Compare top CRM software features

Shopping for a customer relationship management solution? It’s decision-making time, but the needs of each individual situation are different; here are a few examples:

-Your start-up company is now ready for a professional contact data management system, but you don’t know how to choose from the hundreds of CRM systems on the market.

-You manage technology for a mid-sized company and you are not satisfied with the current software used to manage your customer data and are now shopping for a replacement contact management system.

-You are the part-time administrator at an active local charity and your list of contacts has grown to the point where an automated system will improve donor relations and better manage event attendance.

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar to you? It is a big step to commit to customer relationship software and more than a little intimidating – will I choose the one that is best for our company? Will it be affordable? Can a new contact data management tool serve all our needs both now and in the future?

Define your CRM requirements

The influential software review site, Capterra, itemizes the features most people look for when selecting a CRM:

You will want to take into consideration all of the above when making the selection for your CRM, as well as define your priorities for your new system. Do you require first and foremost a sales management tool, a better way to track and communicate with your customers, or an improved system to schedule events and tasks? Does affordability outweigh customer service? Or are streamlined training and ease of using the most important factors for your organization? Some of the most cited reasons to purchase or switch CRM software include consolidating contact data and reducing duplicate entries, automating tasks, and tracking and managing sales lead more efficiently.

Choosing the contact management database software that best meets your needs

So how to go about making that major decision? To start, take a look at Contact Boss’ suggested Four Steps to Choosing a Contact Database Management System for Your Organization. In the course of the search for that perfect-fit CRM solution the following product names often surface Zoho, Hubspot, Nimble, Pipedrive, or Insightly. How does the recently released Contact Boss compare with other software solutions on the market?

In general, all offer the standard features one would expect with CRM software, but some factors may prove to be more attractive than others as you make your decision to select one contact data management system over another. And some systems may provide superior features and functionality than others.

Price is often a key factor, especially for new and growing businesses and smaller organizations and non-profits. Generally, contact management software is priced on a “per month” basis, and is often scaled according to the number of contacts; starting price could range all the way from free for a basic subscription to over $400 per month for enterprise solutions. Many customer relationship companies offer free trials, but some do not explain upfront the actual pricing options available once the user is ready to commit to the full-version software. Contact Boss provides clear price ranges for its subscriptions which are very affordable at CAD $99.99 and CAD $119.99 per year or $10 and $12 (CAD) per month for the Boss Pro and Boss Premium versions. These prices are more than competitive with popular tools like Zoho and Pipedrive, ensuring excellent value for investment. Keep in mind that pricing is often tied to the number of internal users and the quantity of records in the database.

Ease of use is another huge factor in decision-making and Contact Boss is clearly designed for simple and straightforward onboarding. Contact Boss requires a minimal amount of training so everyone on the team can pick it up and go effortlessly. Comments from users of other CRMs like Insightly and Nimble suggest that “the menus are a bit difficult to find” or “wasn’t ‘easy’ enough to use and it wasn’t adopted consistently among everyone in our Company.” Contact Boss invites you to check out the Free Trial to find out just how easy it is to add contacts, track activity and set up events.

Many current CRM users find searchability to be a challenge. Contact Boss is a category leader in this feature with a robust ability to find the record you are looking for quickly and easily. Some reviews of other systems like Zoho and Hubspot mention a “steep learning curve,” “lack of certain filters” or “challenging use of the filter feature,” and “time required to navigate and find what you need or track the status of customers” — an efficient search function is essential for most CRM purchasers! There are plenty of CRM review sites available online; referring to general guidance at sites such as Capterra, Software Advice or mopinion, TrustAdvisor can be helpful, but be sure to dig deeper than the overall scores, as the individual reviewer comments can be quite revealing especially when you apply them to your own needs and situation. And never make a final choice without first setting up a thorough demonstration session in order to have your specific questions answered on the spot. You can book your Contact Boss Demo and Free Trial right now.