By Neal Glatt

You probably have a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software already.  And it probably kinda sucks.  Or maybe it’s never really utilized by your staff, at least not the way they showed you in the fancy software demo.  If you don’t have a CRM, or one that works great, or one staff use, you’re definitely missing sales opportunities.  Here are some items to know.

First of all, there is no universal perfect software even though every CRM solution promises they are.  The perfect CRM is going to fully integrate with all of your existing programs and processes.  This requires having a fully documented sales process and target market before you select your CRM software.

Second, the basic contact managers that many industry softwares include as a “CRM” isn’t even close to what real CRMs can do.  When done right, a CRM can automatically score leads based on your chance to win the sale, fully handle your email marketing functions, recommend upsells based on who may purchase them, and even handle contract renewals without taking time from salespeople!  Not to mention the ease of logging emails and calls without ever touching a button for a full view of the customer relationship.  The potential is endless so don’t be afraid to ask for all the functionality.

Third, understand that even the best software will never work without proper implementation.  It takes time for staff to adjust to utilizing new technology and a CRM needs to be implemented slowly and in phases.  Everyone from admin staff to salespeople to accounting staff to ownership should have a say in what is useful and feasible.  Otherwise, the CRM quickly becomes a hurdle to work instead of the greatest weapon for sales and retention.

If you need to fix your CRM, or you’ve just been too scared to even take the plunge, we’re here to help.  Our new course, “CRM Software” will walk you through exactly how to choose a CRM, avoid common CRM failures, define a target market, automate marketing, and finally implement a CRM that people will love.  If you’re not yet a subscriber, you can use the code CRM to get a 30-day free trial of our Monthly All-Access Pass including the CRM Software course!  Schedule some time to get serious about sales by learning today.