Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software has been around for decades now. What started as a Rolodex to organize customer data has now grown into a single solution for all sales-related activities. Over the years, many organizations have invested their time and resources in finding and implementing the right CRM for their business.
But many organizations do not know what is the Right CRM for their business unless they have tried and tested a few of them. One thing we know for sure after multiple trials is that large, clunky CRMs that have been around for generations surely do not deliver what they promise. Have a look at the video below to know more:
While purchasing a CRM, there are some myths that SMB owners still believe, preventing them from adopting it. In this article, we bring out seven CRM myths which are simply not true and seriously need to die.
Myth 1: CRM is expensive
Yes, there was a point when CRM software was really expensive. Not only was the licensing cost exorbitant, but organizations had to spend additionally on hardware, implementation, training, consultation, and support.
Well, not anymore.
Today, any business can set up and use a CRM at $0. The prices of CRMs have drastically dropped over the past few years due to stiff competition in the market. There are many CRMs that start with a free plan and have an affordable pricing structure on their higher plans. This makes it a lot easier for startups and small business owners to adopt the software.
Myth 2: CRM has a heavy reliance on IT to set up and make changes
Sadly, this isn’t a myth.
And here’s the proof—around 27% of CRM buyers say that one of the top challenges faced by their current CRM software is reliance on IT to set up the system. Unfortunately, there are still some traditional CRMs in the market that are hard to set up and require the help of IT to configure and modify as per business needs and trends.
Thanks to the rise of modern CRM software, this truth will eventually turn into a myth as well. Modern CRMs are easy to set up, learn and use. They don’t require the help of IT or external consultants for implementation and customization.
Myth 3: CRM is ONLY for the big guys
Back in the 90s, CRMs were expensive, and only large enterprises could afford it. Due to the costly price tag, CRM software was considered a luxury.
However, that’s changed now. Some CRMs have just the right features and are at an affordable price for small businesses. In fact, certain CRM vendors have plans that cater to all business sizes—small and large. A small business CRM not only helps in organizing customer data but also helps in effectively communicating with them and making important business decisions.
Myth 4: CRM = Long-term contract commitment
In the past, companies were bound by long-term contracts from CRM vendors. So, even when they saw poor adoption rate or found it inefficient, companies didn’t consider switching software as they had already invested heavily in one.
Today, CRMs have flexible pricing plans. So, rather than engaging into a year-long contract, CRM vendors have a “pay-as-you-go” plan that allows companies to pay for licenses every month. This also makes it easier for them to upgrade plans as and when the need arises.
Myth 5: CRM involves a lot of manual data entry
You would have probably heard this more often than the rest of the myths. Yes, manually entering new data into the CRM can be time-consuming, especially when you can use that time to do what you do best: sell.
But that’s not how CRMs are anymore.
CRMs have the automation capabilities like adding and updating customer information, sending emails, scheduling sales reports, etc. In fact, CRMs today surface the right information at the right time to help sales reps engage with customers better. Now, that’s definitely a productivity booster, don’t you agree?
Myth 6: Difficult to integrate with other systems
Traditionally, CRMs were difficult to integrate with other systems because they didn’t have open APIs or native integrations with other applications.
With the new wave of SaaS CRMs in the market, it’s now easy to integrate with other applications and provide a 360-degree view of the customer data. The new-age CRMs easily integrate with other applications to provide a 360-degree view of customer data. Not only do they have native integrations but they also list on a marketplace, giving sales reps the opportunity to complete more tasks without having to leave the CRM.
Myth 7: Difficult to migrate from the current CRM software
Business owners invest time and resource to research and implement the right CRM for their business. But sadly, when it does not work for them, they don’t want to switch software.
The reason? The fear of losing valuable customer data during migration.
Modern CRMs are designed to make data migration easy, free and fast. They are built to import spreadsheets and have all customer data migrated without any manual effort. That’s not all; CRMs also deliver a detailed report summarizing the outcome of the migration, assuring businesses that every piece of data is captured in the CRM.
Have you heard of CRM myths that you believe have to die? Share it with us on the comments below.
In the meantime, how about sharing this blog with your colleagues and friends 🙂
