Customer Relationship Management (CRM) contact management software gives companies the advantage of tracking client information and preferences. This translates through to improved sales and an enhanced client experience. Supporting a database that tracks this information can be difficult however. Here are six common business mistakes that businesses make when setting up their CRM contact management system, and how to best avoid them.
1. Failing To Enter Contact Data Right Away
Often when we receive a business card, we tuck it into our purses, pockets or wallets with barely a second thought. However, the best way to begin a relationship with each new contact is to ensure their information is entered into a CRM without delay.
This will ensure your potential client’s information isn’t lost and gives your staff and sales team access to new potential clients. By using the Contact Boss ‘quick create’ CRM feature, you can enter client info as soon as you get it.
2. Failure To Use A Consistent Method to Record Contacts
Consistency is key when it comes to entering client data into a CRM contact management database. For example, are you adding the industry and title when tagging each client’s information? Have you accounted for international phone numbers vs. local numbers? Without sticking with a standardized data entering method, you can cause serious confusion when accessing client information.
3. Not Checking For CRM System Duplicates
Out-of-date information or duplicate client data can frustrate your team and reduce their efficiency. Duplicate data can potentially harm your brand if you are sending promotional information across all platforms or to multiple email addresses, causing clients to unsubscribe or block your business. This is why Contact Boss provides you with a search tool to prevent duplicate entries in your CRM database.
4. Not Following Up With Potential Clients
Small to medium sized businesses make the mistake of either only contacting clients when they need something, or failing to stay in touch altogether. Creating a good rapport with your clients can be as simple as wishing them a happy holiday, but it is a good practice in order to keep your business visible and keep an ongoing connection.
5. Not Being Thorough When It Comes To Client Preferences
Clients expect a company to know their preferences, which is why it’s crucial to keep them on record. For instance it should be recorded if a client prefers to be contacted via text rather than email, or if there is a particular time of day they’re available. If someone other than the lead contact accesses their file, they should know how to best approach the client.
6. Not Properly Tracking Interactions with Contacts
Every form of contact such as emails, phone-calls, meetings, and social interaction needs to be logged in the client’s data records. That way, the next time their file is retrieved, your staff or sales team can see the complete interaction history and details. In the past, this information was routinely stored in Excel spreadsheets, which took valuable time to retrieve and prepare. Clients now expect companies to anticipate their needs and know exactly what information has already been exchanged. This is why Contact Management systems, like Contact Boss offer businesses higher efficiency, client satisfaction, and ease-of-use.
Using a CRM contact management system means you can keep your client’s information in one place. You’ll be able to access orders, feedback and all user activity quickly and effectively on one page. This will allow a better understanding of your client’s needs and preferences, and give you a faster turnaround time when responding to their queries.
Contact Boss has features that make it easy to keep information up-to-date, avoid duplicates and data overload, while allowing you to keep in touch with information that you know is important to your customer.
Have you considered upgrading your businesses productivity by implementing a CRM database? Contact us today for more information or try our free trial.
