10 Signs you Need CRM

Whether you are using traditional tools like Excel or are struggling with your current CRM system, there are some obvious tell-tale signs that you need a CRM solution. Find out what they are in this article.

The right CRM system will enable you to organise and automate business processes at every stage of your customer lifecycle helping you to maximise sales effectiveness and customer retention.

The Signs you need CRM

Here are the top 10 signs you need a CRM solution to start managing your customer relationships in a more efficient way:

Signs you need CRM #1

Using traditional methods like Excel or post-it notes to record customer data can limit the ability of other employees being able to access this valuable information. Similarly, those unhappy with their current CRM system may start to use alternative methods for recording customer interactions. Both scenarios limit the view of your customer and how they are interacting with your business and people.

Signs you need CRM #2

Losing valuable customer information like many other businesses, you could be inadvertently limiting the growth of your business with your current data storage and management. If you are currently sharing customer information internally via emails, spreadsheets or shared drives, think again! As your business and customer base grows, so does the number of customer records, making the data unmanageable and increasing the potential to lose it.

Signs you need CRM #3

Without an efficient and accessible way of storing and sharing information, it makes it increasingly difficult for your employees to work remotely. They may resort to recording customer information on their personal computers or on handwritten notes. This is especially true of salespeople who out in the field gathering valuable customer intelligence but do not have the ability to share their notes and new data with the rest of the business.

Signs you need CRM #4

An effective CRM system provides the tools to create greater visibility and clarity for the whole team to see the latest customer interactions, whether there are any outstanding deliverables and who is responsible for them. Such tools are important for the efficient flow of customer information and assigning and monitoring when and who has completed the necessary actions.

Signs you need CRM #5

Are you sending out the same messages and offers to prospects and customers regardless of where they are in the buying process? Are you sitting on a goldmine of customer data, but don’t have the tools to easily access it?

In today’s competitive environment, understanding and connecting with your customers can help you build and sustain a competitive advantage. Having more detailed customer information can help you to provide more personalised interactions which make all the difference when it comes to winning customers and keeping them.

Signs you need CRM #6

The creation of reports for analysis and decision making can be a painstaking task when you are relying on disparate information from multiple sources. What’s more after the cumbersome task of collecting the data you need to then think about how to present and share the findings with others in your business.

Signs you need CRM #7

The absence of a central source of accessible data makes it challenging to track sales activity to identify what’s working and what isn’t. Having access to accurate data is essential for forecasting what activities are more likely to win business and how your sales force should be spending their time.

Signs you need CRM #8

A simple Excel spreadsheet may be sufficient for your company when you have a small number of customers but as your business grows it makes it more challenging to track every customer interaction using this method.

Signs you need CRM #9

Do you know what marketing activity is generating the most valuable leads? Do you have the ability to track and evaluate the amount and value of leads from an email campaign compared to exhibiting at a trade event? Without the ability to easily compare and evaluate marketing activities how can you make accurate decisions on how you should allocate your budget.

Signs you need CRM #10

Today more people than ever are working remotely and geography can hinder their ability to work together as a team. It can be a strain on travel costs and productivity if your team has to be physically together for meetings and to work on important documents.

Conclusion

Do any of the signs above ring true for your business? If so it may be time to consider the benefits of implementing a new CRM System? With the right CRM system, you can quickly access data from multiple sources and bring it together with just a few clicks. All employees can have access to a 360° view of every customer enabling them to provide more accurate and personalised customer service.

Furthermore, a valuable CRM system can provide the tools to help you expand your business:

  • Work anytime, anywhere with the flexibility for all employees to edit and share files and applications on the go.
  • Analyse data to quickly identify customer insights and any profitable opportunities before your competitors do
  • Create and share interactive dashboards and presentations with your team so they can proactively track and monitor opportunities and customers.
  • Set goals and create accurate forecasts without having to compile them manually or use your best guess.

Getting Started

If you are responsible for implementing a new CRM solution for your company and don’t know where to start, the QGate CRM Readiness Assessment tool will help.

The QGate CRM Readiness Assessment has been designed for the first stage in our CRM Success Program – Preparation. It is a short set of questions providing gap analysis of where you are today and where you need to be tomorrow to be able to start your CRM project.

During this free consultation, we will ask you a set of multiple-choice questions, which will provide a free report with an assessment and benchmark of how ready you are for your new CRM solution.

 

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