What Is A CRM?
CRMs (or contact relationship managers) are databases that contain data for each of your contacts and/or customers and are therefore essential to any businesses’ day-to-day communications. This isn’t just great news for businesses owners, but for team members too!
Using a CRM system to store and manage your contacts streamlines your sales processes and boosts your customer service. An organized list of contacts lets your sales team easily reach the people who love what you do, meaning your business can pursue leads and close deals that much faster.
Who Are CRMs For?
One might assume that big businesses with lots of contacts are the only ones that can benefit from a CRM, but this is not the case. For a small business, CRM software can save time and offer a competitive edge in customer service. Good customer support is vital to businesses of any size, whether they’re an independent operation or a large conglomerate.
SimplyCast began as (and is still) a tight-knit family of passionate and driven individuals. Our advice to small businesses considering a CRM service is to decide which features and functionality you need from your customer relationship management tools before committing to a specific one.
To help you decide which CRM tools work best for your customer interactions, we've looked back on our journey and compiled a list of our contact management must-haves:
- Capacity and Ability to Scale
Whether you've been in business for years or are just starting out, the first thing you should compare between CRM tools is how many contacts each can hold.
You may be thinking, "I haven't been in business very long, I don't need a massive amount of storage."
To that, we say, "You never know what might happen! Your business could boom within the next year."
We have absolute faith in you in your business, and you deserve a CRM platform that offers you the storage you need to succeed. That doesn't mean overpaying for storage you're not using—rather, you should look for an easy-to-use CRM system that can be scaled up or down to meet your needs.
Who wants to start over with a new platform every time their business grows?
Your chosen CRM platform should allow you to pay for the storage you need as you need it and accommodate your expanding list of contacts.
- Easy Data Entry
When you're running a business, the resource you're always lowest on is time. Nobody wants to sit down and manually enter details for every single business contact into a database when those hours could be better spent elsewhere. This is especially true when considering CRMs for small businesses.
We recommend a CRM that lets you upload details for many contacts at once—preferably one that allows you to collect all your customer data in a spreadsheet file and then maps this information automatically once the file is uploaded.
- Data Management
Once your contact data is in the system, modifying it should be effortless. Two qualities will tell you if a CRM has good data management:
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The right CRM is with you for the long haul and should offer you the freedom to update customer information as needed.
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Your CRM should work for your business and not the other way around. You should have the option to group your contacts as you see fit.
- For example, you might prefer to group contacts by their progress along the sales pipeline for your marketing campaigns. This would help your sales forecasting by giving you an accurate visual of customers you are closest to closing a deal with and allow you to better customize your correspondence accordingly.
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Lists are a great way to keep your contacts organized, especially when contacts can belong to multiple lists without the need for duplication. These should come with filter options so you can access the exact contacts you need, exactly when you need them.
- Suppression Management
A CRM's job is to keep you in touch with your contacts. The right tools should be able to inform you in real time if any of your contacts opt out of your communications and prevent you from, e.g. sending them unwanted newsletters.
This vital piece of technology ensures you comply with the various anti-spam legislation, saves you from potential monetary penalties should you fail to comply, and prioritizes the customer experience; even should they unsubscribe.
Still Looking for the Best CRM for Small Businesses?
SimplyCast is here to help. We know what it takes to run a successful small business; our CRM tool has all you need to store and manage your customer information and has suppression measures in place to prevent communications with those who do not wish to be communicated with.
SimplyCast's CRM comes with an engagement automation platform complete with all the communication tools you need to engage with your business contacts. From email to fax, and from online forms to marketing automation, the SimplyCast platform allows you to connect with your contacts like no one else.
If you would like to try out the best small business CRM, click the button below for a demo with one of our experts and sign up for a 14-day free trial!
