Recently, I published a couple of articles focused on micro SMEs (Small & Medium Business Enterprises) about digitization and which simple steps they should take first to get improve their business.

Despite its usefulness, other than a few close connections, nobody bothered to read it. Why wasn’t it picked up? Obviously, hardly any SMEs use LinkedIn, so I didn’t choose the right platform to preach to my target audience.

Similarly, this could happen to many businesses implementing CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions. In order to play safe, they are inclined to select the ‘usual suspects’ and feel content that they got it sorted. But does their CRM sing the same song as its audience wants to hear?

CRM solutions are invented to help companies engage better with potential customers in order to optimize the sales process and boost sales as a result.

THE GLOBAL CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT MARKET SIZE WAS VALUED AT USD 40.2 BILLION IN 2019 AND IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND AT A CAGR OF 14.2% FROM 2020 TO 2027.

Just pick any top-3 CRM?

The way customers (both business and end-consumers) engage with companies trying to sell them their products and services has changed: starting from the private domain and now quickly invading the business space, people prefer to communicate via messages: WhatsApp, WeChat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Skype, etc. Why? Because it is more concise, to the point and can be replied to instantly. COVID-19 has only accelerated the usage of messages in both the private and business space..

CRMs were originally not designed for message-based sales. Typically, they focus on a sales process, often called a pipeline, that starts with a lead via telephone, followed by an email or email marketing, a meeting to find out requirements, a proposal via email, and deal closure if all goes well. 

Nowadays, companies solicit leads via their social media pages and websites. Their target prospects wish to respond via message systems of their preference. However, most CRM solutions don’t cater to automatically picking up leads from such sources. Not only that, depending on the source of the lead and the content of the lead message, the CRM system should automatically qualify the lead and assign the next task(s) for follow-up utilizing an AI (Artificial Intelligence) chatbot.

If this sounds too futuristic, a CRM solution designed for message-based sales, i.e. to automatically pick up leads via the new ways of instant messaging, is readily available and has achieved over 500,000 users. Open your eyes: it is amoCRM.