What is a CRM? (And why is it important for my small business?)

Tell me if this sounds familiar...

Everyone is talking about CRM's lately. From your business BFF to the small shop owner down the street, everyone on the 'gram - even your grandma...

But what the heck is a CRM?

Well, you're in luck. In this post, I'm breaking down exactly what a CRM is, how you can best use it for your small business, why it's so incredibly valuable for small business owners, and a brief overview of the CRM I most recommend for my clients.

Let's dive in!

What is a CRM?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Manager, and it's a cloud-based technology for managing all of a company's relationships and interactions with their clients and potential customers. The goal of a CRM is simple: to improve the relationships with your audience and streamline your connection with them. CRM's help companies stay connected to their customers, streamline their money-making business processes and improve profitability.

They basically give you a better way to manage the external relationships with your audience, leading to more sales.

In the past, businesses needed to hire robust teams to manage everything about their client interactions on the daily. Marketing teams, sales staff, HR, a tech team, management staff, call center staff, and so much more.

A CRM tool lets you store customer and prospect contact information, identify sales opportunities, offer courses & memberships, manage communication, and manage marketing campaigns, all in one central location WITHOUT the need of a hefty team to manage everyone.

Think tools like Hubspot, Kartra, or my favorite, Classy Customs.

With visibility and easy access to data, a CRM can help businesses of all sizes drive business growth, especially small businesses where teams often need to find ways to do more with less staff (I'm talking to you solopreneurs!)

How a CRM can benefit your small business.

CRM software consolidates all of your customers information, interactions and information, and brings it all together into a single database dashboard where you can easily access and manage all of your customer touchpoints.

In the past, you needed a ton of different technology platforms to manage your business efficiently and effectively and make sales.

With the advancements in technology, CRM's can streamline your business processes, meaning less tech, less $$ and more profit. Here are some key benefits:

1. Centralized Management: An all-in-one CRM provides a centralized platform to manage all aspects of client relationships, from lead generation to post-sales support. Coaches can track client interactions, progress, and communication history in one place, streamlining operations and saving time.

2. Efficient Communication: With built-in communication tools such as email, messaging, and task assignments, coaches can communicate with clients effectively and keep all communication organized within the CRM. This ensures clear and timely communication, leading to better client satisfaction and retention.

3. Automation and Workflow Optimization: An all-in-one CRM allows coaches to automate repetitive tasks, such as appointment scheduling, follow-up reminders, and payment processing. Automation streamlines workflows, improves efficiency, and frees up time for coaches to focus on high-value activities like coaching sessions and business development.

4. Lead Generation and Management: Many all-in-one CRMs offer lead generation and management features, such as lead capture forms, lead scoring, and lead nurturing campaigns. Coaches can attract and qualify leads more effectively, increasing their conversion rates and growing their client base.

5. Personalization and Customization: All-in-one CRMs enable coaches to personalize their interactions with clients by storing and analyzing client data, preferences, and behavior. Coaches can tailor their services and communication to meet each client's unique needs, fostering stronger relationships and loyalty.

6. Analytics and Reporting: With built-in analytics and reporting tools, coaches can track key performance indicators (KPIs), measure the effectiveness of their marketing and sales efforts, and identify areas for improvement. Data-driven insights empower coaches to make informed decisions and optimize their strategies for better results.

7. Scalability and Growth: As coaches scale their business, an all-in-one CRM can grow with them, offering scalable features and pricing plans to accommodate their expanding client base and evolving needs. This scalability ensures that coaches can continue to deliver high-quality service and support as their business grows.

Overall, an all-in-one CRM provides online business coaches with the tools they need to streamline operations, improve communication, automate tasks, generate and manage leads, personalize interactions, analyze performance, and scale their business effectively. It serves as a valuable asset for coaches looking to enhance their efficiency, effectiveness, and client satisfaction in today's competitive market.

So what CRM would you recommend?

While there is an array of different CRM tools out there, as an OBM and systems & automations expert, I found so many of the other software lacked certain capabilities (without spending a small fortune) needed by many of my clients - so I created Classy Customs to best serve them and their clients.

With plans starting at just $129/month, I help my clients set up their dashboard, get all of their client, marketing and website information over to the platform and integrated so they can manage their businesses WITHOUT all the tech, big $$$ and overwhelm.

Why should I choose Classy Customs over the other CRM's out there?

Here are the top 10 reasons why my clients move off of CRM's like Kartra, Hubspot or Click Funnels and onto my custom built solution:

1. One-Stop Solution: With Classy Customs, users get access to a wide array of tools in one platform, from managing contacts to marketing campaigns, saving time and avoiding the hassle of juggling multiple software subscriptions.

2. User-Friendly Interface: Even users without technical backgrounds can navigate Classy Customs easily, thanks to its intuitive design and simple workflows, ensuring a smooth user experience from day one.

3. Branding Opportunities: For agency owners and freelancers, Classy Customs white-labeling feature allows them to customize the platform with their branding, creating a professional and consistent client experience.

4. Automate Routine Tasks: Users can automate repetitive tasks like email follow-ups, appointment scheduling, and lead nurturing, freeing up time to focus on more strategic aspects of their work.

5. Grow with Your Needs: Whether you're just starting out or managing a large client base, Go High Level can scale with your needs, offering flexible pricing plans and adaptable features to accommodate your growth.

6. Join a Supportive Community: Users become part of a vibrant community of marketers, agencies, and entrepreneurs, where they can exchange ideas, learn from others' experiences, and get valuable advice and support.

7. Tailor to Your Needs: Classy Customs offers customization options, allowing users to personalize workflows, templates, and campaigns to match their unique business requirements and preferences.

8. Seamless Integration: Users can integrate Classy Customs with their favorite third-party tools and services, ensuring a smooth workflow and maximizing the value of their existing software stack.

9. Gain Insights: Classy Customs robust analytics and reporting features empower users to track and analyze the performance of their marketing and sales efforts, helping them make informed decisions to improve results.

10. Responsive Customer Support: Users can count on Classy Customs responsive customer support team to assist them with any questions or issues they may encounter, ensuring a positive experience and smooth operation of the platform.

In summary, users can benefit from Classy Customs convenience, ease of use, branding opportunities, automation capabilities, scalability, community support, customization options, integration capabilities, analytics, and reliable customer support.

Want to learn more about Classy Customs, how I can help you build, launch and grow your business, and what's included in your Classy Customs membership? Click here to learn more and book your complimentary consultation.

xo, Jessica