subject: I'll Get Back to You on That . . . Really? [print this page] I'll Get Back to You on That I'll Get Back to You on That . . . Really?
Really? In this day and age?
I could understand if this was the 80's or even the 90's but today?
If a client, customer or prospect asks you for a price, a time to meet or some other detail, do you really need to get back to them? Especially if you're in sales, this is "old school".
You've (hopefully) got a ton of information in your CRM system. If you don't, you're behind about 50% of your competition; maybe more. If you're a sole proprietor you might have a lot of product or service information in your head. That's fine. But eventually if your business grows you'll not be able to store EVERYTHING in your brain. You'll need to store it somewhere. It should be your computer of choice.
For contact and calendar information hopefully you're using some type of CRM or Contact Management system. And if you're out and about drumming up new business and taking care of existing business you probably are using some type of smart phone. That's terrific; they're wonderful tools for the business owner, manager, sales rep or marketer. And beyond the basic name and address info on your phone's contact manager, you would do well to have your CRM system on your phone as well.
Most Contact Managers and CRM systems allow you to put your customers' information on your phone. (Heck they're used for practically everything EXCEPT making phone calls these days!) When a client or prospect asks to meet with you (or vice versa) you should be able to tell them in a second or two when you're next available. Place that appointment in your smart phone and then sync up with your CRM at a later time. Or immediately if you use a wireless synchronization app.
When you're making calls on your smart phone, you can tap into the notes and the history of your past conversations in a very short amount of time. Brush up on what happened last before making that follow-up phone call.
Use your BlackBerry, iPhone or iPad to tap into the wealth of valuable info you store in your CRM system to stay on top of everything and prevent any sale or opportunity from slipping through the cracks.
