Think like a Zoho Certified Consultant Does
Dealing with a new Zoho CRM can be tough, especially if you’ve just implemented it and you aren’t really sure what to do next. You’ve got users to accommodate, orders to update, data to import… What do you do? And, more importantly, how do you do it? And, once it’s done, how do you get your team to actually use it?
At this point, it’s a good idea to enlist the help of a Zoho certified consultant. A Zoho certified consultant is well-versed in all things Zoho, from CRM to Analytics, and everything in between.
What makes a consultant specifically trained in the intricacies of Zoho unique is his ability to answer certain business-related questions and apply their answers to your selection of Zoho tools. That way, the consultant can determine what you actually need your CRM (and plugins) to do for you, then train your team accordingly.
Some food for thought 
Answering some of these business-related questions isn’t a magic bullet, but, it will get you in the right frame of mind to think like a Zoho certified consultant. These are the questions you may be asked by a Zoho certified consultant; as such, you’ll want to know what their answers are!
1. Who are your customers?
The answer to this question will dictate things like which modules inside Zoho CRM will be useful for you. You might be dealing with other businesses, in which case you’ll rely on an Accounts module to look up company details. Or, you might only be dealing with end-users, which means you won’t need an Accounts module, which comes with Zoho CRM by default, at all.
2. How long is a typical sales cycle for your business?
This answer is important because it lets the consultant know how you may want to use your calendar for planned or triggered events, as well as open a discussion about drip email campaigns, and your marketing funnel in general. A longer cycle means a more drawn-out drip campaign, whereas a short cycle may mean you’ll want to focus on a different style of marketing material to reel in your customers.
3. Do you employ outside salespeople?
This question is important because it lets your consultant know if you’ll want to invoke certain data sharing settings. Surely if you work in a small office, it might be perfectly acceptable for everyone to share each other’s information for the sake of communication. But, if you employ an outside sales team – or, even an inside sales team – you may not want every team member to see leads and opportunities assigned to others for a variety of reasons.
4. Is your sales cycle simple or complex?
A consultant might ask you this because a complex process may require some more automation. Zoho calls this workflow automation, and it’s designed to carry out processes automatically. That means less time performing repetitive actions or copying data between modules–and less human error. Besides workflow automation, Zoho CRM (and Zoho Desk) have Blueprint, which is a process organizer that keeps your team in line with whatever process they are currently a part of.
A Zoho Certified Consultant can ease your mind and adapt your Zoho products to fit your business
Planning to implement a Zoho product can be a stressful endeavor – and, those were only three potential questions whose answers would shape which products and services would help you the most.
Getting a lay of the land before we dig in
Just as it would be silly to start constructing a skyscraper without thoroughly surveying a building site beforehand, it’s equally crazy to recommend a solution using Zoho software without fully understanding your business. Any Zoho certified consultant on our team can attest that knowing a client’s business is paramount when it comes to the final solution. And, we take the time to understand everything by conducting in-depth interviews and understanding how each of your systems work. And, what everyone thinks of them, and where the performance gaps are! This allows us to put together a road map for you, something that will take care of your immediate needs, as well as future concerns as your business continues to grow.
Solutions can be pretty in-depth themselves
If you thought a potential Zoho solution might include just the CRM, that’s certainly possible. But, it’s not always the norm! Many times, businesses need the help of other apps, like Zoho Books or Zoho Projects. Fortunately, Zoho offers something special called Zoho One, which is all of their different apps combined in one package.
You may also want to keep some legacy systems and connect them to Zoho. We’ve done that before, too! Use us for our Zoho QuickBooks Desktop integration or custom Zoho ERP platform, too.
Enlist the help of a Zoho certified consultant
You have the talent to run your business better than we would, so it’s no shame at all to come to us asking for help with a totally unfamiliar Zoho software suite. Leave the workflow streamlining to the Zoho experts! You’ll be able to focus on the thing you do best, and you’ll be much happier for it.
Speak with a Zoho certified consultant by filling out the linked form. We’ll reserve an appointment for you. We’re standing by, and we’re here to help.