Salesforce or Microsoft Dynamics 365? Three Questions to Ask

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You may have heard that it costs five times as much to attract new customers as it does to keep the ones you have. That price is too high, especially in today’s competitive marketplace. To succeed, it’s critical that you stay connected with your clients during every stage of the process, from lead generation to customer retention.

Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps automate the important interactions between your business and clients, so you can generate leads, manage customers, and close more deals. While there are many CRM solutions on the market, two are considered major players: Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics 365.

As you evaluate the two options, you might be surprised at their similarity. Both are rich with key functionality: contact and account management, lead generation, opportunity management, sales forecasting, workflow automation, social messaging, and customer service. To help you make the best decision for your business, consider the following list of questions:

  1. Is this CRM user-friendly? Microsoft Dynamics 365 is considered easier to use because it’s already integrated with Office 365. Data from both applications is automatically synchronized, giving your employees the flexibility to do business deals right from Outlook. Plus, they can make sales calls and hold online meetings with Skype for Business. In addition, Dynamics 365 includes the business applications you need all in one place—Sales, Customer Service, Project Service Automation, and Field Service.
  2. Does the CRM have good reporting functions? Both Dynamics 365 and Salesforce have strong features, such as drag-and-drop reporting tools and customizable, interactive dashboards. And they both will give you an overall view of your business’ performance as well as the ability to zoom in on specific details in your sales pipeline. However, Dynamics 365 can be integrated with the Power BI business intelligence solution to do more detailed business analytics, which can lead to better decision making.
  3. How much does it cost? This is the big question for most businesses. Salesforce’s Business Edition includes account and contact management, opportunity tracking, lead management, customizable reports and dashboards, and mobile access. You will have to budget more for customizing the software and adding third-party solutions. A similar plan for Dynamics 365 costs less per user per month and includes the apps you need.

Your CRM software is more than another technology purchase. It’s an investment into the lifeblood of your company’s success—your customers. Microsoft Dynamics 365 delivers all the features you need for a satisfying customer experience, while integration with key apps like Office 365 and Power BI offer greater ease of use and deeper analysis at a lower overall cost.


Get help from Altruas, your trusted adviser

If you’re ready to streamline your marketing, sales, and other customer-related processes and increase revenue, turn to Altruas. We work closely with our clients to select, implement, and integrate a technology solution that solves critical business problems so they can be more efficient and more profitable. Our customer-centric approach means we focus on long-term relationships, not on one-time transactions. Contact Altruas today to learn more.