Small Business CRM Can Combine Everything Into a Single Tool
Small business CRM (Customer Relationship Management) that includes leads, sales management and marketing campaigns, spreadsheets, project management, documents and timesheets into a single software solution can take the pressure off of a business owner.If you are looking for a CRM service that can combine all of these functions without sacrificing your customers, here are a few ideas that you should consider:
- Why should you buy expensive, boxed software that only covers one or two aspects of company functions? Look for a web application that is a subscription based monthly service with no contract, no set-up fees and gives you a trial period with unlimited users. It will combine everything you need to run a small business into one tool. There is no reason to have a small business CRM application that is tied to one computer dedicated to only one facet of your business that makes your employees have to stand in line to enter their information.
- With a hosted CRM you will be able to track your customers from opportunity through to sale and support. You, your employees and your clients will be able to stay on the same page through the Internet from anywhere.
- With a good small business CRM program you can set deadlines, create project templates, share progress with employees and clients through a special password that allows them to see what you want them to see, without compromising private information, such as quotation or billing formulas, employee productivity and salary records and conversation notes that are for your eyes only.
- You will be able to automate many day-to-day tasks such as drag-and-drop calendars to schedule meetings, appointments and alerts, as well as provide real time insight into how your business is tracking and manage projects from a dollar standpoint.
- Small business CRM should be easy to learn and simple to use for you and your staff. Time should not be taken for you or your employees to learn a complicated program with thick manuals and many codes.
- Included in the small business CRM should be unique selling propositions. Sales leads should be centrally stored where employees can collaborate on closing sales and share leads that are collected by word-of-mouth, from your web site or by telephone and place them in a “lead pool.” You should be able to set a dollar value against a lead and probability of sale to qualify and visualize your sales pipeline. It will be easy to create sales actions, make notes and view progress through meetings, telephone calls and e-mails; enter notes against a lead and view the entire contact history of a potential customer. Once a lead has been converted into a quote, it can be promptly turned into a sale, a project or an invoice.