“My company is a start-up,” “Our organization is small,” “I can’t afford it,” – there is a multitude of reasons why you may think your operation does not need a software tool to manage your contacts. Maybe you are getting along just fine with one or more spreadsheets, a set of post-it notes, or a binder full of business cards. May we suggest that you think again – and consider a few reasons why signing up for an affordable and simple CRM software subscription might just save you some time, money, and a whole lot of headaches!
Seven reasons to consider subscribing to a cloud-based CRM
- Time wasted. How many times have you or your team wasted valuable minutes and hours searching for a name or an email address of a contact, combing through event notes, or rifling through stacks of cards? Basic CRM contact management software is guaranteed to save staff time by presenting your valuable contacts all in one place in a perfectly organized and sortable database. A couple of keyboard strokes can deliver that one misplaced contact, or create a list for marketing and communications purposes. Using software to keep track of contacts will give you back the time you wasted, so you can apply it to new projects and better management.
- Money wasted. Well, we all know that time is money, and you just saved a bunch of time with your new basic contact management software. However, a customer relationship management tool can effectively help reduce production costs, by efficiently using the information to predict required inventory timing and volume. It can also help you keep track of suppliers and compare their pricing and service levels. A contact management tool can even track internal processes related to staffing and operational expenses. One affordable CRM, Contact Boss, has excellent built-in flexibility to manage multiple contact types.
- Loss of valuable information. You and your team have worked hard to identify clients and establish relationships. What if your system crashed, and the spreadsheets were lost? What if your binder full of business cards burned in a fire, or was left on the subway? A cloud-based CRM software ensures that the valuable contact data you have collected over time is never lost. Your contact data is safely stored on the web, accessible at any time, from any location. No need for back-up CDs or alternate hard drives. Web-based client management software is a reliable solution to managing and keeping safe your precious contact data.
- Poor customer service. What’s the best way to make a customer happy? Show them you care, of course! And the best way to show you care is to remember important details about their preferences, buying habits, purchases, and returns. But it is impossible to show you care if the customer history is either undocumented or inaccessible to the sales team when they need it. Using software to keep track of customers allows staff to create and refer to detailed notes that can be attached to each record helping you deliver a first-rate customer experience (and naturally close more sales). Contact Boss can help you keep track of each customer interaction, whether it is online, office visit, or by phone or events that have been attended.
- Disorganized teamwork. What’s the most common internal complaint among the staff of all types of organizations? Poor communication. Team members complain they don’t know what the rest of the company is up to, or that they are not informed of projects, policies, or new customer acquisition. With B2B CRM software, the team will be able to grasp what’s going on with just a few clicks on the keyboard. Supervisors can set access levels to ensure that the necessary database categories are available to all the key members of the team, and information can be quickly and easily shared among team members and across the organization, resulting in a smooth operation with well-informed staff.
- Risk of exposing sensitive customer or staff data. As we all know there are very strict rules today governing how personal data is stored or shared. You can honor your promise that personal data is safe if you use the best cloud-based contact management software. Spreadsheets on internal hard drives can be easily accessed by the wrong people or lost in an unexpected crash. Backed-up contact data could fall into the wrong hands. For example in a recent case involving a government department “…a protected hard drive containing personal information belonging to 11,780 individuals was inadvertently made accessible…” proving that even with the best of intentions data can go astray. All the more reason to look closely at the security benefits that can be provided by online database contact software.
- Saves headaches! What is the cause of most headaches experienced by small business owners? Wasted time and money, or business risks like data loss or breaches. It might be surprising to learn that there are contact management software tools available that are both affordable and simple to install and learn. Check out Contact Boss as one example of a contact management software that is priced right and suitable for any size operation.
