It needs to be so much more than just a repository for your business cards
Have you got a CRM system but don’t feel you are getting the most out of it?
We often decide we need a system for something, and focus time and effort on getting it set-up on day one, maybe someone else even sets it up for us, but then life and work take over, and you don’t build its use into your everyday routines. And you end up with a system that you don’t use or get any benefit out of.
If you are paying for the system, you should definitely be using it. Even if it is a free version, if you decided you needed such a system perhaps review that need to establish if it still exists. If it does, then let’s see if we can help you make the most out of the system you want to use.
CRM systems are often said to fail to live up to expectations. This is possibly because you are not using it in the right way. So what is the right way to use a CRM system?
A CRM isn’t so much a thing, it’s more a way of working. The goal or purpose is to manage the relationships you have with existing and potential customers, to nurture them and keep them as long term customers who you can leverage ongoing revenue and referrals from.
Your CRM system is a tool which needs to support your business processes. This means when you select your CRM system and decide which one to implement, it needs to be able to be customised so it fits your business process. This might be as simple as you needing to add and/or modify some fields in the database, or possibly look at some workflow automations?
You must know your process, and repeat it consistently if you want the tool to work for you, and to provide you with metrics to track productivity, identify bottlenecks etc. So the use of standard emails for instance. And regular newsletters.
Another important facet of a CRM system is the quality of the data. Do you keep it up to date? Or is it just full of the connections you uploaded when you first had it?
If this is the case you probably need to do a data clean-up. You should look to remove any old or duplicate records, update outdated information, load new connections and enrich (potential) client profiles with additional data. This ensures you have accurate and comprehensive customer information to work with.
Segmenting the data is also important. This allows you to send more targeted communications, which are likely to be more successful. This is most often achieved in a CRM system using Tags. Think about the way you want to communicate with your clients and potential clients, and how you can identify them. These tags are internal to your system and your business, so don’t over complicate it. Tag as ‘Existing customer’ vs. ‘Potential’. Perhaps they are a ‘subscriber’. If you met them Networking, set a tag as ‘Networking’. Or if they have purchased from your website, tag them as ‘Web Customer’ etc.
Once your CRM is set-up and customised for your business process you can start to use it. This means you can:-
All your leads, qualifications, sales opportunities and customer satisfaction follow ups can be managed and tracked through your CRM and it will help you focus and prioritise tasks that have the most value, helping you achieve more in your business with less time and energy.
Put your customer at the centre of your business processes
Jean Weir – Oyster Flame – Giving you valuable time back