You’re not sure you need a CRM, but you also don’t know where to start looking for information about them to make a decision. Fortunately, there are a lot of good resources out there on the web. Unfortunately, those resources force you to wade through a lot of fluff and tedious details. Here are the top 7 advantages of an effective CRM – short and sweet.
Simplified Goal-Setting
A CRM pulls together a lot of information and presents it in one place. You don’t have to go searching all over your computer (or the Internet) looking for what you need. Because of this, the CRM helps you simplify all of your goals. You can make followup decisions more quickly, tag clients and prospects so you know where they are in a sales cycle, see sales and marketing metrics in real-time so you can adjust goals, usually with a few clicks. Some of the more advanced CRMs incorporate “drag-and-drop” functionality.
Saving Time On Lead Calls
CRMs save you time on lead management and calls. Blitz for mortgage lenders, for example, allows you to categorize mortgage leads, set appointments for followup, reminds you of those appointments, and lets you keep detailed notes about what you last talked about.
You Look Professional
Looking professional is important in most industries – if you want people to take you seriously, that is. With a CRM, because all of your key data is in one place, you’re not fumbling around while on a call with a prospect. You have quick access to anything and everything you need.
It’s More Convenient
A big advantage of CRMs is that they make your life easier. You’re not using sticky notes, appointment books, 12 different calendars, phones, rolodexes, and appointment or lead sheets. Everything is digitized and automated.
It’s Secure
A CRM can be “locked down” so that proprietary company information is not leaked to competitors or accidentally exposed to people outside of the company. This is especially important if your company handles other peoples’ financial or health data. In the case of health or patient information, encryption and privacy is a must.
Lead Gen Is Faster
Lead generation happens faster with a CRM because most of them integrate with a social media campaign, website, or other lead capture scheme. When people visit your company’s website, for example, you can use forms to capture the person’s critical contact information.
This information is then fed directly into the company’s CRM and a sales associate can then follow up with the prospect – it all happens automatically.
It Saves You Money
CRMs can cost you a lot of money, but they can also save you a lot of money too. By organizing your contacts, leads, and followup information in one place, you may end up saving yourself a sale. Missed followup sales calls are a major reason why some businesses fail to hit benchmarks.
If you don’t need fancy features, you can also use free, open-source, CRMs which will save you money immediately.
Tiffany Stevens is always on the lookout for ways to promote the small business she works for part time. When she finds something promising, she shares it with others by posting online. You can find her enlightening articles on a variety of websites and blogs.