Quick, knowledgeable response is the crux to success in business and cloud CRM lets you do just that. Customer satisfaction leads to repeats and referrals. Given how crucial CRM is, you may want to analyze the features of the best cloud CRM software out there before making your pick.
The best cloud CRM lets you keep track of potential customers or existing customers, access all relevant data, know their preferences, keep in touch and respond with email, phone calls, meetings or faxes. Anyone in your staff, located anywhere, can access data and give a quick response and that is what matters if you wish to retain existing customers or convert potential customers.
There are dozens of cloud CRM software out there such as Oncontact, Sage ACT, Oracle CRM, RightNow and others. Look for these features in your search for the best cloud CRM.
Features: Look for features such as calendar alerts, remote sync facility, to-do list, dialing capabilities, on premise as well as mobile access. It is also important that the solution you pick integrates smoothly with Outlook or other mail clients. Ease of use is another important feature. Design interface, navigation and accessing features should be simple and easy and work well on desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile phones.
Contacts: The best cloud crm lets you access contact information quickly and data should cover company websites, contact information pages, social networking pages, contact history, maps and ability to link contacts. Maps would be a nice feature giving information on how to get there.
Sales and Marketing: the crux of CRM is sales and marketing that converts potential customers and retain existing ones. Look for automated email campaign feature, tracking, reporting and real-time alerts. Naturally, all of these should integrate with your office applications such as Word and Excel.
Support: The best cloud CRM should feature total support, tutorials, help sections, automatic updates, phone support as well as online support accessible to anyone in your organization at any time.
You may or may not be able to evaluate the best cloud CRM solutions available by evaluating the features and service packages. Some organizations prefer to retain a CRM consultant to help them in the process. With their depth of experience, familiarity with features of different CRM solutions and expertise in this sector, CRM consultants can certainly help bring process enhancements, implement changes, suggest maximum usage of CRM and get it right the first time. However, if you have a very clear picture of what you need and compare offerings, you should be able to pick the best cloud CRM for you without the additional expense of a consultant. Consultants, it must be known, have their own take on what is and what is not good for you and they may not be on the same wavelength.
To each his own. Oracle, IBM, SalesForce and SageACT are the larger and better known but may have feature sets a small entrepreneur may not need. In that case, look for compact, yet flexible and expandable solutions from others.
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