In CRM pricing for your company, be prepared to budget more for the CRM consultant and technical support than the software itself. Here are several CRM pricing considerations for hiring an affordable, dependable CRM consultant.
Did you know that typically 2/3rds of a company’s total CRM budget is spent on project services and technical support provided by the CRM consultant? In CRM pricing for your company, be prepared to budget more for the CRM consultant and technical support than the software itself.
Technical support includes installation and maintenance, while consulting ensures that the CRM and all other critical business software can be integrated and adapted to the company’s business needs. Training and software user support for employees is also a critical component of the CRM budget. Hiring the “right consultant for the job” while being sensitive to the budget is no easy task, but here are several CRM pricing considerations for hiring an affordable, dependable CRM consultant.
Amount of Service Fees
Service fees vary greatly depending upon the CRM consultant and what is required for the job. Most software vendors offer their own reliable technical support and will provide a quote based on your specific situation. Premise-based systems, such as GoldMine sales software, will require more technical support, and therefore fees upfront since the important operational elements are installed and maintained on-site. Cloud-based programs will require a lower budget to get started but may require more technical support later on as the system becomes more customized and requires updates. CRM Consultants normally work on a per hour basis or contracted retainer rate. Ask your CRM consultant up front for a fair estimate of service fees based on your particular needs. You should also ask for the short term and longer term costs for maintaining your solution. A 5-year outlook on CRM pricing is a good place to start.
In-House or Outside Consulting
Some companies attempt to control costs by hiring an in-house technical resource who can implement the roll-out. While these people may be technically savvy, they may lack experience with consulting, reporting, reconfiguring the system and training the users. More often than not, these companies end up hiring an additional CRM consultant with a broader skill set that can fill in the gaps.
If budget permits, it is usually most economical in the long run to work with an experienced, certified expert who can help with the technical aspects of the roll-out as well as the consulting and training. While this requires a larger investment up front, it can avoid a cumbersome, inefficient rollout that frustrates users, thus hindering their adoption of the system. It can also save a lot of money in the long run.
Valuable Certification
Hiring a certified consultant for your selected software may cost a little more, but is a worthwhile investment in the overall health of your CRM solution. Certification means the consultant has received special training from the software developer and is approved as a consultant. To check to see if your consultant is certified by the CRM developer, go to their main website and look up the names of their authorized and certified value- added resellers. You can usually get to this list by typing in your zip code or state. Any company that is legitimate will probably be listed. For example, a certified CRM consultant for GoldMine sales software will be found on the CRM website for Frontrange Solutions, the developers of the GoldMine sales software. Including a budget for a good, certified CRM consultant in your CRM pricing package is essential to the ultimate success of your CRM solution.
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