CRM – Keep Your Whole Team on the Same Page

If you run a business, you need a CRM, you know how quickly customer information can get scattered. Sales has one set of details. Accounts has another. Someone else may have spoken to the customer on the phone.

When you need an update, nobody seems to have the full picture.

This is where a CRM system such as Ecirrus can help. It brings customer information and business activities together. As a result, your team can spend less time searching for answers.

At VirtualNumber, we see the value in connecting your telephone system, CRM and accounting software. Instead of working as separate systems, they can work together.

What Does a CRM Actually Do?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. In simple terms, it gives your business one place to manage customer information.

You can keep track of customers, enquiries and sales. You can also record the conversations and activities linked to them.

Think about a customer who phones your company for the first time. Someone takes the call and records a few details. They then promise to send a quotation.

A few days later, the customer phones again. However, the original employee is out of the office.

Without a proper CRM, the second person may have to ask the same questions again.

With customer information stored in a shared system, the next employee can check the history. They can see what has already happened and continue the conversation.

That is the practical value of CRM software. It helps your business keep track of customer relationships. It also helps when several employees deal with the same customer.

Your Telephone System and CRM Working Together

For many businesses, the telephone is still an important source of customer enquiries. Yet the phone system and customer records often work separately.

Imagine your sales team receives a call about a quotation sent last week. The salesperson needs to know who the customer is. They may also need to check what was discussed.

When a compatible telephone system integrates with Ecirrus, customer communication can become part of the wider customer management process.

Depending on the integration, staff may be able to access customer details. They may also be able to associate calls with customer records.

This can be useful when several employees answer incoming calls. The person answering the phone may not be the person who handled the original enquiry.

Instead, the team can use the available CRM information. This gives the employee a better understanding of what the customer needs.

The telephone features will depend on the system and configuration. Therefore, it is worth checking the specific integration before choosing the setup for your business.

No More Chasing Information Between Departments

One of the biggest frustrations in a growing business is having to chase information.

Sales may need to check an invoice with accounts. Accounts may need to confirm what was agreed with a customer. Meanwhile, the customer is waiting for an answer.

A connected CRM and accounting setup can help reduce this back-and-forth.

Ecirrus includes customer management, sales, finance and billing functions. It also supports integration with external systems.

The accounting packages and information that can synchronise will depend on the setup. Therefore, you should confirm the available options before choosing an integration.

For example, a customer may accept a quotation. Sales then needs to coordinate with accounts before the next step.

When relevant information is connected, the handover can be easier. Staff may also spend less time passing messages between departments.

There is another benefit. Your accounts department can focus on its work while sales staff continue looking after customers.

Everyone Knows What Is Happening

As a business grows, it becomes harder for one person to remember every customer and conversation.

A CRM gives your team a common place to work from. Sales can see the progress of opportunities. Customer service can refer to available customer information.

Management can also get a clearer view of outstanding work.

This becomes especially useful when employees work from different offices. It also helps when different people handle different stages of a sale.

A customer should not have to wait for one particular employee to return. Another team member should be able to help when the right information is available.

Of course, a CRM is only as useful as the information entered into it. Staff need to keep customer records up to date. They should also follow the same basic processes.

More Than Just a Customer Database

Ecirrus offers more than a place to store customer names and telephone numbers. It brings together CRM and wider business management functions.

These include sales, finance, project management and other operational tools.

That can help companies manage several areas of the business in one connected environment.

For instance, a customer enquiry may lead to a quotation. The quotation could then become an order. An invoice may follow, along with ongoing customer support.

When these activities are connected, employees can get a clearer view of the customer. They may not need to rely on separate emails or verbal updates.

The modules and integrations you need will depend on your business. There is little point paying for functions your team will never use.

For that reason, it makes sense to look at your actual requirements first.

Is It Time to Look at Your CRM?

You may already have a CRM system. But is it doing what you need?

If staff regularly ask each other for customer details, there may be a problem. The same applies if sales enquiries get forgotten.

Accounts and sales can also struggle when information is stored in different places.

In that situation, it may be worth looking at how your systems work together.

The answer is not always to add more software. Sometimes, the real benefit comes from connecting the systems you already use.

Ecirrus CRM can bring customer management together with other business functions. It can also work with compatible telephone and accounting systems.

The exact integrations will depend on your existing setup. For this reason, it is important to confirm the available options before implementation.

Get Your Business and Team Connected

Your customers should not have to explain the same problem to several people. That can happen when information is stored in separate departments.

A properly implemented CRM helps your team keep track of customer relationships. It also gives employees access to shared information.

Add suitable telephone and accounting integrations, and your business can connect more of its daily processes.

This can make everyday tasks easier to manage. More importantly, your team has a better chance of staying on the same page.

At VirtualNumber, we can discuss your telephone requirements and how Ecirrus CRM could fit into your business.

We can also help you look at the available telephone and accounting integrations. The right setup will depend on the systems your business already uses.

If you are considering Ecirrus CRM, contact VirtualNumber to discuss your requirements. We can help you explore a setup that suits the way your business works.

We can discuss your requirements and help you identify a setup that suits the way your business works or simply order it online.

You will also get with a telephone system for a multi user function , a domain and hosting package for your professional business email address