Customer relationship management (CRM) software is used by many organisations to connect data and manage interactions with customers. CRM software helps to build customer relationships by streamlining processes and compiling data from a range of different communication channels to increase profitability.
Grand View Research recently estimated that more than 91% of companies with 10 or more employees use a CRM platform to manage their conversations with customers, however some business owners still have doubts regarding the benefits of CRM software.
Common Misconceptions
Businesses still using old processes such as spreadsheets to monitor their prospective customers often assume that CRM implementation is a complicated and expensive process, however this isn’t necessarily true.
There are now so many CRM platforms available that most are competitively priced, user-friendly, and easy to implement, allowing managers to focus on other aspects of running their business instead.
Below we’ve looked at 5 common CRM myths and debunked them to demonstrate how CRM can work for all businesses…
CRM is too expensive for small businesses
Wrong. It’s true that implementing CRM will involve installation and licensing fees, which vary from platform to platform, however investing in a CRM system will no doubt save your business money in the long run.
On average, a mid-range CRM costs
£30 per user per month and will allow you to better manage your sales leads, customer information and provide an overall better customer experience. For basic setups, the average cost is around
£10 per user per month.
Consider how much one lost lead will cost your organisation – in the majority of cases, investing in a better managed, fully integrated CRM system will pay for itself if one extra lead per month is converted into a sale.
CRM software is confusing and difficult to use
These days, the majority of CRM platforms are designed to be easy to learn and easy to integrate. The key is to find the right CRM for you and your business.
If you’ve chosen the wrong CRM for your business, this myth
might be true. Starting with a CRM that’s too complex for your needs could leave you feeling out of your league.
At Onesys we base our CRM implementations on 2 key principles – simplicity and transparency. Our
Core package focuses exclusively on sales data and is a good place to start if you’re implementing CRM for the first time. We’ll also integrate the CRM with your accounts system and Outlook to ensure all your data is easy to find and manage.
CRM software doesn’t help to generate sales
Wrong again. 80% of customers are more likely to make a purchase if a brand offers a
personalised customer experience.
As customers are now able to interact with businesses in so many ways, the best way to keep track of interactions and create personalised messages is through a CRM system.
A strong CRM application offers businesses the ability to handle personalisation on a huge scale, allowing them to generate extra sales in the process.
CRM is only for sales teams
While sales teams will no doubt benefit the most from implementing a CRM platform, marketing and customer service teams can also reap the rewards of smartly designed CRM software.
The customer data reports and information available within CRM platforms can be critical when making strategic decisions within departments such as marketing, as they’ll provide insights into target buyers and customer buying behaviour.
Why not extend the CRM platform into the post-sales arena? It can help with Project Management as well as managing any customer service issues through to resolution, because there’s no point winning new clients if existing relationships are faltering and customers are leaving.
Implementing CRM takes forever
Yes, implementing a CRM platform will take time, but it won’t take nearly as long as you expect.
In fact, time saving is one of the main benefits of a great CRM system. CRMs make updating and accessing data quick and painless by consolidating all your information into one place. Many CRMs are also built to import your current data to speed up the process of centralising your database.
At Onesys, our
CRM 3, 5, 7 scheme sets out the number of days needed for CRM implementation, making the process simple and easy to understand. Our Core package takes 3 days, we then offer packages that include marketing and support capabilities which can take either 5 or 7 days to be implemented.
More information on our CRM 3, 5, 7 scheme can be found here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNrXDH5V958.
To speak to us regarding our approach to implementing CRM, or the CRM platforms we offer, please contact our sales team on 01423 330335 or email us at
sales@onesys.co.uk.