The main idea is to gather all the data you need (or may need in the future) in one place so it's accessible for all who can use it. Sounds simple? Doesn’t it?

However many companies struggle with CRM for various reasons. I will mention only a few of them.

First of all it is crucial to properly introduce people into CRM. Often people treat it as a time-waster when its purpose is to save time and avoid mistakes. Everyone has their own habits. It is important to build them around CRM. If you don’t there is no point in having it in the first place. It is a great idea to involve people who are gonna use CRM in the process of setting it up. That way they are part of it from the very beginning.

Second thing is basically the aftermath of the first. Not using a CRM properly can cause many troubles. For instance If you postpone filling data into CRM it might quickly grow into a huge task. Nobody likes to spend hours just to catch up with all that. Consistency is the key.

Lastly it is fundamental to build an efficient process for leads before applying it into CRM. Even the best CRM will fail if the process is wrong. Don’t hesitate to test things out - you can always adjust the process. Always have in your mind why you are getting a CRM and what is the biggest purpose for you.

On the other hand what CRM gives you? Well, it gives certainty and helps not to lose leads. Imagine you want to come back to leads from a couple of months or even years back. Who answered? Who should be blacklisted? It is basic information for taking such actions. However if you run your CRM properly you are able to have valuable details.

Have you heard that numbers don’t lie? CRM gives you access to statistics which at first glance seem complicated. In the right hands it can tell you exactly what there is to improve. For instance you can check ratios of mails per meeting or meetings per customer. If you have many emails for meetings - it is likely you should change the way emails are written. If you have many meetings and few customers - maybe improving the meeting is the key.

Points above are important aspects of CRM but not all of them. Remember if you use a tool try to take all from it.

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