40 Questions to ask when selecting a CRM package

No!! I don't sell any Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.  This is NOT a shameless plug.  Our company is growing so I thought I would share concerns we faced.  As a former ERP sales rep. for small and mid-sized companies I have seen what works and what doesn't.

Before even selecting a CRM you need to look at your own sales processes.  You need to remove the bottlenecks and double-work.  After you have created a smooth business process flow, then it is time to select a CRM.

A big mistake is forcing the systems, leadership, and the sales force change the process to the package.   When you have a broken process and then go through a migration of software you will have a major disruption of efficiency and cash flow.   

Here are 40 key questions or concerns when selecting a CRM system for your company:

1. Can the CRM extend across to other departments or easily integrate with other systems such as accounting?
2. Is the system easy to use for the sales force? 
3. Does it make the sales job easier?  (This is not the same as #2).
4. How easy is it to change the sales process in the future with this CRM?
5. How well does the CRM integrate with MS Office?
6. Can the sales force either access data or check out (library type system) data to their tablets or smart phones when they are in the field?
7. If your sales force gets inundated with calls or interruptions from customers, does the CRM open new windows for the other customers so the sales person can keep open the projects being worked on?  Or does the system require changing current screens to another customer, thus requiring the sales person to remember who they were working on before the interruption?
8. How easy does the CRM attach quotes or correspondence to the customer records?
9. How easy is it for the sales person to get their task list by priority and by time period?
10. How many screens are required to change common information items on a customer?
11. How easy is it to produce mass emails to specific segments of customers or prospects?
12. How easy is it to create quotes?  Modify existing quotes?
13. Can the executive teams get reports that they need when they need it?
14. Do those reports have the ability for the executive to drill down into detail when a problem is spotted?
15. Does your CRM provide reports that can show historical trends?
16. Does the system have dashboard or an e-mail alert system for the executive who does not want to run reports?
17. Can management create an automated report such as a monthly sales report or future quarter forecast without having to manually start the process?
18. How well does the software track key activities of the sales person, such as calls, emails, or appointments, separated by clients and prospects?  How easy is it to get a report?
19. How easy is it to view a specific sales person’s pipeline?  The department's or region's pipeline?
20. Can it track sales coming in that are one-time verses contractual and on-going.
21. What are security concerns you have and how does that package address it?
22. Does it have the ability to create departmental hierarchy and various access permission rights to users.
23. If personalization is needed, how easy is it to do and how much does it cost?
24. Can you add custom tabs and custom fields?  If so, how many and how easily.
25. What is the long term upgrade path and direction of the CRM developers?
26. Is the CRM written on an industry standard language?
27. How does the vendor train you and what is the cost?
28. Does the CRM have easy to access tutorials for on-going improvement of a user’s operation in the software?  How clear and easy to use are they?
29. What kind of support does the vendor provide and what is the cost?
30. How much access do you have to the CRM’s customer service department?  How much does it cost?  Is it via live chat, call-in, a knowledge library, or all of the above?
31. How many concurrent users can this program easily handle?
32. If you want customers to enter their own orders or check the status of orders, does the system have a portal for them?
33. Can it capture and track an on-going customer service concern?
34. Is it integrated with social media?  If so how? 
35. Is there integration between your corporate website to the CRM.  Such as, if someone sends a request through your website, will it trigger a task or call back in your CRM for a sales person?
36. In some cases you may want your CRM to also act as your knowledge library about competition.  Is that so for you?  If so, does your system allow both easy entry of new information and is it easily searchable in the future?
37. If you are international, can your CRM support multiple languages? 
38. If you are international, can your CRM support multiple currencies? Is automatically updated and can it translate.  So if a sales rep. in New York quotes in U.S. Dollars will it translate the quote to Euro’s for your European prospect?
39. Does your CRM support multiple time zones?
40. What is the cost to purchase and to keep the system updated?

You should also understand the strengths, weakness's and costs of both cloud based and server based systems.  Look at both initial and on-going costs.

Hope this helps.  If there are other questions I should add, please let me know.