4 Steps to Find a Technology Solution that Works for You

We often see big-name technology products, such as Salesforce, and we think, "Wow! That would be amazing for me to have all of that functionality!" BUT, "We are a team of one, maybe two and it just doesn't make sense to invest hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars into that kind of customization." That doesn't mean there isn't software that would work perfectly for you.

There are four steps that you should take when deciding if a technology solution is right for you and your business. Recently, RE Technology went through this very process to replace our outdated Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) and Project Management (PM) tool. This same process can work for you if you give it a shot.

Vitamin vs. Painkiller

When Marilyn Wilson, the managing partner of WAV Group and President of RE Technology, talks about software, she often asks, "Is the software a vitamin or a painkiller?" What does that mean? Think about it—if you were close to being broke, would the software help keep your business alive, or would you dump it like yesterday's trash?

I am not going to provide examples of vitamin software because that would be completely up for debate. However, I will discuss CRMs, which are always painkillers. For your business to grow long-term, you must use a CRM.

Step 1: Ask yourself the hard questions

Cut out a chunk of time—where you won't be interrupted—and ask yourself the following questions.

1. What problem am I trying to solve?
2. Why do I believe this is the problem that needs to be fixed?
3. Why? Do this two more times to clarify the problem.
4. How can I solve this problem with the least amount of effort?
5. What tools do I need to accomplish this?
6. Do I already have software that would solve this problem and I am just not using it to its full capabilities?

Now that you have taken the time to answer the above questions, set them aside for two to three days. With a fresh set of eyes, do this process again, reviewing what you have already written. This will allow your subconscious to process each of these questions.

Now you are truly ready to start looking for the software that is just right for you. When I did this for RE Technology, I did this over the course of a couple of months working with different people on my team to help define EXACTLY what we needed. We determined we were looking for a system that did multiple things—it needed to have CRM, PM, and marketing capabilities.

Step 2: Determine your options

As you could probably guess, this step is not easy to do. When trying to determine your options you must go beyond what you think you know. You must explore. Fortunately, you are currently on RETechnology.com, which makes your search a little easier. You can go to the product directory on our site and find products that fit the category you are looking for. Unfortunately, if you are looking for a CRM, there are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of options to choose from. This is why you must already know what you need before you start looking.

Besides searching on RETechnology.com, you have several other options to help you search. First, ask your broker and other agents in your office what they use. If you are asking other agents, make sure they have a similar production level that you do. If you are not able to ask someone else, then you can search on Google or G2.com.

RE Technology took these exact steps in narrowing down which platform we were going to use.

Step 3: Narrow down your options

At this point, you have probably looked at 10 or more CRMs and your head is spinning. It is time to narrow down the options. Pick your top three; demo each one of them—especially if they provide a free trial option. It's worth it!

Using your answers from Step 1, rank the top three options based on the problem(s) you are trying to solve. If one of the options in your top three doesn't solve all of your problems, throw it out.

You should also ask yourself:

• Does this product help me today?
• Will this product still work for me in three to five years?
• Will the time and money investment for this product help grow my business?

Step 4: Congratulations!

Now is the time for the hard work to start.

Pick one.
Set it up.
Use it.

Your Turn

Most of the time, we do not need to buy new software. However, when we do, we should always do it the right way. Bookmark this article. Share it with your fellow agents. One day, you will need this and will be glad you have it.

Come back next week to learn how to find powerful technology solutions that you already have access to, but didn't know about.

If you have any questions about how to find software or have suggestions for other articles, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or on LinkedIn.