One of the most essential tools for any business is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform, and your tech company is no exception. But there’s more than one type of CRM out there, and you may be unsure which one is right for you.
Two of the main types of CRMs are industry-specific and general-purpose CRMs. That probably leads you to ask, “Should I get a tech-specific CRM or general-purpose one?” That’s the question we’ll answer on this page. Keep reading to learn more.
A tech-specific CRM is designed with tech companies in mind. This type of CRM will be equipped to meet the unique needs of businesses in the tech industry.
What is a general-purpose CRM?
A general-purpose CRM works equally well for companies across all different industries. It includes universal features that are helpful for all businesses.
Advantages of a tech company CRM
Now that we’ve defined both types of CRM, let’s talk about the advantages that come with each one. Here are three benefits of using a tech company CRM.
1. They have tech company-specific features
The biggest and most obvious benefit of a tech company CRM is that it comes with tech-specific features.
General CRMs are optimized to work for every industry, so they don’t contain features that are specifically built for tech companies like yours. Many tech industry-specific CRMs, though, do have features related to the tech field.
For example, if you sell tablets and computers, a tech-specific CRM might help you divide your audiences based on those different types of devices.
2. They’re often quicker to set up
Another advantage of tech-specific CRMs is that they tend to have a faster setup time than general CRMs. This isn’t always the case, of course—it varies from tool to tool. But fast setup times are definitely more common in tech-specific options.
Why is that? Well, it comes down to industry-specific preferences. A general CRM can work great for a tech company, but it takes time to set up all your preferences and configurations to fit the needs of your company and industry.
A tech CRM, though, is already optimized for those configurations. That means it may take less time to get started with it.
3. They’re optimized for industry regulations
Some industries are heavily regulated by different laws. For those industries, it’s crucial to follow the regulations that govern their field. That can even apply to certain tech companies. Fortunately, some tech-specific CRMs are designed with those regulations in mind.
That won’t be relevant for every tech company. But for instance, let’s say you make medical tech—there’s a high chance that tech is regulated in some way! In that case, you’d want to be careful not to stray past the boundaries those laws set for you. Having a tech-specific CRM can help with that.
Advantages of a general CRM
Now that we’ve explored the benefits of a tech-specific CRM, let’s do the same for a general-purpose platform. Here are three benefits of a general CRM.
1. They tend to be more user-friendly
Firstly, general CRMs tend to be easier to use than tech-specific CRMs. That’s because since general-purpose CRMs have to be optimized for a variety of different industries, they put a huge emphasis on usability and flexibility.
Also, since general CRMs sell to a much larger audience, they tend to earn more revenue. That added revenue allows the companies to invest more money into hiring specialists who can optimize the CRM interface.
2. They have better integration options
Another benefit of general CRMs is that they tend to come with better integration options and can often integrate with a wider range of tools than tech-specific CRMs.
Of course, this isn’t true across the board. It varies from tool to tool—there are some tech-specific CRMs with lots of integration options and some general CRMs with very few integrations. But more often than not, general CRMs will integrate with more tools.
That’s because general CRMs are optimized for a much larger audience, so in an attempt to cover all their bases and be more accessible, they often integrate with a huge number of different tools.
3. They often cost less than tech-specific CRMs
Finally, general CRMs are usually more affordable than tech company CRMs. That might sound surprising, but the reason is that general CRMs usually offer more than one plan. That means if a general CRM seems too expensive for you, there’s a good chance it offers a cheaper plan.
Some tech-specific CRMs may do this as well. However, it’s way more common amongst general CRMs, since—again—those CRMs are trying to appeal to a larger audience and therefore have an incentive to offer more variety in their pricing plans.
Should I use a tech-specific or general-purpose CRM?
We can now come back to our original question: Should you use a tech-specific or general-purpose CRM? The answer is that it depends on your company’s unique needs.
As previously discussed, the main benefit of tech company CRMs is that they sometimes come with tech-specific features. However, they also tend to be more expensive. So, if tech-specific features are a huge priority for you—and you have a larger budget—a tech-specific CRM might be the right choice.
Otherwise, it’s best to go with a general-purpose option. After all, CRMs don’t really need to be industry-specific. The most important CRM features are essential for every company, and they don’t really change from industry to industry.
Nutshell is the perfect CRM platform for your tech company
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