Category Archives: CRM
Managing CRM from a Desktop
Whether your goal is lining up one new customer a day or one a month, having a strategy to manage customer leads will save you time and energy. This is the fourth of a four-part series on CRM, customer relations management. Read the first part, “Getting the Most Out of a Lead”, here. Read the second part, “Organize Your Leads for Max Profits”, here. Read the third part, “Benefits of Using Mobile Devices for CRM Systems”, here.
Last week’s blog entry mentioned that 75% of small business managers are doing work from their mobile device, but we all know that a good amount of work is being done from our trusty desktop (or laptop) computer.
When looking for CRM software, it’s important to have access to your data through a desktop or laptop computer. These machines can quickly access data from other sources (for example, your email program, and they are often connected to large monitors that let you view a greater amount of details than what you can see on the small screen of a mobile device. Desktop software in general offers more functionality and options than one made for a mobile device.
Equally important is having information stored in the cloud. When user data is kept in the cloud, it does not need to be manually updated or backed up. There’s also virtually no delay. When you type in new information or upload a photo, it’s instantly viewable and editable by your team.
The Service Proz Solution is accessible through both mobile and traditional computers, and data is kept in the cloud. This is why for many of our users, work crews and managers access their company’s information on their mobile device while the office manager or project coordinator is the one sitting at the powerhouse.
How do you use your desktop to manage your leads? Do you use the cloud? Tell us in the comments section.
Download the app and try out Service Proz for yourself. While you’re at it, sign up for an account on our website and talk to Billy about scheduling a walk-through!
Benefits of Using Mobile Devices for CRM Systems
Whether your goal is lining up one new customer a day or one a month, having a strategy to manage customer leads will save you time and energy. This is the third of a four-part series on CRM, customer relations management. Read the first part, “Getting the Most Out of a Lead”, here. Read the second part, “Organize Your Leads for Max Profits”, here.
Let’s face it: Small business owners handle most of their day-to-day operations using their mobile device. A survey done by GetData in 2015 found that “almost 75% of managers of small businesses access their work data from a mobile device on a daily basis.” Whether it be a tablet or a smartphone, the mobile device has become the tool for small business owners. It connects managers to customers and crews, and holds information on projects and finances.
Since your phone is always by your side, it only makes sense to have access to your CRM system (customer relations management system) on your mobile phone. Here are a few benefits of doing business from your phone, and added benefits if you’re using the cloud.
- Tighten your sales cycle by having all your client, inventory, and personnel data in one place.
- See real-time status on prospective leads, and know what your sales team is saying and doing to close the sale.
- Add new leads as you get them in the field, and waste no time assigning them to your sales team.
Mobile devices are essential to managing your CRM program. Clients expect their service providers to have their information readily accessible, and service-based companies that don’t meet these expectations look unorganized and unable to provide top-notch service. If you haven’t already, it’s time to move your CRM system to your mobile device.
With the Service Proz Solution, you are able to access your CRM data from your mobile device while out in the field. Start saving time and streamlining your business today!
How do you use your mobile device to manage your leads? Tell us in the comments section.
Download the app and try out Service Proz for yourself. While you’re at it, sign up for an account on our website and talk to Billy about scheduling a walk-through!
Organize Your Leads for Max Profits
Whether your goal is lining up one new customer a day or one a month, having a strategy to manage customer leads will save you time and energy. This is the second of a four-part series on CRM, customer relations management. Read the first part, “Getting the Most Out of a Lead”, here.
Organizing your leads in CRM, or customer relationship management, can be a chore, especially when you have hundreds of leads. Here are a few tips to keep your leads manageable.
Create Relationship Categories
Take a look at a handful of your existing leads, and think about how you know them. Are they former colleagues or strangers? Were they a referral from an existing customer, or did you gather their contact information from the internet? Come up with five or six categories that are not too specific so they can be used for different situations. For example, “Trade Show Attendee” is a better category than “AHR Expo 2015”, so it can be used for other trade shows you’ve gotten contact information for. You can always add extra, more specific information about the lead in your notes section. One piece of advice is to not use a number or code for a category — it’s one more thing to remember.
Keep ‘Status’ Updated
The status of a lead is important. You want to know whether the lead is likely to buy your service in the near future. Use “new” for leads you haven’t contacted. Then, change the lead’s status in your CRM system as their level of interest in your service changes.
Use “met”, “engaged” or “contacted” after the first contact and are still unsure if the customer is qualified to buy. Once you believe the customer is a possibility, use a status such as “hot”, “possible” or “future”. A lead that becomes a client can have their status updated to “active”, or simply move this customer’s information into your customer database. When a lead fizzles out, change the status to “inactive” instead of deleting their information — you never know if their situation will change.
Rate the Lead’s Quality
An easy-to-use rating system can help you sort through leads that have the same status. You can rank leads using a scale of 1 to 3, or if you have many leads, 1 to 5. A rating of “1” could mean that the lead’s company is young and unstable, or has a mediocre reputation. Whereas a “5” could be used for high-volume organizations with a highly respected reputation.
Assign Leads to the Right Employee
Every employee has his or her own strengths that should be considered when assigning leads. An employee with experience in fireplaces might not be best to pitch your services to plumbers, just as experienced employees might be better pitching your services to large corporate organizations. Randomly assigning leads is also an option, but your odds of landing a new customer increase when you can match your sales person to the right prospect.
Keeping your leads organized will make reviewing your leads less of a hassle. The Service Proz Solution contains a CRM module that allows sales staff to enter contact information for your lead. Within the module, staff can type notes after every contact or “touch” with the prospect. The system shows all this information in an organized layout, for both desktop and mobile viewing.
How do you organize your leads? Tell us in the comments section.
Download the app and try out Service Proz for yourself. While you’re at it, sign up for an account on our website and talk to Billy about scheduling a walk-through!
Building a Better Business 