Want to replace your Rolodex with state-of-the-art customer resource/relations management (CRM) tools? Maybe you threw out your Rolodex years ago and are trying to keep up with deep and wide spread sheets. Your e-mail contacts list may also be staggering under the weight of duplicated or inaccurate customer data. It may be time to upgrade your small business tools with CRM — and to think about Willy Loman.
Willy Loman, before his death as a salesman, had the right idea about customer management. Willy’s approach was simple. He employed a quintessential outreach, and nurturing and service after the sale. Unfortunately, Willy flamed out because he couldn’t keep up.
Would modern CRM tools have prolonged Willy’s career? In the Rolodex days of playwright Arthur Miller, today’s tools would certainly have cut down on all that travel.
Today the Internet has supplanted Willy’s network. The gossip and a beer with the guys were the Facebook and LinkedIn of the 1940s. The Cloud is where customer management tools work best, and it serves a wide range of customers and businesses.
Cloud customer management tools surpass your eclectic collection of spreadsheets and e-mail contact lists. They preserve and leverage customer data, preferences, and sales history.
According to Software Advice.com, the top four most recommended CRM systems are:
- Salesforce.com: The top dog among Cloud-based CRM providers.
- InfusionSoft: Ideal for small- and medium-sized companies.
- NetSuite CRM+: Has a wide array of features to help increase sales as well as marketing and customer support.
- Salesforce.com Service Cloud: Built on the Salesforce platform with a robust and user-friendly interface.
Today’s sales and customer management challenges might cause Willy Loman to turn over in his grave. How can anyone keep up with the competition and unlimited choices of the Internet? The boundaries of cyberspace are continually expanding.
CRM systems are the new sheriff in town. CRM systems are the all-in-one solutions to customer and sales tracking. They add marketing and analytics as a bonus. In CRM, “everything old is new again.” The difference is that you can do everything under the auspices of one Cloud web application or service. The provider does the heavy hauling. You just turn the key and get moving.
