How does one efficiently track their consulting leads? This is a question that many consultants are asking themselves these days. With so many different project opportunities to choose from, it can be challenging to know which one is best for you. That's where CRM systems come into play!
This blog post will discuss ten must-have features and automations for CRM systems built around the consulting industry.
Why Do Consultants Need CRM Software?
Managing a consulting business can be tricky since there are so many different moving parts. Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) is your best friend when it comes to keeping track of all those moving parts - from new leads, to project status updates, and even the future phases in a multi-phase project!
With a high-quality CRM solution, you can gain powerful insights into your sales process and how your consulting business performs. You’ll be able to make strategic decisions about future moves. This will allow you to grow your consulting practice as quickly as possible.
The best CRM for consultants should have these CRM features:
1. Contact Management
Instead of having to manually keep track of every email that you send to a potential consulting client, the best CRM solutions for consultants should allow you to manage customer data more easily.
You may want to include basic information such as name, company, phone number, and address. When used correctly, contact management systems can enhance your ability to follow up with customers consistently.
Not only that, but you can also manage customer interactions. This way, if one of your clients decides to become an investor in your consulting business or even refer another potential client to you, you will be able to keep track of these relationships and prioritize future work accordingly!
Pro Tip: CRM Automation: What It Is and How It Can Help Your Business
2. Automation and Processes
Instead of facing redundant tasks manually, automate the more repetitive aspects of your daily work. Automation lets you focus your attention on other things that will help grow your consulting business - instead of wasting precious time doing menial tasks like updating project statuses or following up with leads.
Here is a list of some basic automation rules for CRM systems:
- Email Follow-up: If a lead hasn't responded to an email within 24 hours, send them another reminder.
- High Priority Leads: Mark high-priority leads as such and prioritize future lead follow-up accordingly. This way, you won't lose track of which leads need the most attention.
- Project Statuses: Update a client's project status after each phone call or meeting. This ensures that you're always on the same page with your consultants, allowing them to keep up with your future work plans.
- Client Surveys: Survey clients regularly to get valuable feedback about how well you perform as a consultant.
- Contact Forms: If a client is interested in working with you, they will fill out your contact form. Make sure to track each lead so that you can prioritize their needs accordingly.
Marketing automation is vital because it frees up large blocks of time and helps consultants run their practices more efficiently.
3. Lead Management
Not only should the best CRM for consultants manage contacts on a basic level, but it should also be able to capture leads and track their progress as they go. This process spans from the lead itself, all the way up to the client.
Lead management functions are important for consultants because they help with sales forecasting - a huge part of running a successful consulting practice, since it allows you to predict what will happen in the future.
It also allows you to develop a sales pipeline so that you can plan out future work and goals. You'll be able to see which leads are more likely to become clients of your consulting business, enabling you to prioritize these leads according to the data you have on them.
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4. Project Workflows
It's essential to keep track of your project statuses in your CRM for consultants. This will allow consultants to manage client relationships much more efficiently and ensure that they are always happy with the work being done.
An easy way to accomplish this is by using workflow rules within your CRM system, which allows you to automate specific tasks. For example, you can automate project status updates, email notifications to clients about these updates, and send out reminders for information needed.
This makes it easier to manage your clients because your consultants will always know what they are working on at any given moment.
5. Email Campaigns
Email campaigns are a vital part of any business. From welcome emails to event invitations, your email list must be well-maintained and active.
Fortunately, the best CRM for consultants will include all of the tools you need to keep track of prospects and clients through automated lead scoring algorithms.
By using these features in conjunction with a CRM system, you will be able to manage your email campaigns more efficiently and ensure that they provide real value for your customers!
Additionally, automated rules allow you to schedule emails based on how likely a client is to become a customer. By using automated rules, you can give each and every one of your leads personalized attention, without all of the manual work!
Pro Tip: The Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing Automation: Everything You Need To Know
6. Reporting and Analytics
One of the essential features that a CRM should have is reporting and analytics.
Reporting and analytics give you scope into the general health of your sales pipeline over time. Through efficient utilization of this data, you can pinpoint both efficient and inefficient parts of your system.
It's easy to create customizable reports within any good CRM for consultants. With the proper tools, you can track your progress and make well-planned systematic improvements.
It's also important to track the effectiveness of your marketing strategies and which marketing channels are generating the best ROI.
7. Text Message Campaigns
A good CRM system will also include a text messaging platform that lets you communicate with your customers via SMS messaging.
This is especially helpful for your sales and marketing efforts! Mixing in text messaging with your email marketing campaigns will increase your overall performance.
You will usually reach people much faster with a text message vs. an email, so you should be taking advantage of this feature.
8. Mobile Phone Support
It's essential to make sure that your CRM system is fully accessible from any device at all times.
That way, no matter where you are or what you're doing on a given day, it will still be easy to manage new leads and keep track of client relationships.
There shouldn't be anything standing in between you and success. A good CRM for consultants will work efficiently, whether you're at your desk or on the go!
9. Appointments and Tasks
If you provide consultations, your CRM must keep track of all upcoming appointments and tasks.
A CRM that tracks appointments and tasks serves as a helpful aid that negates last-minute scheduling conflicts.
You can use custom fields to specify details within your CRM. For example, each appointment can have the necessary information about your appointment and have it easily visible from a project board or contact record.
This makes it much easier to plan out your schedule because you'll always know what's coming up.
10. Quotes Creation & Sending
Last but not least, an automated CRM for consultants should include a quote creation feature that allows you to send out quotes to any new leads quickly.
This is the ultimate time-saver because it means your prospects will be able to get their quote within seconds, and you won't have to spend hours working on creating quotes manually.
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Conclusion
There are a lot of CRM systems for consultants that you can choose from. However, it's crucial to find one with the proper features and automation tools needed to succeed in your industry!
If you want help getting started, feel free to contact us today!
