17 Feb
How to use a CRM system
in B2B sales
The basis of modern B2B marketing is collecting data from existing clients and potential ones – so-called leads. Acquiring leads of good quality is a really big challenge for marketers.
Some facts:
- Formstack data indicates that acquiring leads will be the most important goal for 67 surveyed specialists.
- At the same time, 84% of companies believe that a CRM system plays a key role in determining the quality of acquired leads.
- HubSpot data shows that 40% of salespeople still store customer data, and all conversation history with them, in Excel files or old emails
Perhaps that is why over 79% of acquired leads never transform into customers. However, in addition to improving the quality of acquired leads, the implementation of a CRM system in the B2B segment also has many other advantages.
All data stored in one place
A CRM system allows you to store all knowledge about companies and related people in an orderly and searchable way. You can find employee contact numbers, details of trade negotiations, signed contracts, and purchase histories. Thanks to that, the risk of losing contact with a key partner or making a mistake in a customer’s order decreases to a minimum.
A more and more common situation is a moving away from dividing marketing into B2B and B2C in favor of marketing H2H (human 2 human). In fact, although the client is a company, contact always takes place with a specific person.
A company shouldn’t be completely dependent on its salespeople. A good salesperson can get an attractive offer from another company, or simply get sick. If, along with his or her disappearance, all knowledge about the relationship with the client goes away, a big problem arises
How to handle long sales cycles?
B2B sales is based on fewer numbers of orders but for more significant amounts of money, therefore the sales cycle is usually much longer than in B2C and needs to be preceded by thorough research.
- 93% of B2B sales begin with searching information on the internet.
Thanks to a CRM system, it is possible to master these longer sales cycles by reminding customers about your offer or sending them messages after a suitable time. A CRM system helps you to remember potential leads that you may have forgotten. The system allows you to automate the processes. This solution also allows you to highlight priority customers and take care of those who have been with the company for many years.
All data at your fingertips
A CRM system is a digital repository of customer data. Thanks to that, this information can be used by email marketing or marketing automation systems. Such a transparent and orderly summary of information gives the possibility of a quick review of the client and, additionally, allows importing information about all activities done with this customer to the system. This helps to avoid mishaps such as sending the same offer several times to the same customer. If we want to have a system which will support our company, we have to remember that it must be well implemented.
Time to choose
The key to good relationships with your current customers and prospective ones is that they need to be cultivated. A CRM system helps you to keep an eye on all clients. Without it, the company quickly loses control over acquiring new customers and caring for those already acquired. The choice is yours – decide if you want to stay with Excel files or enter into the modern digital era with a CRM system.
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