CRM for Small Business

Does my small business really need a CRM? How is it going to help me? Won’t it just make more work for me?

These are all valid questions that every business, no matter what shape, size or industry ask themselves before they get a CRM system. If you’re a small business owner, who is looking to implement customer relationship management software for your business, let us break down some of the myths and help you answer those burning questions

Why Should A Small Business Use CRM?

When you start out in business, you can count your customers on one hand. You know their name, address, contact details, etc off by heart as they are more like friends than customers, but as your business grows and you run out of fingers to count your customers on, it becomes harder to remember who they are, what they bought and any other key bits of information about them. This is where CRMs come into play, as your business expands with your customer base and you hire staff, it’s essential that you start recording down information on customers, from their contact details to information on sales or potential sales.

Having a CRM means you allow your business and your team to get organised, saving you time and making you money as your business continues to group. The earlier you can implement a CRM the better, as it allows you to get process driven and more effective in all aspects of your business

What is a CRM?

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a system which businesses use to bring all of their customer information together in one single location. It allows you to easily access that information and more importantly, do something with it, using email and sms marketing, surveys, reports, tasks, etc to help you build strong, lasting relationships with your contacts.

When does your small business need a CRM?

One of the biggest questions that every business asks itself is “When do I need a CRM?” The main indication usually comes at the most inconvenient time, like when a sales person leaves the business and none of their leads are written down, or when your computer crashes and you lose your Outlook or Excel spreadsheet. Or even a customer goes elsewhere because someone forgot to pick up the phone and make that all important call – missed opportunities hurt the most!

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when making a decision:

  • Do you employ sales people?
  • Is your customer database help in one central location that is easily accessible?
  • Do you have a simple one page view of all interactions with a customer?
  • Do you know how many deals have been one or lost this month?
  • Can you easily and quickly communicate with your customers to generate new business?
  • Are you happy with the amount of time your sales people spend on mundane every day tasks?
  • Can you identify where people drop out of your sales process?

If the answer is “no” to any of these questions, then your company need a CRM system as it will unlock your potential to grow!

Most small business owners hesitate to spend on a CRM system due to having to spin so many plates to keep the business running day to day, but like all things, implementing a CRM can and will make life easier once rolled out. It makes the day to day, mundane tasks quicker, more efficient and something that takes minutes rather than hours, saving time, money and allowing your team to get out there and make a difference for your business.