Many companies try to manage customer relationships with spreadsheets and personal notes. While this approach works at first, inevitable problems emerge as the team grows and the number of customers increases.
The most fundamental problem is lack of visibility. When a sales rep leaves the company, information about agreements made with customers, quotes given and planned meetings usually goes with them. CRM solves this problem by creating "corporate memory."
The second major problem is pipeline management. Tracking which stage opportunities are at, deals about to close and stalled conversations in real time is nearly impossible in Excel. The visual pipeline feature of a CRM completely eliminates this ambiguity.
Follow-up reminders are also a critical function. Research shows that the probability of a sale occurring is highest after five to eight contact points with customers. Automatic reminders and task assignments mean no opportunity goes without follow-up.
Switching to a CRM can seem daunting, but with proper planning it can happen quite smoothly. You can transfer your existing customer data from Excel with a one-time import and gradually familiarize your team with the system. The increase in visibility you'll achieve in the first three months will clearly demonstrate the value of the transition.