Your customers are at the heart of everything you do—without customers, you’d have no business.
It doesn’t matter how brilliant your idea is, how excellent your services are, or how passionate you are about what you do—without customers, you aren’t going anywhere. You’re back at square one.
You might think this is a bleak outlook. But it’s a mindset that will help you keep this concept at the forefront of everything you do. It reminds you that client retention must always be a priority—as should nurturing new leads.
Do you find yourself losing track of customers? Searching for notes about previous calls, only to realize you’ve misplaced them? Accidentally calling the same person twice because you didn’t know your co-worker already called them last week?
A customer relationship management (CRM) system is a way for you to stop losing business from poor customer management! Capitalize on each lead you get by tracking every interaction you have with the prospect, from the first phone call to the final follow-up.
Are CRM systems worth the hype? Do you really need one for your business, or can you get by without one?
Keep reading; I’ll be taking a closer look at all that:
What Is a CRM System?
Our brains are crammed with information, day in and day out. We learn new things, meet new people, and schedule new meetings.
Imagine: Never forgetting a client’s name, their last interaction with your business, or even their birthday! That’s the power a CRM gives you. You’ll always be on top of things.
So, what is a CRM system? Basically, it’s a way for you to organize and centralize customer information, whether you’re tracking new leads, repeat customers, or business partners.
A CRM gives you a detailed roadmap for keeping track of each lead that comes in. At a glance, you can see their progression through the sales pipeline. And on top of that, everyone on your team will have access to it. All this information in one place means no more missteps or miscommunications between sales teams.
What Does a CRM System Do?
That’s a great question—and one that has a handful of different answers.
Depending on your budget, you can get a pretty bare-bones CRM or one that’s more advanced.
You can choose one that’s simple (tracking your customer information and giving you helpful reminders) or one with more comprehensive marketing automation (with features like lead generation funnel builders, reputation management, and website builders).
Features vary depending on which software you choose. If you want to learn about the features of one of the most popular CRM systems, GoHighLevel, check out my full review.
How a CRM System Can Help You
A CRM is an invaluable tool when you’re dealing with an influx of new leads. A few main benefits include:
- Staying on the ball during your busy season. Leads are coming in faster than you can blink. Without a CRM, you’ll lose track of them in no time. You can rely on your CRM to help you stay organized.
- Reaching out to old leads. Need new customers? Pull up your CRM to find customers who, in the past, never signed off on the deal—but might be open to it now. And you won’t be starting from scratch; you’ll have all your notes from previous calls right at your fingertips.
- Keeping all your data in one place. Never misplace a phone number or forget an important detail again. Whenever you need to check something about a customer, it’s as easy as opening up your CRM and searching for the contact name.
Signs You Need a CRM System
So, who needs a CRM?
The answer: Anyone who wants to manage their customers more efficiently.
That’s pretty broad. I’m going to narrow it down by listing a few use cases where CRMs come in handy:
You can't remember your prospects
You call the number of a lead that just came in, and just as they pick up, you suddenly realize you’ve forgotten their name.
Forgetting the little things can be detrimental to the sales process. You need all the information you can get at your fingertips to build a stronger relationship with each prospect.
Names aside, you might forget about certain leads altogether. Forgetting leads is like leaving money on the table. Think of all the leads you’re missing out on just because you forgot to follow up!
You're losing track of customer data
Without a CRM system, you can’t remember everything you do, every call you make, or every follow-up you schedule. You need a system to help you do all that!
Think of a CRM like your second brain. It’s a place for you to store all the customer data that can otherwise get lost.
Never lose a lead again. Whenever you start interacting with a new lead, you can track their information using your customer relationship management system.
You have to manage sales staff
It’s one thing to manage leads if you’re the only person on your sales team.
But what if you have multiple people making calls, following up with leads, and reaching out to new prospects?
That’s where things get trickier.
One person might follow up with a customer who already received a call from your business last week. Frequent phone calls will just annoy your prospects.
Or a salesperson overlooks a crucial detail the client shared in their last call—something like, “I don’t have the budget right now. I’ll call you back at a better time.”
You can see why missteps like these can cause real damage to customer relationships. With a CRM, each member of your sales team will have access to information about each prospect. You’ll all be on the same page!
Your sales cycle is long
Where are your leads in the sales pipeline? If you don’t know, chances are you’re taking too long to convert them.
With a CRM, it’s easier to see what your prospects need to overcome objections at different points in the sales pipeline.
Don’t let your leads forget about you. Convert leads faster to get money in your pocket sooner!
You're unable to produce quality customer service
You’re losing track of customer information—and your customers are taking notice. It’s time to step-up the quality of your customer service.
And what about your biggest accounts? The customers who’ve stuck with you since the beginning. It’s these people you need to pay extra attention to. Show them you appreciate sticking around by checking in on them or sending messages on important anniversaries!
Your reporting process takes too long
How much time do you spend tracking down information about leads or jotting down what you learned from your last phone call—only to misplace it? What about updating client information when the point of contact changes?
Spend less time managing leads and more time nurturing those leads with a CRM system.
You run marketing campaigns
Do you use email newsletters to keep in touch with clients? If you take a segmented approach to your mailing list (sending different emails based on where prospects are in the sales pipeline), a CRM system will be an invaluable tool. Use it to easily see how close your prospects are to making a purchase. Based on that, you can tailor your marketing campaigns accordingly.
You Won't Need a CRM System if…
Still on the fence about whether a CRM is right for your business? If you identify with the following, you might not need one:
You have a small pool of clients & staff
Don’t have a problem managing your customers? Only have one member on your sales team? Maybe you only have a few large accounts to keep track of. Then probably you don’t need a system to help you do it.
If you manage all your clients by yourself, then you don’t need to coordinate with other salespeople.
It doesn’t fit your budget
CRM software usually isn’t free—and if it is, it’s extremely limited in the features it offers.
You’ll need to pay a monthly fee to access CRM solutions. Considering all this software does for your sales teams, that’s money well spent.
If you’re having trouble justifying the cost, consider this:
A study by Nucleus Research found that for every dollar you spend on CRM software, you’re paid back $8.71.
So even if a CRM system seems out of your budget, factor in the money you stand to make from it.
You like to live life on hard mode
Okay, I’m kind of joking about this one. But seriously. A customer relationship management system makes your life so much easier. It’s hard to think of a reason why you wouldn’t want one.
Conclusion
A CRM system can help you keep track of leads and convert them into customers. If you don’t already have one…what are you waiting for?
Are you still asking yourself: “Do I need a CRM system?”
At SerpFocus, I give my expert advice to help your business succeed. I’ll help you find out what’s working for your online marketing strategy—and what’s not. Let’s set up a call to get the conversation started. Contact SerpFocus today!
