When you started out in business and had only a few customers, it was easy to keep track of them with a simple spreadsheet and your inbox. But as you’ve grown larger, and the number of communication channels has grown, you’ve probably reached the point where you need a more efficient system. These are just some of the signs you need a CRM It’s time to find an appropriate CRM solution.
Small businesses that adopt a CRM tool are proven to reduce the likelihood of a dry sales pipeline and can help to turn your business into a sales
powerhouse.
There are a lot of CRM solutions on the market – some of them more complex than others.
What are the signs that you are ready for a CRM system? Obvious a dry sales pipeline is one indicator, here are some others.
Signs you need a CRM
1. You’re not managing customers and contacts efficiently. The result:
a) Customer data goes into a black hole. Everyone on your team keeps track of his or her own customers and accounts, without sharing the data. When an employee leaves, you lose valuable knowledge.
b) The sales team is doing one thing, marketing is doing another, and customer service has its own agenda.
c) Customers are frustrated. When communication within the company is disorganized, the chaos spills over into your client interactions. This degrades the client experience and leads to disaster.
With a CRM solution, you have a single, centralized space to store your data. Everyone has access to the latest information about each customer – when the last appointment took place, what was covered, what that customer is interested in, etc. Plus, when everyone is up to speed, you can reduce the time spent in meetings and increase the time reps spend in the field, pursuing and closing business. And making more money.
Bonus: You can reassign representatives to different accounts and know they’ll be able to assimilate the necessary information about that client.
2. One of the biggest signs you need a CRM is when no one knows who’s doing what. Is Your Sales Pipeline Dry? You can’t tell what your sales representatives are doing or what stage their deals are in. You don’t know who last touched a client or how long it’s been since that connection. While you waste valuable time chasing down your reps for answers, your prospects are likely going elsewhere – to a company that already has a CRM system in place.
A CRM could help you assemble reports quickly and see the status of your leads at a glance, know immediately how many touches a prospect has received and the outcomes, assess team members’ monthly progress against their quotas, identify your top performers, figure out where in the sales cycle your leads are converting to sales and determine why you won – or lost – a sale.
3. You can’t stay in touch from the field. There’s no fast and easy way to store information so that sales reps on the road can share details with your entire team. As a result, follow-up is spotty. Notes taken on the road aren’t transcribed, details get lost, and leads fall through the cracks. Once again, prospective clients calling for information end up speaking with someone who doesn’t know their status. That’s how you lose potential sales.
Mobile CRM is widely available, sales reps can update contacts, request information, and always have access to the latest customer information even when they’re on the go.
4. You’re not communicating regularly with customers – a key ingredient for business success. You don’t have a master marketing list because the necessary information is contained on individual computers. So you phone customers when it’s convenient or at the end of the month in hopes they’ll place an order.
You can set up your CRM system to send automatic reminders to team members to make follow-up calls at critical points in the sales process or as part of your general outreach to clients and prospects.
5. Every customer gets the same treatment. You send the same offers and messages to customers and prospects in different industries and regions – and in different stages of the buying process.
With a CRM, you can group your targets and refine the messages you send. A targeted pitch makes customers feel loved, instead of neglected.
Bottom line: If these five warning signs sound familiar, it may be time to consider a CRM. Used correctly, the software can increase your company’s productivity and your sales revenue. You’ll be able to track sales better, stay abreast of communications between you and your customers, and market directly to the right clients based on interests, industry or existing products.
Signs you need a CRM – How ProAptivity can help
ProAptivity are an independent CRM solutions provider. One of the key questions we are asked frequently is what are the signs you need a CRM. We help our clients answer these questions so that they fully understand the value CRM can realise their organisation.
ProAptivity focus on the implementation, training, and support of highly customised CRM software solutions. Our CRM software supported by our sales training provide customers with the tools needed to deliver successful sales process management.
Fundamentally, we help organisations embed CRM best practice throughout their organisation. This helps organisations become more competitive, customer
focused and ultimately more profitable.
If you need help in understanding why my business needs CRM, maybe some of our video’s or eBooks could help! Alternatively visit Maximizer CRM for more information. You can contact us today on 0330 223 6362 or via email at info@proaptivity.com. Contact us today for a free CRM consultation that will assess if your business is CRM ready.
