7 telltale signs you need a new B2B CRM solution

Unlocking the full potential of your contract manufacturing business demands seamless organisation, efficient workflows, and a laser focus on customer relationships.

But as your business grows and customer demands evolve, managing these critical aspects can quickly become overwhelming, leading to missed opportunities and dissatisfied clients. Enter the B2B CRM solution – the indispensable tool that can revolutionise your business.

In a hyper-competitive market, contract manufacturers must pay attention to customer relationships. From leads and prospects to loyal clients, every interaction is a chance to nurture trust, boost retention, and drive revenue. However, outdated or disjointed systems may hinder your team's ability to stay on top of vital customer data, resulting in disjointed communication and lost sales.

It's time to take charge and recognise the telltale signs that your current CRM solution might be holding your business back.

The role of the B2B CRM system

A CRM is a central place where companies can store customer and prospect data, track interactions, and share information with colleagues. If used correctly, a CRM can play a major role in driving sales growth and increasing efficiencies. 

With CRM technology in place, sales representatives can streamline their workflows, saving valuable time and energy. Instead of toggling between multiple tabs and laboriously nurturing leads, CRM empowers reps to focus on building relationships and closing deals. A good CRM system ensures that sales teams can work more productively and effectively by automating repetitive tasks like data entry and eliminating errors.

A good B2B CRM system also serves as a powerful tool to enhance customer experience by fostering personalisation, efficiency, and responsiveness. By leveraging customer data and insights, businesses can build stronger relationships, meet customer expectations, and deliver a consistent and delightful experience across all touch points.

Is your B2B CRM system meeting your needs?

When it comes to your own B2B CRM platform, you may have identified problems with its functionality, your salespeople aren't using it, or you're having trouble reporting on data. Or, you may have outgrown it. Perhaps you now need integration with a new software that your current CRM software won't facilitate.

If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, almost one in five businesses replaced their CRM in 2022.

Signs it might be time for a change

Here are 7 telltale signs you may need a new B2B CRM solution.

1. You’ve grown, but your CRM hasn’t

As your contract manufacturing business has grown and you’ve hired new employees and expanded departments, naturally, you need more advanced tools to manage your operations successfully. 

If you’ve been using the same CRM system for years, these are just some of the functions you may be missing:

• Interactive dashboards with real-time data for easier analytics and reporting
• Live chat to improve communication and customer support
• Integration with third-party applications (e.g. HR, Accounting systems)
• Scripts to automate workflows
• Integrated web forms to capture high-quality leads

Your CRM should have the capacity and the functionality to support you to meet your goals as your business continues to grow. If your CRM is unable to scale with you, it may not be the right one for you.

2. Your CRM is not user-friendly

Is your CRM slow and clunky? Do you find it painful to use?

If the answer to these questions is yes, it’s time to switch.

The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) play a big role in how successful a technology product can be. Your CRM should be easy to navigate, with clear labels, fields and logical steps. This will make your day-to-day activities easier, less time-consuming, and you and your team will be far more productive. There’s nothing worse than a system that’s meant to make your life easier, actually making it ten times harder.

3. Your marketing and sales teams aren’t using it

Your marketing and sales team may be so frustrated by your CRM that they're refusing to use it. It's not uncommon for salespeople to be slightly aggrieved by their CRM systems. But it doesn't have to be that way. 

The main issue B2B sales teams have with CRMs is that they are time-consuming and difficult to use. So if you're looking to switch to a new CRM, choosing a system that will enable your salespeople to quickly access vital information and automate the essential sales processes is paramount.

Meanwhile, marketing teams rely on CRM software for segmenting customers, marketing automation, and monitoring marketing campaign performance. Any new CRM software will need to make these processes simple.

4. You’ve too many data silos

Your CRM should be your single source of truth. A single repository where all marketing, sales, service, and operations data can be organised, segmented and analysed in one place.

If your data on leads, customers and sales is still spread over multiple databases and platforms, you could benefit from a CRM that can centralise all of this data across your entire organisation.

You can avoid data silos by integrating your CRM with other tools in your technology stack. If your CRM doesn’t support this, other options on the market may provide a better solution.

5. The features are too complex

When it comes to your CRM, having a lot of features isn't always a good thing. CRM software is supposed to make customer relationship management easier. But companies often overestimate their needs in terms of various functions and end up with lots that aren't being used, or those that make things more, rather than less, complicated for you and your teams.

At the other end of the scale, maybe you've been using your CRM platform for over five years and there are newer features you're missing out on.

You need a simple and easy-to-use CRM solution with just the right set of features to simplify the marketing and sales process.

6. You struggle to focus on the right customers

A good CRM will help you identify which customers are truly valuable for your business. You should be able to list customers based on how much they have spent with your organisation, their yearly budgets, and which products they might need. 

If you aren’t able to easily anticipate your customers’ needs and spot opportunities to upsell, cross-sell or strengthen relationships, then your CRM system isn’t working hard enough.

7. You’re having difficulty analysing and reporting on data 

You know your CRM system is working effectively if when onboarding a new account manager or salesperson, they can quickly understand the data presented to them. But if it leaves them feeling confused over the status of your customers, it might be time to look around. 

After all, your salespeople want to avoid sifting through information when they could be spending their time selling. And your account managers rely on access to customisable reports based on relevant information they can share. A good CRM will allow you to automate this process. More pressure than ever exists for companies to demonstrate data integrity, so easy access to reports is imperative.

Moving to a new CRM

If you think it might be time to switch CRMs, the process of moving to a new system is not as difficult as you might think.

Types of B2B CRM software

CRM systems can be broadly categorised into three main types based on their deployment and functionality.

• On-premises CRM systems are installed and hosted on the company's own servers and infrastructure.
• Cloud-based CRM systems are hosted on remote servers and accessed through the internet. This type of CRM is highly scalable, cost-effective and easy to implement.
• Hybrid CRM systems combine elements of both on-premises and cloud-based systems. It allows for more flexibility and can be suitable for companies with specific security or compliance requirements.

One example is HubSpot CRM. It's a cloud-based CRM platform designed to help businesses attract, engage and delight customers. It offers a suite of marketing, sales, and customer service tools. HubSpot CRM allows users to manage contacts, track deals, and automate marketing activities, all within a unified platform. Its focus on inbound marketing and seamless integration with various business tools make it a popular choice.

Other cloud-based systems include Salesforce CRM, Zoho CRM and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM. These are just a few available on the market.

Researching vendors

Before researching vendors, identify exactly what's missing from your existing CRM and what you want from a new system. Speaking with your team and salespeople to get their feedback and understand their requirements is a good idea.

Here are a few things to think about when evaluating your options to find the best CRM for you:

• What features and functionality you need
• Whether it integrates with other applications in your technology stack
• What the user experience is like 
• What support and training the vendor can offer
• Free trials and live demonstrations

Choosing the best CRM system for your contract manufacturing company requires careful research and planning, but once you find 'the one', it can completely transform your business and help you meet your growth goals. 

Conclusion

A B2B CRM system plays a crucial role in unlocking the full potential of your contract manufacturing business. It empowers sales teams to focus on building relationships and closing deals, ultimately driving sales growth and increasing productivity. Moreover, a well-implemented B2B CRM system fosters personalisation, efficiency and responsiveness, elevating the overall customer experience across all touch points.

Recognising the signs that indicate the need for a new B2B CRM solution is crucial for any business looking to optimise their customer relationship management efforts. Whether it's a lack of scalability, user-friendliness, or integration capabilities, addressing these pain points can lead to a more streamlined and successful CRM strategy.

Choosing the right CRM system involves carefully evaluating and researching various vendors, considering essential factors such as needed features, integration possibilities, user experience, support, and training options. Once the best CRM is identified and implemented, it can transform your contract manufacturing company, helping you achieve your growth goals and thrive in a competitive market. Embracing a powerful B2B CRM solution can be a game-changer, driving success and elevating customer satisfaction.