Relationships are like muscle tissue – the more they are engaged, the stronger and more valuable they become. – Ted Rubin
Most marketers today know that marketing is about relationships. When I worked in the corporate marketing world, I was introduced to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. While you may or may not have every used this type of software for your business, if you’ve ever made a call to a company’s customer service department, there’s a good chance you have a record within a CRM system.
Customer Relationship Management software enables business owners, customer service reps, account managers, sales personnel, and others who deal with customers in any manner, a means of keeping track of customer contact information, projects, issues and concerns, and records of every interaction with the customer. When the customer service rep on the other end of the phone line says, “I’ll make a note of that in your account,” he or she is using a CRM system. Then, if you need to make a follow-up call, the next representative you speak with can pull up your file and read the notes from your previous contact with the company. Pretty handy.
The need for a system to manage clients and customers stems from the ancient Chinese proverb about the palest ink being stronger than the most powerful memory. It’s not that we don’t want to remember what we told a client we’d have done by next Thursday, it’s just that life is busy and fast, and if we don’t have some sort of memory-jogging system to help us keep on track, we may forget. Poor customer service is one of the fastest ways to ruin your professional reputation.
Customer Relationship Management isn’t just about maintaining a database of current customers – it can also help you grow you business. A good CRM can track leads and help you determine where best to spend your prospecting time.
I’ve used several CRM software systems in the past. Some are so complicated, using the system becomes more of a hassle than a help. Others are pretty simplistic and lack beneficial features. Then there’s the cost.
It’s nice to know some companies realize not every business is a huge corporate conglomerate. For instance, I recently discovered a full-featured Customer Relationship Management software system that allows small business owners like myself to access the power of their system without investing a fortune. In fact, this company has a (limited capability) FREE version that may be suitable for many small business owners. But if you want a few upgrades, you can get some great functionality for as little as $12/month (billed annually).
The company I’m talking about here is called Insightly. It not only helps keep track of who you spoke with and what you discussed, Insightly has a built-in project management system, so you can have everything in one dashboard if you want instead of one system to manage projects and another to manage people. Not all CRMs I’ve used have that feature. Pretty useful.
This is a company that understands business relationships today have transcended cold calls and drop-ins, so Insightly integrates social media platforms within their system, because that is how many business-to-customer relationships are built nowadays.
If you’re ready to give it a try, Insightly offers a 14-day free trial that allows you to test drive some of the features not included at the free level. Plus there’s a handy smart phone app – Insightly on the Go. If you’ve ever pulled over to Google the address you’re heading toward for a client meeting, this feature can save you a few clicks. Here’s the Insightly pricing/features comparison chart.
I’m not an affiliate for Insightly, and I’m just getting started with their system myself, but so far I’m pretty impressed with the amount of features, the pricing, and the ease of use. There is a full series of tutorial videos on YouTube from Insightly U.
Here’s an introduction video from Insightly that shares just how powerful this system is: