CRM is EVERYWHERE, and I mean everywhere. As more and more businesses see the need for CRM, more and more questions arise. Is it for me? What does it actually involve? Is the technology really here to stay? Isn’t it too complicated for a small business? To address these issues and clear up the mist surrounding small business CRM, here are 9 statistics you should be aware of.
#1 25% of Facebook and Twitter users expect a reply to their complaints via social media in less than 1 hour. – CRM can do this – In fact CRM can do a lot of this! Replying to messages and interacting with prospects based on the actions they take (aka triggered based marketing) is part of most CRM systems nowadays.
#2 6 years ago only 12% of businesses used cloud based CRM – This figure has now increased to 87% – The rapid increase of the use of the technology is mainly down to two factors: 1. CRM is now widely available to most businesses irrelevant of their size or industry, 2. Businesses owners tend to be a lot more tech savvy than they were 6 years ago meaning that what used to seem like a complex technology is now as easy to run as sending a tweet!
#3 CRM offers an average return of £5.60 for every £1 spent – That’s pretty good return on investment. The best part about CRM is the fact that you can track every activity, interaction and the action prospects have taken as a result making CRM one of the most easy to track marketing activities.
#4 Sales reps saw productivity increased by 15% when they had mobile access to CRM applications – Being able to note and refer to a customer’s record while on the road is essential for many sales reps. CRM makes accessing customer data a piece of cake!
#5 73% of companies have no process for reengaging and nurturing leads after sales. Does that sound familiar? Are you nodding your head in shameful agreement? The truth is too many of us don’t have an adequate strategy for what to do once a lead converts. CRM apps help you track their activities and it helps you communicate with them frequently to make them stay with you for longer as loyal customers.
#6 75% of sales managers who use CRM agree that the technology helps them close more sales deals faster.
#7 Research suggest that per sales person, a CRM can increase revenue by a whopping 41%!!! This statistic alone should motivate you to invest in a quality CRM system that meets the needs of your company.
#8 42% of small business plan to increase their CRM investment for marketing automation – Linking CRM to marketing automation is fast becoming an industry standard. The integration of both contact database and automated messages is a surefire way to streamline your processes and optimize lead to sale conversion.
#9 14% of CRM users work in the technology industry – Meaning that 86% of CRM users are from non-techny background. If you’ve been wondering is CRM is something you can dive into without too much technical knowledge, the answer is yes. There are a number of user-friendly CRM Sytems out there. You just need to find the one that’s right for you.
Hopefully these 9 stats have shed some light on the mystery that CRM is. Which statistics were you most surprised to learn about? Let me know!
