1. Things keep
falling through the cracks
Without a centralized place for all of your customer data to
collect, it’s easy for information and interactions to get lost in the shuffle. Losing information can spell disaster for your customer relationships.
But with a CRM system to tidy up your
customer interactions and help you understand your prospects and customers, you
can continue to build relationships without fear of missing crucial details.
2. You have trouble
remembering details
Throughout the week, you probably meet a lot of potential
customers. Remembering your conversations with them can be difficult,
especially as your business grows and more leads start coming in. This is another time a CRM tool comes in handy.
CRMs have a “Notes” feature that allows even
busy business owners to jot down useful notes about meetings with people. These notes and nuggets of information can later be used in personalized, automated emails with the “merged field.”
This feature will save you from the awkward calls where you’re trying to recall previous conversations with a potential client, helping you maintain relevance and rapport.
3. You don’t find it
easy to contact subsets of your client base
There are times when you need to contact a group of your
clients. If you are using a mailing list software, most are designed to send out to everyone on a list. That may be more than those you need to reach.
If you're using an email program like Outlook, you have to select contacts individually, which is very time-consuming. With a CRM tool, you can “tag” contacts so you can easily search and send to whatever group you want.
4. You can’t get
sales and customer service on the same page
Communication challenges often happen when your teams use the
wrong tool to communicate. While fast and convenient, email is bad for tracking and managing progress over time. A CRM system is the best
place for both sales and customer service information. It will help
you get to a place where you can see a total picture of an account.
5. You can’t tell how
your sales team is doing
What gets measured gets done. If you don't measure, it doesn't get done. When you don’t have a tool for managing your sales force and your sales force to manage themselves, you could lose many sales. With the right CRM, your
sales team can be more productive, and you will have the insight to know how
to help them.
Improve Customer Relationships with Automation
In today’s marketing world, customers expect a
customized experience. This is challenging when you don't have a system to organize
and compile customer information, preferences, and actions to create successful automated marketing campaigns. With a CRM, you can streamline your marketing
activities and turn clutter into customization. Not sure where to start? Turn to the experts!
Editor's Note: This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.