In today’s competitive sales environment, CRM (customer relationship management) is no longer a “nice-to-have” option, it is a critical business tool.
In fact, nine out of ten businesses with more than 11 employees use one (DemandSage).
That means to gain an edge, you don’t just need a CRM — you need to know how to use it.
Your CRM needs to be more than a cloud-based customer index. It needs to be a process-optimizing, efficiency-driving machine.
With CRM automation, it can be.
In this article, we will take a closer look at CRM automation and explore how you can use it to improve sales collaboration.
For more on how to use CRM automation to improve your entire sales process, check out our article, How to Use CRM Automation to Crush Your Sales Goals.
What is CRM automation?
CRM automation is a broad term that encapsulates a wide range of functionalities and features that automate repetitive and redundant tasks. Some examples of common CRM automation features include:
- Automated data management- A CRM can automatically collect, distribute, and store data from various sources, such as:
- Emails
- Web forms
- Social media
- Integrated software tools
- Automated communication management- A CRM enables businesses to automate communications through various channels like email and SMS.
Communications can be sent based on predefined triggers or actions, and you can personalize the messaging and channel according to the needs and preferences of the recipient.
- Automated reporting and analytics- A CRM allows businesses to measure and analyze performance in real-time.
Dashboards can be automatically updated to reflect every conversion, win, stage change, and milestone.
Reports can be automatically generated based on up-to-date data and metrics.
Your pipeline can be automatically updated with every new opportunity.
- Automated notifications and reminders- Automated alerts can be set up to keep employees informed about deal/stage changes, upcoming tasks, handoffs, and deadlines.
The benefits of CRM automation
CRM automation provides many different benefits across many different roles and departments. Some broadly applicable examples include:
- Enhanced productivity- CRM automation all but eliminates manual data entry and other repetitive tasks. This helps your teams focus on high-value activities that drive results.
- Streamlined operations- CRM automation can help ensure that all your best practices are followed and that nothing falls through the cracks. This leads to better experiences for your customers and better results for your business.
- Data-driven decision-making- CRM automation provides you with data-driven insights that can inform business strategy and process refinement.
While these examples can give you a general idea of how CRM automation can help your business, we need to examine specific work processes to fully understand the impact these powerful CRM tools can have.
Let’s take a deep dive into the ways CRM automation tools can improve your sales processes.
CRM automation for sales: Sales process optimization
Sales processes are often complex and multi-faceted, requiring sales reps to remember many different steps and use a variety of tools. CRM automation features can be used to address these challenges through:
- Workflow automation- CRM automation capabilities allow sales teams to create workflows that facilitate better sales processes.
For example, tasks can be automatically assigned to sales reps based on predefined triggers such as stage changes or completed activities.
This leads to smoother hand-offs and easier transitions across the entire customer journey.
You can also use CRM workflow tools to automate repetitive tasks such as updating customer statuses after a deal is closed or submitting product requests.
With CRM automation, sales processes become built-in, reducing the chance of human error, streamlining complex procedures, and aligning teams across all departments
- Integration- A CRM can integrate with other software tools to create a seamless experience for employees and customers alike.
For example, by integrating with a cloud-based calendar tool, a sales rep can send an open meeting invite to a customer with their availability updated in real-time.
If the meeting involves other team members, their availability can be synched, allowing the customer to select a time when everyone is available.
Once a time is selected, a CRM automation can then send a notification to everyone involved (including the customer), informing them of the date and time.
If the customer misses the meeting, an automated follow-up message can go out informing them and requesting a rescheduling of the meeting with a list of available times.
A CRM can integrate with other software tools to create a seamless experience for employees and customers alike.
The integration possibilities of CRM vary by vendor, but if you use a CRM with an open API, the possibilities are practically endless.
FreeAgent CRM automation can help you crush your sales goals
FreeAgent CRM is designed for today’s world of work and our robust toolset is ideally suited to supporting the varied work processes of modern businesses. FreeAgent is:
- Easy to use: FreeAgent works like you expect modern apps to work, providing a user experience that feels fresh and familiar. Teams love working in FreeAgent, leading to high adoption and greater ROI.
- User-configurable: FreeAgent can be configured by you to work the way you do. This means you don’t need outside support to add a form field, adjust a CRM automated workflow, or try out a new process.
- Customizable: With FreeAgent, apps, forms, and configurations are all completely customizable, allowing you to capture and connect your data in any way you like.
To see FreeAgent in action, get a demo, and discover for yourself how FreeAgent can help you have workdays full of impact.
