CRM platforms offer many benefits for your small business, from customer retention to increased productivity. CRM software makes it possible to organise people, plan basic tasks, automate dynamic actions, and manage sales from a single area.

Firms with less than 250 employees and a medium financial balance sheet are classified as SMEs. Most of the businesses operating in our country are evaluated in this context. SOHO, which represents small and medium-sized enterprises, has made a name in different sectors, especially informatics, e-commerce and food. SOHO-style small business is an excellent choice for minimising increased costs and maintaining high productivity with few employees. CRM platforms offer many benefits for your small business, from customer retention to increased productivity. CRM software makes it possible to organise people, plan basic tasks, automate dynamic actions, and manage the entire sales process from a single area.

Let’s take a closer look at the main benefits of modern CRM applications and their advantages to small and medium-sized businesses

Main Benefits of CRM Applications for SMEs and SOHOs

  • Contributes to higher quality interaction and a more refined customer experience.
  • It reduces the time cost by increasing the productivity taken from the unit time.
  • Thanks to its structure open to customisation, it offers unique solutions to businesses.
  • Arranges future activities per technical details.
  • It helps to consolidate customer data.
  • Increases work motivation and staff productivity.
  • Improves customer experience with advanced search tools.
  • It facilitates taking action in sales processes.
  • Improves internal communication and organisation.

11 Advantages of CRM Applications for SMBs and SOHOs

1. User-Friendly Design

One of the most critical aspects of a CRM for small businesses is the ease of use. CRM software only helps you if you can use it effectively. Business platforms with a complex layout, poorly designed interface, cumbersome navigation and unrelated connections will make your job harder. On the other hand, a new generation of CRM software, with intuitively discoverable elements, easy-to-understand icons, facilitating logical navigation, and a compact user interface successfully provides the support you need. User-friendly design and features prevent you from getting lost in the menus. Tools that make it easier to plan your work by quickly switching between different channels become an indispensable habit for your business over time.

2. Effective Communication Management

CRM platforms have functional features to form the basis of data, sales processes, and operations. The primary contact management included in these functions allows you to set up a database without duplicate records by automating data entries. Thus, different data classifications can be made for each customer. Effective communication can be achieved by using business tools that are compatible with the behaviour of your users or customers. All the contact information and map diagrams you need can be viewed on the platform. With these tools, your sales team can be coordinated, and exemplary service will be set for the right customer.

3. Accelerated Sales Processes

A CRM system directly integrated into sales processes with next-generation CRM tools provides essential information about potential customers’ interests. After the necessary analyses and optimisations are made, the qualification, conversion and sales processes can be fully or partially automated. In this way, campaigns and advertisements can be presented to the other party much more effectively than traditional methods. While improving the operational experience, the time and effort of the employees working in the sales unit can be directed to more functional areas.

4. Elimination of Drudgery

CRM, which is one of the critical points of increasing personnel productivity, reduces time costs and increases employees’ motivation. Official correspondence, routine paperwork, and regular e-mails are an integral part of the day-to-day operations of many businesses. A comprehensive CRM system can quickly eliminate most of this drudgery and paperwork, which make up a significant part of the workload. It is vitally essential for the vision of SMEs that staff can focus on jobs that add real value by reducing wasted time. Reducing busywork removes not only the workload but also increases employee productivity.

5. Customer Loyalty

CRM support for small and medium businesses increases customer loyalty by providing a unique experience. The ability to resolve questions and problems intelligently and quickly can be demonstrated in the hallmarks of excellent customer service. Data collected in the past helps to evaluate customers more analytically. CRM tools make it possible to obtain information about customer habits by quickly accessing the customer’s transaction history. An investment in a CRM platform is ultimately an investment in customer loyalty. The return on this investment can be pretty productive. Gaining the lifetime loyalty of customers and conveying the company’s reputation by word of mouth has a valuable place in a company’s long-term goals.

6. Proactive Approach that Increases Sales

The more information the sales representatives have about their customers; the more flexible they have the freedom to act. The scope of service also expands when sales representatives are adequately equipped to meet the customer’s needs. Data collected about customers; A much more proactive approach can be followed when followed through dashboards and information screens. It is possible to develop sales targets by highlighting products suitable for customer habits and shopping history. In addition, higher customer satisfaction and resolution of problems in a much shorter time are also ensured.

7. Cloud-Based Solutions

Basic features of your CRM application; It serves as a collection of your conversations, notes, correspondence, interactions, and contact information. If your CRM service infrastructure is cloud-based, your information is always up to date. Cloud-based CRM solutions enable your team members to take action without making any mistakes during the decision-making process. Thanks to the synchronised use of system data, customer services can quickly convey the most accurate information to the customer. Information about the primary operations such as lead time, order status, product information, stock tracking and logistics can be shared safely and without any margin of error. Another advantage of cloud-based CRMs is that authorised users can act without receiving superior approval about the transactions and notifications they will make.

8. Elimination of Useless Techniques

Using CRM applications is vital for small and medium-sized businesses to compete with large companies. Thanks to the effective use of analysis and reporting tools, it can be understood which applications are more necessary for you and which are more unnecessary. Visual elements such as detailed reports, dashboards, charts and graphs lighten your workload in compiling, collecting and analysing complex data. Instead of dealing with traditional spreadsheets or useless XLM tools, you can switch to more user-friendly data tools. Thanks to the advantages of practical data analysis systems, you can save time and eliminate the cumbersomeness of your work by removing useless techniques and applications.

9. Management from the Headquarters

Managing from the main centre enables sales teams scattered across multiple regions to work as if they were together. It is difficult for small businesses such as SMEs and SOHOs to control their operations spread over various cities or areas. Issues such as operating costs, proximity to customers, or on-site technical support become more complex the further they are decentralised. The new generation CRM applications, which provide control of the teams through a central system, ensure that all transactions are carried out smoothly without holding an external office. All work and customer relations of remote units can be monitored and managed instantly by team leaders or operations managers. In this way, all company activities are tracked end-to-end without creating an additional expense item.

10. Cost Advantage

New generation CRM software has unique solutions for every company, from holdings with thousands of employees to SMEs with tens of employees, from Home Office businesses with a few people to SOHOs. It is possible to choose among CRM systems depending on the number of employees, service type, sectoral needs, business field of activity and system infrastructure. Small or medium-sized businesses can start using CRM software with basic features without straining their budget in the first place. Then you can switch to CRM tools that can respond to more specific needs and are equipped with versatile tools.

11. Protection of Data Privacy

CRM software developed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ensures the secure storage of company internal data, important information, and contact details. Working with software that meets data privacy requirements is also crucial for customers. You must obtain and document consent from your users or customers regarding the storage and use of their personal information. CRM solutions that come with ready-made security protocols and comply with the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK) and the General Data Protection Regulation help you manage your business without dealing with legal issues. Aspects such as personal data storage notifications for new users, automatic email notifications, and subscription options can be managed in accordance with current communication rules.