How to Increase Business Productivity by Using Your CRM Strategy Wisely

Increasing business productivity for any business is critical if you hope to maximize profit as well as revenue. However, if you own a small business, it’s not only about services or products alone. It is also about how effectively you conduct your company affairs on a daily basis.

Many small businesses don’t realize the significance of streamlining their business procedures. Time-consuming tasks can quickly eat up precious hours that could be spent on more productive tasks. With virtual assistants, you are able to expedite tasks which, in turn, cuts back on overhead and office costs. Some of the many benefits of using virtual assistants include: * Reducing paperwork – Most virtual assistants have vast experience in administrative tasks. They are expert in completing various forms and government regulations, as well as payroll and employee benefit administration.

* Maximizing employee productivity – If your employees understand the basic functions of the business (particularly accounting and payroll), you’ll be able to spend more time managing them, rather than looking after the day-to-day workload themselves. This means less time in the office, and more time working on projects that bring in more money. For those who are used to hiring outside companies for their invoicing needs, this is vital. A virtual assistant will save your business hundreds of dollars, as they are highly trained and skilled professionals with substantial experience handling all manner of billing issues.

* Simplifying the customer service process – Many small businesses have traditionally had problems with bad customer service, either from the employees or the customers. Customer service can vary drastically depending on the business. You may need help with scheduling appointments, or handling customer questions and concerns. By using a virtual assistant you can cut out the middleman, giving your employees even more time to deal with the customers directly, effectively improving business productivity.

* Minimizing the number of appointments – With a comprehensive CRM system, all appointments can be tracked and any necessary follow-up information can be sent to the owner or manager via email or text message. This frees up time for you to handle other aspects of your business effectively. Virtual assistants are trained to handle multiple clients at one time, and will prioritise individual appointments over others. You’ll soon see the benefits of this!

* Managing the social media accounts for your business – Even though most virtual assistants have a Facebook or Twitter account, this doesn’t mean you can’t use them to get in contact with your own clients, or to promote your other services or products. Social media has changed the way we connect with others, and it’s important that all business owners use it to stay in touch with your client base. If you have your own blog, you can post comments on clients’ posts or add a link back to your website. If your company has a Facebook page, you can invite followers to ‘like’ your page, which will let them know about upcoming events and specials on your website or at your social media sites. By connecting with your clients on all these different social media sites, you’re building business productivity by ensuring they always know how to stay in touch with you.

* Establishing a well-designed CRM strategy – Although having a comprehensive CRM strategy is a good idea for every business, many smaller businesses don’t have the budget to hire a full-time CRM specialist. If this is the case, then consider outsourcing your customer support needs to a virtual assistant company. A virtual assistant company can handle all your customer support needs, including helping you to set up email, phone and fax accounts, as well as ensuring your staff members are trained in using these new tools. By outsourcing your customer support needs, you are increasing business productivity with a minimal investment.

Many virtual assistants can also offer SEO and social media management services for a small fee. This way, your virtual assistant company will handle all the tedious work such as creating keyword and landing page articles, building websites and managing your social media profiles. By hiring a virtual assistant, you can focus on running your business, rather than spending your time on administrative tasks. Outsourcing your business activity such as CRM to a virtual assistant company will give you the ability to take advantage of the services they offer, while still focusing on your business goals.