5 Reasons why you NEED a CRM system

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is an innovative solution for any modern-day business. It helps you to manage and analyse customer interaction within your organisation, which is key in today’s highly competitive market. It brings together the collection, organisation and management of customer information and engagement and is a great tool for any business, regardless of its size.

The use of CRM systems has skyrocketed in recent years, and once you read the benefits, you’ll understand why.

Better Customer Service

When it comes to CRM system benefits, this one is arguably the best. Communication between your employees and your customers is constantly tracked, monitored and therefore improved.

The system brings together your customers’ entire journey from start to finish. A CRM gives you a clear understanding of the history and current status of a customer's account, which allows you to identify their needs quickly.

Other technologies can be integrated with CRM systems to further improve the service you provide. For example, you can connect your CRM to a hosted telephony platform in order to offer customers a more personal approach.

Improved Efficiency

As a small business owner, I see time as one of my most important assets. A bespoke CRM system can entirely replace manual processes you currently have in place, saving valuable time, which in business = money.

Saving time on manual and repetitive tasks like data input saves time for more productive ones like business growth and strategy. A CRM can input data and customer information for you, which can eliminate the risk of human error, which can be costly, especially for SME owners like me.

Similarly, users/employees can be notified about events or actions that need attention, meaning nothing is left to fall through the cracks.

First Class Collaboration

CRM systems allow businesses to move away from outdated tools like spreadsheets. While spreadsheets do have good, basic functionality, I think we can all agree that they fall short in a variety of areas.

Most modern, comprehensive CRM systems work from the cloud. This not only enables your employees from different departments and locations to work collaboratively and communicate better, but it also allows managers to oversee employee workflow. The ease of sharing of data will no-doubt help your employees work better as a team.

Security

Customers expect that when they provide your business with personal data, you will make an effort to keep this data secure. The new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) means that you may also be penalised for not handling and storing data properly.

No one from outside of a business can access a CRM without the correct login credentials. In addition to this, permissions can be put in place to limit access for specific users - a very useful tool, especially if an employee was to leave.

On another note, if anything were to happen to your computer, device or even your office, all of the information stored within your cloud-based CRM would still be accessible and not destroyed.

Cost-Effectiveness

CRM systems are a proven way of cutting down your outgoing costs, providing you with instant ROI (return on investment).

By streamlining your processes, you’ll save both time and money, remove the need to employ additional staff members, reduce human error and increase customer retention.

A CRM system can benefit other areas of your business like marketing, sales and accounting.

While you may be reluctant to invest in a CRM, it’s important to remember that it is an investment. It will completely revolutionise your business, so much so that you’ll wonder how you ever managed without one - I know I do.

At Go Media, we specialise in creating bespoke solutions to help with all aspects of business. Our CRM systems are bespoke, meaning we only implement the features you want and need. This approach allows us to accommodate budgets, as well as requirements.

We do offer various flexible payment options to help smaller businesses get started. I can also help you claim back tax benefits for implementing a bespoke CRM/solution into your business.

Are you still on the fence about implementing a CRM system into your business? Arrange a consultation with me and I’ll talk you through the process and offer my personal advice.

Are you a consultant, coach or professional who already understands the importance of CRM systems? Speak to me about our new referral scheme.

Click here to visit the Go Media website.