CRM system for small and medium-sized companies

A CRM system, which stands for Customer Relationship Management, is an IT tool that will work successfully for most companies. As the name implies, it allows you to manage customer relationships. Many organizations have such a solution and can no longer imagine going back to the days when their work was not based on a CRM system. This is for a simple reason – a CRM system for companies organizes, facilitates, automates and systematizes work. Through data analysis and reporting, we are easily able to forecast the company’s future directions, potential profits, losses, opportunities as well as quickly identify threats. One could talk a lot about the pluses. In the following article, we will talk a little about in which industries such a system will work perfectly and why.

For which industries is a CRM worth implementing?

The CRM system will be ideal for most small and medium-sized companies that want to develop and systematize all customer information and protect against employee turnover. These include industries such as installation companies, manufacturing companies, real estate offices, RES companies, law firms, employment agencies and many, many others.

Given how important customer relationship management is, a high-end crm should help the work of individuals in the company. The system should help the owner as much as the salesman, customer service employee, office worker, field worker, etc. The software should allow you to define a role in the system and assign specific functionality to it.

What else do CRM systems offer?

In addition to controlling customer relationships, CRM software for small and medium-sized companies offers additional functionality that is often market standard. Since we are taking care of the customer in the system, it would be useful to be able to perform additional follow-up activities in one place.

That is why crm systems for companies offer such options as:

1) Offering the customer – with the system we are able to create an offer page with a personalized link for the customer, or in PDF format in the file. This is ideal when the customer is interested in our product. It is enough for a salesman in a meeting to present his monitor screen with a ready-made offer. In today’s increasingly digitized times, the option to link to an offer is ideal. The CRM system shows us whether the customer opened the offer page, checked out the entire offer page, or where they stopped. Advanced systems are also able to immediately send the finished contract for remote signature, thanks to integrations with e-signatures.

2) Communication with the client – how often does it happen that the client forgets to send a certain document, or does not show up for an appointment. There are times when a client asks for an online meeting summary by email. These are just a few of the recurring situations that require us to perform repetitive tasks. Often we can avoid them with a CRM system for companies and communication modules, be it sms or email. In the system, we create ready-made message templates that we are able to send to the customer in seconds. This makes the work very easy and fast, and often helps protect against prolonged processes, such as the signing of a contract by a customer due to a missing authorization, etc.

3) Documentation in the company – since the CRM is the brain of our organization, it’s a good idea for all the necessary information to be there too. Often companies using other solutions complain about the multitude of tools they have to use. In the case of CRM, if you are already working on a particular client, it would be useful to be able to attach the necessary files associated with it to the system. Here we are talking about any contracts, authorizations, cost estimates, submitted review photos, etc. This simplifies our work. We don’t have to look for documents on external drives.

4) Tasks – who knows if this is not one of the most important modules that CRM systems offer. If we work on a lot of clients, doing a lot of process work with them, it is worthwhile for the system to allow us to schedule a task for them. This helps us control the chaos that could occur with just a small number of customers. This is a very valuable functionality, it allows you to remember all the activities that need to be done and not to miss any important task.

5) Data archive – CRM has its own space for data. This allows all information to be collected on the software servers. The crm software most often creates back-ups of data, making it safe. The risk of data loss is very low. System space most often depends on the specific vendor, but companies offering the system are open to customizing disk space for data storage.

6) Process creation – the ability of the crm system is to create paths, ready-made processes for individual services in the company. Undoubtedly, the process of installing a photovoltaic installation is different from the process of litigation conducted by an attorney. Customers are very different people, they have different expectations, strive for a different goal, so it is important to adapt the process to them with the help of the system, whether it is the collection of the information in question, the sales process, the performance of the service.

7) Filtering – just think how much customer data you have, all of it is extremely important and may come in handy someday, or you are already currently using it e.g. at work. The larger the number of customers, the more complicated working with customers becomes. Imagine that you want to send marketing correspondence to customers who bought from products for a certain amount last quarter thanks to the right filtering option you can quickly pull such data from the system. It is important then to be able to find the necessary information as soon as possible. And this is where the option to filter the data comes to the rescue.

Examples of CRM systems for selected industries :

CRM system for a lawyer – law firm

It is ideal for organizing appointments for cases, meetings, drafting letters. Often small attorney/legal firms base their work on excel sheets and Google calendar. With more cases being handled, such an arrangement becomes problematic and it becomes harder and harder to control the chaos that is created.

Often the problem for attorneys is a constant lack of time and too many cases on their minds. The crm software properly implemented from the law firm allows to relieve the lawyer from business activities such as, timekeeping, client billing, and others that take a lot of time.

Another issue is the topic of security of stored data. The crm standard is an SSL certificate that encrypts the data of those using the system. In addition, the data is stored on external servers. The risk of data loss or theft is far greater when you store it on a personal computer or in paper form at the office.

Another issue with implementations in the legal industry is that more and more services are being offered for system implementation and training on how to use the system, so that the attorney or the entire law firm does not have to waste time customizing the system and learning too much.

CRM software for installers

Companies involved in the installation of installations, whether electrical, telecommunications, teletechnical, also currently very fashionable heat pumps and photovoltaics will find in the CRM system the option of quoting the customer which is very often used by them. Such functionality will be ideal for presenting your offer. The quoting options in the CRM system are very different. This can be a custom created landing page or an offer generated in pdf or html. At the meeting with the customer, the salesman can present a professional offer, thus increasing the chances of a sale.

Such an offer in the case of the “installation” industry may include individual calculations of costs and savings such as energy consumption. We can include in the offer an already completed contract with the customer.

Links to articles, video creation, business cards, feedback from satisfied customers. Such an arsenal of benefits on offer directly increases sales opportunities.

In addition, thanks to the CRM, there is no possibility of forgetting a service date at the customer’s site or completing the installation on time.

CRM program for e-commerce

Small online stores that do not yet make full use of sophisticated systems to run an online store can successfully work with a CRM system. The software significantly helps in communication and will allow efficient management of customer relations. In addition, it will allow you to plan in advance tasks to be performed, such as orders from wholesalers, organizational/office work, contacting influencers, organizing photo shoots.

Using photo shoots as an example, we can give the photographer access to the system and save time communicating and setting up the details of each subsequent photo shoot.

CRM software for printing houses

We will successfully take care of the execution of orders on time and contact with the customer. The CRM system gives us the ability to create tasks in the system. Knowing our customers, we are able to create a reminder to contact or send an offer for an upcoming opportunity.

CRM system for a marketing agency

Marketing agencies work with clients according to a specific pattern. In a highly competitive environment, customer service must be top-notch. The option to create funnels in the system helps with such task scheduling. The system owner himself defines what kind of funnels they are, e.g.: sales, service, customer complaints.

A marketing agency must perform a number of tasks and establish the necessary information before starting advertising activities for its client. With a properly created funnel, they will not skip any step in the process.

Customer relationship management, or the process of managing customer relationships, is the foundation of marketing agencies. Very often I hear from marketing agencies that they have regular clients and rarely lose clients to new ones. This is for a simple reason, they literally care about relationships and approach them with full commitment.

It all starts with a simple conversation with customers and asking around, listening to their needs. Such information can be entered into the software and already have it for a very long time, always be able to return to it, to pass it on to another employee.

Another issue is contacting the recipient and creating reports on the work done. It is time-consuming to create such a document from scratch every time. Automation is standard in crm, so generating letter templates is a very important functionality for most crm systems. As for crm systems, we have another important point that will be very useful for marketing agencies.

Namely, we are talking about process creation. Often agencies encounter different industries, a large number of different companies, each with different needs and a different pattern of operation, communication.

CRM will allow you to create any number of processes for any number of different companies you work with. If you provide services to companies in the beauty, wellness industry, the pattern of contacting and working with clients will be different than for companies in the automotive or finance industries.

CRM software for vehicle inspection stations

For the most part, we are mostly familiar with diagnostic stations for periodic vehicle inspections, which we perform once a year. The CRM system at the diagnostic station will help create a new task related to reminding the customer of an upcoming technical inspection, sending a text message, offering a discount. Taking care of the customer in this way, and constantly returning with messages, directly increases sales opportunities. In the automotive diagnostics market, the number of such stations is growing steadily. Manage your station in such a way as to constantly introduce modern solutions and offer new opportunities to your customers.

One such innovation could be the creation of a dedicated landing page, where a new customer could sign up for a specific date, for a car inspection. This creates an image of a growing company in front of customers. We increase confidence in our brand, it can also testify to the high-end service.

The entire list of contacts, directly flows into the CRM system. The vast majority of CRM systems allow you to export such data to a file as a database of information.

The information completed in such a form can also serve to streamline the work of the sales department. It all depends on what data we would require from customers.

CRM for a catering company

Restaurant catering is most often ordered for certain specific celebrations. Very often these circumstances are repetitive. This allows us to anticipate the customer’s thoughts in advance and offer catering, for example, a month before a birthday or anniversary. The customer relationship management system in this case is a very big benefit. A CRM for a company will allow it to make the most of its network of contacts. The CRM system will allow us to remember the necessary customer information and use it to increase sales.

The capabilities of crm systems and the solutions currently on the market are extensive. You can find and export the data of all your customers in one place, if necessary. No more hundreds of excel files, notes, etc. Streamlining the sales process should become much easier.

CRM for software house

In technology companies such as software houses, employees often work remotely. Task management is extremely important and complicated. The number of systems already used by developers is higher than in other industries. But it’s not just Jira that developers use for project management that is an important system in this industry. The sales department at the Software House should have the right tool with the right automations to properly and effectively run sales processes. Quickly creating bid templates for new customers and reusing the material base make the work more efficient. The list of functions can be long, but it is important that the functions be simple to use. This will save a lot of time learning new software.

With a sales team scattered around the world, special care must be taken to ensure the quality of service to new and existing customers and control of tasks. The CRM system creates a remote space for communicating, sending messages among colleagues and controlling deadlines.

The above solutions will increase the quality of service and service to many customers from different parts of the world, the team’s capabilities. Online work in such a case should not be a problem.

CRM for employment agencies

The labor market is constantly busy. The key for the employment agency is to handle new customer orders, personnel matters. Independent of whether you market employee leasing , temporary work or employee outsourcing, customer service and creating relationships with customers will be important to you. High-end crm in one place will streamline your operations. It will allow you to easily collect orders, generate Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) ratio reports, segregate order reports into a specific number of hours for appropriate projects.

With the above, the quality of services and capabilities of the labor agency will increase significantly. With online access, agencies have the ability to offer remote work to their employees. These are solutions for today’s volatile and dynamic times, even mandatory.

The list of functions that employment agencies can use in their daily work is very long. The CRM allows you to send messages to your customers and contact them quickly. This helps create a closer relationship, which directly translates into profits for the company.

CRM for the sales department

Companies with a sales department mostly rely on crm software. This is for a simple reason. When selling products/services, a salesman has to deal with a large number of customers, companies. The amount of data is simply too large not to use a CRM system. It is then easy to make a mistake, to miss an important contact, to send an offer.

One gets the impression that no one understands customer relationship management as well as sales departments. Practically, this is one of their main tasks

Therefore, the software allows you to remember all the important elements of the sales process. We’re talking about a process that starts with acquiring a new contact, gathering information about the customer, the company and entering the data into crm software. Then an abbreviated scheme, i.e. phone call, meeting, bidding, waiting for a decision and closing the sale.

Of course, depending on the company, this pattern may vary slightly, but the goal is the same: to help the customer and sell the product.

The crm software will help collect data. The most important functions for traders seem to be job creation and quoting functions. Companies with a sales department often pay attention to quoting, because they know how important it is when it comes to convincing a customer of our services.

Most crm systems allow you to offer customers by generating a pdf file, or an offer page with a customized link. An additional option of the crm system can be the conclusion of a ready-made contract to offer with the option of remote signature. This saves us from unnecessary printing of documents, sending them to customers and waiting for them to be sent back.

CRM for NGOs, associations and foundations

Working in NGOs involves controlling and coordinating cooperation with partners, donors, advertisers, sponsors, etc. CRM for organizations of this type allows you to create an overall map of operations. Thanks to the reporting option, we are able to determine at what stage of cooperation we are with a given partner or client, whether it should be developed further, whether it is profitable or perhaps not profitable, and think about improving it or giving it up.

CRM for NGOs will certainly help to systematize contacting collaborators and carrying out specific projects.

Each project involves specific tasks to be completed. CRM for businesses allows you to remember deadlines and goals to achieve. In addition, the structures of this type of organization often have many people whose work needs to be coordinated, divided.

Managing relationships with potential donors is critical. CRM allows you to collect the necessary information.
Besides, it allows you to work online from any corner of the world, which is very important for volunteers and people who want to support worthy causes.

As 4B Systems, we are open to working with the above foundations and are happy to offer free CRM solutions to help your work. If interested, please contact us by email.

Increase work efficiency with a crm system

A CRM system may seem complicated to you at first. It is undoubtedly a new program that you have to get around and get used to. Ultimately, however, it allows you to organize many topics in your company, monitor activities and their effectiveness, control the timeliness of tasks, increase sales, or key new customer acquisition. Having a crm system quickly becomes the foundation of any business that has implemented the system.