In 2024, selecting CRM/SFA software - Customer Relationship Management / Sales Force Automation - is crucial to optimizing customer relationship management and sales force efficiency.
This article guides you through the essential criteria for making the right choice for your situation, and gives you the tools to select the solution that best suits your business.
Questions to ask when choosing a CRM/SFA solution
Before finalizing your choice of CRM/SFA, it's important to ask yourself several key questions to ensure that the tool you select will effectively meet your needs.
Analysis of your specific needs
Determine which customer relationship management and sales force automation processes you want to improve or automate, and identify the current problems you're looking to solve with a CRM/SFA.
Why does the current solution (if you have one) no longer meet my needs?
What is the main problem I want to solve?
Solution compatibility and integration
You don't just work with one software. Make sure that CRM/SFA integrates well with your existing systems and tools, and is compatible with your current technology infrastructure.
How can I integrate it with my tools?
Are integrations easy to carry out?
Are there any predefined integrations with the tools we already use?
Scalability and customization
Is the software flexible enough to adapt to our changing needs? Is it easy to customize? Can it grow with our business? Can I customize it easily? Can I manage my CRM independently? Can it be customized to meet unforeseen future needs?
Key features
Check that the software is flexible enough to adapt to your changing needs, and can be easily customized to meet future requirements.
What specific functionalities does the software offer? Do they correspond to the requirements of our business sector?
Does it offer key functionalities adapted to our business sector?
Are there any unique features that would give us a competitive edge?
Accessibility and mobility
Make sure the software offers a good user experience on different devices, and is easily accessible for salespeople on the move.
Is the software multi-device (mobile, tablet, computer)?
Does it work offline?
Is it a user-friendly CRM?
Security and confidentiality management
Check that the CRM/SFA has robust security measures and complies with current regulations, such as the RGPD.
What security measures are in place to protect customer data?
What security measures are in place to protect my company's data?
Support and training
Assess the level of technical support and availability of training resources offered by the software publisher.
What kind of support and training does the software publisher offer?
What language is it available in?
Are training resources available to help teams adopt the software?
What level of technical support is available?
Cost and investment
Consider the total cost of ownership of the software, including initial costs, license fees, maintenance costs and any hidden costs.
Does the pricing model fit our budget?
Are there implementation or development costs?
Analytical and reporting skills
Look for robust analysis and reporting tools that allow you to customize your reports and obtain real-time analysis.
Does the software provide analysis and reporting tools to assess sales performance and customer relations?
Can I customize my reports? Can these tools be customized to our key performance indicators?
How long does it take to get my analyses?
Can I export my dashboards, reports and graphs?
These questions are the first step in your thinking process. They'll help you to select the solutions that best match your needs, and therefore rule out those that are too far removed.
Once this initial "pruning" work has been completed, you'll need to go into more detail, to ensure that the solution selected meets the needs of both management and the field. One of the mistakes not to be made during theCRM tool selection andimplementation phases is not to involve your teams and misidentify their needs. Let's take a closer look at the functionalities you need to equip a sales force in the field.
How do you choose your CRM when you're a brand?
Your main objective as a brand distributed in supermarkets is toincrease your sales or market share, by increasing the volume and/or value of your sales, while maintaining profitability.
To do this, you will mainly work on :
Increasing the number of implantations ;
Increasing the number of items in store;
Good representation of your brand, mainly through merchandising.
In other words, activate the 4Ps (Price, Place, Promotion, Product). Your CRM/SFA should help you achieve this, without blowing your budget and investment.
We'll take a look below at the essential criteria for choosing your CRM when you're a mass-market brand.
To help you, we've listed the following criteria (and many others) in a document, to make it easier for you to tender for - or select - your future CRM/SFA.
Technical aspects of CRM
Is the solution SaaS or on-premise?
Is CRM available on the Web?
Does the CRM work on mobile or tablet devices? Is it accessible on all download platforms (does it work on Android as well as IOS?)?
Does CRM work offline?
Can I perform the same actions online and offline?
Is there automatic synchronization between the web and mobile versions? If so, is it in real time when the mobile application is online?
Does CRM integrate with other software?
Are there any connections already developed with my tools, or does the CRM solution have an open API?
Can I integrate my sell-out?
Actions to be taken with CRM
Customer activation and follow-up
Can I segment my points of sale?
Can I segment my contacts?
Can I tag my companies and contacts?
Can I enter the information I need to track customers and prospects (SIRET, store opening hours, parent company...)?
Do I have access to the visit history (display of all information)?
Can I create filtered views?
Can I assign sales outlets to the salesperson in charge?
Do I have access to qualified databases for my market? Do these databases include store codes?
Sales action planning
Does CRM have an interactive map?
Does CRM have a list view?
Does CRM have features that improve productivity for area managers, such as lasso selection?
Can I display the agenda directly in CRM?
Can I add tasks to the calendar from the CRM? Is there automatic synchronization between the two (CRM to calendar, and vice versa)?
Can I write e-mails from the CRM? Is there automatic synchronisation between the two (CRM to mailbox, and vice versa)?
Can sales reps be given reminders (e.g. about visit frequency, if a store isn't being visited enough to meet its target)?
Can I schedule mass tasks (visits, calls, emails)?
How easy is it to plan sales rounds?
Can sales tour routes be optimized (store schedule, departure and arrival points, availability of the floor manager, etc.)?
Can sales reps link their routes to mobile applications (google maps, waze, city mapper...)?
Data collection
Can I collect data directly from my mobile or tablet?
Can I customize the data collection forms according to the KPIs my brand is tracking?
Can I create as many statement forms as I want?
Is it possible to add mandatory validation to forms?
Is it possible to take photos?
Are photos integrated into survey forms?
Is it possible to take voice notes?
Are voice notes integrated into statement forms?
Is it possible to produce several statements for one store? Are these statements integrated into my company file?
Do forms have conditional responses (display or not depending on previous responses)?
Is it possible to set mandatory fields in forms?
Can forms be pre-filled based on the last visit?
Operations monitoring
Can I track my sales operations and their impact?
Can I track my promotions and their impact?
Can I monitor the correct positioning of POS for operations?
Is information on future sales operations and promotions easily passed on to sales reps? Do they get reminders on their phones?
Can I track my orders in my CRM?
Data analysis
Can I calculate all the KPIS? For example, DN by brand, product, assortment, store, geographic area or salesperson? We list all the KPIs in the document CRM project specifications for successful brands.
Can I customize my reports?
Can I customize my dashboards?
What is the time granularity over which I can perform my analyses?
Can I calculate my sell-out by store, product or brand?
Can I easily export or copy/paste my graphs and reports to other media?
Administration
Can I customize the CRM display to suit the salesperson?
Can I moderate access rights to different information according to individual roles?
Can I easily add a new user? Can I easily deactivate an old user?
Can I divide CRM views by territory?
Can I import all my data (store, product, assortment, order, checkout...)?
Can I export my data?
Does the solution offer support? Are there training courses for me and my teams? Do I have access to ongoing training?
Is it possible to find out whether my sales reps are in the right place for an appointment?
How do you choose the right CRM for a sales agency?
As a sales agency, your objective is twofold:
Meet your agent's needs: increase sales or market share, by increasing the volume and/or value of sales, while maintaining profitability. And all this by working on the marketing mix.
Prove your effectiveness and ROI to the brand that employs you.
Your CRM/SFA should help you achieve this, without blowing your budget and investment.
So let's take a look at the essential criteria for choosing your CRM when you're a sales agency.
To help you, we've listed the following criteria (and many others) in a document, to help you choose your future CRM/SFA.
Administration
Can I customize the CRM display according to brand?
Can I moderate access rights to different information according to individual roles? In a multi-brand environment, can I modulate access rights to different information according to the organization?
Can I easily add a new user? Can I easily deactivate an old user?
Is CRM up and running fast?
Does CRM have implementation costs?
Can I divide CRM views by territory?
Can I import all data (store, product, assortment, order, checkout...)?
Can I export the data?
Does the solution offer support? Is there training for sales forces using CRM/SFA? Do they have access to ongoing training?
Is it possible to know whether sales reps are actually in the office?
Technical aspects of CRM
Is the solution SaaS or on-premise?
Is CRM available on the Web?
Does the CRM work on mobile or tablet devices? Is it accessible on all download platforms (does it work on Android as well as Apple?)
Does CRM work offline?
Can sales reps carry out the same actions on and offline?
Is there automatic synchronization between the web and mobile versions? If so, is it in real time when the mobile application is online?
Does CRM integrate with other software?
Are there any connections already developed with my tools (or those of my customer) or does the CRM solution have an open API?
Can I integrate sell-outs?
Actions to be taken with CRM
Customer activation and follow-up
Can I segment my points of sale?
Can I segment my contacts?
Can I tag companies and contacts? Can these tags be customized according to the customer?
Can I enter the information I need to track customers and prospects (SIRET, store opening hours, parent company...)?
Do I have access to the visit history (display of all information) before collecting the mandate?
Can I create filtered views?
Can I assign sales outlets to the salesperson in charge?
Do I have access to qualified databases for my customer's market? Do these databases include store codes?
Sales action planning
Does CRM have an interactive map?
Does CRM have a list view?
Does CRM have features that improve productivity for area managers, such as lasso selection?
Can I display the agenda directly in CRM?
Can I add tasks to the calendar from the CRM? Is there automatic synchronization between the two (CRM to calendar, and vice versa)?
Can I write e-mails from the CRM? Is there automatic synchronisation between the two (CRM to mailbox, and vice versa)?
Can sales reps be given reminders (e.g. about visit frequency, if a store isn't being visited enough to meet its target)?
Can I schedule mass tasks (visits, calls, emails)?
How easy is it to plan sales rounds?
Can sales tour routes be optimized (store schedule, departure and arrival points, availability of the floor manager, etc.)?
Can sales reps link their routes to mobile applications (google maps, waze, city mapper...)?
Data collection
Can I collect data directly from my mobile or tablet?
Can I customize the data collection forms according to the KPIs the brand is tracking?
Can I create as many statement forms as I want?
Is it possible to add mandatory validation to forms?
Is it possible to take photos?
Are photos integrated into survey forms?
Is it possible to take voice notes?
Are voice notes integrated into statement forms?
Is it possible to produce several statements for one store (multi-strate or multi-radius)? Are these statements integrated into the company file?
Can I create multi-brand statements? Are these statements integrated into the store files for each brand (without other brands being able to see them)?
Do forms have conditional responses (display or not depending on previous responses)?
Is it possible to set mandatory fields in forms?
Can forms be pre-filled based on the last visit?
Operations monitoring
Can I track my sales operations and their impact?
Can I track my promotions and their impact?
Can I monitor the correct positioning of POS for operations?
Can I categorize
Is information on future sales operations and promotions easily passed on to sales reps? Do they get reminders on their phones?
Can I track my orders in my CRM?
Data analysis
Can I evaluate performance from P0 (start of the mandate)?
Can I calculate all the KPIS? For example, DN by brand, product, assortment, store, geographical area or salesperson? We list all the KPIs in the document CRM project specifications for successful agencies.
Can I customize my reports?
Can I customize my dashboards?
What is the time granularity over which I can perform my analyses?
Can I calculate my sell-out by store, product or brand?
Can I easily export or copy/paste my graphs and reports to other media?
By carefully considering these criteria and questions, you'll be able to select a tool that not only meets your current needs, but is also capable of adapting to changes in the market and your business strategies.
