OK. I’m an expert in topic, the reason is that I used to work with web based CRM software for over 2 years. So gosh, I hope you have a bit of time to read my post because I have a lot to say about web based CRM software. OK, so here we go.
Web based CRM software is a fantastic idea that can give you a lot of advantages vs conventional normal CRM software. When I talk about normal CRM software I’m talking about a CRM that is installed in your machine, so that means that the copy of the CRM is in your PC. This means that if you change of PC you need to reinstall the CRM.
With a web based CRM software it is different you can actually go to any computer and work straight away. Usually you login in a secure url or IP and then you will be able to log and create tickets and resolve your customer cases. Pretty cool isn’t?
Well, there is a catch, To start obviously with WEB based CRM Software or any web based CRM tool, if you loose internet connection, that means that you are cut from the world and you will not be able to work anymore. Second, you need to understand that you are accessing the web based application via your browser and that means that you are at the mercy of security updates, different versions of browsers, bugs and potential problems not with the web based crm application itself but with the browser you use to read and access the solution.
This may sound like a silly and small point but oh boy it is a pretty serious point to consider, later on in the next weeks, I will be talking a bit about some web based CRM reviews and how many of them were a waste of time and others instead were simply amazing.
There are many things you need to consider when thinking of going for a HOSTED CRM Software. So as always I’m going to explain some clear points about this sort of hosted CRM solutions .
When you have a CRM software you really want to understand that having a problem, or a bug, can destroy the way your business goes. Now, this is the most important point, when you decided to go for a hosted CRM software, then you need to really be able to control and understand what hosting is all about. This means that you need to be able to have direct access to that hosting services.
Potentially already that may already scared you, but what I need to explain is that hosted CRM software usually come with a very complicated backend, this means that you are the one in charge of watching over your own database and be sure you are doing everything ok, to prevent that database from getting corrupted.
Like in any other hosted application, once you are dealing with a live environment, you need to be very careful regarding how you treat your application.
Here are some quick advices about how to deal with hosted CRM Software applications
1. If you decided that the hosted CRM software is the right application for you, use a proper hosting. YOu really need to consider if you are better by hosting it with a hosting reseller or to hosted in house. My advice is to let the experts deal with hosting. So hire a professional hosting virtual server.
2. Backup, backup, backup. Do it all the time, have a regular discipline of backing up, this will help you to avoid dramas and future problems.
3. Have a production server and a little server in standby . I usually have 2 servers, sometimes one smaller and cheaper to rent (shared hosting) for my hosted CRM software applications, so in case things go to hell with one, in less than 3 to 4 hours I can have small server running.
What is consider a Simple CRM software? Gosh what a good question, so here I go, trying to en light you a bit, in the path to find a real simple CRM software . In my experience, how simple a crm application is based in how many hours of training you need to take to launch and use the tool like a a semi-expert. You will be amazed, I used a CRM application when I used to work for HP/COMPAQ, that the trainning course took 2 full weeks. Is that a simple CRM software? Hell no! But hey, you need to start somewhere.
So what do you consider a simple CRM software? The first thing I need to do is to clarify something, a simple CRM software doesn’t mean a poor CRM software. Just because it is simple, like KISS, keep it simple stupid, it doesn’t mean you will not find power, flexibility and a professional product behind the application. All the opposite. I believe the most powerful CRM applications, are the ones that are simple.
So here is my top 5 list of things you need to consider to be able to classify a CRM application as simple.
1. Easy installation and migration of data. This mean you can install the application with a PHD and you can import and export data fast.
2. Non hassle training. Does include a video for training? a demo production account? what about a good step by step idiot proof manual?
3. Easy to find menu of GUI . A good User interface is basic, the fastest it is for us to find where are we going the more simple, the better.
4. How easy is to retrieve and update info? This is one o the most important ones….
5. How easy to is to generate reports and to change the preferences in the CRM application?
Remember: you really want something simple, because the CRM helps you to deal with the problems of your clients, so the last thing you want to have is problems generated by your CRM software. Don’t you think?
One of the most difficult tasks anyone can have is to compare CRM software applications. It is not easy. Have you ever tried to compare 2 hourse? or 2 cars? There are so many factors in place that many times it is quite challenging to know which is the best crm software, or how to compare crm software just to make it fair.
Well, part of my job was that, I used to work all day with different CRM tools and then just try to advice companies wich CRM software was the ideal for their working enviroment. So how do you compare crm software? Well, to start I used to work with a very basic list. I believe in using KISS with CRM (keep it simple stupid).
1. Flexibility. I like CRM applications that are flexible, I love when I can install and unistall plugins, addons and extra modules to my CRM tool. This means that the people that created understand that not all working enviroments are the same.
2. Support. With many applications you want to know that you have a support team behind. I have used excellent CRM applications where I can berely find any type of support from the vendor or producer. So what is the point then in using that CRM tool?
3. Speed. Let’s face it, this is a CRM, and our customers require speed. Any good CRM application needs to load fast, work fast, retrieve fast. It is all about speed, speed and speed.
4. Database. where is the data of my customers stored and how safe is this info kept.
5. Equilibrium between value and features.
As you can see comparing crm software is a complex task, but if you understand that not all CRM software are ideal for your organization , you will have an easier path ahead.
One of my jobs a few years ago, was to help to setup a Pharmaceutical CRM software, so today I want to talk about Pharmaceutical CRM software and explain the differences users need to understand when testing and purchasing a CRM software or CRM application. The first thing is that the more specialized your field is, the more precise the CRM tool that you are using has to be. In the case of the pharmaceutical field, I was surprise how complex can it be to implement a CRM . What you need to understand when purchasing a CRM, is that you want a company that knows about your field, and more important you want a software that has been developed by people with experience working in your field.
Regarding Pharmaceutical CRM software I will not name brands of software companies, but there are mainly 2 clases of Pharmaceutical CRM software options out there, the ones that produce a big CRM tool and then they sell little customizations or addons for each industry and the companies that mainly just work in the pharma field.
Obviously I will stick with number 2, and the reason is quite obvious: I want the experts to work with me, I want to use what the experts in MY field are using. Don’t get me wrong, option number 1, is valid, but you are purchasing your application from a software brand, that does a lot of stuff and for sure they will not be an expert in all the fields and industries. Usually this addons will not adapt so well to all the companies and the companies are not extremely flexible based on the high cost of changing their applications.
So go for the companies where the pharmaceutical field is their main field of IT expertise , trust me, deep inside you can’t go wrong. These companies will speak your language and they will listen to you (very important!) because they know that the future of their customer relation tool depends on your feedback and word of mouth. If you are not happy, you will tell other peers and that will affect their reputation in your field.
What is behind a good CRM Software small business application? Well mainly we want a solution that is simple and in the same way you don’t need a Ferrari to go from home to the supermarket, we don’t need a very huge CRM software application when we are dealing in small quantity and volume.
Usually CRM applications are solutions that can over complicate themselves and by trying to give to many features they can forget that sometimes we just need the basic of what a Customer Relation Management tool does.
A long time I go I experience this problem when I used to train some small business owners in dealing and managing their time, while working together in their CRM Software small business, and many of them usually use to request an application that could work in a flexible scenario and give them the easy capacity to train staff quickly.
My advice regarding CRM Software small business tools is to trust companies that are willing to offer you a trial and a money back guarantee in case the application or the software is not what you where expecting from it.
But do your homework when you are looking for the CRM software for your small business, just because you are smaller than many big fishes, it doesn’t mean you don’t need something robust to help you deal with your clients problems,
One of the things that usually we don’t manage to see from the CRM application and from CRM software, is the previous history, or how the CRM came alive. This time, I just found a very interesting Video that can give us an insight about how CRM Software works.
