Not all leads are created equal.
Some prospects will see your website, will like what they see, and will buy right away. Others won’t.
Those others will need a little more convincing. Maybe a lot more.
Do you have time to nurture them all personally? We’re guessing not. Not without a sales team.
But in #SmallBusinessLife, time is short and hiring more employees isn’t always feasible.
But there’s a way to close more leads, either on your own or with a team, and that’s with a CRM.
What’s a CRM?
A CRM, or Customer Relationship Management program, is a powerful tool and can be a primary driver for lead follow-up. Forget spreadsheets or simple contact databases, modern CRMs are like 5 programs in one: a lead management system, sales support app, task workflow system, email/text program, and content program. And much of it’s automated.
Overall, a CRM helps you manage and close leads more efficiently and makes sure they don’t slip through the cracks.
They not only simplify your life and free up your time, they also help you keep in touch with clients you might not have gotten otherwise.
How do they work for small businesses?
We’ve worked with a variety of small businesses and can say there’s a noticeable difference in how well they handle leads, based on whether they’re using a CRM or not.
Using a CRM usually translates into more closed leads and more efficient operations.
Let’s break down how this happens.
Imagine a potential customer lands on your website and fills out a contact form. For many businesses, that lead goes into their email inbox, where it waits until someone responds manually.
With a CRM, that lead is recorded in your system and goes on to the next step. No more forwarding emails to other people on your team. No more chances for that lead to get lost in the chaos. Your CRM keeps everything neat, organized, and ready for what comes next.
Automation magic
What comes next is “automation magic.” And by automation, we don’t mean an AI computer taking over to write messages or make calls on your behalf. We mean a series of steps taking place—steps that you preset, using emails or text messages that you pre-write.
Once a lead comes in, your system could assign it to your sales person for personal follow up. It could also send them a series of emails on a daily or weekly schedule, like clockwork. Whatever it takes to move your prospect from curious website visitor to loyal customer can happen seamlessly.
Gain insight into your prospect’s needs
The best part is the insight you’ll get into the needs of your prospect. Your CRM will remember what your leads are interested in, what pages they’ve visited on your website, and what they’ve clicked on in past emails or on the site. Then it lets you use this insight to send specific emails tailored to what your leads actually care about. No more guessing.
It’s not just about emails either. Your CRM can track every interaction with prospects, from emails to phone calls to meetings. Even text messages. You can see at a glance where each lead stands, what they’ve engaged with, and what steps they’ve taken. It’s like having a synopsis for each person at your fingertips.
It even helps score leads, based on your criteria. So you can prioritize the most promising ones for you or your team.
And the leads that sometimes fall through the cracks? Those rarely happen. Because your CRM nudges you to follow up, helping you reignite those conversations and close the deal.
Not just a digital Rolodex
A CRM is more than just a digital Rolodex—it’s a powerhouse tool that works in the background, calling on you to take part when you’re needed.
With recent advancements, the CRM has turned into a Swiss Army knife for business. Because with it, you get tools for marketing, sales, and operations all in one.
So, if you haven’t used a CRM to take control of your leads, now is the time. It’ll make follow-up more efficient, effective, and effortless for your business.
How do you get started?
Getting started with a CRM may seem daunting at first. But we can help you set it up and customize it for your needs.
We offer this with our CRM Onboarding and Maintenance Service for small businesses. This can include a onetime setup or ongoing monthly service.
As a Keap CRM system partner, we’re also happy to pass on our partner discount to clients.
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