subject: Do you use your CRM reports? [print this page] Do you use your CRM reports? Do you use your CRM reports?
We've long touted the benefits to stuffing as much data into your CRM app as you possibly can. The more data, the better. You can't be too rich, too thin, or have too much CRM data.
But, what's the benefit of having all this data? Well, the primary benefit, of course, is the ability to look up this info at some later point in time. This is especially valuable for sales and marketing types. Even customer service and accounting departments can benefit from the data entered into a firm's CRM app.
"Lookups" are terrific for the marketer and the sales rep. You can find a vast array of valuable information. But with lookups (searches, etc., whatever you want to call them) you get essentially "raw" data. In order for much of the info entered to make a lot more sense you may want to run the reports that come with a CRM app.
With ACT! you get over 60 reports. The reports display formatted information on your Contacts, Groups, Companies (some apps call them Accounts) Sales Opportunities (your pipeline), your Calendar and your past History dealings with your contacts. The value of the reports is that the data is "formatted". It's set usually in columns. Sales Opportunity data is displayed columnar with dollar totals and subtotals. Most CRM apps, ACT! included, displays sales pipeline information graphically so you can see at a glance what's going on in your sales world; and if you're a sales VP or manager, the pipeline of your sales team.
Some CRM apps have a built-in report generator. Other apps use an external report generator; often Crystal Reports.
All ACT! reports can be modified; you can add, change and delete information in the report. This is especially handy since firms often add new data fields to the database and want to see this new info displayed in a formatted fashion. Brand new reports can be created as well.
Reports can be viewed to the screen, printed, sent to an Excel spreadsheet or a PDF can be created using the built-in PDF creator. A lot of outside sales reps create reports of their past activities, create a PDF of that report and email it to their supervisor or manager.
So if you're not using the reports that come with ACT! or the CRM app that you use, you might be missing out on a lot of valuable information.
