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Organize and Track with CRM

By Alessandra Ceresa

Picture this: a desk scattered with business cards, post-it notes, scribbled legal pads, and a Rolodex with ripped and worn name cards. Does this sound familiar? To many, this was the contact management system of the past, and it was a struggle just to try and make sense of the papered calamity. Today, technology exists to make our lives easier; thank goodness for that!

Of course there are basic contact database programs, but they will not tell you about your engagement between you and your contacts. They are just good enough to tell you their phone number, email, and maybe even a picture. What about the ability to manage your relationship and engagements with these contacts? Yes, a notebook and a date book might do the job, but the more contacts you have the more difficult this becomes. Without a CRM, building a “personal” relationship with multiple contacts at a time is virtually impossible.

Building a relationship consists of knowing little tidbits about that person that enable you to ‘connect’ more genuinely with them. That is what sales is, it is all about the relationships you build.

For example, let’s say you have a great conversation with a new lead. He is just one of almost a hundred though. Regardless, you want the sale, and he is ready to buy. You let him know that you will be following up with him in the next couple of days, but he informs you that he is going to a concert this weekend, and to touch base on Monday. A post-it note might do the job, but it it’s one in a hundred, it will be hard to find and remember. This is where a CRM comes in handy. A CRM allows you to track your conversations, schedule follow-ups and much more. That way, when you login on Monday morning, you are not only reminded to call your lead, but to ask him how his concert went. This is what we call, a ‘personal touch’.

That personal touch can make the difference between landing and losing the sale. Because regardless of how great your product is, someone, working for your competition, is using a CRM to build relationships and close deals.

Contact Management Benefits:

  • Custom User-Defined Fields: Custom fields allow you to use obtain unique data about your leads and customers.
  • Lead Scoring: A CRM with integrated lead scoring allows you to see which of your contacts is considered ‘Hot’ or ready to buy, and which need more TLC.
  • Track Engagements: Record any and all activities that you have with a contact, such as: (to name a few)
    • Emails
    • Phone calls
    • Messages
    • Text Messages
    • Product Demonstrations
    • Follow-ups
    • Special notes
  • Receive Reminders and Alerts: Get notified when you have upcoming events or overdue CRM activities.

This is not to say that adapting to a Contact Management system doesn’t take some diligence, but once you put in the work, your investment is priceless. This ability to build personal relationships with all of your contacts and leads not only enhances the customer experience, but your sales as well. More sales = more revenue? Sounds like a good deal, right?

For more information about CRM implementation, please read Successful CRM Implementation

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