If you’re researching a customer relationship management (CRM) system for your company you’ve probably already run into Bigin, the small business CRM application made by the same people who brought you Zoho CRM. So why would you choose Bigin over Zoho, or any other CRM application?
Before I answer that question, let’s first agree on why you want a CRM for your business. Because some people aren’t fully aware of what this kind of software really does.
A CRM system is, very simply, a database. In it you have every person and company that “touches” your business. That includes prospects, customers, vendors, suppliers, partners, friends and acquaintances. When you have a good system it’s setup so that nothing falls through the cracks — everyone has some sort of follow-up, or “touch” from your company.
A good CRM system is shared by your workgroup, regardless of the size, so that no one is missing out on key information. Users can add and view notes, activities, emails, opportunities, service issues and other data about the people they’re engaging. Finally, a good CRM system, if the data is accurate and complete, can become a significant and valuable long term asset for your company. It’s a big data world and investors like to buy information.
If the database is good, then a CRM system will serve as a mission critical application for any business, big or small.
Zoho’s CRM applications do all of this. And so does Bigin. So why choose one over the other? It’s because the smart CRM providers (like Zoho) have realized that the CRM needs of a small business — say with 10 or fewer users — are different than a mid-sized or larger company. So Zoho created Bigin to serve those needs, at a more affordable price.
Yes, small businesses need to track contact information. Many need to have a pipeline of forecasted sales and deals. They want to make sure their system collects leads and can be setup to ensure that no opportunities fall through the cracks. Small businesses need to also monitor service issues and do marketing campaigns. They also want to have data controls in place to make sure the information in their database is accurate. They want automation. They want reports. They want all of this.
But the reality is that they need much less of it. My company supports more than 600 small businesses across the U.S. who are using Bigin and other CRM applications and here’s what I’ve learned about them.
I’ve learned that most small businesses can’t take advantage of the more advanced CRM tools unless they get the basics right. And many of them struggle with these basics like maintaining accurate contact and company data, tracking emails, activities, leads and opportunities in a good, reliable database for their team. They don’t have the in-house expertise to develop more advanced applications or integrate with other systems and they often can’t afford to pay outside consultants what they need to do this.
And yet, with a simple, easy-to-use CRM system, they can have this. They can move all of their data from all the other places its stored into one place and together as a small team provide a higher level of sales and customer service to their community. With a simple CRM like Bigin, it’s all possible. So many of my clients are doing these things right now. I tell them: get these basics down and then we can talk about more advanced uses. You have to go to high school before you go to college.
And when they get to the college level — and need to grow into something bigger — like a Zoho CRM application that has many more advanced features — they can do that. But for most, even having a simple system can be just good enough to increase the productivity of their people and the profitability of their company.
So if you’re looking for a simple CRM, then Bigin should be a strong consideration. In the next series of blog entries I’m going to provide four compelling reasons why you should be making this consideration.
Click here to sign up for a 15-day free trial with Bigin: https://zoho.to/bigingenemarks
