Today, there are apps and software for nearly everything, especially in the business world. They all claim to be the solution you need to get more done, provide your clients with a better experience or product, and increase connection with your team and other systems you rely on. Wading through what’s necessary and what can truly serve you and your business isn’t always easy.
Today, we’ll examine CRM software and how it can benefit a business to help you determine if it’s right for your situation.
What Does CRM Mean, and What is CRM Software?
The abbreviation “CRM” stands for Customer Relationship Management.
CRM software, at its most basic level, allows you to create, store, and update extensive digital profiles of current and potential customers. These profiles hold all kinds of information, from the essential such as contact specifics, purchase history, and general notes to more in-depth details like past marketing campaign information and when someone from your team reached out to the customer and the results of that interaction.
Obviously, you can record and track all of this without a CRM system, but what’s great about using software is that this information is together in one place (making it simple to analyze and keep tabs on) and is easily accessible by multiple people. That might not be a big deal when you’re a team of one, but as your business grows, it’s important that you have systems in place so that you aren’t “the brain” of your business and other people can jump in, be up to speed, and continue to keep things organized and moving forward.
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JDouglas
Photo Credit: CatMax Photography
CRM systems also often come with other features that make them indispensable to businesses. Some common extras and their benefits include:
Automation: This can include notifying you of upcoming contract expirations and the next steps you should take to move a lead through the sales pipeline, ushering current and prospective clients through processes and campaigns for you, and more. Automation allows you to focus less on monotonous tasks and more on gaining new clients while continuing to nurture existing ones.
Email Marketing: Numerous CRM systems have robust email marketing services that allow you to create more personalized and automated emails. In addition, you can often do different types of testing, receive in-depth analytics, and carry out complex campaigns.
Lead Capturing: Lead capture features that gather helpful information about potential and current customers may also be available.
Customer Service Assistance: Some CRM software also offers the ability to record customer service interactions and issues, keep scripts and templates handy, and/or connect to your preferred customer service system. All of this can help ensure the customer has a positive experience and that concerns are handled efficiently.
How Else Does CRM Software Benefit Businesses?
Swell Media
Photo Credit: CatMax Photography
CRM software gives you a place for different team members to store important information they’ve gathered about clients. For example, your social media coordinator may have noticed a client posting about something on one of their pages that would be helpful for your salesperson to know and mention the next time they connect with the client, and the coordinator has a place to put that information and the salesperson has a place to reference it and easily find it.
Plus, many CRM systems have features that automatically gather and organize information from your customers, meaning less work for you.
For current customers, CRM software doesn’t just help you have all their information in one place; it also helps you provide a better experience by staying in touch with them regularly and remembering important details.
Finally, when integrated with other tools, such as payment processing and document signing, the administrative load is lightened even more for you and your team.
So, while you may not think a CRM system is right for your business right now, it very well could be in the future. There are numerous systems to choose from, and it’s important to thoroughly research and test the options that appeal to you most so you find the right fit.
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