by: Cameron Brown

If you ask most small business owners what priority CRM has in their
short-term business plans, chances are you’ll get more than one
blank stare. The fact is that most small business owners don’t even
know what CRM is not to mention how significantly it can benefit
their growing company. This prevailing ignorance of small business
CRM (customer relationship management) usually stems from just a few
basic causes.

Excuses not to invest in small business CRM
The first and most common reason for disinterest in small business
CRM is the very nature of small business. With limited financial and
personnel resources at their disposal, business owners believe they
can’t afford the money or time that a small business CRM system
would require to show a significant ROI. Often times the chief
concern is just staying afloat long enough to sign that big contract
or receive a large product order.

Still other owners of new businesses believe that they can build and
maintain quality customer relations simply by the virtue of the
their cordial personality or particular market niche. They see small
business CRM as an unessential luxury to be enjoyed exclusively by
their larger competitors. What these owners often find is that
without sufficient small business CRM support their business will
never expand beyond the number of customer names they can remember.
The problem is compounded when the company expands into internet
sales (an essential move by any growing company) and suddenly finds
its present customer tracking system overwhelmed by the sheer amount
of incoming customer information.

The Bottom Line
The bottom line, as all successful small business owners have
learned, is that it takes more than one good idea to build long-term
business growth and stability. You may be great at attracting new
customers to your business, but if you fail to care for, track, and
understand your customer base, not only will you hemorrhage your
hard-won clientele, you will also fail to capitalize on future
opportunities by not anticipating future market trends.

The Solution
The good news about small business CRM is that there is an
increasing number of automated systems available at prices that most
smaller companies can afford without too much difficulty, usually
around $2000 a year. Some CRM companies, effectively eliminating the
need for small business owners to micromanage their CRM system,
largely manage newer small business CRM systems. Now small business
owners can reap the benefits of a smooth running CRM system with a
minimal time/financial investment.

Features to look for in a small business CRM system
There are many features available to small business CRM users
designed to not only track sales, but also cause sales. Here are
some features to look for.
· Power Dialing-This feature allows your outbound sales agents to
place 300%-400% as many sales calls, effectively quadrupling your
workforce.
· Voice Messaging System-Allows you to automatically record and send
sales calls designed to elicit a customer call back.
· Custom Fax and Email-Following up on leads with timely fax and
email can mean the difference between closing sales and missing out
on potential revenue.

Other ‘must-have’ features include:

· Calendaring
· Marketing management
· Sales management
· Order and quote management
· Service management

With the ability to outsource these business functions, small
business owners can concentrate on implementing strategies that
they’ve had to hold off on due to lack of customer information
and/or time.


Cameron Brown is an internet marketer specializing in phone sales.
For more information on small business CRM, please visit Inside
Sales.