Don't fall for cheap
CRM licenses; Their
underlying costs may shock you.
You're in the market for a new CRM. Suddenly, you encounter a tempting proposition from a popular CRM vendor: user licenses at nearly 50% off! The price seems too good to pass up, but think for a moment: Why would a leading CRM provider offer such steep discounts?
Talk to usLicense costs
are just the tip of
the iceberg
Ask any seasoned business veteran who uses Enterprise CRMs; licenses are only a fraction of your costs. When you buy a CRM, you're purchasing user licenses to access the platform. But as a platform, the CRM is only as useful as what you build out of it.
In other words, you bought the LEGO set, but not the accompanying castle.
Implementation
is where the real cost
lies
The CRM demo you just saw does seem appealing, but making it a reality for your business requires expert implementation.
And here's the kicker: The cost of implementation far outweighs the initial cost of the product. From our user studies, the cost of the implementation is often between two and ten times the amount quoted by the CRM vendor. Conveniently, they never mention the implementation cost.
Welcome to my Nightmare!
The initial cost to BUILD whatever instance your SF sales rep presents to you and sells; the COST associate to get to that build is NEVER explained or discussed. The Salesforce sales rep's job is to sell you on an idea and hope, rather than practical application, implementation, and realistic expectations of the egregiously cantankerous and universally overpriced CRM.
Kurt JohansenDBA and Process Manager, Angel Water, Inc.- Consumer Services
- 51-200 employees
Salesforce for Dummies - NOT! Huge tool with huge setup and maintenance costs,
If you can spend a huge amount of money with consultants tailoring the workflow, it is a good product. Plan on 2-10x the purchase price. If properly and simply configured, it is a good CRM with hooks to many other systems. Again, every hook is time consuming and can be fragile.
Darrel RaynorManaging Director, Austin IIBA Chapte- Information Technology and Services
- 51-200 employees
Powerful Platform, Weak Service, Once Customized You Can't Leave
Generally, it feels like Salesforce is at a point where they nickel and dime customers for features. We pay a lot for the system, and it always feels like there's something else that we need to buy.
Andy HasselwanderVice President, Products and Research, EcoNet Ventures LLC/Latinum Network- Marketing and Advertising
- 11-50 employees
Do Not Purchase This!
This company has attempted to hold me hostage to purchase another year of their service which I don't want. Apparently, there is a clause in their agreement that you must notify them in writing 90 days before your current expiration date that you do not wish to renew their service. Of course, they don't mention that when you purchase the product. So as I notified them today that I no longer need them they tried to trap me. I don't do business with these types of immoral companies. Their service is not cheap and I willingly bought it for one year. I will not be held hostage by these crooks.
Richard H- Insurance
- Self-employed
Over priced, no support, sell you products you don't need, scam billing
Overprice, extremely expensive no support, they sell you products that you don't need and you could not use because they have no technical support. They want you to hire so called implementation partner that they charge arm and leg and it will take them months to customize why both Salesforce and implementation partner charging you. Such ripoff.
Mike A.- Construction
- 11-50 employees
But that's not
the only
hidden cost
Beyond license and implementation costs lie a myriad of hidden expenses and unforeseen complexities that can catch you off guard. Training costs, annual price hikes, paid add-ons to extend limitations, integration fees, and ongoing maintenance expenses can quickly spiral, leaving businesses grappling with budgetary constraints and operational challenges down the line.
The solution?
Forget licensing costs
Do these things instead:Demand a quote and ensure that it contains a breakdown of the pricing upfront.
Understand the additional costs your purchase will involve, other than licensing costs. Get estimates for implementation, integration, SLAs, onboarding, and customization costs.
Compare the price quote with other CRM vendors.
Ask if there are contracts involved. If so, how flexible are they? For example, if the number of users you've signed up for decreases during the course of your contract, will it reflect in the yearly costs before the end of the contract?
Find out how long the deployment time is and compare it with other CRM vendors.
Ask if there's additional overhead for mobile apps.
Ask if storage costs will change during your contract. If yes, can they give you an estimate of how much change you can expect over a five-year period?
Determine how easy it would be to migrate if you decide to shift to a different CRM vendor. Is there an easy way to back up your data?
Only when you get clear answers to the questions above should you proceed. Or you can choose a CRM that won't nickel-and-dime you.
In reality, many enterprise software pricing models are designed to cater to large corporations with deep pockets. Cheap license costs often serve as a facade to lure you into their ecosystem.
Zoho has worked to change this since the day we started writing software. We're buyer-friendly and don't waste your time with deceptive pricing plans or hidden costs; we don't force you into contracts or hike your CRM costs with hidden implementation fees.
Here's how much
Zoho CRM costs
Embrace fair and transparent pricing.
Choose Zoho CRM.
Your business deserves more than deceptive pricing; it deserves real value.
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