A complete practice guide to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software

This content is brought to you by Xero.

Customer Relationship Management software can help you foster strong connections with clients and earn new business. These systems aren’t just for storing client data – they’re for putting it to work.

Here’s everything you need to know about CRM systems.

What’s a CRM system and why do practices need one?

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is a tool for organising, tracking, and improving communications with clients and prospects. The software gathers client and prospect data in one place so you can track relationships and find ways to strengthen the connection.

Common CRM features include contact management tools, marketing and sales automations, and client reporting, forecasting, and analytics. CRM systems give you the processes and tools to understand your clients better – and attract more.

Instead of managing relationships with email addresses on sticky notes, handwritten meeting minutes, and sporadic phone calls, you can use a CRM system to centralise data and nurture connections.

Top CRM features for practices

All kinds of businesses use CRM systems, but for accounting and bookkeeping practices, there are certain features worth looking out for.

Automation

Day-to-day, it’s hard to keep track of who you’ve spoken to, which prospects need following up, and what stage the relationship is at.

CRM automation features let you schedule follow-up messages and set reminders for contacting prospective clients – so no one gets left behind. Automatic notifications can tell you when leads are added, contacted, and require support. You can also set up automations that send clients information and answers to questions automatically, without you needing to gather the resources and send an email.

Data-driven client insights

If you want to gain new clients or satisfy existing ones, you need to understand them on a deeper level. CRM systems bring together data points on how many new leads you’ve generated, where and how those leads were captured, and existing client behaviour.

With a CRM system, you can gain insights about how clients find you, why they choose you, and what keeps them satisfied. From here, you can make better decisions about how to engage clients, and which sales and marketing channels to focus on.

Checklist for choosing CRM software

Make sure you research CRM software options to find the best fit for your practice. Here’s a checklist to help you make your selection:

• Personalised marketing and sales tools
• Secure cloud-based storage
• Customisable workflows and features
• Integration with your accounting software
• Dashboards and reports for sales, marketing, and client behaviour
• Sales forecasting tools

Why Xero and CRM software is a perfect match

Client relationships underpin so much of practice life – it makes sense that accounting software and CRM systems should be connected.

Integrating Xero software with your CRM system gives you the tools to take care of the entire client lifecycle, from first meeting to final invoice. Client data flows between Xero and your CRM system, making it easier to meet their needs. Choose from CRM systems in the Xero App Store like HubSpot or MailChimp today.

If you’re not yet a Xero partner, visit our Xero Partner Programme where you can find out more about becoming a partner and join over 250,000 accountants and bookkeepers using Xero in their practice. Get the tools and resources you need to succeed.

This content is brought to you by Xero.

Xero offers a cloud-based accounting software platform for small and medium-sized businesses..