I was at a business mastermind group the other day and, by chance, one of my customers was there too. The host asked me what I thought our CRM does for our customers and, in particular, the lady sitting in the group.
I said it helps her manage her customers, leads and her whole sales pipeline. It hooks up with her website to capture leads directly into the CRM and can even automate the first response to the enquiry.
She is a finance broker and we can create workflows remind her to follow up well before the end of the lease or other finance contracts. These are typically three-year or five-year deals so it is only too easy to forget. She has access to her whole customer database from her phone so can make the call as soon as she is reminded and start the conversation about the next deal.
The host then turned to her and asked what our CRM did for her business. I was expecting much of the same that I had just said.
In a finance business, the value is in the customers who you arrange the finance for and also with the Lenders who you have built relationships with. Not forgetting the suppliers of the vehicles, plant and machinery that the finance is actually for. Effectively, it’s a business in a box.
Knowing this more than me she is meticulous in keeping everything in the CRM. It does seem a chore sometimes, but it is a necessary part of the admin and will pay dividends in the long term.
What is your exit stratgy?
Even if you are in a tough sector a well-maintained CRM can is a great asset. A good friend of mine runs Red to Black Business Services (r2bbs.co.uk) and deals with businesses in some pretty tough sectors these days. Even if the exit is not a voluntary sale, the CRM is a strong asset when negotiating with creditors and can be the difference between a soft landing and a crash landing.
A well-designed CRM will make all the difference. We design the CRM in collaboration with you so that it really does capture how your specific business works. Speak to us to see how we can design your CRM.