We are happy to report that spring is on the way as the hours of daylight are finally getting longer and the rays of sunshine have more warmth. Spring cleaning is a grand tradition, and it certainly can apply to your business contact software as easily as your windows and floors! When was the last time your customer database management system had a tune-up? Well, get out your rubber gloves and cleaning supplies and follow these five simple suggestions to tidy up your address management software to be ready for another year of high-functioning client relationship management!
Even if your software to keep track of customers has a smaller number of contacts, it will still pay off to take a closer look at the contact database and ensure that you are working with the best online contact database. If your contact management solution is packed full of valuable addresses and customer intel, then all the more reason to look after it carefully and ensure that the records are accurate, up-to-date and easily searchable.
(Note – before you begin any major cleanups of your contact database software, you should be sure the data is backed up safely, just in case.)
1) Check subscription capacity – A first step in any refresh of your basic contact management software would be to consider your total data capacity. Will it soon be time for an upgrade? Do you have a cloud-based contact management system; does your subscription level limit the quantity of records? Possibly adding capacity is a simple adjustment, but perhaps this is a good moment to consider if it is time for a custom, enterprise-based online contact database software. Contact Boss, for example, offers many options for growing businesses and their custom Enterprise version is one of the most affordable contact management software tools out there.
2) Analyze interactions – The beauty of the best online contact manager tools is that almost all customer activity can be recorded and analyzed. Data on bouncebacks, open rates, inactive customers etc. can be reviewed and your client contact software can assist you on next decisions. Should you use your contact management tool to delete old or inactive records, or should you use your customer contact software to set up a “last chance” communication? Should you take your spring cleaning exercise to the next level and re-organize your database records according to position in your sales funnel or potential success based on your KPIs?
Before completely deleting inactive contact records from your contact manager software however you may want to consider saving the data to an external spreadsheet.
3) Review groups, categories and sort fields -Maybe it has been some time since you signed on to your web-based client management software; perhaps your business model has shifted or perhaps internal users have some insight into improved ways of organizing the records in your contact management tool. Do the enquiry forms, or “contact us” forms require updating to better reflect your current client tracking software needs. Be sure to involve your day-to-day users in your spring cleaning as they no doubt have excellent suggestions on how to make this the best client management system. If the organizational structure of your contact management software seems no longer relevant or if the simple contact database contains inconsistencies, it may be time for a re-vamp.
4) Consider bonus features – If your web-based CRM software has additional features, now is a good time to consider if they are being used effectively or if these tools are unnecessary. For example, Contact Boss has an excellent event registration software that is easy to use and meshes perfectly with their best client management software. Could your internal structure benefit from a reminder tool, to ensure that projects are on track and proceeding as expected.
5) Internal audit – As we all know, over time, the users of your customer information database may change – staff are re-assigned or promoted, or leave the company. Similarly, you may have new users added to the company CRM management service who are not properly accredited. This spring take a look at all user authorizations, ensure the names are current and be sure to add anyone correctly who may be accessing the contact management software under someone else’s login. Also why not review and analyze usage patterns in your client relationship software to ascertain if the staff could benefit from further training at some point in the future?
So, enjoy those budding leaves, melting snow or blossoming flowers, while at the same time making a thorough spring cleanup of your contact data management software! Once complete, you will appreciate a smooth-running, accurate small business management software just as much as gazing through sparkling clean windows onto a greening lawn!
