07.8.2022 Osian Barnes
Many contract manufacturers depend on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to manage and maintain their customer data. But some companies have issues with their CRM that prevents them from maximising the benefits.
A CRM is a central place where companies can store customer and prospect data, track interactions, and share information with colleagues. If used correctly, a CRM can play a major role in improving employee productivity as well as driving customer success.
When it comes to your own CRM platform, you may have identified problems with its functionality, maybe your salespeople aren’t using it, or you’re having trouble reporting on data. Or, you may have outgrown your CRM system. Perhaps you now need integration with a new software that your current CRM won’t facilitate.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, almost one in five businesses have replaced their CRM so far in 2022.
Here are 7 signs you may need a new B2B CRM solution.
1. You’ve grown, but your CRM hasn’t
As your contract manufacturing business has grown and you’ve hired new employees and expanded departments, naturally, you need more advanced tools to manage your operations successfully.
If you’ve been using the same CRM system for years, these are just some of the functions you may be missing:
- Interactive dashboards with real-time data for easier analytics and reporting
- Live chat to improve communication and customer support
- Integration with third party applications (e.g. HR, Accounting systems)
- Scripts to automate workflows
- Integrated web forms to capture high-quality leads
Your CRM should have the capacity and the functionality to support you to meet your goals as your business continues to grow. If your CRM is unable to scale with you, it may not be the right one for you.
2. Your CRM is not user-friendly
Is your CRM slow and clunky? Do you find it painful to use?
If the answer to these questions is yes, it’s time to make a switch.
The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) play a big role in how successful a technology product can be. Your CRM should be easy to navigate, with clear labels, fields and logical steps. This will make your day-to-day activities easier, less time-consuming, and you and your team will be far more productive. There’s nothing worse than a system that’s meant to make your life easier, actually making it ten times harder.
3. Your salespeople aren’t using it
Maybe your salespeople are so frustrated by your CRM that they're refusing to use it. It’s not uncommon for salespeople to be slightly aggrieved by their CRM systems. But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
The main issue salespeople have with CRMs is that they are time consuming and difficult to use. So if you’re looking to switch to a new CRM, it’s paramount to choose a system that will enable your salespeople to quickly access important information and automate the essential sales processes.
4. You’ve too many data silos
Your CRM should be your single source of truth. A single repository where all marketing, sales, service, and operations data can be organised, segmented and analysed in one place.
If your data on leads, customers and sales is still spread over multiple databases and platforms, you could benefit from a CRM that is able to centralise all of this data across your entire organisation.
You can avoid data silos by integrating your CRM with other tools in your technology stack. If your CRM doesn’t support this, other options on the market may provide a better solution.
5. The features are too complex
When it comes to your CRM, having a lot of features isn’t always a good thing. Companies often overestimate their needs in terms of various functions and end up with lots that aren’t being used, or those that make things more, rather than less, complicated for you and your teams.
At the other end of the scale, maybe you’ve been using your CRM platform for over 5 years and there are newer features you’re missing out on.
What you really need is a simple and easy to use CRM solution with just the right set of features to simplify the process and make your marketing and sales teams more productive.
6. You struggle to focus on the right customers
A good CRM will help you identify which customers are truly valuable for your business. You should be able to list customers based on how much they have spent with your organisation, their yearly budgets, and which products they might need.
If you aren’t able to easily anticipate your customers’ needs and spot opportunities to upsell, cross-sell or strengthen relationships, then your CRM system isn’t working hard enough.
7. You’re having difficulty analysing and reporting on data
You know your CRM system is working effectively if when onboarding a new account manager or salesperson, they can quickly understand the data presented to them. But if it leaves them feeling confused over the status of your customers, it might be time to look around.
After all, your salespeople don’t want to be sifting through information when they could be spending their time selling. And your account managers rely on having access to customisable reports based on relevant information that they can share. A good CRM will allow you to automate this process. There is more pressure than ever for companies to demonstrate data integrity, so easy access to reports is imperative.
Moving to a new CRM
If you think it might be time to switch CRMs, the process of moving to a new system is not as difficult as you might think.
But before researching vendors, make sure you’ve identified exactly what’s missing from your existing CRM and what you want from a new system. It’s a good idea to speak with your team and your salespeople to get their feedback and understand their requirements.
Here’s a few things to think about when evaluating your options:
- What features and functionality you need
- Whether it integrates with other applications in your technology stack
- What the user experience is like
- What support and training the vendor can offer
- Free trials and live demonstrations
Choosing the right B2B CRM for your contract manufacturing company requires careful research and planning, but once you do find ‘the one’, it can completely transform your business and help you to meet your growth goals.
