Out-of-the-Box CRM vs. Custom Software: Which Is Right for Your Business?

In today's fast-paced media landscape, automation is crucial for all media companies to enhance efficiency. A robust CRM system is essential, serving as the backbone for managing customer relationships, tracking sales leads, overseeing marketing efforts, and providing real-time data. However, selecting the right CRM solution can be a challenging decision that hinges on various factors, including budget constraints and project timelines.

The dilemma lies in choosing between off-the-box CRM solutions like Boostr or investing in a customized software solution tailored to your company's unique requirements. This choice is far from straightforward. While off-the-box options offer a wide array of features, they may not be optimized specifically for media companies. On the other hand, customization requires a large budget for consultants, time, and resources. Weighing the pros and cons of each approach is crucial in making an informed decision.

Out-of-the-Box

If your company needs ready-made software with basic functionality, then out-of-the-box software is for you. This pre-packaged type of software is targeted toward a large audience because it can handle standard processes. It’s easy to install, updated regularly, and is designed to suit most users.

Pros

• Out-of-the-box is inexpensive and designed for a specific audience. It offers fixed functionality and affordable prices. 
• Automatic updates to improve your software and add features are included, so you don’t need to contact a development team with each new iteration. 
• Minimal time is needed from set up to deployment across your organization. 

‍Cons

• Unless you are using an out-of-the-box software system that is designed for your industry, you’re likely dealing with features and functions that you don’t want or need. Aside from paying for software, you don’t need, employees could get bogged down as they deal with features that only get in their way. 
• If your software isn’t created for media companies, the solutions won’t fit your company or work for your team. 
• Some out-of-the-box features could include technical solutions that don’t fit your company's business guidelines. 

Custom-Made Software

Custom-made software is usually reserved for businesses that can’t find an out-of-the-box solution and have large budgets. This made-from-scratch solution gives companies flexibility in features and functionality. It can help reduce inefficiencies, streamline operations, and improve productivity. These customizable solutions are tailored to your organization and are used by organizations with specific needs that aren’t getting met by standardized CRM software. If you have a large budget and a lot of time on your hands to create a customized solution, you could hire a software development team and consultants to help your company develop customized software. 

Pros

• You can customize the software as your business grows to create a CRM that solves a long-term solution — one that you’ll never have to replace. 
• Most of the time, you are avoiding monthly licensing fees because you are paying upfront. 
• Your staff will still need training tailored to your company’s needs.  

‍Cons 

• You’re going to spend a lot of time waiting — months to maybe even years for your software to be ready. 
• Costs are high — especially upfront — and this might not be an option for small business owners. 
• Your software developer needs to be both good at developing software and an expert on your business. Hence, they understand exactly what your company needs - most likely, it will be a mix of developers and consultants.
• Your tech team is going to have to be available to monitor the workflow of the software and fix any bugs. If you have to get the software developer involved each time there’s an issue, costs will go up. 

Making the decision about the best CRM software for your company can be tough. If you’re a media organization, this is where Boostr’s CRM comes in. We built our CRM specifically for media organizations. Our platform saves time and gets your company real-time pipeline visibility. Boostr’s CRM provides: 

Email and calendar integration. Boostr lets you seamlessly track emails and appointments by advertiser, agency, and deal. Create deals and RFPs from emails — without manual data entry, saving time for more outreach. ‍

Deal kanban. Manage deals from start to finish in a single screen with drag-and-drop deal progression. Upgrade your workflow and close deals faster with our user-friendly platform. Say goodbye to sifting through multiple screens and hello to a streamlined process that keeps everything organized and accessible. ‍

Omnichannel forecasts. Seamlessly monitor your pipeline and delivery data in real-time across all media formats and buying channels (IO, PG, PMP) in one centralized place. With real-time updates, you'll have full visibility to be able to make informed decisions quickly, stay on top of your game, and streamline your advertising efforts.‍

Specialist forecasts. Boostr is your solution for managing specialist and overlay teams, quotas, and forecasts without double counting. ‍

Advertiser and agency intelligence. With Boostr, you can effortlessly manage complex hierarchies between advertisers and agencies, as well as brands and campaigns, while gaining organizational structure insights that grow revenue. Let us help you grow your business while making it easier for you to stay organized.‍

Sales insights. Leverage our industry best practice dashboards and KPIs to maximize revenue and productivity. Boost your business performance with our user-friendly tools! ‍

Seller priorities dashboard. Make the most of sellers’ precious time spent in a CRM by immediately showcasing what’s most important, from progress to quota to commission calculations. Our user-friendly interface showcases everything that's important at a glance: track your progress, monitor quota achievements, and even calculate your commissions effortlessly. ‍

Automated revenue recognition. Auto-allocate revenue across custom start-to-end dates and revenue channels. Deals are recorded once and updated everywhere, saving sales leader forecasting with highly customizable CRM inputs, products, and stages that adapt to future business needs. With Boostr, profitability is in plain sight as you accurately record deals once and update them everywhere, saving valuable time on sales lead forecasting.‍

Media-specific data model. Our sophisticated media data model provides high-fidelity data to help you make informed decisions that drive your business forward.

Boostr Benefits:

Get pipeline data you can trust. Boostr enables accurate and real-time omnichannel revenue forecasting. With its highly customizable CRM inputs, products, and stages, Boostr adapts effortlessly to meet your future business needs. ‍

Increase cross-functional alignment. Boostr’s CRM removes all of the common barriers (and excuses) for sales teams - simultaneously enhancing production and finance. Expect a larger number of shorter sessions, meaning sellers often accomplish more with less time - saving, on average four hours per week. ‍

Maximize revenue. Get a 360-degree view of real-time prospect data. Prioritize opportunities and unlock your business's potential with built-in analytics to help business leaders recognize patterns and identify areas for improvement and white spaces for growth.‍

Move faster - regardless of complexity. We address all the complexities of your business with configurable, no-code CRM stages and weighting for easy implementation and scalability. We adapt to your internal systems while automatically keeping pace with industry best practices and innovations.

It can be tough to decide between an out-of-the-box CRM or a CRM that is built specifically for your company’s needs. Our out-of-the-box media-specific CRM will simplify your workflow and provide seamless onboarding — plus, it’s the only CRM built specifically for media organizations. Boostr’s CRM lets you see, sell, and manage deals and inventory with dashboards that show all products, packages, and highest-margin opportunities in one place — regardless of your product complexity. Leverage our best-practice configurations out of the box, or easily implement your own deal rules with our no-code customization. Book a demo today.