Your

COMPLETE CRM
HANDBOOK
Everything you need to know to get started with CRM
Content
Introduction............................................................................................................................................. 3

Signs You Need a CRM.......................................................................................................................... 4

How CRM Improves Productivity....................................................................................................... 6

How to Craft a CRM Strategy............................................................................................................. 10

Maximising Your ROI........................................................................................................................... 12

Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................. 14

Useful Resources................................................................................................................................... 15

2 Your Complete CRM Handbook

Introduction
CRM is much more than a buzzy acronym that’s been tossed around the business and
sales world for over 15 years.

C-R-M stands for “Customer Relationship Management”

CRM essentially refers to systems specifically designed to manage your customer

information and interactions. The purpose of CRM is to establish long-lasting
relationships with your customers which in turn drives business growth through
customer loyalty.

CRM apps simply manage your customer information so you can see it all in one place.
You can view contact info, follow-up via email and social media, manage tasks, and
track performance. There is no secret formula, yet implementing the right CRM can
increase sales efficiency, boost sales, and improve forecast accuracy.

First up, the 6

Is it time to invest in CRM?
signs your business
The contents of this eBook will help you determine if it is time your business invests needs a CRM
in a CRM solution. Over the next four chapters, we will examine the following topics:

• Signs your business needs CRM

• How CRM can improve your sales and productivity

• Building your CRM strategy

• How to maximise your ROI

First up, the six signs your business needs a CRM.

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CHAPTER 1

Signs You Need a CRM

Businesses typically begin with a basic seller-to-customer relationship.
In the early stages, it is often enough to simply maintain an Excel
spreadsheet with notes about customers and incoming orders.
However, as your business grows, such record-keeping won’t be able
to do what you need anymore and will slow you down. Here are some
indicators that it might be time to trade in your early processes and
start managing your customer relationships more effectively:

1 There’s no single source for information

Storing your customer and order info in more than one location
- such as a spreadsheet or notes stuck to your computer - puts
your sales team at a disadvantage. They lack a single view of
every customer’s contact info, orders, and interactions, which
can be time-consuming and disorganised. This in turn affects
productivity and hinders collaboration.

2 There’s little or no visibility

Not only do you lack visibility into how your customers are
connecting with employees, but you also lose track as to what
your salespeople are doing. This makes it difficult to help them When your business thrives,
be successful and keep them accountable. spreadsheets are no longer
enough to run your business.

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CHAPTER 1 - SIGNS YOU NEED A CRM

3 Reports are hard to create and share

Generating reports and analytics of your sales team’s monthly
5 All customers are given the same priority
Interested parties are not differentiated according to their value
progress is ideal, but creating reports manually is cumbersome to the company. Instead, all customers and prospects receive
and often results in no tracking at all. the same offers and information – regardless as to which phase
of the buying process they are in and which industry and region

4
they belong to.
You don’t have a mobile solution

6
In recent times, working from home has become the norm.
Your sales reps will be communicating with potential customers You don’t have a plan to support growth
and obtaining valuable information away from the office. What if your business was to grow from 20 to 200 customers this
However, if this new data is stored on personal computer files year? Are you confident that your current processes can support
and handwritten notes and is not properly transferred, the rest such growth? If you know that your business will grow and you
of the sales team will not be up to date on important details. are worried about keeping up, don’t stress. This is exactly the
These notes can also be easily lost - especially if an employee type of issue that a CRM system can address.
leaves the company.

Next up, let’s look at how

a CRM makes your business
more productive.

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CHAPTER 2

How CRM Improves Productivity

The saying “there never seem to be enough hours in the
day” is well known in the sales world, where time quite
Top Factors Constraining Business
literally equals money. According to our third edition of the
Activities*
Small and Medium Businesses Trends Report, lack of time
is the main constraint for SME decision makers in the UK.
1 Insufficient time

The more effectively and efficiently you use your time, the better it is
for your business. With a combination of a steady flow of new prospects, 2 Hiring the right talent

3
an increase in time spent selling, and arming sales reps with the info they
need to close deals more quickly, small businesses can grow rapidly. Money/access to capital
CRM applications enable exactly this.
* Source: Small & Medium Business Trends Report

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CHAPTER 2 - HOW CRM IMPROVE S PRODUC TIVIT Y

Sales Pipeline Selling Time

Finding time to bring in a steady flow of new customers can be quite a Sales representatives need time to sell. Some of the time traps faced by
challenge for a small business sales team. This is often caused by issues salespeople are hard to overcome, but others can be easily fixed:
such as:
• Automation of repetitive tasks gives salespeople more time to
• Inability to direct leads to the appropriate sales rep concentrate on closing deals.

• Lack of information on potential clients • Providing one channel for reps to share information and connect
eliminates endless email loops and phone tags.
• Inadequate knowledge about a prospect before calling
• Making the switch to mobile can eliminate downtime and
• Poor visibility and forecasting of the future pipeline increase communication, which is a big challenge for a sales
team on the go.
A CRM allows sales reps to store the data on prospects to ensure
relevant information is ready at each interaction along the customer The right CRM system syncs with mobile devices anywhere, anytime
purchase process. Plus, it quickly provides metrics related to visibility via the cloud, so the entire team has the most current information at
and forecasting. their fingertips.

A cloud-based CRM
tool allows your sales
team to keep track of
all interactions with
prospects and customers
and to have access to
this data at any time.

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CHAPTER 2 - HOW CRM IMPROVE S PRODUC TIVIT Y

Better Intelligence
Companies that embrace AI will be able to create modern experiences Artificial intelligence also creates opportunities for sales reps. Here are
their customers expect. For the first time, businesses have access to three ways in which sales reps can leverage AI to close more deals:
the analytics, computing power, and data that will transform how they
approach their customer relationships. AI will help discover critical • Data is automatically captured, enabling reps to focus on the
insights about customers and their preferences, predict the best actions most valuable leads first.
to move relationships forward, and recommend and automate actions
to increase sales productivity. • Predictive sales help reps capture new opportunities and
forecast potential sales.
So, what does AI for CRM look like? Imagine being able to capture
real-time signals, wherever they occur — from a customer’s support • Digital assistants will analyse relevant news about each prospect
request to a prospect’s tweet. Now, imagine being able to analyse every and customer.
data point pulled from your CRM to create a complete view for each
customer. Integrating AI and CRM essentially allows for automated
customer reports, efficient data capture, and even a prediction of
future customer behaviour. It’s a whole new way of connecting to your
customers and prospects, with intelligence powering a new era of
customer success.
Customer Relations Management

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CHAPTER 2 - HOW CRM IMPROVE S PRODUC TIVIT Y

Collecting Customer Data Don’t Forget to Think Mobile

For successful prospecting and pitching, you must gather vital

The Mobile Sales Team
information on potential clients. However, finding time to do so while
also trying to make your month’s numbers can be hard. CRMs help solve As you consider CRM solutions, it’s important to consider that the
this problem by collecting valuable customer data, including: modern sales team is no longer confined to their desks for 8 hours
a day. They are always on, always connected, and incredibly mobile.
• Client history When considering any new tool, including a CRM, you should make
sure the technology enhances this shift in productivity and fits into
• Current client preferences your sales team’s existing workflows.

• Client social media presence Mobile CRM Tools

When considering CRM tools, you’ll notice that a rare few have
• Client infrastructure details functional mobile components. Make sure the technology you are
considering does not just add mobile functionality as an afterthought.
• Past sales interactions Solutions like the Salesforce Mobile App were built with a team’s
productivity in mind. Designed with apps and features that streamline
the sales process and enhance everyday operations, a true mobile CRM
can mean the difference between a solution that merely helps your
business and one that revolutionises it.

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CHAPTER 3

How to Craft a CRM Strategy

As significant as it may be, building a successful CRM system
isn’t just about choosing the right technology. From a business
perspective, you also need a fool-proof plan. Here are seven
basic steps to building a winning plan:

1 Define Your Vision

Some people dismiss vision statements as a waste of time,
but successful sales leaders know the value of having a clear,
reputable, action-oriented vision that your team can rally
around. Your vision can be many things, from becoming a
market leader for sales in your region to redefining customer
service within your industry. Make it both aspirational enough
to have an impact and clear enough that the entire organisation
can understand it.

2 Define Your Strategy

Your strategy is what makes your vision achievable. Say you want
to be a market leader for sales. Do you do this by competing
on price, by offering different products, or by emphasising your
great after-sales service?

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CHAPTER 3 - HOW TO CR AF T A CRM STR ATEGY

3 Define Your Business Objectives

Business objectives are where vision and strategy get translated
7 Define Your Roadmap
You shouldn’t look at building an effective CRM system as a
into day-to-day work. A common mistake when implementing “big bang” event. Yes, a successful rollout is vital, but being able
a new CRM system is to replicate in it all the old business to deliver enhancements and new features after you go live is
objectives and processes, complete with their inefficiencies. equally important. Plan beyond launch day and consider what
Instead, view your implementation as an opportunity to review other capabilities you need to deliver for the business.
and optimise how you work.

Now that your CRM system and strategy are in place, it’s time to see the

4 Get Your Team on Board

Executive sponsorship is vital for your CRM vision, your
best ways to measure and maximise the technology.

strategy and business objectives, and a successful rollout.

A lack of executive sponsorship is a major contributing factor
QUICK SUMMARY:
to CRM failure.
Get on the path to success by creating a
comprehensive CRM strategy. Follow these

5 Identify the Metrics

The saying “you can’t manage what you can’t measure” sums
tips to get started on the right foot:

Define Your Vision

up this point nicely. Metrics should be visible to everyone, and
Define Your Strategy
this means creating dashboards for all levels of the organisation,
from sales reps and managers to the executive team. Define Your Business Objectives

Get Your Team on Board

6 Prioritise Your Initiatives

You’re not going to get everything done at once, so decide
Identify the Metrics

Prioritise Your Initiatives

what’s the most important to deliver first. Training is often the
Define Your Roadmap
priority, so everyone is ready to use the new CRM system as soon
as it is available.

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CHAPTER 4

Maximising Your ROI

Here are several best practices to remember when
working to maximize your ROI, from CRM search’s
Karen D. Schwartz:

1 Choose a Cloud-Based CRM Solution

All major CRM vendors offer cloud versions of their apps.
Choosing this software as a service (SaaS) model means
companies no longer have to deal with things that on-premise
CRM apps demand, such as servers, software issues, and new
version upgrades.

2 Integrate with Applications that Provide Value

Take advantage of new business and social applications and
integrate them with your CRM system. This includes marketing
automation and accounting software and key social tools which
allows your company to capture real-time data.

3 Allow for Mobile Integration

Make everything accessible on mobile devices for your
salespeople so they can work from anywhere. This includes
things like reviewing correspondence and managing contacts
and accounts. The integration should also ideally work with
back-office systems, social networks and web conferencing.

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CHAPTER 4 - MA XIMISING YOUR ROI

Customer Spotlight:
4 Align Marketing and Sales Teams
CRM data is invaluable for leads for the sales department
Taylor & Hart
When London-based jewellers Taylor & Hart launched their online
and can show which marketing campaigns lead to closed sales. platform, they turned to Salesforce to help them keep that personal
But these insights can be missed if sales and marketing don’t touch when designing engagement rings.
work together. Your first plan of action should be to get both
departments together to map out common goals, and to With centralised customer information, regular surveys, and
discuss how to use the data. customer support, Salesforce has helped Taylor & Hart to protect
and enhance their customer experience and retain their business
values all while maintaining a high conversion rate.

5 Create Reports and Act on them

The right CRM application can present data in an almost READ THE FULL STORY HERE >
effortless preformatted report or dashboard. But this
analysis will do you no good if it is ignored. Take the time
to not only read the reports but to understand and act on
them when needed.
Almost everyone at Taylor & Hart uses

6 Building “Relationships” with Customers

CRMs are excellent tools to connect with your customers
Salesforce daily. Our entire customer
journey is managed through Salesforce,
and build relationships that grow over time. But don’t just including regular outreach. By automating
assume that everything is fine and well. Be aware that key processes, we can free up the team
customers evolve and change, and your business may to deliver the personal touch where
need to change with them.
it counts.
Nikolay Piriankov
CEO and Co-Founder

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Conclusion
A successful enterprise starts with a foundation
of great customer relationships. It is never just a
transaction between the buyer and seller, but more
so a relationship in which you, as the seller, connect
with people who need your product or service.

As your company expands, these connections

become more and more important. You should
share relevant information across the various
teams in your organisation that are in contact with
the customers. A CRM system can serve as a vital
nerve centre to manage the customer information
needed in a growing business. In a world where the
most successful companies are customer-focused,
CRM apps are the key.

In short, CRM apps are how businesses truly

become “customer companies” and thus thrive.

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Useful Resources

Salesforce Small
Business Demo Small Business Solutions Customer Stories Salesforce Resource Centre

Salesforce is the world’s Generate leads, drive sales, Find some inspiration by exploring Discover a range of useful
No.1 Customer Relationship increase customer satisfaction how Salesforce helped other resources with guides on just
Management (CRM) solution for and innovate as you grow. businesses just like yours to grow about everything you need to
small businesses. It’s cloud-based and succeed. help your business grow.
and easy to use, making it an ideal
solution for growing businesses.

WATCH THE DEMO LEARN MORE LEARN MORE LEARN MORE

15 Your Complete CRM Handbook salesforce.com