It's been said quite a few times that the only difference between a great salesperson and an average on is the attention to prospect follow-up. Anyone involved in sales has seen the numbers that say that it takes 7 touches to get a sale, but most salesman stop at just 1 or 2. What does that tell you? It seems pretty obvious that if you keep in touch with prospects that it will result in more business for you and your company. But why isn't it that easy? If the stats are on their side, then why in the world would a salesman start over with a new prospect when they still haven't exhausted the existing one. My thoughts are that it might be because it's so difficult to keep track of who and when you talked to and that is exactly what a contact management software is for.

CRM software is a program that makes it easier for salesman to effectively followup on their leads. There are many options available for contact management software. You can buy the software for install on your own server, use a web based hosted crm solution, or you could even try one of the many open source crm software options. Obviously, each one of these has it's good points and bad points, but the important thing is that salespeople are using a solution that will get them on the track of having a system for following up on their leads and prioritizing them.

One of the more popular solutions in recent years has been a hosted CRM solution. This is popular for many different reasons. As we all know, the salesman's job is to be on the road and visiting customers as much as possible so it's vital that they have access to all their records. Hosted CRM gives them that flexibility. As more salespeople are opting to work from their home or from different locations, this can be an incredible resource for them and for their managers. First off, it gives the salesperson more flexiblity in how they manage their day. Being in sales means that salesperson needs to be on the road most of the day. Being on the road means that they need to stick around the office to fill out their call notes when they would much rather go home to their family and complete their notes from their home on their time. It also has it's pluses for managers as well. For example, in a household where both husband and wife work, it's not uncommon to have to switch off staying home with a sick child. This gives a salesperson the ability to still be productive while they are at home. Or if they are leaving for a vacation in the morning, but still want to make a few phone calls. Hosted CRM gives them that option.

Small businesses are also discovering that CRM is not only for big companies. More and more business owners are looking for small business crm solutions to grow their business and take it to the next level. Many CRM Software companies have seen this trend and have come out with programs specifically geared at small businesses, even ones that require just one user for a nominal monthly fee. Having the ability to followup with key customers is so vital for small businesses and their growth.

So, there are many reasons to have a business contact manager in place. You might be in the middle of trying to justify the cost to yourself. I always look at purchases like this by thinking about what the impact of just a few more clients could have on the business. When you think about it that way, it's very easy to justify the cost to anyone. CRM allows salespeople to have a spot where they can come in and check their records for the day and get more accomplished because they have a clear head. It's not only good for the sales professionals, but also for the management team. Being able to see the pipeline of the entire team puts them in a better position when it comes to cash flow projections and figuring where the company will be in a year. Besides the obvious benefits, sales contact management programs are great for even the little things, like remembering an important customers birthday. What better reminder that you care about your customers than by sending a card on their birthday? Those little things make a big difference and are just some of the reasons that a good contact manager can be valuable to your company.