Why you should upgrade from Spreadsheets to CRM Software?
Introduction
An SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) Manager would know the real struggle of using Excel Spreadsheets. An individual entry of every task in the Excel sheet is a quite time-consuming task. And a person who does that has to be very focused otherwise it’s gonna a disaster in the end. Small businesses do not have enough revenue to get their money on expensive software. But customizable CRM Software can help them to switch from the traditional pattern like Spreadsheets.
However, CRM software handles all the tasks like keeping track of leads and sales, it monitored success stories and also failures, It keeps tight control over the sales process. Executing these tasks can be challenging to manage for one person.
The Spreadsheets are used for years as the primary tool for the tasks like lead management, customer retention, accounting purposes, and day-to-day entry of employees. Later, it becomes very risky when the data for Excel is going from hundreds to thousands. A person can not handle all the tasks without any errors. He/She can make mistakes. So, it needs to be updated. The sales team or Marketing Team need this update to improve their performance.
That’s why In this blog, we would talk about why businesses or small shops need to switch from spreadsheets to CRM software. First, let’s take a look at What is CRM?
What is CRM Software?
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management software. It is a platform of technological tools and applications that help to manage and streamline interaction or building relationships with consumers. It is software that enables organizations, to track, and analyze customer data of businesses. it tracks the data throughout the customer lifecycle, from potential possibility to lead generation.
Can businesses need completely switch from spreadsheet to CRM Software?
Small and medium enterprises mostly depend on spreadsheets or Excel. Because it is simple to use and simple to transfer files because of its use worldwide. Moreover, Excel sheet help to perform basic calculation tasks, and do analyze data. But because of today’s nature of business simply Excel sheets could not do these tasks. That’s why we need CRM software.
However, You do not need to completely switch from Excel sheets. There is some software in the market that built CRM software around the need for Excel sheets. Ex. Reports of all the lead generation and day-to-day tasks of businesses are exported in Excel sheet format. That enables the business to collaborate with CRM as well as spreadsheets and it also improves the performance of the marketing team.
Reasons Why you should Upgrade from Spreadsheets to CRM Software?
1) Centralized and Organized Data
Spreadsheets become difficult to store on a large scale. And sometimes Data management of businesses would be complex. So, you need a system or software that stores all data which can be available anywhere, anytime.
CRM software offers a centralized and cloud-based solution to store and manage all customer-related information.
Information like Contacts, leads, accounts, communication history, and transaction detail can be easily organized with CRM. With a centralized approach, it is easier to retrieve and update information. Moreover, with centralized data, it becomes more secure and easily searchable.
2) Improves the Data Accuracy and Integrity
Manual entry in the Excel sheet sometime becomes error-prone for small businesses. Manual actions such as incorrect data and formulas, could result in the disaster of data management.
However, these errors can lead to inaccurate analysis, misguided decision-making, and compromised customer relationships.
CRM software automates work like data entry and reduces the risk of human errors. It ensures the accuracy of data. it maintains the integrity of the organizations. Automation feature improves the performance of employee also they can save valuable time on important tasks.
3) CRM improves the security of data
Spreadsheets or Excel sheets can easily copy, update, and shared with anyone. It is difficult to protect against the cybersecurity point of view. In addition, anyone can add data and data integrity can not maintain at the company level. Another disadvantage of an Excel sheet is that, it can easily be deleted and sometimes it is impossible to recover.
CRM software provides better data security compared to spreadsheets. CRM software works on authorization access control. Only authorized users can log in to the system and change data. It also works on data encryption. When some unauthorized user login into the system then data encryption secures the Excel sheets.
Moreover, as data privacy regulations continue to evolve, CRM software often includes built-in compliance features to help businesses to work hand in hand with data protection standards.
4) Improve Collaboration in the Marketing Team
A spreadsheet is a convenient and useful tool for managing a customer database. But as your business expands (as sure it will someday), your business generates more leads and customers, and it is difficult to manage them with an Excel sheet. before you know it, your team is finding difficulties with all customers. It might be possible that some of your customers miss the lead generation process. It is not acceptable in any business, every possible opportunity is the same.
CRM software provides a centralized platform where team members can access and update customer data in real time. This improves communication, streamlines marketing campaigns, and ensures everyone is working with the most up-to-date information.
5) Better Time Management
Without any software help sales team spent most of their time on the data entry work. If you want to grow businesses might consider that your marketing or sales team spend the most time on how to engage more customers rather than just typing in all details of the customer. In addition, Excel spreadsheets waste a huge amount of time and reduce employee productivity. It will result in a decrease in the company’s growth.
CRM software automates processes such as data entry, lead scoring, and email marketing, allowing the marketing team to focus on strategic activities that drive revenue. Potential customer information can easily be collected by CRM which is available on your platform.
6) Easy Administration
Access spreadsheets from multiple devices can be imitating task when your company’s leads increase rapidly. Also, editing is more difficult. CRM software simplifies administration and scalability. ConductCRM offers user-friendly interfaces, making it easier to manage customer data, track progress, and adapt to changing business needs.
ConductCRM’s customizable CRM software integrates with other business tools, such as email marketing platforms or customer support systems.
7) With the Use of AI(Artificial Intelligence)
Nowadays almost half of small and medium-sized businesses use AI in their sales and marketing. AI-powered CRM systems can analyze customer data, predict customer behaviour, and offer personalized recommendations.
For example, AI algorithms can identify patterns in customer preferences. By connecting with AI, businesses can enhance customer experiences, improve decision-making, and drive revenue growth.
Conclusion
In the last word, the spreadsheet has been a main tool for managing customer data, but integrating it with CRM software provides numerous advantages and benefits. It can transform your business’s relationship management with customers. However, it helps to retrieve old customers.
ConductCRM provides you with the most advanced CRM software that embraces technology, so businesses can stay competitive, deliver exceptional customer experiences, and foster long-term success.