Good Client Relations 15: CRM

CRM stands for customer Relationship Management, which is essentially a fancy way of recording your interaction with clients. Here are some tips on how to get the most out of it.

Do I need a programme?

There are a lot of options out there in terms of CRM software, and I’m too lazy to write about them. It depends what sort of industry you’re in and the sort of information you have with clients, but generally most companies can make a start with just an excel spreadsheet as long as its saved in a place where everyone can access it.

Knowledge is Power

The point of having a CRM is to document your interactions with clients and from that to see buying patterns, sales opportunities and also understand why customers are leaving.

Details

The key details to include in your CRM are contact details within a company, an overview of what you did, when you last contacted them and then notes on the business, how they operate etc. It’s really important that you use a common language that everyone using your CRM uses. For example what is a prospect, what is a lead? Everyone needs to use the same terminology.

Noticeably Notes

Good note taking is essential to any CRM, not just who you called and when but those little things that make a client special. The idea should be that someone new could come in, read your notes and make a connection with your client. I always think that the most useful information is often the smaller things about your client that can give you something to talk about, like what football team they support for instance.

Catching Up

One of the core reasons for having a CRM is to ensure you have regular contact with your clients. It can be easy to get swept up with the next project or a new client, but the easiest way of getting new work is always with existing clients. Just a casual call to say hello can keep your services in their head.

Hassle

Keeping an up to date CRM is extra work that might seem like a hassle but ultimately is a valuable tool going forward the key goal of any CRM is to do the simple things in a smart way.