A couple of weeks ago, I was having lunch with a customer and found out that he did not know about the importance of using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) program in his organization. I realized that many small business owners are not aware of what a CRM is and the importance of having one.

What is a CRM?

A CRM is a software that organizes and manages the relationships between a company and its customers. It is the key to implementing and developing an effective sales procedure. Even further, by implementing a suitable CRM, you would be facilitating the collaboration between the marketing sector of your company and the sales sector. You could even create an income marketing plan.

It’s benefits

1. It allows us to know more about our clients: From their profile to the stage they are at the marketing funnel. By knowing this type of information, you will be able to segment advertising to maximize your results, among others.

2. The whole team will be able to make a close follow up of a client ‘s life cycle. For example, if knowing when the prospect is ready to convert, the marketing team could give his or her contact information to the sales team at the right moment. This fastens communications, organization, and the commercial team’s management.

3. Prevents “losing” leads halfway there. Having their information from the beginning of the purchase process makes it easy to keep track of them.

4. It improves productivity and administrative processes.

What should I do first?

If you still do not have a marketing and sales plan well developed, this should be your first step. Defining goals should help your employees organize their work and measurement parameters of results. It is crucial to set KPIs (Key Performance Indexes) to measure your actions’ performances.

When implementing CRM and new processes, it is key to have a flexible team prone to adapting to changes.