What if there was a system that knew your customer base better than you? What if it offered ways to connect with the most receptive customers, with easier ways to organize and track your customer base while leveraging valuable resources.
A Client Relationship Management (CRM) system is software that manages and organizes customer interactions, tracks campaigns to connect with new customers, and then analyzes those interactions—advertising, emails, and other client support— throughout the customer lifecycle.
In other words, it’s awesome.
But as popular as adopting a CRM system is for today’s business—74% of companies say CRM technology gives better access to customer data—many companies don’t fully understand how to gain the most value from CRM.
Despite their enthusiasm to innovate sales with CRM, business leaders can misunderstand the value an automated and collaborated CRM system brings to business growth, particularly when they purchase CRM before establishing business goals or gathering feedback from departments.
If a CRM system is part of your startup infrastructure, here are three common mistakes to avoid.
Wait for business growth before using a CRM
It’s common for SMBs with big ambitions to delay investing in a CRM system. Why invest in a system that tracks the buyer’s journey before you have customers, right? But smart businesses understand that CRM is an essential part of building and retaining a customer base. Around 91 percent of companies with little more than 11 employees already use CRM.
Investing in a CRM solution isn’t a reward for business growth. Instead, it should be a foundational tool to assist in developing workflow practices to streamline workflow, support sales campaigns, and build your business from the ground up.
Rely on CRM to define business goals
The range between a basic CRM subscription and complex services is broad. Whether you need a system that automates sales funnels or one that simplifies internal team tasking depends on your goals. What do you need from your CRM system? What are your goals?
“Operating your business without clear-cut goals and objectives is like trying to build a house without a blueprint,” say experts at Renaissance Executive Forums. “You’ll end up with something, but it won’t be as strong or as long-lasting as it would be if you’d done it right the first time.”
Do stakeholders need access from a mobile device? Do you need social media platforms, email templates or AI tools integrated into the system? A well-defined focus ensures better value and utilization from your selected CRM features.
Don’t involve other departments for feedback
Pop quiz: what’s one of the more costly ways to run a business? Use inefficient, duplicate tasks among departments. What’s another way to waste money while running a business? Invest in a CRM system that nobody uses.
For a more efficient workflow, collaboration is essential— on the condition that it saves time and simplifies tasks. But what does that look like?
A CRM’s success depends on buy-in from your team. Ask them about their processes. What tasks take the most time and can they be automated on a CRM platform? How can departments get the most value out of CRM? What pain points can it solve? Is it easy to use? How long does it take to update with new data?
Make no mistake, during these uncertain economic times, your sales team needs tools that optimize valuable sales opportunities while reducing customer churn. A CRM, such as Hubspot, offers flexibility in subscription options that deliver services that work with your growing business and adapts to your sales teams’ needs and business goals.
Ask us how an automated CRM system can work for you!