CRM tools are finding a home in companies across essentially all industries because CRM technology represents an accessible and affordable way to improve most areas of a business – both customer-facing and purely internal. But with that wider adoption comes a sea of platforms vying for your attention and your business. With so many options on the market, what should you look for when choosing a CRM platform? The key is to look for good CRM software that goes beyond just the “customer” part of the equation and works its magic on your administration and financials as well, offering a tool to usher in change across your entire business. 

 

A Good CRM Should Supercharge Your Sales Process

First and foremost, customer resource management is designed to improve the customer-facing aspects of your business and, in specific, your sales process. So, by nature, a good CRM absolutely has to include the tools necessary to improve your sales process and make your sales team’s lives easier. Arguably the most important sales tool in any CRM is the lead handling software. A good CRM should make everything about lead handling easier, from collection to storage and management, and last but far from least, the ability to access lead data and use it effectively during the sales process. Once you’ve established strong lead management, all other areas of your sales process will benefit from that improved base. 

 

A Good CRM Should Streamline Your Administration

Once you’ve found a CRM that meets your needs on the sales side of the equation, it’s time to look at administration. Your sales team isn’t the only people on your staff that can benefit from a good CRM. The right platform will also offer a variety of tools to boost the efficiency of admin staff and management as well. Two key areas to look for are communications and scheduling. The best customer resource management platforms will bring all of your communications into a single platform. That means integrating your Gmail and Outlook email accounts directly into the CRM, as well as the ability to connect standalone accounts your company hosts on its own. In higher-end CRMs, it might also mean a power dialer and SMS messaging. The same goes for scheduling. Your CRM should give you the ability to integrate all of your calendars and scheduling tools right into the CRM, enabling your team to handle essentially all of their daily communications, meetings, and schedule management without ever having to leave the CRM – a major productivity booster and a great way to reclaim wasted time. 

 

A Good CRM Should Improve Your Financials

Finally, one area a lot of CRM shoppers fail to think about is the books. But a good CRM can help there too. For instance, some platforms include advanced billing and payment tools that make it easier to both generate and send invoices, as well as to collect payments from clients electronically. The result is faster invoicing and, in turn, faster payment. Getting paid faster results in lower accounts receivable and healthier cash flow, two keys to overall long-term success. 

 

CRMDialer is one of the leading customer resource management platforms available today. It includes all of the important features mentioned here, as well as tools for marketing, customer service, training, advanced analytics and analysis, and much more. Best of all, the team at CRMDialer never stops updating it with newer, even more, useful features. For more information on how CRMDialer can improve your company’s sales, administration, and financials, start your free trial today.