What is a CRM, and does your small business need one?

The short answer

A CRM, or customer relationship manager, is a tool that keeps track of your enquiries and customers in one place. A small business needs one when leads start getting lost in emails, texts and notebooks. It does not have to be big or expensive: a mini CRM that does a few things well is often enough.

What a CRM does

At its simplest, a CRM answers four questions:

• Who has asked about our services?
• What did they ask, and what did we say?
• What stage are they at? For example new, contacted, quote sent, won or lost.
• Who needs a follow-up today?

Signs you have outgrown your inbox

• You have sometimes forgotten to reply to an enquiry.
• You search old emails to remember what you promised a customer.
• More than one person handles enquiries, and nobody is sure who replied.
• You cannot easily tell how many enquiries turned into work.
• Follow-up depends on remembering, not on a reminder.

Do you need a big system?

Most small businesses do not need a large sales platform with hundreds of features. They need enquiries from the website form to land in one list, a status for each, notes, and a reminder to follow up. That is what a mini CRM is.

What to look for

1. It connects to your website form, so enquiries arrive without copying and pasting.
2. It works on your phone, so you can update a record straight after a call.
3. It is simple enough that you will use it every day.
4. You control who can see it, because it holds personal details.
5. You own your data, and can take it with you.

Your customers’ data

A CRM holds personal information, so UK GDPR applies. In practice that means keeping only what you need, keeping it secure, telling people how you use it and deleting it when you no longer need it. Check the official guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office, or take advice, if you are unsure.

Next step

Our mini CRM service builds a simple system behind your contact form, designed around how your business handles enquiries. If you are weighing up a bigger tool such as an app, read our guide to choosing between an app and a website.