CRM: Solving the Data Disconnect

Nothing excites engineers more than data.

We love numbers.

We love investigating.

We love analyzing.

Why is it, then, that when it comes to smaller engineering firms (I'm talking about you, civilpreneurs!) business data goes out the window?

CRMs have become a critical tool in the data-driven decision making of businesses of all types. Time and time again, businesses are finding that CRM systems are doing more than they ever imagined they would, and that they're in need of some sort of help in getting the most out of them. But what exactly should you do, and why? In this post, I'll explain how your CRM can be used for making data-driven decisions, and how your company can benefit from them.

What is a CRM?

A CRM is a customer relationship management solution. At the very least, a CRM can help you track who your customers are. When used to its full potential, a CRM can help you streamline your marketing, sales, account management, project management, and more. While a CRM helps businesses of all sizes, it is critical for smaller teams who often have to find creative ways of doing more with less.

How can a CRM help your business?

A CRM lets you and your team have access to all of your data in one convenient location.

• Customers: track acquisition (how they ended up in your ecosystem), previous/current projects, future/potential projects, communication logs, tags, meetings, etc. Anything worth keeping track of is stored in one central location.
• Marketing: use campaign data like conversion rates to optimize future marketing activities.
• Sales: quickly understand pipeline data (value & stage of each deal) and identify opportunities for improvement in the sales process.
• Projects: track budgets, tasks, and timelines.

There are also options for all-in-one CRMs that can integrate traditional CRM data with human resource management, accounting, communication, scheduling, customer service, and more.

4 CRM Solutions for Newbies

If you're relatively new to the world of CRM, I'm not here to overwhelm you (I promise!). Here are my recommendations for the 4 best CRM solutions for beginners:

HubSpot

HubSpot is, hands-down, my favorite recommendation for beginners. It is easy-to-use and full of free tools, and there are many opportunities to add functionalities to your existing software as you grow. HubSpot allows you to do a lot or a little, and it's totally up to you! If you're going it alone with little CRM experience, HubSpot is the way to go.

PipeDrive

PipeDrive has major appeal for its ease of use. In 2020 it was designated the "Easiest to Use" by The Blueprint (a Motley Fool company). Like HubSpot, you can choose the solution that works best for you. PipeDrive takes a sales-centric approach, as can be seen with their tagline, "Designed to keep you selling". They offer 4 plan tiers, and you can choose the best one for you depending on which features are most important to you and your business.

NetHunt

NetHunt has positioned itself as the go-to solution for Gmail power users. It can sync contacts from Gmail, LinkedIn, or even Facebook messages. It has options for powerful automations that can help you nurture leads and move deals down the sales pipeline. It also has options for built-in reports that help you easily get insight from your data.

Salesflare

My final recommendation for beginners is Salesflare. It allows automation of the data collection process by gathering information from social media and other interactions and updating your contact list. It is a great option for those who "can't find the time" to update their contacts.

The Bottom Line

Effective use of a CRM system allows the organization to retain ownership of valuable business data and insights, as opposed to people within the organization. Changes to your team do not affect the availability and integrity of your business data. Your CRM system provides actionable insights to help you make decisions at every stage.

While a CRM system may not solve every problem in your business (I'm talking about you, data management!), it can be a useful tool to create and manage a better solution for a more efficient business. If you're looking for a CRM for more than just simple contact tracking, consider the features that will ensure the right data is collected to support your business processes. With the help of a knowledgeable consultant you can address the unique problems your business faces and improve your business processes.

I hope this article helps you find and implement the right CRM solution for your business.