As a business owner, you can probably remember your very first customer or client. That first transaction is hugely meaningful and difficult to forget. But over time, and hopefully, over the course of hundreds of different customers, you may find it a little harder to keep all those relationships straight.
That’s why many businesses invest in customer relationship management (CRM) technology. There are free SaaS solutions available as well that offer CRM services. Basically, this technology creates an easy way to keep track of all the interactions you’ve had with customers and with potential customers. This allows you and your customer service team to provide more personalized and direct assistance to everyone you come in contact with.
When used properly, CRM can help you grow your business while empowering your employees to work more productively and efficiently. Most customer-facing businesses can benefit from the use of CRM, and CPA firms are no exception. For accountants, CRM technology can be an invaluable tool to keep different clients straight, fostering positive, long-term relationships.
Crucially, not all CRM technologies are created equal. You’ll want to do your due diligence in order to find the CRM best suited for your CPA firm. The question is, what should you look for? Consider a few of the top factors to look for in any CRM application.
What to Look for in CRM Technology
1) Mobile access.
Chances are, you’ll find yourself wanting to access client data from your office, but perhaps also at client lunches or while working from home. The ability to quickly log into your CRM for real-time information, from a variety of browsers and device types, is critical.
2) Full-team communication.
CPAs don’t work in silos. Usually, they have full teams, and it’s important that your CRM technology allows you to easily flag important data points for your sales team, office manager, or registered agent. (For CPAs who would like to recommend a registered agent to their business clients, consider Northwest Registered Agent reviews for insight.)
3) Simple setup.
CRM software can be pretty sophisticated, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be super complicated. Before buying, make sure you’re not going to need a full-time admin to run it, or several days of labor to get it ready for use.
4) Custom reporting.
CRM places a lot of useful customer data at your fingertips. Sometimes, you’ll want the ability to filter out certain types of information, zeroing in on the information that matters most in the moment. Custom reporting is a must for any good CRM solution.
5) Integration with other software.
Want an easy way to connect the information in your CRM with upcoming appointments on your calendar? Or even just send an email to someone in the CRM list? Integration with other apps and software is non-negotiable.
6) Free support.
Sooner or later, even the most tech-savvy accountant may come across a question or a complication they can’t troubleshoot on their own. Make sure your CRM provider offers free, live support over the phone or in chat. If they expect you to pay for support for their product, well, that’s frankly a ripoff.
7) Revenue tracking.
One of the best reasons to use CRM is to monitor the lifetime value of a customer. Revenue tracking features allow you to identify how much your team is profiting from each relationship. That may sound like a cold, impersonal way to view customers, but at the end of the day, it’s simply good business sense to know which customers yield the most consistent revenues.
8) Security.
You’ll use your CRM software to store a lot of customer-specific data, including some financial details that you don’t want to be lost, breached, or leaked to the Web. To protect your customers and to protect your business, look for CRM with robust security protections.
9) Data visualization.
CPAs tend to be numbers people, but even so, staring at spreadsheets all day can be wearying. Good data visualization will enable you to translate some of those numbers into easy-to-assess graphs and charts. This can also be helpful if you’re presenting CRM data in a meeting with non-CPAs.
10) A la carte features.
Some CRM platforms will force you to pay top dollar for a list of features that you don’t really need. This means you’re getting a lot less value out of your software. It may be wise to seek a provider that gives you the option to pick and choose the features you want, or at the very least to eliminate the ones you know you don’t want. That way, you’ll only be paying for the things you and your team will actually use.
Choose the CRM Best Suited to Your Team
While there’s no one obvious solution for the best CRM software, there are certainly some steps you can take to ensure you’re getting the best value, and the best technology to move your CPA firm forward.
Author Bio
Amanda E. Clark is a contributing writer to LLC University. She is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University and holds degrees in Journalism, Political Science, and English. She became a professional writer in 2008 and has led marketing and advertising initiatives for several Fortune 500 companies. She has appeared as a subject matter expert on panels about content and social media marketing. She regularly leads seminars and training sessions on trends and tactics in professional writing.
Every day, I write blogs about Joomla! and WordPress, assist others in creating beautiful websites using these CMS platforms, and provide support on the Joomla Support Board as a Joomla Guru in the forum.
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