So far, we’ve discussed tips for structuring and populating your CRM. These steps are certainly important, but the long-term value of any system comes down to its impact on the bottom line.
Aside from managing contacts and client details, how can a CRM actually help you grow your business? In this post, I’ll share my tips for leveraging opportunity records to achieve this goal.
Why Opportunities Matter
Picture this. You’re chatting with a client, and the conversation takes an unexpected turn. Scattered among the mixture of personal and accounting issues, you learn about a pet project that he has been pondering for several years. The client wants to move forward but doesn’t have the capacity to research, plan, and implement his vision. He has the budget to get started, but he needs help.
At this point in the conversation, alarm bells should be going off in your head. As a marketing professional, you have both the technical know-how and availability to assist. Unfortunately, before you can give your pitch, the client changes the subject. You forget about the idea, and you never follow up.
This is the definition of a missed opportunity. Your client was willing to open up his billfold and let you work your magic. If only you had remembered.
Seizing the Opportunity
A tool such as Insightly CRM is valuable for avoiding this type of situation. By adding an opportunity record and linking it to a contact or organization, you give yourself a much greater chance of winning the deal. Easily track specific details that you may otherwise fail to consider, including:
- Value of the opportunity
- Notes about the project
- Probability of winning
- Stage in the pipeline
- Projected close date
Creating your first opportunity record is a great start, but consider the value of having dozens more. Instead of digging through handwritten notes, email inboxes, or the far corners of your brain, your CRM keeps everything nice and tidy. With a few clicks, you can even visualize and sort which opportunities are most valuable, closing soonest, or stuck in the queue.
Forgetfulness is Your Worst Enemy
In the previous example, it was clear that a CRM can help you stay ahead of the curve. But, that is only true if you actually remember to use it.
Marketing consultants are quick to try new technologies, but we’re also easily distracted. If you don’t agree with me, stop and think about how many passwords you have. Now, consider how many of those tools you actually use. Failing to use your CRM might be the most costly mistake you make, given the value of your opportunity pipeline.
If I’m being honest, these are the two things I regularly forget to do:
- Input new opportunities
- Follow up on existing opportunities
Insightly CRM can be incredibly useful for warding off your forgetfulness. Let’s start with remembering to input new opportunities. Sure, you could bookmark the Insightly portal, log in, and manually add opportunities via the web app. Unfortunately, you’re not always at your desk when opportunity knocks. The good news is that the Insightly mobile app is just a tap away via your smartphone or tablet device. Launch the app to quickly add deals on the go. When you get back to your desk, you’ll be delighted to see that your pipeline is more robust than when you left.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of a promising opportunity, especially one that is projected to close quickly. Many deals, however, require nurturing to bring them to fruition. Your calendar is already booked solid, so remembering to follow up can easily slip your mind. As an Insightly user, you can keep yourself organized by using tasks. For instance, if you need to send a proposal by next Thursday, you might attach a task to the appropriate opportunity. When the task becomes due, you will receive an email reminder. Take that forgetfulness!
Grow Your Business with Opportunities
As a business owner, you value being able to see the “big picture.” Your CRM can deliver this type of information, but only if you commit to tracking deals via opportunity records.
Grow you pipeline, monitor your close rate, and in time, you’ll see the value of your CRM far outweighs the cost.
At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a huge variety of verticals. Learn about all of Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.
Matt Keener is a marketing consultant and President of Keener Marketing Solutions, LLC. Matt specializes in content marketing and strategic planning, having helped numerous Saas (software as a service) companies and other small businesses worldwide. Read more of Matt’s work, check out his book, or connect with him on Linkedin.
