Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1537616
JULY 2025 I PCB007 MAGAZINE 59 history? Or will you be trying to find the password to Steve's Excel file named "Customers and Pros- pects" that you hope he put in the cloud? Why You Need a CRM Here are some reasons to stop dragging your feet and implement a great CRM system now. 1. Accountability A CRM shines a bright light on what's being done— and what's not. Who followed up? Who dropped the ball? What stage is that big quote in? It brings visibility, and puts performance in the spotlight where it belongs. Salespeople who are doing the work will love it. … 2. Follow-up that doesn't fail The biggest sales killer is a lack of follow-up. A sales manager should worry when they hear state- ments such as, "I meant to call them," "They said to reach out in April," and "I think they were inter- ested." Sales is not a memory contest. Your CRM can do the work for you with reminders, alerts, timelines, and tasks, telling you exactly who to call, when, and why. 3. Pipeline management Stop guessing and forecast better. A good CRM provides visibility into your entire sales pipeline: All stages of the quoting process, accounts won, where you need to follow up, and what's stuck. You can sort by rep, product, and region, giving you a whole list of variables to get the information you need, the way you need it. It removes your blindness and gives the gift of sight. 4. Improved collaboration Sales isn't a solo sport. With a CRM, your team can share notes, tag teammates, assign follow-ups, and work together on accounts. If someone's out sick, the handoff is seamless. If a customer calls in, anyone can pull up the history. A CRM system ele- vates your service game 100% of the time. 5. Customer retention The money is in repeat customers. The best com- panies open relationships, and a CRM helps you keep those relationships warm. A CRM keeps those relationships alive by providing reminders for service calls, thank-you notes, warranty check- ins, and reorders. 6. Data-driven decisions W. Edwards Deming said, "In God we trust, all oth- ers bring data." With a CRM, you can pull reports on how long your sales cycle is, which reps are crushing it, what industries respond best, which sources bring the most leads, and where deals are dying. You stop guessing what's working, and start knowing. 7. Onboarding new reps Hiring and onboarding new salespeople is much easier with a CRM. Because all accounts, contacts, and conversations are already in the system, a new salesperson doesn't have to start from zero. They can pick up where the last person left off and hit the ground running. That is solid gold, both for that new employee and their employer. 8. Marketing and sales alignment A CRM helps the sales and marketing teams together by tracking which leads came from which campaigns. It lets marketing see what kind of leads turn into deals. It lets sales request specific con- tent for specific customers.