5 Common Mistakes made by SMEs in Customer Database Management4 min read

Optimal customer database management is the key to the success of any sales operation.

However, many sales managers and sales agents make common mistakes during customer database development, which can lead to a loss of potential customers.

In this regard, proper management will positively contribute to aligning your business objectives with your customer strategies.

So, that you can improve the experience you bring to them and increase your conversion rate.

That’s why today we will talk about the 5 mistakes you should avoid when executing your customer database management.

5 Common Mistakes made by SMEs in Customer Database Management

1. Lack of Strategic Sense

Without clear and previously established objectives and tactics, it will be very difficult to define the information you need to have in your customer database.

This will significantly affect the goals of the sales and marketing team since you will not know what you want to reach or who you want to reach.

Thus, I recommend you do the following before the creation of the customer database:

• Establish business objectives.
• Segment your customers.
• Identify the data that may be relevant: favorite communication channels and the best time to contact potential customers.

2. Not Choosing the Right CRM

It is true that there are already programs to store customer data, but there are still a significant number of managers who use Excel spreadsheets for that purpose.

At this point, you can select a CRM that centralizes and gives you easy access to all customer-related information.

Likewise, look for a CRM that automates as many workflows as possible.

So, that you can save time and provide effective responses to incidents.

This way, the sales team will be more focused on essential activities, such as studying the profiles of potential customers.

Another mistake is that you choose it because it is the “cheapest”, and it turns out that it does not have the functions that your sales team needs, and in the end, you incur additional expenses to acquire complementary tools.

Thus, make sure you find one that has the integrations and features that fit your organizational, business, and budgetary needs without sacrificing quality.

3. Lack of Leadership

Perhaps this is one of the most worries and the most common mistake among all.

In this regard, senior executives along with sales team managers must actively create successful strategies to:

• Increase responsiveness to potential customers.
• Solve customer problems.
• Increase productivity.
• Increase sales opportunities.

In this sense, a good sales leader must be:

• Analytical (he bases his decisions on statistics).
• Strategic.
• Innovative.
• Organized.

Undoubtedly, these qualities will influence obtaining better commercial results.

4. Lack of Resources

Usually, small, and medium-sized companies do not have the budget to make large technological investments, and this creates a problem when implementing a customer database program.

However, this is no excuse not to improve your sales strategies and look for alternatives that are affordable for the company.

Currently, there are several CRMs on the market that are affordable for this type of company regardless of the industry, such as Vtiger CRM.

In this sense, it is advisable that you can make a smart investment in time, otherwise you may incur additional costs in strategies that will not be entirely effective, and you will also lose valuable time.

5. Not Setting Up a CRM for Efficiency

If you decide to go with a free customer database program, you will usually have basic functionalities that will limit prospect acquisition and increase sales team productivity.

At this point, identify a CRM that you can configure to:

• View detailed reports on each sales cycle.
• Interact with your target audience across multiple communication channels.
• Simplify processes with the help of AI.
• Use it on different devices: smartphones, tablets, and computers.
• Integrate other work tools: mail, WhatsApp, Microsoft Office 365, DocuSign, and more.

So, you can make the most of all the positive aspects of your customer database, reach your target audience, understand your clientele, and increase your revenue.

In this sense, there are customer database programs that guarantee you an optimal implementation and positive results in your sales strategy, such as Vtiger CRM.

This software allows you to:

• Communicate with your potential customers through calls, emails, and social networks.
• Obtain customized reports, graphs, and forecasts.
• Apply customized Service Level Agreements (SLA) for any case condition.
• Segment your leads using any data.
• And much more…

Have a unified customer view

See the complete details of your contacts in a centralized platform, such as purchase history and their preferences.

Successfully manage your sales projects

Create projects linked to current customers and negotiations, dividing them into tasks assignable to specialized agents.

Simplify your sales

Keep a unified and up-to-date record of your inventory, services, quotes, and invoices to be sent to your customers in a few clicks.

Want to know more about this tool?

Keeping up with current technological and economic changes can be challenging for SMEs, however, you don’t have to face this situation alone.

At GB Advisors, we can help you integrate this and other technological solutions to automate your processes and attract more potential customers.

We offer you personalized attention with the installation and configuration of any software.

You will also receive advice from our group of experts. They will guide you step by step to make these tools work properly and help you achieve your goals.

Contact us today and receive a free consultation!