Guest Blog by Aaaron Howerton, Owner of Panhandle Training and Consulting and WT Enterprise Center CRM Specialist.
Sales, Service, Marketing…It’s all CRM to Me.
When I tell people what I do for a living I often receive that politely frozen “Sounds neat but I have no idea what you just said” smile in return. I’m left defining CRM (Client Relationship Management) and explaining how I help my clients achieve better results. To most people, this is all business speak that sounds consultant-y and they walk away thinking I’m a techie that works in tech like their cousin Henry, who runs IT at a small business in Clovis, NM. When I get the same kind of response from clients and prospects, I get a little worried.
Client (or Customer) Relationship Management is more than lead generation and tracking sales through a pipeline. Today’s highly customizable cloud based solutions offer a myriad of add-ons, plug-ins and integrations to create a system of efficiency that can often times connect every single department into a single system for easier management. When I hear CRM I think much broader than just a sales tool. I think organizational systems and processes. Here are a few areas where you may be able to leverage your existing CRM for maximized results:
- Sales: Obvioulsy, your CRM should be the hub of sales activity for your organization. Track leads, close deals, keep up with contracts, launch implementations… the list goes on.
- Service: Yes, a solid CRM can integrate your service team to help improve overall service and move new clients live faster. Imagine having the entire account history, from the original sales call down the most recent component order, at the finger tips of any service rep that gets on the phone.
- Marketing: Connect social media, collaborate on campaigns and track results/responses, generate new leads for Sales and get a better picture of your overall ROI for these efforts.
- Project Management: Launching a new service or product? Starting a client dedicated project based on an existing service offering? Connect projects to teams, clients and ideas to keep the big picture in mind and stay on track with tasks, events, deliverables and reminders.
- Hiring: Recruit better with an integrated CRM solution. Those same marketing campaigns can find you great talent. Keep up with applicants, improve communication and make sure no one falls between the cracks.
- Task Management: Any decent CRM will have a task management function for helping your staff improve the use and value of your CRM. It should be where they start and end the day, everyday, to stay on top of the game.
There are thousands of CRM options in the world, from highly specialized services to more generic platforms that require advanced customization. Evaluate your business needs and take a look at your current CRM… you may just discover a treasure trove of functionality that helps you take your business to the next level.
110% Committed to Your Success
Aaron
