What Is CRM Software? An Introduction For Small Businesses

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This guide is for small business owners interested in using CRM software to organize their client information, close more sales, and better serve their existing clients. We’ll cover what a CRM package is, it’s basic features and functions, and how to know if using CRM software will benefit your business.

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What Is CRM Software?

Short for Customer Relationship Management

CRM software allows you to build a custom database of client information, which you and your employees update as you find leads, negotiate offers, land sales and handle customer service.

CRM software is a collection of tools to help organize your interaction with clients.

CRM Software Homepage

Is CRM Software Right

For Your Business?

A CRM system can centralize information for you and help you be more productive. CRM software can help you coordinate and supervise activity.

Has your way of organizing things started to get out of hand?

Keep on top of your organization giving you insights into employee productivity, help you forecast sales, decide which marketing programs are working and more.

A CRM system can also help you

•The monetary costs.  A good CRM software will run you anywhere between $10 and $150 a month per employee. •It takes time to get the CRM software setup and train your employees to use it.  You also have to say on top of people to make sure they are using the CRM correctly

Why you may not want a CRM

Why use a CRM?First off, it lets you store information on a more accurate and consistent basis. In other words, it offers higher integrity of data. Not only do you have a standardized way of entering customer and sales information, but it keeps it in one place.

Why use a CRM?Also, by recording all your customer information on a single platform, you get REAL DATA instead of anecdotal reports.By keeping a log of daily tasks, sales and customer satisfaction, you can track the actual progress of your company, as well as the progress of individual employees.

Why use a CRM?With real data you can track the Effectiveness of Marketing Strategies.How many customers are using a coupon you distributed? Or, how many were referred by your ad? With real customer data you can figure out exactly what’s working and what isn’t.

Maybe.  The advantages of CRM software tend to be greater the more people you add to the system.  However, some CRM companies, including our recommended option Insightly, offer limited capability free versions of their software for self employed individuals. 

Can CRM software help a one person company?

Business owners or managers sometimes focus too much on the advanced features and neglect the basics. This over complicates things for their employees, and makes it less likely that they are going to use the software at all. If no one uses the CRM software, then the advanced features don’t matter.

Keep it Simple:Why Many CRM Rollouts Fail

1. Contacts - Current or potential customers if you are a B2C business, or individuals at a particular firm you are trying to sell if you are a B2B business. !2. Organizations - For B2B businesses to keep track of the companies they are selling into, and the individual contacts they have at that company.  If you are a B2C business you will probably not use this function.

The 4 main building blocks are:

3. Opportunities - Used to track potential sales and keep a record of past sales. !4. Tasks - Make note of any interaction (phone call, writing a proposal, sending an email etc) you have with your contacts and schedule tasks for the future.

The 4 main building blocks are:

For example, when you search an individual’s name, you’ll find their associated organization, sales opportunities (past and present), a log of all conversations you’ve had with them, and the tasks you have scheduled for them in the future.

The real strength of CRM softwareIs the interconnection of the four.

You probably have your customer information scattered across a variety of different applications including email, address books (both online and offline), and spreadsheets.

If you are like most non CRM users

Including contact info, notes on past discussions, and reminders to follow up into one central place. It basically works like an advanced address book and task manager.

A CRM software gets all your client information

Insightly CRM Contact Page

And link them to the individuals involved. Afterwards, you can add notes on what was discussed and, if need be, set a reminder to follow up.

You can create tasks

Each time a client expresses interest in your product, you can create a new opportunity and link it to the contact. Within that opportunity, you add notes, create tasks and set a probability of closing the deal.

Most CRM software will also let you track potential and closed sales.

Storing customer information, setting tasks, tracking past interactions and sales opportunities - compound themselves when you have multiple employees using the same CRM software.

All these benefits:

Can have their own account with personalized tasks and opportunities. However, as

they add client and sale information, it will go to a

singular database.

Each employee at your business

Insightly Task Description

CRM software can be a great way to stay organized and build on each other’s work. But note that it’s only as strong as the data that’s entered. If employees neglect to use the software regularly, the data won’t have any use.

If you work in a team

Picture of a Team with a computer with a computer

You want something that has all the right features AND is simple and intuitive enough to actually be used. You can check our comparison guide to find out which platform is right for you.

This is why it’s extremely important to choose the right software.

Management / Reporting Level

CRM software offers you tools to manage their work, track their progress and estimate earnings. Through the software, you can divide employees into teams with different levels of access.

If you do oversee a group of employees,

You’ll have quick access to the following insight, on the individual, team and company-wide level:

Assuming your employees stick to the software and enter data properly

• Productivity – Who is finishing their tasks? In what amount of time and with what results?

• Effectiveness – Who is the best at serving clients and/or closing deals?

• Pipeline – What’s the probability of closing each sale? And thus, what earnings can you forecast for the company?

Insightly Reports

That you can take advantage of on multiple levels. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the software is only as strong as the data that’s entered.

CRM software has numerous benefits

Or if they find it too confusing, the software won’t do you much use. Stick with a platform that handles basic functions reliably and intuitively.

If your employees aren’t motivated to use it

Which CRM Software Do We Recommend?

Click Here To Try For Free

Which CRM Software Do We Recommend?

Click Here To Try For Free

Which CRM Software Do We Recommend?

Click Here To Try For Free

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