August 2015
Watch the Second Hand: How CRMs Help Teams to Save Time
At Lunar CRM, we’re not just about space: we like to think about time as well. In the business world, we find that time really is money, and many teams we’ve encountered have been losing out on profits and hours for a whole variety of very avoidable reasons. We’re obviously biased, but we’re going to say it anyway: a CRM could really help to save them all that time (and in most cases, it did). How? Find out below!
Simplified Processes
The number one source of wasted time at work (besides Facebook) is the inclusion of complicated, unnecessary processes which make the simplest of tasks into a chore. There’s a double danger to complicated processes: team members will take longer to complete them, and they’re more likely to be put off or have errors because the only way to get from A to B is through several perilous hoops. Instead, use a bespoke CRM to take into account your processes and offer up a simpler course of action for tasks (we’ll be coming back to this in a bit).
Reporting As You Go
Creating reports can be tedious – unless, of course, you have a tool that’s constantly looking at the data and recording it for you. With a CRM, you’ll be able to pull up a report in no time at all, and all the data is automatically filled in. That’s already freed up an afternoon!
Templates Galore
Sending out communications to customers doesn’t need to take hours at a time. Instead, use a standardised (but customisable) template, included on bespoke CRMs with extra personalisation, to get in touch and wipe it off your team’s collective to do list.
Workflow Management is a Must
Nowadays, CRMs have evolved to take workflow management into account as well, offering your team the chance to make the most of every working minute. For management, this is also a chance to re-assess what’s taking the longest time vs what’s faster than first thought – as well as how efficiently your team is working. This is a powerful tool for time management strategies, and it’s tied perfectly into your central CRM.
No Downtime
This one is really aimed at CRMs that are either housed onsite or aren’t with the most reliable suppliers. Your CRM going offline for even the briefest of moments is going to affect your team’s momentum and will see them waste precious hours of their day waiting for it to be back online and sorting out the mess the downtime caused. A secure, reliable CRM solution with no downtime, however, is definitely a time saver (and a lifesaver)!
Rules Rules Rules
Back to simplified processes (as promised): by employing a CRM’s in-depth rules engine, you can automate many different tasks to ensure that as much of your team’s time as possible is spent on tasks that require an actual human. If it can be automated, it most likely should be, to free up time for other projects. A comprehensive rules system means that everything we’ve mentioned above can be streamlined to such a degree that you’ll probably end up with extra hours in the day. OK, well maybe not extra hours – but it’ll certainly feel like there’s more time when your team is freed up for more important things.
Is your team in need of some extra time? Get in touch to learn how Lunar CRM can help them to recover lost hours with our bespoke CRM solution!