CRM annoys me! What would be the least annoying CRM?
Posted: Wed Dec 04, 2024 8:47 am
Do you love all the systems you use at work? If so, you are very lucky. Unfortunately, many companies still struggle with using either too many tools or tools that are too complicated. CRM systems can also be a source of frustration for salespeople and other employees. They should be helping them!
In this article, I will present a subjective selection of features that, in my opinion, make CRM stop being annoying and start being helpful.
Intuitive for the user
Yes, I know that this sentence is a riddle, or even a skeleton key from advertising brochures. This does not change the fact that a good CRM should be easy to use. What will be intuitive for some will not be for others, so it is worth establishing clear criteria that guide you in your choice. In my opinion, such a condition for a salesperson is that adding a note or task requires the fewest possible clicks and should be possible directly from the level of contact with the customer.
Whether the system is intuitive for you is best determined in practice, so it is worth using a demo if the provider offers such a service.
Personalized
A good CRM should not only allow for personalization of customer interactions, but also be as flexible and personalizable as possible. What does this mean in practice? The employee should see the options they use most often. Nothing is more irritating than constantly searching for the right option or returning to a home page that you don't use, right?
That's why every user should be able to customize their CRM view. The configurable dashboard function with a report works very well, where you can constantly monitor your own activities and goals to achieve. This slovakia business email list is one of the things I particularly appreciate HubSpot for, as I wrote in my review of the most convenient HubSpot features for salespeople .
Integrated
Integrations are powerful. CRM itself is a great tool for integrating sales, marketing and customer service, i.e. the entire Revenue Operations process . But it is also important that it has the ability to integrate with the software you use. Thanks to this, you do not have to give up your favorite applications, and all the data is in one place anyway. Even if you are not a sales "gadget guy", you certainly use e-mail and calendar. If they are well integrated with CRM, you will not have to, for example, enter in the system that you have sent an e-mail to a customer, because this e-mail will be immediately visible in the system. Thanks to this, you do not do the same work twice.
Select_CRM_e-book
Automated
CRM systems allow for far-reaching automation of sales and marketing processes. So what do I mean when I say that your CRM should be automated to minimize your irritation? I think the ability to create your own automations is important – for example, email sequences or automatic records after receiving a message or automatic personalizations based on contact data. This ability should be available to salespeople and marketers without having to code.
Supporting efficiency
Improvements that support efficiency can be created at the level of company processes – and this is a key activity. But it is also important to be able to create your own micro-improvements that will save you time on a daily basis. Such improvements are, for example, ready-made materials: e-mail drafts, conversation scripts, sample offers. Your customer relationship management system should provide the ability to store and use them directly from the CRM level.
Taken care of
Perhaps this term does not fully fit the business solution, but… No system will be less irritating if you cannot receive reliable support in the event of problems. That is why, in my opinion, one of the key aspects when choosing a CRM system is real technical support from the supplier. Regardless of whether it is the manufacturer or a licensed partner , you should be sure that in the event of problems you will not be left alone. Thanks to this, even crisis situations can be less stressful.
In this article, I will present a subjective selection of features that, in my opinion, make CRM stop being annoying and start being helpful.
Intuitive for the user
Yes, I know that this sentence is a riddle, or even a skeleton key from advertising brochures. This does not change the fact that a good CRM should be easy to use. What will be intuitive for some will not be for others, so it is worth establishing clear criteria that guide you in your choice. In my opinion, such a condition for a salesperson is that adding a note or task requires the fewest possible clicks and should be possible directly from the level of contact with the customer.
Whether the system is intuitive for you is best determined in practice, so it is worth using a demo if the provider offers such a service.
Personalized
A good CRM should not only allow for personalization of customer interactions, but also be as flexible and personalizable as possible. What does this mean in practice? The employee should see the options they use most often. Nothing is more irritating than constantly searching for the right option or returning to a home page that you don't use, right?
That's why every user should be able to customize their CRM view. The configurable dashboard function with a report works very well, where you can constantly monitor your own activities and goals to achieve. This slovakia business email list is one of the things I particularly appreciate HubSpot for, as I wrote in my review of the most convenient HubSpot features for salespeople .
Integrated
Integrations are powerful. CRM itself is a great tool for integrating sales, marketing and customer service, i.e. the entire Revenue Operations process . But it is also important that it has the ability to integrate with the software you use. Thanks to this, you do not have to give up your favorite applications, and all the data is in one place anyway. Even if you are not a sales "gadget guy", you certainly use e-mail and calendar. If they are well integrated with CRM, you will not have to, for example, enter in the system that you have sent an e-mail to a customer, because this e-mail will be immediately visible in the system. Thanks to this, you do not do the same work twice.
Select_CRM_e-book
Automated
CRM systems allow for far-reaching automation of sales and marketing processes. So what do I mean when I say that your CRM should be automated to minimize your irritation? I think the ability to create your own automations is important – for example, email sequences or automatic records after receiving a message or automatic personalizations based on contact data. This ability should be available to salespeople and marketers without having to code.
Supporting efficiency
Improvements that support efficiency can be created at the level of company processes – and this is a key activity. But it is also important to be able to create your own micro-improvements that will save you time on a daily basis. Such improvements are, for example, ready-made materials: e-mail drafts, conversation scripts, sample offers. Your customer relationship management system should provide the ability to store and use them directly from the CRM level.
Taken care of
Perhaps this term does not fully fit the business solution, but… No system will be less irritating if you cannot receive reliable support in the event of problems. That is why, in my opinion, one of the key aspects when choosing a CRM system is real technical support from the supplier. Regardless of whether it is the manufacturer or a licensed partner , you should be sure that in the event of problems you will not be left alone. Thanks to this, even crisis situations can be less stressful.