CRM systems are invaluable to businesses.

They help to target different audiences, streamline processes, nurture and retain customers, and maintain healthy inter-departmental relationships.

In fact, businesses that use a CRM see an 87% boost in sales, a 74% increase in customer satisfaction, and a 73% improvement in business efficiency.

Pretty impressive.

But all these benefits are meaningless if a business isn’t using their CRM in the best possible way.

So to help out, here are our 5 steps to getting the most out of your CRM.

1) Integrate into the wider business

Lots of businesses view their CRM as a sales tool. Meaning that many fail to share the benefits of their CRM with the wider business; often leaving other departments out of any onboarding or training processes.

But to get the most from your CRM it’s essential to integrate your system into the wider business, from the very start. This means including representatives from different departments in the onboarding process. Ensuring they are thoroughly bought into the CRM. And fully training them so there are no knowledge gaps.

This will also mean integrating systems and platforms from around the business with the CRM, to ensure it is usable and beneficial for all. This could include making connections to marketing, sales, and help desks. As well your eCommerce platform and social media channels.

Not only does this approach benefit the wider business, it also builds the CRM with more useful data and information, for a fuller understanding of your audience and customer base.

2) Keep your data up to date

A CRM is only as good as the data it is provided with.

And as wonderful as the automation capabilities of many CRMs are, they still require some human input. Particularly when it comes to entering data.

To get the most out of a CRM, data entry should be done on a regular basis. And if there are multiple individuals entering data, this process needs to be managed effectively and consistently.

Bad data management has a particularly negative effect on any nurturing and conversion activity. If customer data is not inputted accurately in the first place, or not updated regularly, then automated messaging and communications can quickly lose their personalised and targeted impact.

However, with a detailed record of each customer in the CRM, marketers and salespeople won’t waste time having to gather essential information, and automations will remain highly relevant to the individuals.

This will show the customer that you actually care. And leave time for the most important matters – converting and closing.

3) Offer regular training

An important part of ensuring that data is kept up to date, as well as that the CRM is being used as effectively as possible, is proper training for all users.

Businesses really need to invest quality time, preparation, and effort into training teams so they can hit the ground running. And remain consistent in their CRM usage.

One of the most common reasons that businesses struggle to get better ROI from their CRM is because it is not being used correctly. There is a wealth of information, automations, and functionality at your fingertips with a CRM. You just have to know how to access it.

Don’t give employees an excuse to go back to their old ways. Make sure that you are offering regular refresher lessons, or providing insightful training materials so that employees can continuously refresh their knowledge.

4) Automate simple tasks

Automation is often perceived as a daunting and time-consuming process to implement. But once the initial work has been put in, automation saves businesses considerable time and resource.

In fact, automation drives a 14.5% increase in sales productivity and a 12.2% reduction in marketing overheads.

Automating simple tasks is one of the most useful features of a CRM. Tasks such as scheduling calls, sending personalised email sequences, entering data, and logging customer interactions can all be done automatically through a CRM.

Not only does this save businesses time and money. It also has an incredibly positive impact on results.

For instance, automation generates 451% more qualified leads, and 77% of marketers report an increase in conversions thanks to using automation.

5) Be consistent

Last but not least, consistency is absolutely key in getting the most out of your CRM.

Therefore, it’s important to have processes in place, and shared, to ensure your data is consistent across all channels. These processes should also be key to your training sessions, and monitored regularly to ensure they are adhered to.

Yes, it can be tough to get teams to type in all the required data and fields, especially when they are busy or closing a sale. So having systems and processes in place to ensure they do will be highly beneficial.

And if you manage to do this ahead of time, you will be streamlining your data processes to be far more effective and efficient. Just remember to carry out regular data ‘hygiene’ checks to ensure all information is correct. And processes are being followed.

If you would like help with getting the most out of your CRM, email hello@brightdials.com or book in for a free Discovery Call. All we need is 45 minutes of your time.