Whether you have a new Customer Relationship Manager that you just signed up for, or you have had a CRM that you only use to the minimum capacity, this blog is for you.
Savvy Analytics believes in the power of a CRM to more than just manage your customers and sales. Using a CRM to its full capacity can help your business maximize its efficiency and grow to its full potential. We offer services for small-to-medium-sized businesses to help with digital tools, like CRMs, to manage data and make strategic business plans. We're sharing some of the details we educate business owners, managers, and employees with to lead to the ultimate success with setting up and utilizing all features that a CRM has to offer.
How to Use a CRM: Core Features
When a business owner or manager signs up to start using a tool, such as a CRM, they usually have a specific goal in mind, focusing on a key feature to achieve a major objective. Consequently, they often dive into learning that essential function and quickly develop a habit of using that particular feature exclusively. In many cases, these business owners make the mistake of not exploring the other key functions available. As a result, they miss out on amazing tools already at their disposal that could significantly contribute to building their business in the future.
At Savvy Analytics, we recommend thoroughly examining and learning about your CRM's capabilities, including these major functions:
1. Customer Database Management:
A well-organized customer database is the foundation of effective CRM usage. Capture and store key customer information, interactions, and note the customer's preferences. Completing customers' profiles in full will help when selling, marketing, and better understanding your clients to build stronger relationships.
2. Lead Management and Tagging:
Effective lead management extends beyond organizing client lists, offering crucial advantages for business success. By tracking leads meticulously, businesses ensure timely engagement, boosting conversion rates. Strategic prioritization through lead scoring enhances resource efficiency, focusing efforts on high-potential prospects. Managing leads facilitates targeted nurturing campaigns, building trust and guiding prospects through the sales funnel. This iterative process refines strategies and allows businesses to adapt to evolving market conditions, fostering enduring client relationships. In essence, lead management enables data-driven decisions, efficient resource allocation, and comprehensive approaches to sustainable growth.
3. Sales Integration:
Ensure seamless integration of your CRM with your sales processes. This integration provides real-time tracking of sales activities, guaranteeing that your team stays consistently updated on leads, deals, and performance metrics. In certain scenarios, businesses utilize the CRM for direct selling to customers, as seen in the case of service-oriented businesses that issue invoices. An essential tip for such businesses is to categorize or label invoices, enabling efficient tracking of popular service types, profit margins, and other relevant data. This strategic approach allows for insightful analysis and better decision-making for maximizing profitability and optimizing service offerings.
4. Expense Management:
Centralize expense tracking within the CRM to monitor and manage costs related to customer interactions, sales activities, and marketing efforts. An essential practice, well-known to experienced business owners, is the categorization of expenses for financial purposes. Setting rules in place to govern expenses is also advisable. Establishing a routine to periodically review and categorize expenses contributes to a disciplined financial management approach. This integration not only ensures comprehensive tracking of your business expenditures but also promotes a strategic and organized approach to financial management, enabling better decision-making and resource allocation.
5. Integration with Other Tools:
One of the best ways you can maximize the usage of your CRM is by creating a comprehensive list of your business tools for sales, email, marketing, automation, and project management. Then, integrate as many of those tools as you can into your CRM. This streamlines workflows and ensures collaboration across different departments. Then, when it comes time to track data and make decisions, everything is in one place for management to optimize operations.
6. Employee Tracking:
Utilize CRM features for employee tracking to effectively monitor performance, establish goals, and offer targeted training. Depending on your business needs, consider options such as clock-in functionality, task management, and the ability to oversee employee task duration. Additionally, integrating a project management software, if available, can further enhance your overall organizational efficiency.
How to Use a CRM: Advanced Features
Once you've implemented the core features that relate to your business, you can start to connect the functions using more advanced features that most CRMs offer.
7. Workflow Automation:
Set up automated workflows to streamline repetitive tasks, saving time and reducing the risk of manual errors. Being able to set up workflows for your lead conversion process and your business (sales) process can multiply your business's success. This is the top feature for optimizing operational efficiency, but it starts with customer and sales data.
8. Predictive Analytics:
Predictive analytics in CRM utilizes advanced tools for forecasting based on historical data. Features like monitoring, reporting, lead scoring, and sales forecasting track key metrics, anticipate future sales, and identify customer behaviors. Customer segmentation and machine learning models enhance predictive capabilities, while churn prediction and market basket analysis provide insights into customer retention and sales opportunities. Scenario planning allows businesses to simulate outcomes based on changing variables. Leveraging these CRM features empowers businesses with valuable insights for strategic decision-making and sustainable growth.
9. Customer Segmentation:
Custom segmentation in business involves categorizing customers based on unique characteristics and preferences, enabling personalized marketing, resource efficiency, and enhanced customer experience. This strategy informs strategic decisions, optimizes products and services, and gains a competitive edge by staying attuned to evolving customer needs.
How to Use a CRM: Savvy Analytics Collaboration
At Savvy Analytics, we understand that successful CRM implementation goes beyond just setting up the system. We also recognize that some small-to-medium-sized businesses may need assistance in setting up tools like this or completing the overall setup. We provide services to collaborate with businesses to:
Set Up Efficiently:Â We ensure your CRM is configured to align with your business processes and objectives.
Train Your Team:Â Comprehensive training programs are tailored to your team's needs, maximizing their proficiency in utilizing the CRM.
Track Data and Provide Insights:Â Our ongoing support involves tracking data, analyzing trends, and providing actionable insights to drive informed decision-making.
To learn more about CRMs and our services, let's get in touch!
Savvy Analytics is your ultimate partner for automation, data strategy, and business analysis. With extensive experience, we excel in creating and pursuing strategic business plans to help you achieve and surpass your goals. Our services encompass data consultation, business process automation, and insightful business intelligence. Tailoring our business solutions to your unique needs and goals, we stand ready to be your guide for growth and success. Schedule a free consultation to start your journey toward strategic excellence with Savvy Analytics, LLC.