You're leading a small business sales team. How can you choose the best CRM software tools?

In my journey leading a small business sales team, choosing the best CRM felt like crafting a tailored suit. First, define your goals – is it about streamlining workflows, capturing leads, or cultivating customer relationships? Once your goals are the North Star, navigate through CRM options like a seasoned captain choosing the perfect vessel. It's not just software; it's your business's compass to success.

Choosing the right CRM for your small business sales team starts with one key step: define your goals. Here’s how to approach it: Set Clear Metrics for Success: What key metrics do you want to improve? Whether it’s increasing conversion rates, improving customer retention, or streamlining follow-ups, defining your success indicators will help you prioritize the CRM features that deliver the most value. Determine Your Communication Needs: CRM software should help you build stronger relationships with prospects and customers. Think about how your team wants to communicate and collaborate.

In my experience the best roll out of any softwares especially CRMs is when you define your goals and are crystal clear why you want to implement a CRM. Too many times small companies implement a CRM because they think they need to do to feel like a ‘proper company’ but the truth is, if you’re efficient using Google sheets then that’s fine. What’s important is that the CRM you implement helps you achieve your goals and overcomes any pain points you and your sales team are facing. These goals will help you prioritise which features you want in a CRM which will help you choose the best tool.

All CRMs are not created equal. Thus, it is critical to understand exactly what you need the CRM to do. For example, do you need customized reports, do you want robust graphs and charts, do you want it to be connected to your inbox? There are many factors to consider besides features— cost, number of users, and implementation are also important in the decision making. In a nutshell, look at your goals and look at your existing team. Determine what you need the CRM to do and then find 3 CRMs that potentially meet those needs. Lastly, be sure to demo each product and you’ll have a better idea of how to move forward.

I agree that budget is very important but I’m also conscious that you get what you pay for. You’ve got to think about value for money vs pure budget. If you pay extra but get extra features that will allow you (and maybe other parts of your business be more efficient) then it might be worth it. Think long term vs short. Many tools offer free use for X number of users so make benefit of these if your team is small.

When you’re a sales leader it’s very easy to make a decision of your own decision but in my experience to get the most buy in from your team, it’s crucial to get them to trial and share their feedback on options. At the end of the day the team is going to be using the CRM the most so it’s very important that they feel comfortable using it. Listen to the feedback and go with the option that best suits the entire team

Well done Kevin but the absolute #1 requirement is that your people understand it and can use it properly and it adds real value to your business. Don’t forget to add a ￡ sum for training otherwise it will fall over.

Make sure you invest in a CRM that offers great customer service and is dedicated to continuous improvements and updates. This way you can be sure you’re going to be at the forefront with tech and trends. Also look into integration options so that your CRM can grow as the business grows and integrate with other tools that other dept might use.