Maximillian Crawford-smith Team : Client Services Manager Tags : Technology Sales CRM
16Jan2015

Cloud based CRM systems: why SFDC is worth the time and effort

Maximillian Crawford-smith Team : Client Services Manager Tags : Technology Sales CRM

Client Relationship Management (CRM) plays an important role in any business, and it is often the difference between success and failure. It is a business imperative to implement a structured, yet streamlined sales process, no matter the size.

For those who don’t know, a CRM system is a technology that helps organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support.

There are a number of CRM platforms on the market that help manage a businesses current and future interactions with customers/clients; but which one is right for you?

I have used a plenty of CRM solutions over the past 5 years to manage both my pipeline, and client interactions, each with their pros and cons.

When looking for a CRM system, I would consider the following:

  • Function; what are your business requirements. 
  • Task tracking; automated task management.
  • Sales management; account set up, lead function, opportunity management.
  • Organisational platform; file management, reminders, customer interactions.
  • Pipeline management; dashboard, analytics and reporting tools.
  • Platform integration; quoting systems, marketing platforms, database, incident ticket systems etc.
  • Mobile Capabilities; accessing the platform anywhere any time is an important consideration.
  • Support system; how quickly can a provider respond to a technical issue.
  • And finally stability of the platform; you don’t want the platform crashing every time you login.

From platforms developed internally, to free “community” platforms, right through to enterprise solutions; I have used them all. But one that stands above the rest, is Sales Force Dot Com (SFDC).

I am not going to lie and say that SFDC was is easy, there was a bit of training and hours of playing around on the system to understand how it works. However, it was worth the effort and I haven’t looked back.

Like all CRMs, SFDC has similar the functionality, but  somehow they just get it right. SFDC offers the perfect solution for contact management, sales and marketing, and employee tracking all in one complete cloud based package.  

Once you have found the right solution for your business, it is important that you engage in the following:

  • Properly train your staff.
  • Provide plenty of technical support.
  • Provide regular refresher training.

There is little point investing in a solution without properly training your employees. 

Like many technologies, data integrity is an important consideration. SFDC is only as powerful as the data collected; the more information your employees collate, the more accurate your business will be able to forecast, set targets, track customer engagement, and monitor the success of marketing campaigns.

While I am a big fan of SFDC and recommend making the investment; there are other providers out there with a solution that will meet your needs. 

The important part is first having a CRM system! The second is making proper use of the avaible funationality. 

Good luck and happy hunting!!