Organize Your Customers Like a Pro

Capitalizing on Technology

Technology is continually revolutionizing how businesses operate all over the world. Before, people had to travel long miles just to meet and discuss. Now they can have virtual meetings online. A few years ago, you needed several gadgets to do several tasks, but now, one handy smartphone or tablet can do it all. Processes that used to require several personnel can now be done by one person using an effective computer software. Thanks to technology, you can now do almost anything online and the moving industry is no exemption to this digital revolution.

CRM and Online CRM Tools for Carriers

Customer Relation Management or CRM is one of the most important tasks in business. It involves communication, coordination, management of customers and employees, as well as the proper distribution of goods to your clients. Customer Relation Management will ensure that you get the right customers and keep them coming back for future business.

And with the advent of Web 2.0 and many other game-changing software programs, CRM for moving companies can now be done online.

Online CRM tools can direct clients, coordinate activities, manage sales, handle operations, track inventory, communicate with customers, and organize employees. Fast and easy, these are the keywords here.

CRM tools are designed to help your staff manage the entire moving process. This involves:

The pre-move sales process

A lot of third-party websites will offer to sell you leads from their online marketing efforts.

PROS

This is great for companies who are just starting out and who don’t have a recognizable name in the industry yet. It’s a good avenue to have a regular stream of potential customers which, if handled correctly, can result into sales.

CONS

You just have to be careful in choosing the right sales and lead generation softwares or services because not everyone is dedicated in providing quality leads. You should also be wary of companies who oversell the leads they get. For example, a lead can get sold again and again to 20 different companies. So of course, by the time you get it, there’s too many to compete with or the client may have chosen a company already.

Operational planning and Project implementation

Various moving software packages enable moving companies to direct, coordinate and communicate activities, manage sales, operations, inventory, customers and employees. Some of the most popular CRM tools are for employee dispatch and move order management.

PROS

Having these tools can help you in streamlining everyday processes and ensure that everything happens with precision. This will also help to limit the size of your team if you are still performing under limited resources.

CONS

While this will definitely lighten your load, getting this too soon (if you’re still a start-up) could rob  you of the opportunity to learn from doing all the work yourself and then training your employees with it, the old fashioned way.

Invoices and Payments, Financial Procedures

CRM tools can also aid you in invoice and payment management. This is helpful in keeping track balances and payment schedules.

PROS

Having this system in place will definitely help you if you don’t have a solid accounting team yet. It can issue automatic invoices and base it on the estimates given. It will also prevent any pending projects or payments from being overlooked.

CONS

However, you should still remember that nothing beats the expertise of a real accountant or accounting team because aside from doing these tasks, they can also give you counsel in terms of taxation, audits, etc.

Customer Engagement

CRM tools can also help you in getting your customers involved in the process.

PROS

They can provide you with tools that will allow your customers to create a more accurate inventory of their possessions and therefore give you the opportunity to give a far better estimate.

CONS

While online estimates are very efficient, especially if the customer gives accurate descriptions and details, always remember that nothing can beat the accuracy of an on-site estimate done by a pro (that you employ) at the actual household of your client.

Post-move performance reporting

CRM tools can also help you to monitor and track the performance of your team over a specific period of time.

PROS

Data gathered from your various tools can automatically be aggregated to produce various reports. You can also have your clients fill out online forms to give you valuable feedback.

CONS

Again, getting this to soon could mean in you not learning some of the basic ropes if your business. You can try approaching or contacting your clients personally first and ask them for feedback. You should also practice gathering and analyzing data before you go completely digital.

The advantages of using CRM Tools

Effective CRM software can greatly help the performance and sales of any moving company. Here are some of the most common advantages to be gained:

• Streamline processes – CRM tools offer robust utilities that can manage and coordinate office schedules, employee information, vehicle data, service availability, claim liability and many more. A well executed CRM program can save time and cost in training personnel and managing multiple systems. CRM tools can help streamline lead identification, order placement and resource dispatch.
• Better organization – Since everything is done on computers, there’s less paperwork to be dealt with. Locating files is easy and your office will definitely be free from the usual stacks of cluttered paper.
• Remote management – Most CRM tools can be accessed as long as you have an internet connection. For managers this is means that you can easily track progress no matter where you are. You can always stay on top of things 24/7.
• Safe access – You can also put security measures in place if you don’t want your whole team to access all of your data. CRM providers often provide restriction options as well so you can control who can access, view, or change certain files or tools.
• Business growth – If done right, CRM tools can result in outstanding business growth for any company. This is the result of cost reduction, pricing control, faster dispatching, improved employee efficiency and overall profit increase.

Are you still living in the past and using outdated ways of Customer Relationship Management? We’re in the 21^st Century now and it’s time for your business to go full throttle. An automated online CRM tool may be just what you need.

To know more about CRM software platforms for moving companies, you can visit the following:

1. http://www.granot.com
2. http://www.movepoint.com
3. http://www.moveware.com.au/go/moveware-index.aspx
4. http://www.moveninja.com

As a last note, remember that it’s a hi-tech world out there and there’s nothing wrong with trying to make the most out of it!