CRM solutions can be an important tool to help a vendor satisfy and retain clients
A big part of running a successful vendor business lies not simply in landing new clients, but in keeping them. The best way to retain clients is with good customer service. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems are crucial for ensuring that HOA clients continue to use a vendor’s services. VendorSmart discusses why CRM is so important for such businesses.
What is CRM?
CRM systems focus on tracking and organizing all the key information about clients and prospects – and the ways the company interacts with them – in order to provide the best customer service.
According to Forbes, “CRM helps businesses build a relationship with their customers that, in turn, creates loyalty and customer retention.… CRM is a management strategy that results in increased profits for a business.”
What are the CRM solutions?
The bigger the operation is, the harder it can be to keep up with each client. CRM solutions are software or systems that allow companies to manage their customers more efficiently and effectively.
Vendors striving to deliver great customer service will have to process a lot of information about their customers and track communications they’ve had. A CRM can be crucial in keeping that all organized.
Why CRM solutions are crucial for a business
At its core, CRMs can help vendors deliver good customer service by anticipating what clients need and then providing it. CRM tools will track where customers and prospects are in the sales process by collecting data and communications such as emails, calls, voicemails, social media, chats, websites, marketing materials, and meetings. The goal is to collect data that vendors can use to better understand what their HOA clients need and want.
These tools can help you in five important ways:
- Store customer information and data in one centralized location. Rather than searching for information in 10 different places, a company’s entire staff only needs to consult one source. This makes communication more efficient and saves valuable time.
- Track the history and status of customer communications and interactions. This ensures that the business won’t forget what happened the last time any employee communicated with the customer. Workers can also follow up regarding past jobs or projects, such as painting the community clubhouse, or they can access whether the client is satisfied with the landscaping or pool service.
- Provide statistics that can help predict future business and cash flow. Companies can also use the software to analyze business objectives. If it is a goal for clients to add services, vendors can see progress toward that goal through collected emails, calls or meetings, along with the results of those interactions.
- Increase sales and marketing efforts by allowing other people, such as a sales or marketing team, to access past communication with customers.
- Not every client needs to receive every marketing effort. CRM solutions can help organize and segment clients by location, size, type, and specific jobs, types of properties, etc. This way a vendor can direct message to the customers who really need to see it or who are more likely to want a specific service.
3 types of CRM solutions
There are several categories of CRM solutions. Most focus on one main element of the business.
- Operational CRM – Generally focuses on one of three elements: marketing, sales, and service.
- Analytical CRM – analyzes customer data to understand market trends and customer needs.
- Collaborative CRM – Used to help companies share customer information with other businesses.
There are also niche CRM solutions for specific industries.
Analyzing different CRM solutions
Now that you know the importance of CRM, you might be thinking about which software you can apply. There are hundreds of options when it comes to CRM software solutions. Knowing which one is right for your business can be tricky.
VendorSmart has gathered a number of resources that list and rate various CRM solutions so you can compare different systems.
SelectHub.com – Ratings and info for CRM software
Business News Daily – Best CRM Software for 2019
Finance Online – 15 Best CRM Software for Enterprises
PCMag.com – Best CRM Software for 2019
Organize and manage your customers to increase business
Customer relationship management is essential if you want to add clients and manage current ones. These solutions make it possible to track communications so you can become a customer service star.
If you’re looking to find new clients, VendorSmart can help by connecting you to community managers and HOAs looking to hire service providers. We can also help you manage bidding and RFPs, and manage compliance documents. Contact us to get started.