CRM project cost versus licenses cost. When you are trying to choose the right CRM vendor at the best possible price, where should your focus be? Most companies take these two cost areas and try to get the biggest discount they can from each area. They may even reduce the scope of the project services in order to get the price down. They may leave out some CRM functionality to implement at another time or reduce the amount of training for the light users, management, admins, IT, or in the worst case for sales and marketing users. They may eliminate integrations to other systems or leave some potential user out to incorporate at another date.
The reason for trimming down the cost is when you buy a new CRM, you get a double whammy. You are hit with new license fees and implementation cost at the same time. While most companies realize this when they start budgeting for the CRM, they usually underestimate the project services cost. Something must give, and it usually winds up being cuts to the project services and/or training. This is the worst place to cut corners. Doing so will hinder the amount of benefit that you get from the CRM and likely cost you more in time and money down the road.
Why do the project services normally get the most cuts?
There are really two reasons. First, it is easy to cut the scope to reduce the price, but reducing the scope could deteriorate much of the benefit that you will get from your CRM system. Second, it is better for the CRM vendor to lower their project services price than to lower the licenses fees. Not only can they reduce the scope to get the cost down, they also only lose project services revenue one time. Licenses fees will be collected year after year, so it makes better business since for the CRM vendor to lower the project cost instead of lowering the licenses. I have witnessed this discounting process time and time again – both as a customer and as a CRM vendor. In both cases, I have seen first-hand how it undermines the success of the project.
So how do we solve the problem?
How about getting the software licenses free for the first year? I don’t think anyone can argue with that, but how do you get a CRM vendor to do this for you? Well, Continuum CRM has launched a new program that does just that. No licenses fees for the first year with a two-year contract and the purchase of our project services package. You might ask, “Why is Continuum CRM willing to do this?” It is because we know that when you don’t cut corners on Continuum CRM project services you will be successful, and when you are successful, we are successful, and you will be a Continuum CRM customer for many years to come. We also understand the fact that you as the customer can do a much better job of budgeting for a CRM project if you don’t have this big upfront cost for licenses and project implementation at the same time. Making it easier for you to budget the cost of your CRM project means we will get more projects. It is truly a win/win for everyone.
If I were the customer and being the skeptic that I am, I would ask, “What’s the catch?” Well, there isn’t any. First Year License Fees – No Charge. We require a two-year contract and you must purchase our project services package (which you would purchase anyway).
Give us a call at 800-570-6030 and see how Continuum CRM can improve your sales and marketing effectiveness without breaking the bank. Or, feel free to visit our website www.continuumcrm.com to learn more.
