Your CRM Blueprint
Many teams I work with have CRM subscriptions that they thought would magically solve all sales and marketing challenges. They were promised automations and revelatory insights that accelerated all of their results.
When I ask them to show me how they’re taking advantage of their magical software, I usually find that they’re using it as a glorified address book. They create contacts, enter some data, and then look it up when they need to. Teams aren’t getting what they need from the CRM so they create their own siloed systems (usually a Google Sheet) in order to get work done. In-the-moment Sales people often neglect systems completely, relying on feeling and conversations to drive their strategies. No one is sharing information or collaborating.
While CRMs are extremely valuable tools for your business, they’re not going to be a help unless you’re using them correctly and with intentionality. Your CRM can’t magically help unless it knows what you need from it - and it’s not as simple as one size fits all. You need to start with clear goals and plans for your own company.
Start by spending dedicated time thinking through your sales and marketing processes from lead gen through referral generating and raving fan customers. What does everyone need from your CRM? What information needs to be captured along the way? What templates are needed (emails, invoices, etc)? What added context from external apps might be helpful to have sync automatically? What kind of reports or dashboards are needed and helpful? Capture all of your needs into a single CRM Blueprint from the start so that you’re building a solution that brings everyone into a single base. I like to use a spreadsheet for this process so we can work together in a single place and see where overlaps in teams occur. Sharing is caring!
Once you know the what, the next step is the how. This will vary a bit by platform but you’ll need to look at the features and options you have available to you in your CRM and how you can leverage those features to serve your team. Can individual team members engage through different layouts or views so they’re not overwhelmed by noise but still have access to what they need? Can you automate common workflows or templates? Can your CRM integrate with your social media platforms in order to auto-important helpful data?
Your CRM is a tool, not a magic bullet. You need to know how to wield this magical software beyond just using it as an address book. Move your team away from silos and empower them to work together on your company’s mission.
As always, I would love to help you with this. Let me unstick your subscription and unleash your team with a CRM Blueprint of your very own. Reach out today.