Your Business March 2020 - 197

MARCH _ 2020

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any businesses start
their sales efforts with a
simple list. Often, this is
a spreadsheet containing
names and contact details, with
perhaps a space to put a date when
the customer was last spoken to. It's
a straightforward method, but not a
sustainable approach in the long-term.
In every old sales spreadsheet, there
are bound to be a few hidden nuggets
of gold that could transform a business,
if only its owners knew about them. A
lead that has been unforgivably ignored,
a conversation that wasn't fulfilled, a
callback that wasn't made. The data on
spreadsheets is incomplete
and only really meaningful
to those who added it. But as
the days pass by memories
fade, staff move on and
opportunities are lost.
Many businesses also have active
accounts that could be worked far more
profitably if only they explored the
available options. When a customer has
bought from you once, they're many
times more likely than a new prospect
to buy from you again. People buy from
people - but only from those people who
get in touch and ask for the business.

a business is run. But implementing a
CRM system is a business change project,
not a technology one. The key to making
it successful is to ensure that all the
key stakeholders are on board from the
outset, and that they remain on board.
CRM sits at the heart of the business -
its focus is your customers. It should give
managers all the information they need
to steer their business towards growth.
A system such as Microsoft Dynamics
gives you real visibility of your company's
interactions with customers and sales
leads. Information is no longer siloed in
departments or with individuals. It won't
walk out of the door when they leave.

need and use it to drive performance.
Targets can be more easily set and
these can be stretched over time.
But a word of warning on this point:
be careful what you measure.
Businesses are defined by what
they measure. People respond to
targets and metrics, which can be very
impactful. But while one metric might
make perfect sense in the boardroom,
it can take on another form for those
who have to actually achieve it.
For example, a call centre manager
who wants to drive efficiency in
customer care might set a target stating
all calls should be handled in under
three minutes. While this
can add a sense of urgency
to the call that certain
customers appreciate,
what about enquires that
are more complicated, or
customers who simply need to take
more time? Customers don't like to
be rushed or hurried off the line but
if you're measuring staff by call time,
what do you expect will happen?
Data is very powerful and can
transform a business. Managers need
to know both what's happening in their
businesses and what could be happening.
It's time for growing businesses to ditch
the spreadsheet and find those golden
nuggets that can propel them forward.

IMPLEMENTING CRM SOFTWARE
ISN'T SOMETHING A BUSINESS
SHOULD TRY TO DO ALONE

CRM software can help

The spreadsheet needs to be ditched
in favour of a system that's far more
sophisticated and likely to lead to
sales. Businesses that want to grow
need to invest in customer relationship
management (CRM) software.
Understandably, many businesses
are somewhat wary about such an
investment. It's a significant cost and
represents a major change in the way

Those hidden golden nuggets of
sales data we mentioned before are
also far easier to find with Microsoft
Dynamics. CRM software like this plugs
directly into accounts, operations,
marketing and customer service. It
should be the first port of call for
directors when they're looking to create
strategies for growth, as it will offer
them all the information they need.
Implementing CRM software isn't
something a business should try to do
alone. You'll want a partner on this
journey, who should be there from
the beginning and continue with you
once the system is up and running.

What to measure

When CRM is fully integrated into a
business, the magic starts to happen.
Managers can get the information they

Carlene Jackson is the CEO of Brightonbased tech company Cloud9 Insight,
a Microsoft Gold Partner that has
provided more than 600 UK businesses
with cloud-based CRM software
systems. Founded in 2010, the company
has 25 staff and is also an awardwinning apprenticeship provider
For more information, call 01273
921510, email hello@cloud9insight.
com or visit cloud9insight.com

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11/02/2020 14:46
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Your Business March 2020

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