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CRM adopotion: Slow but sure Though some leaders and business developers are still hesitant, many firms have seen results from incorporating customer relationship management systems. B E S T P R A C T I C E S
By LIISA ANDREASSEN Correspondent
KEY BENEFITS OF CRM Jim Steger, a partner at Sonoma Partners , which provides technology and business process consulting services to enterprise and mid-sized companies, says that, because firms have traditionally relied on separate databases to collect data on projects, manage financial information, and handle customer accounts, sharing information is a challenge. A well-implemented CRM system can organize and maintain information from multiple sources. Here are a few ways that a CRM system can help grow your firm: Proposal generation: Proposals often take a long time to compile because information comes from many different sources. With a CRM system, the process becomes more simplified. All the information can be consolidated into one central database. Many CRM systems even allow you to create templates for proposals, streamlining the process even further. Pipeline tracking: Successful firms know that the key to success is focusing your limited resources on the projects that you have the highest chance of winning. A CRM system helps standardize the sales process and tracks key data on all opportunities in the sales pipeline. Marketing campaign management: A CRM system can help firms target their marketing efforts to the most promising opportunities. In particular, CRM makes it easy to segment your audience by profiling clients and key industry sectors and sending them timely emails that are tailored to their specific needs. Marketers can even measure the effectiveness of each campaign in the same place. CRM systems provide a way for you to more efficiently manage business development and track client relationships. The centralization of information provides firms with insight into all aspects of the sales process and can even help identify areas for improvement.
H istorically, the AEC industry has not been an ardent adopt- er of customer relationship management software, but more and more firms are thinking it’s time for a change. RELATIONSHIP AND COMMUNICATION BUILDING. Jessica Kacmar, market- ing manager at RTM Engineering Consultants LLC (South Barrington, IL), a 100-person firm, says that the company uses SharpSpring as its CRM and marketing automation platform. “As our company grows into a national full-service MEP and civil engineering firm, it’s important to employ software that can cre- ate marketing and business-development efficiencies across all offices and job functions,” she says. SharpSpring allows RTM team members to easily document and organize client relationships by using custom fields that fit spe- cifically to their needs. In addition, through its marketing auto- mation function, the platform enables RTM to track visitors, ana- lyze behavior, and nurture prospective and current clients. “Since we deploy our marketing campaigns from the same plat- form as our CRM, we’re able to capture, categorize, and store what is important to each contact and develop useful and inter- esting content to send to target segments,” Kacmar says. RTM also sets reminders, follow-up processes, and generates re- ports in SharpSpring to continue to cultivate relationships. “This fusion of business-development and marketing creates bet- ter qualified leads and keeps us top-of-mind with current clients, ultimately generating increased revenue for the firm,” she says. Using a CRM and marketing automation platform also has its in- ternal advantages. The increased organization and collaboration that stems from the proper use and upkeep of SharpSpring pro- duces a more efficient and scalable model as RTM continues to grow and develop. “We all know the old adage, ‘time is money,’ so saving time wher- ever we can in our internal processes is a major benefit,” Kacmar says. “In the AEC world, with the focus on technology typically revolving around the cost- and time-saving benefits of Revit and See CRM, page 8 “This fusion of business-development and marketing creates better qualified leads and keeps us top-of-mind with current clients, ultimately generating increased revenue for the firm.”
THE ZWEIG LETTER SEPTEMBER 14, 2015, ISSUE 1119
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