4 CRM best practices for small business

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is commonly used by different companies. Small businesses too, have started incorporating the software in their day-to-day operations. There is without a doubt many reasons why a company needs a CRM software. This software, which is used to collect and manage customer data, can also merge email, documents, jobs, faxes, scheduling, and sales/profit spreadsheets. This makes the CRM software  a vital tool for almost every small business. However, just having a CRM system is not enough. You should follow the following 5 CRM best practices to make the most out of the software.

Utilize all its features

For most salespersons; Microsoft’s classic spreadsheet program Excel is an outright favourite. But now that you have the CRM software, you should utilize all its features. Persuade your sales team to chuck Excel and input customer data to the CRM. One good idea would be to organize training programs on how to use the software and let your salespersons know why CRM is better than Excel, and how its features can make the job easier and more productive.

Choose the right CRM

Choosing a CRM that properly fits your needs is essential. Different CRM tools have different features and capabilities. So, you need to choose one that suits you needs. Ask yourself whether you want software that functions through the cloud or one that is located on-site. Does your small business require a CRM with comprehensive, highly flexible features, or will one having simple functions would be sufficient?  The answers to these questions will enable you in getting the best CRM for your organization. Look for simplified CRM application like QuickDesk, which can be optimized for your sales team the way you want.

Utilize its potential for collaboration

CRM has this ability to help improve collaboration between internal departments. The system helps avoid any confusion about customer information by making the same data available across departments. When a salesperson interacts with a customer, the information he collects about the customer becomes accessible to all other employees in your organization. They can even update the data if required. Based on the data, another salesperson can provide assistance to the customer in future.

Analyze data

CRM software not only collects a large amount of data, but can also analyze the data to help businesses make the best use of it. However, many companies fail to utilize this feature. The best CRMs have built-in analytics features, which use latest programming to collect all data and utilize the information to provide vital conclusions. This can then be used to make future business decisions. If you do not analyze the data that the CRM collects into something fruitful then you are just increasing the storage space in your computers.

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How to use CRM to build brand loyalty

The average cost of winning a new customer is around five times higher than that of retaining an existing customer, according to the book ‘Loyalty Myths’ published by the research firm Ipsos Loyalty. Along similar lines, customer retention was identified as the most powerful revenue driver for any business, according to a recent study by KMPG.

However, building brand loyalty in today’s cut-throat competitive environment is no easy feat. Customers today are better informed than ever before. They have more options to choose from – more customized solutions are available to meet their exact requirements. One way to improve customer retention in this day and age is by using the CRM software. Here’s how you should use this tool to maximize brand loyalty.

Retaining your important customers

If you can use the CRM software to your advantage, it would help you notice any signs of departing customers well in advance. Making this one of the top reasons why business, especially e-commerce should be using it. By using CRM, you can identify which of your important customers are not buying from you as frequently as they usually do. This could be a sign that those of your customers are no longer happy with your brand. You need to communicate with them as early as possible, and maybe you’ll be able to fix the issue causing dissatisfaction among them, and thus prevent them from leaving.

Announcing exclusive offers

Simplified CRM software like QuickDesk enables you to track purchase history of your customers. You can use that information to plan which special offers would entice which customers. For instance, if you find that a customer has not purchased anything from you for a long time, but is still subscribed to your newsletter – it would be a good idea to announce a special offer exclusively for that customer to bring his interest back to your brand. However, for this plan to be successful, you need to ensure that the special offer has a personal touch. This is exactly where CRM tools can help you by proving information about each customer’s personal interests, purchase history, likes and dislikes.

Rewarding your loyal customers

In order to improve brand loyalty, you need more customers giving you repeat business. With CRM software like QuickDesk, you can collect information about your most loyal customers. Once you identify your most loyal customers, you can reward them for their loyalty. This is a great way to enhance brand loyalty among your top-rated customers. Simple rewards like a coupon code or small discount can go a long way to strengthen the bond further.

Following up with your valuable customers

Establishing long term relationship with customers is crucial for customer retention. However, not all your customers would be equally amiable. Your job is to reach out to even the most restrained customers through follow-ups. If you can add a personal touch to your follow-up emails or calls, nothing like that! Thankfully, CRM application like QuickDesk helps get you detailed information about your customer’s purchase behaviour, demographic, gender, age, etc. The information you receive about your customers through CRM software can be used to devise an effective follow-up strategy for your valuable yet reserved customers.

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4 information your salespeople must enter into CRM

Customer relationship management (CRM) software could be an asset to small and medium businesses. According to a recent survey, around 74 percent of the businesses are happy about the fact that CRM is giving them improved access to customer data. There are many reasons why businesses need a CRM software. Some of the reasons and benefits include improved relationship management, improved interaction tracking, and improved lead management. However, if you want to make the most of your CRM software, you must make sure your sales team is entering all the required customer information, in the first place. Just entering the name, and contact details of your customers is not enough. Here are some important pieces of information your salespeople must key in to your current CRM system.

Classification data

Entering data that would help classify your customers on the basis of their demographics, industry, and job position is important. For instance, if your salespeople enter data about the age, income, and industry of your customers, it would help you categorize your customers based on the above criteria and thus recognize some common patterns. CRM application like QuickDesk comes with features that would help you classify your customers more easily – if the sales team inputs the necessary data in the system. With a clear picture of the buying behaviours of your specific customer groups, it would be easier to devise an effective marketing strategy accordingly.

The size of a sales deal

Your salespeople should also enter information about the size of your sales deal. This, in the long run, would help you guess the size of a potential deal, so you can invest more time and effort for a potentially larger sales deal, rather than keeping your sales team busy for a low-revenue prospect. To that end, entering data about company size is also important, as large companies are more likely to buy bigger deals.

Audience engagement data

Most businesses today use social media and other online platforms to engage with their current and potential customers. If you can convince your sales team to input that content engagement data into your CRM software, it would help you dig deeper into your customer data and gain more insight about how they make purchase decisions, compare similar products, and what they expect from a vendor. Some companies use marketing automation tools along with CRM. For such companies, it is important to integrate both tools, so that they can automatically send the right content to the right prospects.

The steps to make a purchase

Different customers come to know about your company, products, and services from different marketing channels. For instance, social media could be the source of some leads, while some leads may come through TV ads. Knowing details about customer touch points or the steps your customers took towards finally making a purchase could be useful for your business. Your salespeople should enter information about your customers’ journey towards making a purchase in the CRM software. With that information, any simplified CRM tool like QuickDesk can provide you deeper insights into your customer data.

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Visit PearComms at the AFA Congress 2016!

Customer-Relationship Management (CRM) tools are often a hassle because of its complexities, but with QuickDesk, we can simplify data consolidation and help you enhance overall sales productivity.

QuickDesk is a lightweight CRM tool which enables salespersons to customise leads, set agendas and reminders, sync existing contacts and mass communicate with all your clients via SMS, emails, and calls. With its built-in recording functions, QuickDesk also helps to track down sales records, call history and conversations, preventing you from missing out any potential clients!

Interested and looking for a demo? You can visit our booth at the upcoming Association of Financial Advisers (AFA Singapore) congress!

Date: 14 & 15 July 2016
Time: 14 July (0800-1715); 15 July (0900-1800)
Venue: Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
Booth no.: 15

For enquiries, please email us at contact@pearcomms.com or call us at +65 6850 5073.
We look forward to seeing you at the event!  

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4 excuses being used to avoid using CRM

If there is one thing in common among salespeople, it is their hatred towards CRM software. Ask any salesperson to make 20 extra calls or to meet five more prospects in person, and they will do that happily. But when it comes to entering customer data into CRM, most salespeople (if not all) would drag their feet and make a whole lot of excuses. As a business owner or a sales manager, you are perhaps aware of the benefits of using CRM – How it helps to improve customer retention or win new business. First things first, you should know what are the common excuses being used to avoid using CRM:

It is time consuming

Salespeople need to act fast. Most of them have a fixed salary, plus incentives for more sales. In an attempt to increase their earnings, many would work extra hours and make as many calls or face-to-face meetings as they can. While they are already pressed for time, entering to CRM software seems like a tedious task to them. What they do not understand is the fact that CRM would help consolidate all customer data into a single place, helping them access necessary information quickly, anytime and from anywhere. So instead of taking more time, CRM would actually help them save time in the long run. Hence making this one of the top reasons why a business needs a CRM software.

It is so complex

Some salespeople have a misconception that you need a degree in IT to be able to use CRM. Clearly, that’s a misconception. Yes, learning to use the tool is important, but there’s no steep learning curve. It’s as simple as learning to use a Smartphone or placing an online order for your favorite outfits.

It allows your competitors to access contact details of your prospects

A salesperson works hard to convince a prospective customer to buy from your company, and gets a commission when the customer makes a purchase. Think about it. Another salesperson is doing the same thing. No two salespeople would ever share the contact details of their prospects in the fear of losing a client or someone else enjoying the fruits of their hard work. But CRM makes all data accessible to everyone – which is why most salespeople are resistant to entering data into CRM. The counter argument is that would be this – you too can access contact details your competitor’s prospects.

It requires training

Not all CRM tools have the same features. Different systems are designed differently to avoid copyright infringement lawsuits. If you are used in using a certain CRM tool, you may still need to learn a few things before being accustomed to a different CRM system. Very little training is required to learn a new CRM tool, although you, as an employer, should make sure your sales team gets the necessary training.

If you would like to know how a CRM Software made in Singapore – can better help your sales team, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Quick Desk.

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