6 Signs You are Ready for CRM and Marketing Automation

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We are busy. We are all busy. Both our personal and business lives are cluttered with ‘stuff’ we need to accomplish. It becomes hard to manage sometimes. So, when all of this clutter starts to get out of control, what do you do? Do you curl up in a ball and let it all fall apart, or do you take command and start getting it together? If you want to survive in this world, you better grab the bull by the horns and tame that beast.

There are so many tools out there to help you ‘organize’ and streamline, but it is tough to determine which will work best for you. However, there are fundamental systems, especially in business, that can help you get things under control.

When you first start a business most business operations seem to be relatively easy to control, but once things start to pick up there comes a dire need to organize and systemize. That is where CRM and marketing automation comes into play. So, what are these telltale signs you are ready for an integrated sales and marketing system?

1. You can’t remember who you talk to on a daily basis
Networking is a huge part of business. The more people you meet, the more business cards you get, which means the more people you need to follow up with. Your brain certainly can’t remember everyone, so where do you store all of this contact information? A big pile of cards on your desk just creates more chaos, and let’s be honest, excel is not all that easy when it comes to updating and organizing. A CRM let’s you keep all of your contacts in one place, and let’s you store all the data that you need to keep in order to better connect with all these new people you are meeting. Your CRM is your second brain not only upon first contact, but also through the buying process.

2. You can’t provide your leads or customers with the information they need
The more leads and customers you have, the harder it becomes to get them the information they need when they need it. CRM and marketing automation let’s you take information that you gather from your leads and automatically distribute customized content. In order to make the best use of your resources, you want to maximize efficiency and therefore productivity. If you are struggling with delivering informational and valuable content to your customers and leads then marketing automation is for you. It is a hands-off approach to streamlining and personalizing all of your follow ups and lead nurturing.

3. You can’t keep up with your new leads
Leads are coming in from everywhere. They are coming in from your website, networking events, outside websites, and all of your other marketing tactics, so how do you keep track of them all? Yet again, the answer lies in CRM and marketing automation. A CRM will automatically add them to your database and organize them based on how you setup your system. Once a lead is added to your database, they can automatically start receiving your messages, sometimes in the forms of auto-responders or drip campaigns. This ensures that your leads are being contacted immediately, and start receiving your valuable information from their first interaction with your brand. This is called lead nurturing. You can setup your system to automatically notify your sales team that a lead has come in, so they can reach out and start the conversation ASAP. Remember, your competition is already doing this already, so do not let them get to your customer first. The early bird gets the worm!

4. Your marketing isn’t effective anymore
If you do not know how your customers are responding to your marketing, how do you know what’s working? Many CRM systems, and especially integrated platforms like GreenRope allow you track website visits, clicks, open rates, and other important analytics that tell you whether your marketing is effective or not. You put a lot of time and effort into your marketing, so make sure all those resources and hard work do not go to waste.

5. You do not know who your customers are anymore
It is very clear from some of the marketing messages I receive that some companies just have no clue who they are targeting. This is problematic. Why? Because you are now wasting precious resources on marketing and not getting anything in return. If you reach the right people, the more likely you are to drive them into your pipeline and down the sales funnel. A CRM gathers valuable information about the types of people/customers that are looking at your product or service. Important demographic and behavioral information is collected and stored in your CRM, allowing you to see who these people are, where they come from, and what is important to them.

6. You feel out of control
None of us like to feel out of control, so this goes without saying. If you feel like you do not know what is going on with your business, what is working, what is not, why you are not closing sales, or if you simply don’t know your daily business processes, then it’s time to invest in technology that does.

Most business wait until they feel out of control to invest in a CRM and marketing automation, but wouldn’t things have just been easier if you never had to back peddle and reinvest time and energy into re-organizing your business?

CRM and marketing automation is a great tool for almost any business, no scratch that, EVERY business. It is a fundamental tool to help you run your business in a much more efficient manner. It enables collaboration amongst your team and really helps you take command of all of your daily sales and marketing efforts.

Remember, CRM and marketing automation is not one size fits all, so take some time to try out different systems and see which one is best for you and your team. CRM and marketing automation is for everyone in the company, and will help organize and grow each department of your organization.

Alessandra Gyben
With an iPhone, MacBook and iPad on hand at all times, Alessandra's enthusiasm for marketing and social media landed her the position as the Director of Marketing for a leading software company. After graduating from the University of Southern California, Alessandra gained years of experience as a Public Relations executive in both San Diego and Los Angeles. She was responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns, both online and offline, for numerous companies across multiple industries. Her passion for small business and online marketing led her to her current position, Director

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