Contact Management (CM) is a system that helps individuals and groups to keep track of their contacts. Nowadays, often comes electronically through mobile phone apps and computer software. However, most are using spreadsheets that are being shared. Some are exploring cloud options to have a centralized repository of clients’ and employees’ contact information.
In this article, we’ll tackle how contact management is beneficial not only for your business but for you as an individual as well.
Organized Contact Information
Often, contacts are listed alphabetically. It can be overwhelming if you just want a simple scroll down to find someone you recently added. You just can’t recall their name and you know you’ll remember it when you see it. However, if you have thousands of contacts, that can be frustrating.
Worse, you might get “Rose” who is from the accounting department but you want “Rose” from your material supplier. Sending a message to the wrong person can have mixed reactions. This can range from the message being ignored to being deemed unprofessional.
Contact management apps allow you to group your contacts into labels. Compartmentalizing your contacts reduces the cluttered look of your phonebook. The personal contacts will not be messed up with your internal company or client list anymore.
Get Connected to CRM
Customer Relationship Management software, or simply CRM, has evolved from basic contact management. Nowadays, most CRMs add lead management, workflow automation, and reporting/analytics among a lot more other features.
However, those added features didn’t come cheap. Pring of CRM ranges from $12 for each seat for a small business up to $800 per user for enterprises. Furthermore, you should also be aware of the true costs of CRM which include training, integration, and implementation.
Stand-alone contact management apps help you save on CRM. Team members can access the company’s customer database through contact management apps. This saves the company the monthly dues for the CRM. It also eliminates the needed time and expenses in training those employees to use CRM.
Just ensure that you choose the right contact management app that integrates with your CRM. Consider one that brings value for your money, easy to use, and
Centralized Contacts Directory for All Messaging Apps
There are hundreds of messaging apps in the market right now. The number of messaging apps you have installed equates to the number of contact databases you have. Prefer a CM app that allows you to link all of your contact directories.
For example, you met a business prospect and saved their contact details on your phone. You, later on, would want to send him an email from your desktop. A good CM app consolidates all your contacts in one place. All the while allowing you to access it from various devices and messaging platforms.
Increased Productivity
Copy-pasting a single contact may only take a few seconds. Do this action for hundreds of contacts and this takes several minutes in a day. However, this will translate to hundreds of wasted minutes in a year.
A proper CM app saves you time. You do your actual job instead of manually updating several contact databases from your several messaging platforms.
More Efficient Collaboration
A shared contact repository between all team members promotes faster information exchange, thus better collaboration. Consolidate all the information gathered by various team members interacting with the customer. This would give an excellent insight into your lead which may, in turn, translate into a sale.
There would be some advantages if anyone can contact anyone in your company. For example, there’s a leak in your office ceiling. No need to go down to the maintenance office or find their local number posted somewhere to inform them. You automatically have the contact details right on your computer.
Track Client Interactions Conveniently
A good CM app allows your team members to input all their knowledge about that customer. Sometimes, contact numbers or name titles are not enough. Everyone in your team interacting with the customer will know his preferences if there are notes and comments under the contact information.
It is also easier to remember vital information this way. This can be more efficient than having sticky notes scattered on your monitor.
Better Customer Relationships
Deeper insight into your customers leads to more sales. More importantly, your customers turn into loyal patrons who may even recommend your product to other people. That’s free marketing for you.
As mentioned above, a good CM app allows you to write notes under the contact information field. These notes access will help your team members give a personalized experience to the customer. In turn, this gives the customer the feeling that he is valued and not just another piece of data that needs to be processed.
Secure Contact Backups
Vehicles have insurance and machines have warranties. On the other hand, the contact database is among the most important business assets. In this manner, the company’s contact database should have an equal form of indemnification.
CM apps offer quick recovery for your contacts. A simple shared spreadsheet will not give you a backup version unless it’s Google Sheets or something similar.
Moreover, it can be problematic if you don’t know when the data was accidentally or deliberately erased. It may be disastrous if you discover it too late, say more than 30 days. In this case, it pays to avail of a CM app that offers unlimited backup recovery time.
In essence, discovering contact management brings value to your business. It functions as a cloud-based version of an address book, a collection of business cards, a database set up on spreadsheets, and more!
