Why do startups (or anyone) need a CRM?

As a startup you need to 'sell' from day 1. You need to be actively pitching, talking to potential customers, and investors. One of your main goals is to *better* understand your customer base and to find that 'hockey stick' growth. To get there you need to figure out a scalable business model, and look for or expand your customer base.

To better understand (or expand) your customers it is important to test communications, calls, emails, etc - which email outreach or sales pitch worked, and which didn't. Try to document your notes and thoughts on every potential customer you approach, every mass email communication you send out. All these information are KEY for your growth and can reduce the number of mistakes you make along the way.

That is where a CRM system comes in - it can help you centralize all that information and give you a history of your interactions. Some CRM systems can be complex and integrate many data sources, but as a startup you need to start small - with a system that lets you have visibility and keep yourself organized. Here are a few reasons why we are convinced startups need a CRM:

• Your memory is not as great as you think it is
  

Keep yourself organized, you will talk to a lot of people when you build your business. Keep track of them, write at least a couple of notes: whether you talked to an investor, and especially if you talked to a lead, or customer. Keeping track of those conversations and emails gives you an accessible history of your relationship with your client.

• Startups change, a little or a lot
  

Change occurs every day - whether you are literally just starting up, or looking forward to your Series C. It is about achieving goals, getting to scale, finding new verticals - startups are about trying and testing if 'this' works or not. Because of the nature of startups, it is very important to have visibility of the steps you take. A CRM can help you with this change, and help you avoid making mistakes.

• You have data, use it and use it well!
  

A CRM will give you great visibility with your data. You will see when the last time you reached out to a company was, you will see what "types" of companies you are talking, who to talk next, who is moving in the pipeline or stalling, etc. See the forest from above, not from the weeds.

• Do not drop the ball with your customers
  

Your customer is your most valuable asset. A CRM lets you manage the customer relationship - a customer that has met, or is meeting their desired outcome when they acquired your services has the potential to become a fan, or a reference. Making sure you manage the relationship correctly, recording their feedback and ideas is important for your success. 

Every organization should look for the CRM tool that best fits their needs in the short-medium term. Do keep in mind that not every organization is the same, and not every CRM is the same. There are several options on the market - We can help you find and implement the right one. Keep in mind that there are CRM tools that are 100% free.