A Customer Relationship Management system, or CRM for short, is a vital piece of software for all B2B companies. However, if you are just starting your fledgeling business, or you only have a handful of customers, you may not want to invest the time or money into a CRM system just yet…

… Or do you? Here are some of the reasons why you should invest in a high-quality CRM system at the start of your business journey.

1. It saves you time

We’ve all been there where we’ve scribbled a prospective customer’s phone number on a post-it note or scrap of paper and what do you know… it mysteriously disappears when you need it most!

A CRM system will keep your contact details and organised in one place, meaning you can spend more time growing relationships with your customers and less time trying to decipher your hand-written notes.

2. It helps you coordinate

If you have multiple salespeople, you need to make sure they are not chasing after the same customers and sending them duplicate (or even worse, conflicting) information. An up-to-date CRM database will let your sales team see who has been contacted and what they were sent.

3. It helps you see what is working on what

If you manage a sales team, you will want to see what they are working on and what their pipeline looks like. Rather than asking them what they are doing every five minutes, your CRM system will let you generate reports to see which of your sales staff are flying high, and who needs a little bit of help.

4. It helps you share information

A good CRM is vital for sharing information across the business. Found out that the procurement manager at a company you deal with has left? Got an email saying that a high-value customer has opened a new branch? Read in the news that a competitor has won a new contract? Don’t keep the news to yourself… update the CRM so that everyone who needs to know, knows.

In summary, a CRM is vital for keeping staff in your company up to date with all the latest developments and saving their time.

Remember though that a CRM is only as good as the information in it… Remind your sales staff that they need to keep it updated on a regular basis!

If you need help filling your CRM with a consistent flow of leads, Funnel Boost can definitely help!