CRMs are like houses. Over the next few months we’ll be looking at how you can be getting the most from your ‘house’, giving you tips and tricks to get your dream home (or CRM!).

Hello 2020! It’s the New Year, a time of reflection and new strategies and a time to think of the future. One of the things you may be thinking about is changing your CRM system. Or ‘moving house’.

Should we move house?

One of the first questions we can ask ourselves when we move house is: Should we move house?
The answer to this can depend on a number of factors:

• Is our current house meeting our needs? Have we grown out of it?

• Can we afford to move house right now?

• Do we have the time and headspace to move house?

• Do we like our house at the moment?

The question of when and where we should move to, usually comes at the next stage, but any number of the triggers listed above can lead to the decision to move house. And it’s similar with a CRM.

Do we have the time and headspace to move house?

Migrating CRMs takes time and money

Sometimes, it might be that a new CRM is required, but, as with a house move, migrating CRM systems takes time and costs money (even to a free system) it can also cause stress and even if you move, you may realise the grass isn’t greener. So, it’s good to ask yourself first: is there something we can do with our existing ‘house’ before we decide to move?

Make your home your dream home?

Would it be better and more cost effective, to invest in your existing ‘house’ and making it your ‘dream house’ rather than move? You could look at:

• Doing a bit of DIY. It might be that your existing CRM just needs a bit of TLC or some tidying up.

• Extending. Are there things you can do to make your CRM work better for you? Could you set up integrations or processes to make data collection quicker and easier?

• Finding hidden rooms. Sometimes there might be some things in your database you didn’t know about. Could some refresher training help?
  
  Later on in the series, we’ll be talking about how you can do this. But if you want to start before then you can use the online guide 4 steps to get more from your database to help you on your way.
  

Speak to your provider or a consultant first

Another thing you can do is to speak to your CRM provider, or ask a Consultant for some advice (let’s call them our estate agents-the analogy runs out a bit here!). Having an open and honest conversation about what’s not working for you, before you leave can mean they could help do something about it. They may be able to advise you on how to ‘extend’, or which bits of DIY could help spruce the place up!

Moving could be the best option for you

Of course, there may be a time when there are too many triggers, the house is falling apart and actually, the cost of the move will be worth it to have your dream house! Next month we’ll be sharing how you can prepare for your house move. If you want to start looking sooner, our online guide “4 steps to find the right database” can help!

Can we help?

Also, get in touch for your free consultation if you want some help and advice on whether you should move or not!