Sales CRMs are invaluable to sales organizations of all types because they provide an exceptionally effective way to not only capture, but easily manage and analyze the vast amounts of data generated by every lead and customer interaction. Without a customer resource management system, it’s up to human beings to manually gather, analyze, understand, and use all the data a business generates, and – unsurprisingly – it just doesn’t happen. 

 

In essence, a sales CRM is a tool that opens up a level of customer insight that is impossible to access without one, and that insight is the key to everything from faster closes to stronger relationships to better service delivery, better long-term planning, smoother operations, and beyond. 

 

Sales CRMs also provide a level of centralization that improves the workflows of everyone in an organization, whether they’re involved in sales or not. From the CEO on the top floor to the temporary receptionist at the front desk, the right sales CRM has the potential to save hours of time each week for everyone – time that can then be put towards revenue-generating activities and improved service. 

 

Sales CRM Basics

So, what is a sales CRM? At the highest level, it’s a central database in which all lead and customer information is stored. Its goal is to make it as easy as possible to add new data and, equally or more importantly, access and use existing customer data to improve everything from the next sales call to long-term forecasting and beyond. 

 

CRMs are generally also productivity tools that use automation to make the most common tasks faster and easier. Most tasks, from adding notes from a sales call to scheduling meetings to sending out email blasts to billing and payments and basically everything else, can be made more efficient using automation, especially when it’s all tied together centrally in a sales CRM. That organization-wide automation, combined with advanced customer data handling, makes CRMs the most effective sales tools on the market today. 

 

Sales CRM Lead Management:

Lead collection and management are arguably the most important functions of a CRM. Leads are the lifeblood of any sales organization, but many companies suffer from two huge problems: a lack of quality leads filling the top of the funnel and leaks along the sales process that see good leads go to waste. Sales CRMs are designed specifically to fix both. 

 

Frictionless Lead Collection:

The first step to getting more from leads is getting more leads. Sales CRMs like CRMDialer enable automated lead capture that creates lead accounts as soon as a customer interacts with things like web forms, email links – even inbound phone calls. Importing existing leads can be done in seconds, and manually creating new ones can be done in a matter of a few clicks. The overall result of easier (and often automatic) lead collection is a steadier supply of new prospects entering the top of the funnel at a much lower overall cost when compared with purchased lists. 

 

Accurate Lead Categorization:

Once leads are in the system, one of the keys to making sure as many as possible make it to a close is plugging leaks. The best way to do that is consistent and accurate categorization and tracking. Not every prospect is ready to buy right away, and CRMs ensure leads that need to be nurtured long-term don’t get lost in the shuffle by automating categorization and follow-up. A good sales CRM can change a lead’s status based on everything from elapsed time from contact to interactions with team members or even website content, and much more. Most CRMs can also automatically send out materials to keep leads active even when an active sales process isn’t underway. 

 

Sales CRM Centralization:

With a larger volume of better-categorized leads populating the system, a sales CRM enables sales professionals and all members of an organization through two main functions: centralization and automation. 

 

The Sales Process:

Because a sales CRM connects every feature to the underlying customer database, the entire sales process can be centralized and delivered with the CRM at the heart of it. Better lead categorization helps salespeople maintain better awareness of which leads are the highest priority. When the sales process is underway, salespeople can access the entirety of stored information on any given lead and all prior interactions in a matter of seconds – an invaluable tool for preparation. Communications with leads can all be done directly through the CRM, via email, text, or, in the case of CRMDialer, even over the phone using the built-in CRM power dialer. And everything feeds data back into the CRM, improving future contacts and sales, as well. 

 

Administration and Productivity:

In addition to centralizing the sales process, a good sales CRM also centralizes most of a company’s daily administrative and housekeeping tasks as well. Communications integration allows staff to manage their email and calendars through providers like Gmail and Outlook without having to leave the CRM. Invoices can be generated and sent in seconds, and in some cases, credit card and ACH payments can even be accepted from within the system. Mass marketing blasts, employee training, customer support, and much more can also all be managed from within many CRMs. 

 

Potentially most beneficial of all, sales CRMs include advanced reporting and analytics tools that enable managers to quickly and easily find the data they need on almost any sales KPI and many operational ones to enable better planning, decision-making, and use of resources. 

 

In short, a sales CRM is a one-stop software solution that improves all customer-facing aspects of the sales process, saves time, and improves productivity on an organization-wide level. CRMDialer is a leading customer resource management system with a full suite of advanced tools designed to meet the needs of all types of sales organizations. It even includes a built-in power dialer – a rare feature that takes the power of customer resource management to new levels. 

 

To find out more about everything a top sales CRM can do for your business, schedule a guided demonstration or start your no-commitment free trial of CRMDialer today.