Is It Time For Your Business to Start Using a CRM Tool?

Your small business isn’t so small anymore, and you’re looking for a tool to manage all of your customer information and streamline your workflow so you can get back to running things. You may have heard that you need a CRM solution. But what the heck is that? Let’s take a look at CRM tools and how they affect the user experience.

What Is CRM Software?

CRM is an abbreviation for customer relationship management. It’s a type of software application (or “app,” if you prefer) that takes the place of all the business cards and spreadsheets you’re using to keep track of client and customer data. Some CRM tools even let you include vendors and other service providers.

All the CRM software available comes in two versions: locally installed or cloud-based. On-premise versions usually come at a higher price and may require an investment in new hardware.

Cloud-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) CRM platforms are available as a monthly or yearly subscription and operate on any computer in your business. They even work on Android and iOS devices as mobile apps. Unfortunately, if the CRM provider has a technical issue on their end, you lose functionality of all of your CRM features until the problem is fixed.

Advantages of Having a CRM System

Let’s break down the most common features of a good CRM system that can help your business:

Contact Management – A CRM keeps all contact information in one place that’s easily accessible by you, your sales team, and account reps.
360 Degree View – Get a complete view of your history with a customer. All customer interactions, including meetings, emails, calls, and follow-ups are tracked.
Sales Pipeline Management – Know the exact place of a customer’s journey in the sales cycle in real-time, from the initial sale to final delivery.
Sales Automation – Automate and gain metrics for sales processes like email marketing campaigns, allowing you to focus marketing efforts.
Sales Forecasting – Sales reps can check quotas and sales activities, and managers can track sales performance and overall outlooks.
Lead Management – Keeping track and nurturing new leads can be time-consuming, but a CRM can make lead management easy for you and your salespeople.
Analytics and Notifications – Modules track sales metrics and keep you informed of sales goals and more.
Marketing Automation – Many CRMs include tools to help users automate social media posts and email templates to streamline marketing.
Customer Support – The best CRMs have a 24/7 help desk for customer assistance.

So What’s the Best CRM Software for You?

You’ve seen what kind of features a CRM offers your business. But there are many companies out there offering all kinds of CRM software. So the biggest question still remains: what CRM software should I choose for my business?

Like all of life’s important questions, it’s not an easy answer, and it depends on who’s asking. What kind of business are you in? What kind of service or product do you offer? You’d be surprised at the number of business owners that don’t have concrete answers to these questions. If you’re one of them, then we’ll just break down some of the more popular CRM options for you. Who knows? You might just get lucky.

Freshsales

Freshsales is a CRM by Freshworks. It’s great for high-volume sales and helps your sales team close deals. Plans start at $19/month.

HubSpot CRM

HubSpot has a free CRM which is ideal for small businesses. As your business grows, HubSpot has paid subscription plans with in-depth sales management tools. The HubSpot CRM is also very friendly with third-party add-ons.

Zoho CRM

Zoho already has an expansive suite of business tools, so a CRM is a no-brainer. They even have their own AI! Zoho CRM is available for a $14/month subscription fee, with higher tiers available.

Salesforce Sales Cloud

Salesforce is a pioneer in the CRM business and is built for reliability. The options for customization to fit your company are extensive. Subscriptions for the Salesforce platform start at $25/month.

Pipedrive

Pipedrive’s strength is in its visualization of the entire lifecycle of the sales process, making it easy for users to navigate and not miss important steps. Pipedrive subscriptions start at $14.90/month.

A CRM can help your business make amazing strides in managing its business processes. Eliminating data entry and other repetitive tasks frees you and your staff for more human-centric jobs, increasing profitability. If you want your business to grow from strength to strength, you can’t just look internally. A CRM may help you with customer engagement and project management, sure, but how do you obtain those customers in the first place? You need a digital marketing plan. For that, there’s Lift Marketing.

Is CRM One Too Many Acronyms For You to Remember? Call Us.

Lift Marketing is your local one-stop shop for all things digital marketing. We handle all of the things that a CRM doesn’t, like website building and optimization, blogging, and more. Whether you’re a startup or have decades in your industry, Lift Marketing can grow your business and get you noticed. Contact Lift Marketing today!