Lead management software helps sales teams organize and prioritize their leads with tools like lead scoring, filtering, and qualification. Though teams could store data in spreadsheets or in paper files, the best tool for the job is a customer relationship management system (CRM) designed to help sales professionals optimize their use of the lead data…
About the Author
Lisa McGreevy
Lisa McGreevy is a staff writer at Fit Small Business with a focus on business technology. Lisa has written for authoritative publications like Entrepreneur, Fierce Content Management, and PR Daily, and offered her insight on personal finance, health, and other topics.
CRM vs CDP: What They Are & When to Use Each
Most sales teams know of or use a customer relationship management (CRM) system to nurture budding and existing customer relationships and track engagement across all company touchpoints. Its lesser-known cousin, the customer data platform (CDP), analyzes the data you collect about your customers across several sources to better understand their current behavior and predict future…
6 Best Social CRM Platforms 2020
Social customer relationship management (CRM) platforms combine traditional CRM software with social media tools that help businesses better engage with prospects and customers on websites like Facebook and LinkedIn. We reviewed a variety of CRM software that offer robust social tools alongside core customer relationship management features like sales forecasting and pipeline management to find…
How to Integrate Constant Contact With CRMs
Constant Contact is powerful email marketing software small businesses use for new and existing customer outreach and communication. Integrating Constant Contact with customer relationship management (CRM) software works by ensuring the most up-to-date contact information is synchronized between platforms. It also ensures your email campaigns use the most current email address on file, reducing bounce…
6 Best CRMs for Nonprofits 2020
Customer relationship management (CRM) software for nonprofits helps organizations like charities and churches raise money, manage donor outreach, and strengthen volunteer relationships. We reviewed a variety of CRMs specifically designed for nonprofits as well as general purpose solutions that are adaptable to nonprofit environments. Check out our top six CRM recommendations and our choice of…
The Ultimate Guide to Customer Experience Management
Customer experience management (CXM or CEM) helps businesses track, analyze, and refine the way people interact with their brand to increase overall customer satisfaction. It begins as a concept (“are we delighting our customers?”) that’s followed by a series of activities (“how can we be sure?”). Well-executed CXM is an ongoing process of constantly reassessing…
6 Best Simple CRM Systems 2020
Most customer relationship management (CRM) systems are designed to be easy to use, but the definition of “easy” varies from user to user. Studies show only 47% of companies reach a 90% post-implementation adoption rate, which gives simple CRMs an edge over complex solutions that may deter user engagement. We reviewed dozens of CRMs to…
6 Best CRMs With Facebook Integration 2020
Facebook integration with customer relationship management (CRM) software helps businesses compare contact data with social profiles to keep databases current, ensure the right prospects are targeted, and track engagements. We researched dozens of options to compile this list of the best Facebook CRM integrations, including the overall best CRM for Facebook leads. How We Evaluated…
The Ultimate Guide to Understanding the CRM Process
The CRM process consists of activities that grow relationships with existing customers or new prospects. CRM means nurturing and expanding customer relationships while moving prospects through the sales pipeline. CRM is a process that takes place internally within your company but directly impacts the experience of the customer. Ensure the success of your customer relationships…
How to Increase CRM Adoption by Your Team
Implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) tool for your business can be both exciting and challenging. While a new CRM has the potential to better manage growth and accelerate workflows, adopting new software often requires team members to learn new procedures that can upset established daily routines. In fact, according to CIO Insights, a mere…
CRM Integration: The Ultimate Guide for 2020
CRM software comes with built-in features like contact management and reporting. However, many companies still prefer to use additional specialized tools for managing processes like accounting and marketing automation. CRM integrations connect your database with these third-party applications, making it more powerful and effective by streamlining tasks and eliminating the need to toggle back and…
CRM Analytics: Definition & Proven Benefits
Customer relationship management (CRM) analytics offer insights into areas like sales performance and customer service to show how a business is performing. Most CRMs offer automated analytics tools that helpfully aggregate data into meaningful reports instead of trying to sort through spreadsheets of cumulative data. Benefits of CRM Analytics Tracking The customer interaction data produced…