In this blog, I am going to highlight 5 signs that tell you it is time to select CRM software. You might be a new start-up or a long-established business, but do not worry it is never too late to join the CRM revolution! If you are uncertain about whether you need CRM, then this is the guide for you.
1. Do you struggle to read your data?
Over time have you found yourself building up an enormous collection of customer information? If it is not recorded consistently, it is going to be a pain to sift through. Without CRM it will be much more difficult to use your data to help you grow.
Maybe you believe that your organisation is not big enough for a CRM system. Are you trying to use things like Excel to help organise data into information? Do not worry, that is not all bad, indeed it can be helpful to start off with. Just be aware that over time it will cause a series of ever-increasing headaches for yourself and your team.
Maybe you have data stored in various locations – your email client, more spreadsheets, on your phone, etc. That data is not stored in a way that lets you use it should you get a new hire? Even worse, what happens if a current member of staff leaves? Or, perish the thought if you have the misfortune of suffering from a data breach? Hopefully, you can see why it is so important to ensure that your data is stored securely and somewhere easily accessible.
2. Do you have access to enough customer information?
When searching through client information on your database you may find the process clunky if not formatted correctly. This can be due to not adding in enough detail when originally entered or during your search you see that vital information has been missed when you had first spoken to the prospective client.
By selecting CRM software, you can accurately display all information needed, allowing you to segment the information in a way that benefits how your business processes work. By creating user-defined fields, you can show the ideal information you need to know from your customer at each step of the business process. This allows you to better the experience of the system for the people using it and offer a better overall service going forward.
3. Is your Sales team is wasting time on the small stuff?
We have all heard the saying time is money and unfortunately, none of us can pop in our DeLorean to get that wasted time back, so why don’t we make sure we use our time efficiently? Your sales teams are bringing revenue into the business by contacting prospective clients and closing deals. How much time do you think they are spending on searching through your spreadsheets to find the correct data or update it when necessary?
What If you had a system in place that allows you and your team to see exactly which client was assigned to which salesperson as well as a history of all the previous interactions with that client. at a snap of a finger, your team could spend more time closing deals and less time figuring out which deals to close. We have already realised we cannot make more time so if you have a process to increase the quality of that time used then that will help you reap the rewards.
4. Are you starting to find that your processes are unclear?
Depending on the size of your business or what your business entails you may offer multiple products and services which require different processes. For instance, the process for selling a table and chairs would not be the same as a shower unit. This can be from parts to maintenance and installation you would need an individual step by step process for each area you work in to help make your business run smoothly.
If you do not have a sales template implemented already how much easier would your sales process be if you had a pre-set layout put in place which would populate once selecting the desired product you are selling? You may already have a process in place but in a manual format which can be ok for one order but if you are proceeding with 10+ orders you may start pulling your hair out in hopes for an easier way forward.
5. Are you noticing that your database is not scalable?
Reading this blog, you may think that the way you are dealing with information is currently working well for your business but that is when that word “currently” can be a slippery slope. We all want our business to grow and expand over time and as you take on more clients your database will grow with it, so the question is – while your database may work for you now, will it work at that same calibre in the future?
Scalability within a business needs to always be at the forefront of your mind as overnight a product of yours can excel, bringing in orders you could not even dream of. Implementing a CRM system will allow you to grow your business, without worrying that your current solution may not be able to handle the sudden growth.
With CRM software you can help future proof your company, see where it is working well and not working as well as it should, it will allow you to make sudden changes within the way you work to help you adapt and evolve.
Future-proofing yourself can relieve the unnecessary worry that you did not even realise was there -if you fail to prepare, prepare to fail – Implementing the right software for you earlier on in your business will make your life easier, and as I mentioned earlier, time is money so let us increase the quality of that time so you can focus on what matters most.
If you wanted to know how well, you and your business are using CRM or how you could improve click here to try our CRM Maturity Assessment to help get you on the right track.
