CRM, otherwise known as Customer Relationship Management, is technology used to help businesses manage their interaction with customers and storing customer data in one space. It combines several tools into one and regardless of the size of a business, it offers transparency amongst a variety of departments. It can automate a variety of tasks such as sales, marketing campaigns, customer support and account management. Doing so, allows a team to gain more time to dedicate towards the more complex tasks. There are many benefits in using a CRM for a small business, whether you’re a small team or a one-man band.
Nurtures Leads
CRM starts with lead nurture and management. It allows you to capture leads from your website and follow the lead throughout the process of a sale. With that in mind, you can use the contact details you have gained and send out email campaigns with your prospective client in mind. It can also tell you which sources of leads are the most successful in increasing sales, as a result you can engage more of your time into ensuring they’re at the forefront of your business and remain effective in driving sales.
Enhances Customer Experience
Using a CRM can help you build meaningful relationships with customers or clients. By having all of their details in one place, you’re able to tailor business towards a customer’s particular needs. Having information like spending history, birthdays, email correspondence etc. allows you a touch point for conversation, making their experience with your business more personalised.
Increases Efficiency
For small businesses, a CRM can increase efficiency tremendously. It reduces costs by improving targeting towards customers and reducing the wasted campaigns etc. IBM reported that in companies using CRM there was a 50% increase in productivity and 40% reduction in labour costs. Small businesses need to be organised to save time moving between documents that are stored in different files, by using a CRM you can ensure that all the information you need is in one place.
Produces New Opportunities
The information you have on existing customers and clients can provide opportunities for business with new customers that match the profiles of your best customers. Building strong relationships accelerates your business and by knowing more about your clients, it can also make your marketing campaigns more successful. It’s also important to keep the details of those who enquire as it helps to keep in touch with them, it may be that you can provide what they’re looking for in the future.
Keeps You Organised
As briefly mentioned, for a small business it is important to have documents stored in one place, for efficiency. You’re wasting your valuable time by clicking between different folders in an attempt to find correspondence or the purchase history of a client. This information could be readily available by using CRM, saving you time and the frustration of not being able to find the documents you need. It can also replace all those spreadsheets you have opened trying to keep data organised, and it provides you with an opportunity to store more information about the client.
In the past, CRM systems used to be prohibitively expensive and out of reach for many small businesses. Fast forward to today and you are spoilt for choice. Many CRM solutions available today, are not only affordable, but also highly customisable and scalable, making them ideal tools for supporting a growing business.
If picking the right CRM solution for your business seems a little overwhelming, we can help! Just book in for a free call.