10 Tips for Small Business CRM Success

A CRM system can help your sales team convert leads into revenue, but before you jump on the CRM bandwagon, it's critical to know what questions to ask in order to get a system that works for your needs...and the needs of your sales team.

We help you begin your research by going to the top CRM vendors for their take on what you need to know to make a good buying decision. Our sister site, eCRMGuide.com, extracted 10 top CRM tips to get you started on the road to better -- and more profitable -- customer management.

eCRM Guide asked Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), NetSuite (NYSE: N) and SugarCRM for their tips on what to look for when purchasing a CRM system, as well as advice on how to make sure employees actually use the system and get the most out of it. Here are their responses.

1. Keep in mind who will be using the CRM system and plan (and buy) accordingly. "Try to define your rationale for installing a system up front before you begin discussion with vendors," suggested Scott Holden, director of product marketing at Salesforce.com. "Make sure that you put the user community at the center of defining your requirements. Too often CRM experts lead the selection and companies end up buying a complex solution that has comprehensive features but may not solve the user challenge."

Read the complete CRM tips article