Having the best CRM software is the foundation for the success of your business.
But with so many CRM vendors on the market, it’s not an easy task to choose the right solution.
In this article, we will compare two of the top-rated CRM platforms: SuperOffice and Salesforce.
Why do people choose certain brands over others?
Whether we’re shopping for a pair of new shoes or a CRM platform for your business, there is a direct connection between our experience with a brand and our decision to buy.
Best-in-class brands are dedicated to their customers.
They make a promise, deliver a high-quality product, and maintain a positive customer experience.
When done well, customers that identify with a brand are more likely to become enduring, loyal customers. With their values aligned and their needs met, people become more willing to promote that brand and increase the lifetime value of their relationship.
Edelman surveyed 16,000 business professionals around the world and found that people prefer to choose the brands that:
- Provide quality products or services
- Receive good ratings and reviews
- Charge a fair price for its products or services
However, customers’ loyalty to a brand takes much more.
In Gartner’s report on B2B Buying Journey, brands must continually provide information that builds trust and confidence in people before a buying decision can be made.
When a brand inspires your trust, that’s the moment when you choose one brand over another.
How Salesforce came to dominate the CRM market
Let’s talk about the CRM market.
First of all, it is the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category.
In 2018, worldwide spending on CRM software grew 15.6% and reached $48.2 billion according to Gartner's research.
In the same year, Salesforce controlled 19.5% of the market, more than double its rival CRM providers.
Salesforce started as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) CRM solution for small businesses.
However, they quickly scaled up to a cloud-based solution for large enterprises.
Over the years, Salesforce acquired various companies and made strategic partnerships to establish a strong position and share of the market. Here are a few examples:
- Microsoft serves as the public cloud provider for Salesforce and has extended its partnership
- PredictionIO was acquired by Salesforce in 2016 to add machine learning capabilities to their CRM platform
- Krux, a data-management platform, was acquired in October 2016 providing new tailored marketing solutions
Salesforce were pioneers in cloud-based CRM and continually added new functionality, features, and capabilities to their platform.
While Salesforce will continue to dominate the CRM marketplace, SuperOffice takes a simple, relationship-first approach for customer relationship management.
How SuperOffice differs from Salesforce
Founded in 1990, SuperOffice is the leading CRM provider in Europe.
It started as a traditional desktop CRM platform then evolved into the cloud-based CRM that’s used today.
While Salesforce has diversified its product line, SuperOffice has kept CRM simple by focusing on 3 business-critical areas:
- Marketing – Full suite of tools to capture, nurture, and manage leads better
- Sales – Simple pipeline management with real-time insights for accurate forecasting
- Support – Convenient, automated ticketing and live chat tools to better manage and speed up customer service
SuperOffice also focuses on what really matters in any business – relationships.
Companies work hard to earn the trust of their customers. That’s why SuperOffice provides a strategic, relationship-led approach to Customer Relationship Management.
SuperOffice or Salesforce: 3 factors to consider
There are many benefits of adopting a CRM platform at your business.
It can impact long-term performance and growth; help you manage a large list of contacts; coordinate and align team activities; nurture leads into new customers; and improve the overall customer experience.
To ensure you make the right choice, there are 3 important factors to consider when choosing a CRM vendor:
- Ease of doing business
- Software usability
- Quality of support
Let’s take a closer look at how SuperOffice and Salesforce compare using G2’s authentic software ratings. All ratings come from verified user reviews to calculate an overall product score as well as performance in specific categories.
1. Ease of doing business with
CRM providers play an important role in your business. Not only do they provide you with access to software to help manage customer relationships, but they also contribute to the long-term success of your business.
Ease of doing business with is a unique metric that captures a range of variables that must be considered when choosing a CRM provider:
- Integration into business processes
- Assistance with set-up and training
- Ongoing access to support
- Tangible value beyond the price tag
- Delivering on promises
- Minimal hurdles, hassles, and worries
Salesforce is a robust CRM platform with a wide range of features such as contact management, workflow creation, task management, opportunity tracking, collaboration tools, customer engagement tools, analytics, and intuitive, mobile-ready dashboard.
For new and first-time CRM users, this can feel overwhelming.
“The design and user interface isn't the nicest or sleekest, and it's functional, but definitely confusing to use. I only use a few buttons and the rest is mostly useless, though maybe it would be helpful if I actually knew what it could do. I know Salesforce has many capabilities, but they're not always so apparent.” Jackie B., Assistant, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
SuperOffice considers all customers as long-term partnerships.
When SuperOffice was founded, it was built on one core belief:
Customer relationships matter. And if they are cared for, developed, and respected, these great relationships will lead to business success and growth.
Whether your CRM strategy is to increase revenue, reduce churn or improve customer satisfaction, every CRM success journey starts with one question: “What do you want to achieve?”
That’s the question SuperOffice helps you solve.
“I like that I can have access to all the elements I require as a business. Sales, marketing, and service. With most of our team working remotely, being able to see what we are doing, the latest status of our events, and what communications are going out gives us a competitive advantage in keeping us lean.” Matt C., Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
2. Software usability
CRM software helps businesses track and manage customer interactions in a single system. To ensure your business deploys a system that solves your needs, usability is a fundamental requirement.
For small businesses, focusing on cost, features, and functionality are high priorities when shopping for a CRM solution.
However, research from Forrester reveals the top reasons why “people” fail to integrate CRM effectively:
- slow user adoption
- inadequate attention paid to change management and training
- difficulties in aligning the organizational culture with new ways of working
Usability is a top factor to consider when searching for a CRM provider. Not only does it save time and money, but it also streamlines employee adoption and training.
G2 uses a proprietary algorithm to calculate real-user satisfaction ratings. For usability, G2 includes various factors to determine an overall score:
- Overall satisfaction with the set-up and onboarding process
- Amount of time (in months) for the CRM system to go live
- Ease of adoption for new users
Salesforce is ranked at 7.9, while SuperOffice scored as high as 9.1.
The key difference here comes down to simplicity.
Salesforce is a powerful CRM system with endless customization. However, customizing the system takes time and may require extensive training or 3rd party support to achieve optimal settings.
“There are so many functions and without proper permissions, it is easy for employees to get really lost.” Heath B., Partner Acquisition Manager, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
SuperOffice keeps things simple by providing an intuitive, user-friendly CRM that can be easily learned by anyone ⎯ regardless of their CRM experience.
“Simplicity is its best feature. Each area is self-explanatory and easy to use. The project management is something we take advantage of a lot, and without it the company would find it difficult to do business as quickly as we currently do.” Tom S., IT and Cyber Security Manager, Small-Business (50 or fewer emp.)
3. Quality of support
Implementing CRM for the first time can be a challenge. That’s why it’s imperative that there is ongoing support to guide you through any complex problems you can’t solve on your own.
Otherwise, you will struggle to use CRM effectively and you won’t generate the maximum ROI for your business.
Before you choose a CRM provider, ask yourself the following questions:
- How will your provider deliver support when you have an issue?
- What type of support will you receive and when are they available?
- Do they have a strong track record for solving problems quickly?
Salesforce offers free resources for all their customers. It costs 20% of your net contract for Premier to receive 24/7 support, 1-on-1 coaching, and expert guidance.
If you have 10 employees, your contract would cost $18,000 per year for their Enterprise plan and $3,600 for Premier support.
As you add more users, the price for Salesforce support goes up.
“Support is not well informed and typically sticks to a script. You can occasionally get lucky and get assigned a support person who understands your business.” David S., Director of Marketing, Transportation/Trucking/Railroad, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
SuperOffice is committed to your success from day one. No matter what CRM package you choose, SuperOffice’s support is available by email at no extra cost.
You can also call SuperOffice’s expert support team with any questions during office hours or use their emergency line to solve critical issues.
SuperOffice also provides you with:
- Robust CRM Knowledge Base
- CRM strategies and video tutorials
- Community forum for developers and technical assistance
“The product is easy to use and very no-nonsense, tailoring to your needs in a very easy way! When you are [choosing a CRM platform], invite the SuperOffice team to guide you through the process and tailor your needs in their product.” Mark v., Chief Commercial Officer, Mid-Market (51-1000 emp.)
Why switch from Salesforce to SuperOffice
Introducing a new CRM system is a big change for your organization. That’s why a team of dedicated experts are here to help you confidently switch CRM vendors, with done-for-you onboarding, setup, and training.
At SuperOffice, we believe implementation starts with clear goals for success. We help you customize a new, better CRM system that supports your way of working and delivers on your strategic ambitions.
Below is our proven process that’s helped thousands of companies integrate SuperOffice with their business strategy:
- Strategic journey mapping. Our experts work with you to define goals and KPIs, map business processes, create customer programs, and define system configurations.
- System configuration. After your business processes are identified, we configure the system to meet your unique business needs.
- Team onboarding and training. With your CRM system set up, we provide all the onboarding, training, and support you need to streamline operations, with minimal disruption to your business.
If you’re considering a new CRM vendor, get started with a personalized demo to learn how SuperOffice can meet your unique business needs.
Start building better customer relationships
Relationships are at the heart of SuperOffice’s CRM solution.
Whether it's building long-term relationships with customers or enhancing communications between colleagues, SuperOffice helps to keep people connected through technology.
So, if you're looking for a Salesforce alternative, consider SuperOffice CRM.
Start creating new business opportunities today with a relationship-led approach.
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