Here's how you can choose the right CRM software for direct sales.

Before selecting a CRM, assess your direct sales needs by pinpointing challenges in customer relationship management and sales processes. Consider factors like business size, sales cycle complexity, and desired customer engagement level to guide you towards a scalable solution tailored to support your growth effectively.

The fundamentals of CRMs are pretty common, but look to get some key understanding of needs around these areas to allow you to narrow down those best fitting your business; * What integrations do you want from email, mobile, etc * What is the effort to configure the system to your initial needs and to maintain it to new needs - do you need an expensive expert on the platform to be hired or do you need expensive external consultants to build our what you need in workflows, reports etc * What part of the lifecycle is the CRM to cover for example if its for new business only or are onboarded customers to be supported in the same CRM and hence you need support ticketing on the same platform or on one integrated ?

When choosing a CRM, prioritize features tailored to direct sales, including contact management, lead tracking, and task automation. Ensure customization options align with your sales process, and consider communication tools, follow-up management, and robust reporting for informed decision-making and improved performance.

Make sure you review not only the user views in demo and what is possible,. but really hone in on what will you actually get to your budget? Some CRM's such as Salesforce can do wondrous things and in a demo the art of the possible can be seen, but is this what you will get and can afford. Much like buying a car, they may show you the fully loaded top model, but what is the one you will get and afford actually going to be? In CRM world and with mostly salespeople as the users having something that is used is key - the best most expensive CRM not used has low value to y our business. Find one with an interface that is usable not just at the front end but when you want to configure a report can you do it or do you need a coder or expert?

Choose a CRM with a user-friendly interface and seamless integration capabilities to maximize team adoption and streamline workflows. Prioritize systems that minimize the learning curve and integrate smoothly with your existing tools for enhanced productivity and efficiency.

Prioritize CRMs with mobile apps or mobile-friendly access to empower your sales team with real-time information, enhancing responsiveness and deal closure on the go. Opt for solutions that enable seamless connection with customers and prospects, ensuring effective engagement regardless of location.

Look at costs of not only the user license, but how much consultancy work are you going to need up front and ongoing to get the CRM where you want it and adjust along your journey. Check what functions come in each edition and the chances you will need to update to a more expensive one once you are in play. For example Salesforce licensing is expensive at the outset, and often you may find you start on a lower band but need their API's to use certain add ons and hence need a higher paid license. Also consultancy around Salesforce is a big market for a reason, so consider you may need to pay a good CRM admin salary or pay ongoing to Salesforce partners. All find if you need the extensive functionality and can afford it.

CRM trials are hard as any platform will not have your data, your configuration etc and its a lot of effort to compare in this way and may not give you the truest reality of the outcome should you buy. I recommend asking the experience of your sales team and sales leaders and involving them, getting them to speak to their sales peers in similar firms. Get real world input from the type of people who will use the system and from those with prior experiences of the systems. I have led sales teams for many years and used many CRMs and have good and bad experiences across 7/8 different CRM platforms.

To choose the right CRM software for direct sales, start by identifying your specific business needs and sales processes. Evaluate features like lead management, sales tracking, and customer segmentation. Consider ease of use and integration capabilities with existing tools. It's crucial to compare pricing and scalability to fit your budget and growth plans. Lastly, check for positive reviews and reliable customer support to ensure the software can effectively support your sales team.

The most important element to successfully implement a CRM system in direct sales is to include the sales team in specification, system choice, configuration and implementation. Without that inclusion it will be a failure.