Choosing CRM Software:
Customer/Sales Management Systems And You
 
Donarius® is not the only CRM software program that tracks and manages sales and information about your customers. With so many options available, selecting what makes the most sense for your company can be a significant challenge. Furthermore, unlike some management decisions, the choice of which customer and sales management system you use is likely to be one you and your business will live with for some time, if not decades. Research your options before buying. We've outlined some of the most important steps in selecting the appropriate software below.
 
  1. First, as with all important decisions, we urge you to pray. Remember, James 1:5 tells us that God grants His wisdom to anyone who asks. Don’t leave Him out of a choice that will have far reaching and important ramifications for you and your church for years to come.
     
  2. Consult with your colleagues and those whose opinion matters to you. Ask them the following questions, and compare their answers to your own. Who will use this CRM software? Who has the expertise to help make this decision? Who has the authority to make the final decision? Who will be helped with this software?
     
  3. As you consider what software will be most effective for your company, try making a list, in order of priority, of what you need this product to do for you. For example, is tracking customers and leads your primary concern? Or perhaps you need a program to print and email invoices. After you generate this list, compare the utility of various software programs. One may fit your needs better than another, and be more appropriate than another.
    For these comparative purposes as you shop around, here's what Donarius Customer/Sales Management Software is designed to help you accomplish:
    • be easy to use
    • track your customers
    • track your leads and send follow-up emails to convert them into paying customers
    • track sales
    • print a bank deposit
    • print or email invoices
    • print sales receipts on a receipt printer
    • be able to customize your invoices
    • keep track of stock of your products (i.e. inventory control)
    • use a bar code reader/scanner when entering sales
    • record and track accounts payable
    • print or email monthly statements
    • track and import online orders
    • print labels for all (or selected) customers or print directly on envelopes
    • communicate with customers via personalized letters, emails and even text messages
    • create and print a variety of sales reports
    • maintain security with password protection
    • import and export data
    • be accessible from different locations, just like web-based software but without any monthly fee
    Keep in mind that while Donarius is able to facilitate all these tasks above simply and easily, this is not a payroll, accounting or budgeting program.
     
  4. Determine what you and your business can reasonably afford for a program. Consider both the initial purchase and any yearly support fees that some companies charge. As a cost effective software program, Donarius is designed to save you money and time as a CRM program that organizes your record keeping system quickly and easily. (We also don't have any yearly support fees.)
     
  5. Consider whether you want one product which does everything or several products for different tasks. For example, you might want one product to keep track of customers and sales, an accounting package for your expenses and budgetting, and a third program for payroll. You should take into account that the all-in-one software usually costs more and may not do each task as well as a specialized one.
     
  6. Find out what software is available. Here are some ways to do that:
    • Do a search on the Internet, trying several search engines and search for: "CRM software", "customer/sales tracking", "invoicing software", etc.
    • Look at some other websites that have links to CRM software, such as Capterra.
    • Call other companies similar to yours to see what software they use. Ask them what the service was like and if they had any problems.

  7. There are many companies that sell CRM management software. It is impractical to look at all of them so you should narrow the choices to 5 or 6 products that seem to fit your needs and price range.
     
  8. The way a product works may not always be what you expect, so you should find out as much as you can before you buy it. First look for videos showing the software in action. Contact each company and do an online demo of the product. This will save you time by having someone show you an overview of the software. Then download a free trial version and try it yourself.
     
  9. The service the company provides is essential. Will they be there when you need help? The easiest way to do this is ask them a few questions. You should ask at least two questions by email and another two by phone. Your purpose is to test both the speed of getting an answer and the quality of the answer. You should get an email response within one business day. When you phone the company, they should be able to answer your question the same day. If you get a good answer quickly, you can be pretty sure they will be there when you need them. You could also ask for references.
     
  10. If the software seems to do everything you want or may want in the future and the price is right, then it is probably the product for you. However, if it is missing something you need, ask the company if they would do some changes for you. If you think your needs may change later, you should ask the company this question: "Suppose that in six months, I need the software to do something else - what would you do for me then?"
     
Now you and the other people involved, can make a decision.
 
<<< Back to Donarius Main Page