The Common and Problematic Path of CRM Software Users

CRM software is great. I really mean that – what it is doing to the contact management and marketing aspect of business is phenomenal. It is truly changing how companies work, for the better. There are so many different areas within CRM that software can help make easier while producing greater results; from lead management and customer support to customer follow-up and overall sales.

Looking back to the days before CRM software is almost frightening. In my distant memory I visualize a blurry situation with spreadsheets and post-it notes everywhere. How inefficient! So much time wasted, and the level of customer satisfaction was definitely on a lower end in comparison. What bothers me most is allowing myself to imagine all the potentially satisfied customers and potential sales that would have gone through had our company had a more efficient software in place. I try to avoid looking back.

Many other companies today have adopted CRM software and this number of companies is only growing. As companies realize the potential of these software systems they go on a buying frenzy, finding whatever they can. Some do it the right way from the start, and some get caught in the path of being ill-informed and taken advantage of for their lack of knowledge in the area – and end up locked in a three year contract using overpriced software that doesn’t function at all according the dynamic needs of the company (not naming any names here). For those who did it right, good for you. For those who got taken advantage of; knowledge is power. Read on.

I’d like to set those of you new to CRM software on a path that is a bit less misguided. The first thing to note is that CRM software if purchased correctly to the needs of your company is going to be great. It’s going to help with certain aspects of business and this will encourage you to buy more. Basically, if you need to manage customers, it is likely you sell a product or service. If you sell a product or service, there are project management and billing software out there that can help make those processes more efficient as well. Companies will notice this after purchasing CRM software, and then start buying more.

Companies will buy software for every aspect of their business, as well as an assorted list of add-ons. They continue to do this until they are either out of money or feel they have sufficient business management software. You can deny this fate all you want, but there is still a likely chance you will come down this path. Once companies have reached this point, they encounter some common problems: they are spending huge amounts of money on subscription fees, they have to train their staff for multiple different business management applications, and these applications (usually) don’t integrate well at all.

Not having integration capabilities is a serious problem. Imagine having to jump between separate applications and log in to new interfaces every time you want to do something as simple as look up the deadline for a project, or look up a contact’s name. After time this gets very discouraging; some employees will avoid using the software altogether, and those that continue to work with it will be constantly discouraged. Remember: the point of business management software is to make processes simpler and easier for the users. This means actually making a specific task easier to complete by all means possible, not bring new annoyances and unneeded stress.

Having to train employees for new software can be a pain. This does not go for all software, as many are becoming quite simple and intuitive to use – and require little to no training. But as an experienced business management software user I can tell you this does not go for all software. Many require hours of tutorials and ease of use or intuitiveness was definitely not a concept in mind when designing these applications (not naming any names). Now consider having to deal with this for not only your CRM software but also your project management and billing software. Consider training a temp guy. You get the point. It’s a pain and by the time all is said and done it isn’t efficient.

I could go on for hours about the problems that will arise when trying to use assorted applications that don’t integrate in an environment where simplicity and efficiency should conquer, but I’m more about solutions than problems. In my next post, I’ll be going in detail about how this solution solves all problems related to mixing applications, as well as the continued list of benefits my solution has for a business. No, I’m not selling a product.

The solution is a lot simpler than most would think.

I’d like to hear your thoughts.