contracts determined based on SLAs, length of service etc. You can then forecast your CRM budget based on projected and phased costs from implementation through to maintenance.
Matching the right CRM software to your needs
- Ease of implementation – you need to have a software solution which can be deployed quickly and easily with minimal disruption
- Cost of CRM software – the solution needs to meet your budget and provide a return on investment – consider license costs, implementation costs, and ongoing maintenance costs when putting your CRM budget together in your selection process
- Growth potential – the software needs to be scalable and constantly updated to be able to expand along with your business requirements and the modern needs of customers and users
- Functionally rich – the software needs to provide comprehensive functionality which supports and improves your business processes but not over-complex that it affects your ROI and lowers user adoption
- What systems do you use throughout the business that you would like to replace, or even integrate with your CRM? Think ERP systems, the quote to cash process, collaboration work spaces such as email, calendars and document management, they may not all be customer facing but definitely have an impact on the customer experience.
- Ease of use – a CRM project can fail at the last hurdle, if users do not see the benefit of using a CRM solution or find it too difficult to use. Ensure your CRM solution is familiar, intuitive and makes their daily life easier from the start
- The software vendor’s reputation – you need to know the software vendor has been able to successfully implement software for other similar businesses. Do you know your competitors’ use? How specialized is the vendor in your sector? Request customer case studies and testimonials from your CRM vendor and platform shortlist
- The implementation process suggested by your software vendor, how does it meet industry best practice?
- What credentials, skills and certifications does the CRM vendor hold? If they are an official partner of a leading CRM solution for example, what level of accreditation has been awarded and on what basis?
- Level of support provided by the software vendor – you need to know that your chosen software provider is able to support you as a customer both throughout the implementation process and afterwards. What SLAs do you want to negotiate to ensure your business objectives are met?
- What other services can your CRM vendor deliver? Match your ambitions and company values and abilities with those of your partner. Do you want ongoing support, do you need coding development, do you want a strategic partner who advises on the full Customer Experience (CX) approach, do you need ongoing training and support?
Matching the right CRM vendor to your business
Discovering CRM capabilities
to suit your needs
Do your research when selecting the best CRM system, shortlisting CRM vendors and finally in your selection process of a CRM vendor to be your partner. There are a plethora of whitepapers and websites which will help you understand CRM solutions and functionality on the market which you may not have considered, that will help your business either evolve or be revolutionized.
When considering your CRM selection criteria, you need to prioritize functionality: in terms of essential, nice to have or a future consideration once your organization is ready for such change.
It will also help if you phase your CRM functionality in order to increase user adoption and provide quick wins on ROI.
Take a more in-depth look at the essential scope of CRM functionality so you know what to include in your CRM software selection criteria and help you make the best decision
