Why are traditional CRMs so complicated?

Also, many CRMs are not automated, meaning staff have to enter and update details manually. This could include logging calls or re-entering information that the system stores elsewhere. Doing this can complicate and slow down processes and affect the ultimate goal of turning leads into sales.

Little flexibility and limited communication 

Another issue is that traditional CRMs aren’t very flexible, particularly in terms of how sales teams use them. This means that a sales team has to work processes as the CRM dictates – in other words, work to suit the way it is structured and operates. As a result of this lack of flexibility, a business might need to employ a third-party specialist organisation to customise the CRM to suit its requirements and processes.

What’s more, CRMs are often quite limited in terms of communication methods with customers. For instance, they don’t typically come with integrated two-way communication, such as SMS and email functionality. This means that customer communication is separate from the CRM system and must be manually uploaded to keep the information surrounding customer interactions up to date.

Remote support

Another factor that makes traditional CRMs so complicated is the way in which your teams can request support for issues or queries with the system. Many CRM providers tend to only offer email support, meaning that your team could be wasting time waiting for a response for what could potentially be a simple and quick fix to the system.

Too many features and fields

Traditional CRMs tend to be feature heavy – another reason why they are so complicated, because they include lots of elements that your staff don’t need. While a series of features can benefit your business processes, too many can make processes complicated and deter from your key goals. Training staff to understand how to use these features, for instance, can take time, while using them can be distracting for staff and take their attention away from aims to increase your leads and get a better return on investment.

The systems can also contain many on-screen fields and points where data needs to be entered, such as during the sales process, which have no business value for your company. This can detract from your staff’s ultimate goal of closing a deal. The more data points you have to enter, the more complex the system is likely to become.

Making lead management simple for you and your business

For businesses that sell to consumers, an automated CRM specifically designed for B2C businesses where a lead is the central record, offers effective lead management. With out of the box two-way communication functionality, it offers an excellent alternative to a traditional CRM.

A B2C CRM that is simple to use is a system that is flexible enough to work around your business processes and can get the most from your team and sales leads to give you the results you want. It should also have optional fields and features that are relevant, offer automation and integrated customer communication.

Offering all of this and more is where FLG can help. We provide a tool set for lead management that can:

• Process your leads efficiently to help you follow up and successfully close more sales
• Effectively integrate with other software platforms, such as MailChimp and Campaign Monitor
• Utilise powerful workflows to communicate with customers and keep them informed

If you’d like to learn more about FLG’s products and how we can help your business with effective lead management, please take a look around the FLG platform features.