When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM) software,
the needs may be similar for SMBs, but the tools and services may
differ somewhat. Automating sales, building repeat business,
tailoring customer incentives and other tasks are all simplified
with CRM tools -- but at what cost? Luckily, CRM options for SMBs
are rapidly increasing. From CRM news to product options to expert
advice, this IT Management Guide will give you the background and
up-to-date information you need to make good CRM choices. But
first, you must determine if CRM is right for you. Begin with our
tips and advice columns and you'll be on your way to a successful
CRM implementation.
For free advice and resources on more IT and business topics,
visit our main
SMB IT Management Guide section.
Table of contents
CRM
suites suit SMBs
CRM
heeds to SMB call
Got
CRM? 10 questions to ask before you buy
Open
source making way in SMBs
More
resources
[Sue Hildreth, Contributor]
Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) need
customer relationship management (CRM)
software just as much as their big-company competitors do. It
not only automates many time-consuming sales and service-related
tasks, such as fulfillment, but it also provides a 360-degree
view of customer buying habits and problems.
But purchasing the right CRM system -- one that fits the budget
and really works the way the staff needs it to -- can be daunting
for a small firm. And price is almost always the first and most
problematic stumbling block for SMBs.
"It always comes down to cost," said Jim Berkowitz, CEO of
consulting firm CRM Mastery Inc., based in Denver. "I say to
people, this is not about spending money. It's about making an
investment that should bring a return to the business."
Both Berkowitz and Steve Raye, executive vice president of
eVergance Partners LLC, a CRM consulting and integration firm in
Overland Park, Kan., strongly advise IT managers at SMBs to treat
CRM as a long-term investment, and resist the urge to grab the
cheapest package available. That, they say, will only create more
expensive problems down the road.
Besides price, there are five other key issues that any SMB IT
manager needs to consider when buying a CRM system, Berkowitz and
Raye said.
Learn more in "
CRM suites suit SMBs." Also:
-
CRM suites for SMBs (SearchSMB.com)
It may be the No. 1 hosted CRM software, but there are plenty of
alternatives with more services and smaller price tags for
SMBs. - Shopping for CRM systems
(SearchCRM.com)
This chapter offers a look into how to properly select the CRM
software that is right for your company.
[Carol Hildebrand, Contributor]
When it comes to using
customer relationship management (CRM) tools, the needs of
small and midsized businesses (SMBs) don't differ markedly from
their enterprise-class brethren. IT professionals and sales staffs
at SMBs want to use technology to do things like automate
sales-oriented chores, track prospects, build repeat business or
create tailored customer incentives.
What sets SMBs apart is the lack of resources and budgets
available to put those tools to work. "In most cases, these
companies are very resource-constrained compared with what we think
of as large @18432 enterprises," said Laurie McCabe, vice president
of SMB business solutions at New York-based AMI Partners Inc. "Even
in midsized companies, the IT group is still relatively small, and
they don't have a lot of people to sit and evaluate and do as much
research."
As a result, the CRM market, which is mature at the high end,
has opportunity for growth in the SMB arena, where buyers have
waited for the technology to mature and prices to come down before
taking the plunge. CRM vendors are responding by creating products
that are more attuned to the different pain points that CIOs bring
to the table.
Learn more in "
CRM heeds to SMB call." Also:
[Jim Berkowitz, Contributor]As
customer relationship management (CRM) infiltrates more small
and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), the options for CRM products
and services are increasingly coming from smaller vendors. These
vendors can now compete with their @39335 bigger counterparts,
offering Software as a Service (SaaS) and best-of-breed products
for specific CRM functions and industries.
Selecting the right CRM software and implementing CRM to deliver
measurable business growth and profit improvement can present many
challenges to IT professionals and business managers. But if it's
done right, your efforts will be rewarded with significant
competitive advantages and bottom-line profits.
Here are 10 questions -- technical and strategic -- to ask when
considering an investment in CRM:
Get the 10 questions in
"
Got CRM? 10 questions to ask before you buy." Also:
-
Open source vs. SaaS -- what SMBs should know
(SearchSMB.com)
How big is your wallet? How high is your tolerance for complexity?
These are just two of many factors to consider before you choose
between open source or Software as a Service. -
CRM learning center (SearchCRM.com)
SearchCRM.com's All-in-One Guides, learning guides and quizzes
provide topic-focused resources on topics like like call center
management, customer loyalty, marketing strategy, open source CRM,
self service and more. This compilation is a quick and easy route
to the most up-to-date information.
[Carol Hildebrand, Contributor]Ernie Ball Inc. is certainly not the norm when it comes to
software use.
The San Luis Obispo, Calif.-based company switched completely to
open source software after a surprise audit by the Business
Software Alliance produced a hefty fine for using unlicensed
software.
Most small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are nowhere near
that level of open source use. "The majority of open source
attention goes to the hobbyist market and large enterprises, and
it's much more difficult for smaller companies to find what they
need," said Maria Winslow, an open source strategies consultant
based in Chapel Hill, N.C.
That's too bad, because open source software offers one big
benefit prized by SMBs -- cost savings. No licensing or upgrade
costs, not to mention no initial software purchase, can prove an
attractive proposition for cost-conscious SMBs.
For example, Athenahealth Inc., a healthcare software company in
Watertown, Mass., recently saved a bundle when it switched from
Salesforce.com Inc. to SugarCRM Inc., a Linux-based CRM
application.
Learn more in "
Open source making way in SMBs." Also:
-
Open source products lure cost-conscious CIOs
(SearchSMB.com)
Some midmarket CIOs are turning to emerging commercial open source
vendors. They've got the goods, they're eager for your business and
the price is right. But there are some risks. -
Firms demand more from Web hosting vendors
(SearchSMB.com)
As more small businesses move to a crowded and complicated
Internet, they will need to find vendors that can offer more than
Web hosting and design services.