An insurance customer relationship management (CRM) tool helps agents and brokers manage policies and renewables, prioritize leads, and connect to prospects with tools like document handling and workflow automation. We examined 20 general and insurance-specific programs, comparing price and functionality to identify the top six for small agencies and overall best for growing teams. Top…
The Ultimate Guide to Sales Forecasting + Free Template
Sales forecasting involves estimating future sales or revenue. It’s done by examining past sales performance while considering upcoming campaigns, initiatives, or marketplace trends. You can forecast sales by multiplying the value of your sales pipeline by the probability of closing those deals, or by multiplying your historical periodic performance by your current growth. Using a…
7 Steps to Train Your Team on CRM (+ Free Checklist)
For most companies, buying customer relationship management (CRM) software is a sizable financial investment. However, CRMs are only effective when used properly, which all begins with creating a proper team training program that ensures team buy-in, is broken out into digestible sessions, and incorporates the best practices that fit your business. Free CRM Training Checklist…
How to Use Trello as a CRM in 4 Steps
Trello is primarily a project management software, but it can be easily customized for basic CRM functionality using its Kanban interface, custom fields, calendar, and Google Drive integrations. This allows businesses with simple sales processes to use Trello as a way to save money on CRM software. However, while Trello is free to start using,…
6 Best Free & Paid Open Source CRM Software 2020
Open source customer relationship management (CRM) software is a customizable application that manages contacts and deals. It is often free to download but typically requires advanced technical ability to implement and use. We compared a variety of solutions for functionality, installation difficulty, technical support, and overall ease of use to arrive at the best six…
How to Sell Stock Photos Online: Top 11 Places to Sell Your Photography
Selling stock photos online is a terrific way to make money from your photography. There are many ways to go about selling your photos, but 11 stand out above the rest. The easiest way to sell photos is to become a contributor on stock image sites that already have millions of buyers, such as Shutterstock,…
How to Build an Effective Inside Sales Team in 5 Steps
Building an effective inside sales team includes finding great talent and teaching them skills such as cold calling, qualifying prospects, promoting your products and services, and closing deals remotely. Unlike outside sales reps, they often rely more on technology, such as video conferencing tools, email, and phone systems, to communicate with prospects. Inside sales teams…
Unique Selling Proposition: Definition, Examples & Benefits
A unique selling proposition (USP) is the reason your product or service is different from the competition and answers the customer’s question, “Why should I buy your product instead of someone else’s?” Creating one for your business means identifying the factors that set you apart and crafting a message that ties them to your customer’s…
Sales Onboarding for New Team Members
Sales onboarding is the process of training, coaching, and educating newly hired sales team members in an organization. It involves giving new hires the skills, knowledge, and tools to do their job well. It also helps them understand the culture of the organization and learn how the sales process works so they can close deals…
15 Sales Interview Questions & Answers to Hire the Best Sales Candidate
Hiring excellent salespeople is the lifeblood of any sales organization. You’ll never hit your sales goals without putting the right team in place, so it’s key to make sure you have a great interview process in place to hire the right people. Know what questions you plan to ask, and what to look for in…
5 Ways CRM Can Help Your Business Grow
When business owners think about how to improve customer satisfaction, the first thing that often comes to mind is customer relationship management (CRM) software. After all, “customer relationship” is part of the title. However, CRM can also help grow your business in ways that go beyond the customer relationship. 1. Increased Employee Satisfaction While one…
6 Best CRMs That Integrate With Xero
Xero CRM integration can allow businesses to sync contacts, create invoices, and track customer payments from within one platform, closing gaps in information and reducing the time spent switching between the two tools. We evaluated dozens of CRMs and compiled a list of the six best CRMs offering Xero CRM integration, including the best overall….