Our new eNews feature– “Ask Charlie,” in which customers like you ask business-solution related questions of Charlie Kemmerer, MCG’s Vice-President of Front Office Solutions.

Question:

Dear Charlie: As a small business that has established a definite need for automation of our sales and customer service functions, we are being approached by a LOT of vendors, and many of them are the Big Guys – well-known technology and consulting firms. They talk a good game, but are we ready for that?        

                    Wooed in Washington.

Answer:

Dear Wooed: With IT spending growth among small- and mid-sized business outpacing that among large companies, technology companies that used to be large-enterprise-focused are trying to expand their reach into the SMB market. However, many of these tech companies are missing the boat by simply repackaging their enterprise offerings to small companies. The key to making a buying decision that fits your business is to ask questions, like:

• Do you have customers like me, i.e., do you know or will you learn my business needs and goals?
• Can your product accommodate the highly-customized service and sales that my clients demand?
• Is the vendor prepared to confront the “people-issues” more common in small-businesses (where information sharing is often a new concept)?
• Does the solution integrate with back-office applications?

As a small business, your operational needs are different than those of a large enterprise. Make sure your system is a good fit!

Good luck!

Email Charlie at charliek@mcginc.com for a FREE copy of the "Top Ten Questions to Ask Your CRM Vendor" white paper.

Got a question for Charlie? Let us know