You’re tired of keeping student’s records on spreadsheets and sticky notes. It’s a tedious and outdated way to manage information. So you decide to ditch your manual system for a modern CRM for higher education.
After comparing various CRMs, you identify one that looks perfect for your institution of higher learning. It ticks all your boxes and you can even visualize how you’ll use it. But hold on. Before you splurge on a CRM for higher education and end up experiencing buyer’s remorse, here are some key questions you need to ask yourself.
1. Is My Team Ready for a CRM?
You may identify a CRM for higher education that’s ideal for your needs. But if your team isn’t receptive to it, it’s doomed to fail.
If your team continues to use spreadsheets and other unsophisticated methods to record student information, your data will be inaccurate. You certainly don’t want this to happen. Therefore, before investing in a CRM for higher education, find out how your team will perceive it. Additionally, take into account your institution’s culture and technological skill levels. Ideally, to reap the benefits of your CRM, you’ll want everyone on your team to embrace the CRM and use it appropriately.
2. What Are Your Goals?
Establishing what you intend to achieve with the CRM is pivotal to selecting the right one. While you may have several goals you wish to achieve, you’ll want to highlight the most important ones. For example, institutions of higher learning may use a CRM for higher education to achieve the following things:
- Nurture prospects
- Handle inquires
- Streamline the admissions process
- Keep track of payments
- Stay in touch with alumni
You may have numerous things you want a CRM to do, but establishing a clear primary goal is vital to selecting a suitable one for your institution. For example, if your priority is increasing student admissions and streamlining the enrollment process, you’ll want college admission management software. Once you identify your primary goal, you can make the right CRM selection.
3. Which Features Are Essential?
After you’ve identified your primary goals, you can then compare various CRMs features. Features vary from one CRM to another. Some CRMs prioritize marketing, while others are more focused on admissions. Therefore, before choosing a CRM for higher education, identify what features are necessary, then find a CRM with those features that will fulfill your needs.
4. What Applications Does the CRM Need to Link With?
You found the perfect CRM. You purchase it and you can’t wait to start using it. But when you start using it, you meet a huge obstacle. Your CRM can’t integrate with your email client, website, or accounting software. Frustrated, you decide to ditch the CRM and start searching for another CRM. This is a costly and time-consuming scenario you certainly want to avoid. To avoid this pitfall, ensure you note down every tool you’ll need the CRM to link with and check whether it supports the tools you’ve listed down. And if you can’t trace a tool you need the CRM to support, find out if it provides an API through which you can connect.
5. Is the CRM Scalable?
A lightweight and inexpensive CRM for university admissions may sound like a great option at first. But if your admissions grow significantly, it may turn out to be costly and time-consuming. Why? You’ll need to upgrade to a new higher education admissions software, retrain your team, and update your entire system. Therefore, before selecting one, think about the future and find out how scalable the CRM might be.
Finding the Best CRM for Higher Education
Needs vary from one institution to another. Before you pick a CRM for higher education, consider what matters to you. Ask yourself the questions above to avoid regretting your purchase a few months or even weeks down the line. Have more questions we haven’t addressed? Contact us to learn more about our CRM for university admissions.