What is the best CRM system? The one you build yourself.

The best CRM system for your business is the one you design to reflect your company's identity and drive its success. Let it be customized and unlock the true potential of your customer relationships.

The disadvantages of standardized CRM tools

When researching and comparing CRM solutions, medium-sized companies face particular challenges when it comes to optimizing customer relationship management. These challenges include:

• Costly investments: Standard CRM tools such as Salesforce, HubSpot, or Pipedrive come with significant prices, which can weigh on the budgets of medium-sized companies.
• complexity: These systems can be complex, require extensive training, and can cause operational disruptions during implementation.
• Restricted customization: While they offer a range of features, pre-built CRMs may not always align with your specific business processes, limiting adaptability.
• Dependency on provider: You're increasingly relying on the CRM vendor's roadmap and updates, which may affect your ability to adapt the system to meet your changing needs.

While standardized CRMs have their advantages, the drawbacks are undeniable. The search for a more cost-effective, flexible and tailored solution prompts us to look at what other options there are.

Customization is key

Companies are unique, and their processes often reflect that uniqueness. That's where customization comes in. The core of customization is customizing a CRM system so that it is perfectly suited to your specific business needs and goals.

With a tailor-made CRM, you have the option to:

• Design workflows that fit your business processes like a glove.
• Integrate features that matter most to your industry and customer base.
• Create an easy-to-use interface that makes data entry and retrieval easy.
• Integrate seamlessly with your existing software stack.
• Optimize efficiency by automating tasks, reducing manual work.
• Gain a competitive advantage by adapting your CRM to meet unique market requirements and customer expectations.

But it's not just about aligning yourself with your current state of affairs. A well-thought-out, tailor-made CRM is future-proof. As your business evolves and your needs change, your CRM can evolve with new processes and features without the limitations often associated with standard systems.

So why settle for a fancy approach when you can have a CRM that's tailored to your exact specifications?

Build your own CRM

Building a custom CRM might sound daunting, but it's a worthwhile endeavor that enables mid-sized companies to build a system that's tailored to their unique needs. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get started:

1. Evaluate your needs: First, identify your specific CRM requirements and goals • What are your key goals with this CRM system? What data do you need to collect and analyze to achieve these goals? What challenges or bottlenecks are you currently facing that a CRM can overcome?
2. Design workflows: Create workflows that fit seamlessly with your business processes. How is your sales or customer journey pipeline structured? What phases does a lead or customer usually go through, from initial contact to conversion and beyond? Are there specific actions or milestones that need to be followed?
3. Data structure: Define data fields and structures that capture important information. Which customer data is crucial for your company? How should they be organized and categorized so that they can be easily accessed and analyzed? Are there specific data points that are unique to your industry or customer base?
4. Development and integration: Develop your CRM and ensure that it integrates smoothly with existing systems. Which technologies are currently being used and where does CRM integration fit in? How and from where does data flow into CRM? Are there any data migration considerations?

In the world of CRM systems Choosing between a one-size-fits-all solution and a tailored, bespoke CRM is like choosing between an off-the-rack suit and one that's the perfect fit for you.

While pre-built CRM tools offer valuable features, they also come with limitations. To overcome these limitations, you must build a custom CRM system that improves efficiency, scalability, and competitiveness.

The best CRM system for your company is the one that you design to reflect the characteristics of your company. Have it customized and get the most out of your customer relationships.