CRM for a Small Business
CRM for a Small Business
The catalyst event for this call was that one member of his sales team had recently left the company taking with him a long list of contacts and presumably with time customers.
In my experience, this unfortunately is not unusual particularly with smaller businesses who often consider CRM technology after an event such as the one above and can initially look at CRM as a preventive measure against such events happening again in the future.
For a small company such as my client’s investing in CRM can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be if you appreciate one very important point:
The primary goal of CRM is not to automate reporting but to increase revenues through makes sales easier to new and existing customers.
CRM is about making the right information available to the right person so that they can make the best decisions for customers.
It’s also important to note that CRM is also a cultural company change. Employees need to be consulted so that they are able to understand its advantages, in other words simply rolling out a CRM technology with not get your small business CRM.
It’s important to audit existing reporting mechanisms and tools prior to implementation. This can initially be messy and difficult work because most companies will already have in place non-integrated systems including spreadsheets etc, which more often contain incomplete, duplicate, and conflicting information.
Don’t be put off by the complexity aspect to CRM, in fact it’s OK and advisable to start small in terms of technology and investment as long as there is some form of long term planning.
CRM for a Small Business - To learn more about this author, visit Niall Devitt's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
A client of mine called me the other day looking for some advice. He owns and operates a small distribution business and as he put it is considering investing in CRM technology with the aim of helping his business through automating his sales and customer reporting.
The catalyst event for this call was that one member of his sales team had recently left the company taking with him a long list of contacts and presumably with time customers.
In my experience, this unfortunately is not unusual particularly with smaller businesses who often consider CRM technology after an event such as the one above and can initially look at CRM as a preventive measure against such events happening again in the future.
For a small company such as my client’s investing in CRM can be daunting but it doesn’t have to be if you appreciate one very important point:
The primary goal of CRM is not to automate reporting but to increase revenues through makes sales easier to new and existing customers.
CRM is about making the right information available to the right person so that they can make the best decisions for customers.
It’s also important to note that CRM is also a cultural company change. Employees need to be consulted so that they are able to understand its advantages, in other words simply rolling out a CRM technology with not get your small business CRM.
It’s important to audit existing reporting mechanisms and tools prior to implementation. This can initially be messy and difficult work because most companies will already have in place non-integrated systems including spreadsheets etc, which more often contain incomplete, duplicate, and conflicting information.
Don’t be put off by the complexity aspect to CRM, in fact it’s OK and advisable to start small in terms of technology and investment as long as there is some form of long term planning.
CRM for a Small Business - To learn more about this author, visit Niall Devitt's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
| |||
 |
No article feedback found. | ||
|
Leave Your Feedback | ||
|
|||
 Don't Think Too "Small"
| |||
| Don't Think Too "Small"
Simple as it may sound, many small companies stay small because their owners never dare to think big. It's true: Negative or defeatist thinking is the greatest obstacle to business succes... |
|||
|
How Organized Is Your Business? Part 1
| |||
| According to the Small Business Administration small businesses make up more than 99.7 percent of all employees. Add to that the latest figures that show small businesses create 75% of the net new jobs in our econo... |
|||
|
The Little Things
| |||
| The inner world of the soul
asks us to take it slower,
pay attention to the small things,
appreciate beauty,
bless and savor our relationships,
and care for our bodies
and the earth.
Tom Daly
|
|||
|
Should small businesses whine?
| |||
 I bought some clothes from a merchant via Amazon. The company that I ordered from shipped the wrong item. I sent it back and was told it will take three or four weeks to process my return. A month! |
|||
|
The Dynamics of Small Actions
| |||
| The best solutions are not dependent on dimensions. Small actions have the potential of greatness within them. Small actions act as levers. They can move the world by slight adjustments. Small actions produce change... |
|||
| |||
David BarrDavid Barr is the President of Venture Opportunities, Inc. David has been a professional business broker/intermediary since 1980 focusing on General Business Brokerage and Mergers and Acquisitions representing client transaction value from $400,000 to $20,000,000. Mr. Barr has handled the sale of over four hundred and fifty companies. David earned a university degree from the State University of New York majoring in economics and business. David holds the Mergers and Acquisition Master Intermediary and the Certified Business Intermediary designations from the International Business Brokers Association. He is also a Senior Business Analyst and a Texas licensed Real Estate Agent. For more information about David and Venture Opportunities, visit www.bizdealmaker.com. - Visit David Barr's Website |
|||
Jeff FosterWebBizIdeas.com is a Minneapolis website design company founded to help people start an internet business by providing them with website, business, and internet resources that help foster the growth of successful online businesses and develop innovative Internet business ideas. - Visit Jeff Foster's Website |
|||
Anne BarrAnne Barr has over 26 years experience in sales and marketing, six years as a franchisee. She has assisted over 367 business owners and purchasers to achieve their goals in career change, transition and exit strategy. She holds the designation of Certified Franchise Executive from the International Franchise Association, Certified Business Intermediary from the International Business Brokers Association and Board Certified Broker from the Texas Association of Business Brokers. Anne is active in professional organizations, networking groups and volunteers for non-profit entities. As owner/operator of four successful businesses, Anne has proven people skills and enjoys helping clients find the right "fit" in business ownership. Visit www.FranchiseOpportunitySpecialist.com for more information about me and my company. - Visit Anne Barr's Website |
|||
Casey GollanCasey Gollan, Business Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Add $1 Million to $10 Million in the next 1 to 3 years. Since 1996 Casey has to added hundreds of millions of dollars to businesses. Watch a free video see client results Business Coaching website. - Visit Casey Gollan's Website |
|||
Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
|||
Bernard ReberBack in late 1992, MS Access hit the streets. About that time the company I managed needed new software to handle their growing client base and I decided to try this new product. I had little difficulty writing and adapting a database to suit us and discovered a hidden talent for programming. A business was born. With business studies and 25 years of management experience in three different countries under my belt, I could offer a unique combination of skills and my customers agreed. From these humble beginnings my software 'invoiceit' emerged in 1999 and has since been taken to 49 states (hello Wyoming, won't you join us?), all across Canada and more than 70 other countries. From the very beginning the program included cashbook accounting, the simplest form of keeping financial business records. The Dictionary.com defines 'cashbook' as "A 'book' in which to record money received and paid out". For 'book' substitute 'simple software' and that's what I'm about. Now I have published Simple Accounting, an inexpensive spreadsheet solution which even you can master. For just $14.95 it costs less than a takeout meal! More at http://www.scrambled-card.com/simple_accounting_main.htm - Visit Bernard Reber's Website |
|||
Dr. John OdaJohn Oda Ph.D NLP is a business peak performance expert, an author, and speaker frequently called upon to provide corporate training, workshops and seminars for many companies in the United States. He is an expert in coaching sales and business professionals in overcoming the behaviors and obstacles that may impede their sales results and affect their bottom line. Since 1995, John has created a speaking bureau such topics, which include: time management, sales training, human diversity, leadership programs and etc. He provides companies with a strategic plan to increase their bottom line by over 25 percent yearly. - Visit Dr. John Oda's Website |
|||
Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
 | |
 Niall Devitt (Visit Niall's Website) Niall Devitt is a senior sales training consultant and business mentor with Beyond the Boardroom, a leading business development and training consultancy based in Ireland. For more info, visit our website at www.btbtrainin g.com or to read Niall's blog www.btbtr aining.com/blog
|  |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
 |
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
|
||
|
| ||
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
|
 |
 How To Double Your Business Reference Check Form Building Business Relationships Business Owner Guide Creating Rapport Guide |
|
 | ||
 |
Fortune Hunters
CBC Entrepreneur TV | |
 |
Top 50 Marketing Blogs
Top Marketing Blogs of 2009 | |
| ||
 |
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
||||||||||||
