Stop Losing Leads: Why Every Small Business Needs a CRM

Kristina Stubblefield: [00:00:00] Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of learning new technology? Maybe you've avoided implementing a new tool in your business because it seemed too time consuming, or perhaps you've had a bad experience in the past. That left you hesitant to try again. If this sounds familiar, I'm here to share with you.

You're not alone. But here's the thing. Overcoming tech fear is not just about embracing the latest gadgets. It's about unlocking new opportunities for growth, efficiency, And success in your business.

 Welcome to Simplified Solutions, your go to resource for small business owners and entrepreneurs seeking practical advice, innovative strategies, and simple solutions for business, marketing, and technology. I'm your host, Kristina Stubblefield. If you're eager to take your business to greater heights, then you're in the right [00:01:00] place.

We're here to help you unleash your business's untapped potential. Boost your visibility and maximize your investments. Let's dive into the world of simplified solutions. Stay tuned and let's simplify success together.

Welcome back to my channel and welcome to another Today, we're tackling a topic that I'm passionate about tech fear and why it's so important to overcome this fear to set up systems like CRMs.

Or all in one business tools that can help you manage your leads and ultimately grow your business. Let's start by talking about tech fear. What is this exactly? Well, tech fear is the anxiety or resistance you feel when faced With the prospect of adopting new technology, it's incredibly common, especially among small business owners and entrepreneurs who [00:02:00] are already juggling multiple responsibilities.

You know, the ones juggling all the hats and everything in their business, the mere thought of adding something new to the mix, something that requires time to learn and implement can feel overwhelming. And you may be thinking to yourself, will it even be worth it? But here's the truth. Tech fear is often based on past experiences or misconceptions.

And I've seen this come up more and more recently, especially with everything swirling around regarding AI, artificial intelligence. Maybe you've tried using a tool before. And it didn't work out, or you found it too complicated. Maybe you were worried about the time and money that it takes to learn a new system or software, and you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 But, Here's what I want you to [00:03:00] understand. Overcoming tech fear isn't just about learning new software. It's about investing in your business's future. 

Now, let's talk about one of the most powerful tools you can implement to overcome tech fear. And, all while enhancing your business's operations. A CRM or Customer Relationship Management system. Some people also look at this as an all in one business system. This is an essential tool that helps you manage all of your company's relationships and interactions with current and potential customers.

Now, why is that important? Because, as a business owner, you spend so much time and energy on content creation, marketing your business and driving traffic to your website or storefront, but what happens after you [00:04:00] capture the lead? Where do they go? How do you track their journey from a prospect to a paying customer? This is where a CRM or all in one tool becomes invaluable. With a CRM, you can track leads. That is the number one thing I talk about because there's so much time, energy, and effort put on putting content out and marketing your business.

But you need to know when a lead comes in or where is the lead in your sales pipeline? Are they new? Have they scheduled a consultation or booked an appointment? Did they get a followup email? That is one of the best things about a business system is tracking the leads. Next organizing information. Keep all of your customer data in one place.

Oh my goodness. This makes it easy to access and keep updated. This is not [00:05:00] only improves efficiency. But I'm here to tell you, it also ensure that no leads falls through the cracks. And I know that there's probably people out there listening or watching it, that they manage their business and their leads through their email inbox.

And when I tell you, I can relate. I've been there and done it, and it can be very overwhelming. But what tends to happen is viable leads fall through the cracks and don't get followed up on. And that's why the next thing I want to point out is it can improve your follow ups. A CRM allows you to automate follow up emails or reminders.

So that you're always on top of those leads and you never miss an opportunity to connect with a potential client. Now, I also want to mention that when you use a system like this, it allows you to analyze data. These systems provide [00:06:00] valuable insights into your business's performance. You can see which marketing efforts are driving the most leads normally with the click of a button, which also helps you realize what sales strategies are working and where there might be room for improvements.

The beauty of a CRM or all in one business system is that it's there to help you work smarter, not harder. It takes the guesswork out of managing your leads and allows you to focus on what really matters. Building relationships, And closing deals. Now, I know you're probably thinking, Oh, Kristina, this all sounds great.

But I'm still intimidated by the thought of setting up some kind of business system or CRM. Trust me, I get it. And I can sit here and share with you the number of systems or CRMs that me and my team tried in the past before we [00:07:00] realized we needed to focus on what was most important for our business.

And I'm here to tell you and share with you The reward far outweighs the initial discomfort, the initial hesitation, and the fear that comes along with not knowing what you don't know.

I want to share with you how you can overcome your tech fear and start reaping the benefits, especially if you don't already have some type of system, whether it be a CRM or all in one business system for your business, I would encourage you start small. You don't have to learn everything all at once.

Begin by setting up the basics. That is after you've found a software that fits your business needs, not one that you may see pushed and promoted all out there that might not be the right fit for you, not one that maybe [00:08:00] people in your networking group or people that you're in a mastermind with rave about, that might not be the best fit for you.

Once you find the fit for you, start small, set up the basics just by entering your contacts. Your current leads, and then hopefully this system has a lead form that can be embedded on your website. That way, when you have a lead come in, it automatically comes into the system for you. So again, we'll go back to you can work smarter and not harder.

The more you become comfortable with a system, you can explore more features. And here's the best part about CRMs and all in one platforms. Most of them offer great tutorials, webinars, and also their customer support is there to help you get started. I would encourage you not to be afraid to use these resources.

And one of the things I want to [00:09:00] point out is you want to choose a user friendly CRM. Not all CRMs or all in one systems are created equally. You want one that's easy to navigate for your business. That's really key here because it can have all these bells and whistles and all of these flashing lights and everything, but it needs to be a great option for you.

Now, one of my favorites, all in one business systems for small businesses and entrepreneurs is HoneyBook. I could share with you so much about HoneyBook. And if you're looking for a system, I would encourage you to look to see if that's a good option for you. 

There's always links on my website, KristinaStubblefield.com to resources that I use and recommend. And you can find a link on there to learn more about HoneyBook. Now, also, I would want to share with you, people can get frustrated in the beginning when you're getting it set up, But you want to [00:10:00] focus on the long term benefits because this is something to have in place for the long run.

It will also save you time, improve your customer relationships, and ultimately help you grow your business.

Tech fear. Doesn't have to hold you back by taking that first step and implementing a CRM or an all in one business system. You're setting up your business for a long term success. 

Now, I know that this has been a lot to unpack and that I've touched on a lot with tech fear. But I wanted to also showcase why it's important to take the steps to overcome that and make sure you have the most powerful tool in place for your business, which I believe is a business system, whether that be an all in one business system or a CRM system, they are more than just a piece of software.

It is a game [00:11:00] changer that can help you manage your leads, improve your follow ups. And help you in growing your business. I can sit here and say time and time again, I have seen people pour so much into content creation, advertising dollars, marketing their business in all different ways. Then for them to share that they don't have a way to track their leads or their current clients. And you can waste a lot of time and energy either running your business out of your email inbox or piecing it together with multiple softwares or tools. 

So if you've been hesitant to take the plunge, I encourage you to start small and explore these systems or CRM options that are available to you.

Make sure you take advantage of the resources that are available. And remember that the time that you [00:12:00] invest now will pay off in the future. 

If you found this episode helpful, be sure to check out my website, KristinaStubblefield.com. Or go to my YouTube channel for more resources and guides on overcoming tech fear and implementing effective software and tools.

As always, I'd love to hear your feedback, or if you have any questions, just reach out to me on my website or through social media. 

Next week, I'm going to dive into video tools that can help you create engaging content and reach a wider audience, so you won't want to miss that. 

 Thank you for joining us today on Simplified Solutions. If you found value in this episode and want to dive deeper into topics like this, here's how you can stay connected. Join our vibrant Facebook group, Simplified Solutions with Kristina Stubblefield, to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and continue the conversation.

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Until next time, remember, there are always simplified solutions for your business.