4 Reasons You Need Client Management Software

There's a reason people use the phrase "busy as a bee" or "a hive of activity." Bee hives are a study in synchronized efficiency. From a distance, you'll see seemingly random bees buzzing through their individual tasks. But up close, the individual bees' work adds up to a healthy, productive community.

Businesses could learn a lot from bees. Most business leaders prize seamless efficiency. Countless others tout synergy and collaboration.

But actually putting these ideals into practice isn't as easy as it seems. Too often, teams work in isolation, overlook data or waste time with redundant emails and meetings.

Fortunately, there's a digital marketing tool that can help: client management software. Read on to learn four key ways client management software can drive efficiency.

1. Client Management Software Helps Clients Feel Appreciated

Everyone knows someone who's a bad listener. You might meet a bad listener on a first date, at the gym or while volunteering. Your neighbors might be bad listeners. Even spouses and family members don't always listen as well as they should.

When you're talking to a bad listener, you'll find yourself repeating the same information, over and over. Bad listeners also tend to tell you the same stories repeatedly. At best, bad listeners are frustrating. At worst, bad listening can feel downright disrespectful.

Businesses sometimes operate the same way bad listeners do. This unfortunate habit occurs when businesses don't maintain adequate records about their customers. Instead, customers are forced to repeat themselves each time they contact a company. Even worse, customers might have to endure repetitive sales pitches that don't address their needs.

Client management software puts a stop to this damaging practice by creating a centralized hub of customer data. Any employee can access and add to a detailed record of customer communication. Over time, you'll have a detailed library of customer histories.

The result? Clients feel seen and heard—and your company becomes one more good listener in their lives.

2. Client Management Software Breaks Down Silos

Does your business have distinct teams that work apart from one another? If so, you might be at risk of creating a dreaded business feature: silos.

In a siloed structure, teams are independent from one another. While silos encourage teams to develop specialized skills, they can also undermine collaboration. Taken to an extreme, siloed teams can cancel out each other's progress, miring companies in inefficiency.

For example, a lack of communication can lead to redundant efforts. Multiple teams might spend countless hours maintaining records that actually overlap. Or representatives from different teams might offer conflicting information to clients.

Client management software cuts across these barriers. Along with creating a shared digital workspace, you can discover hidden patterns. Teams can work in sync to rescue at-risk accounts and pool resources to build detailed customer profiles.

With time, client management software helps teams become more agile and in sync.

3. Client Management Software Captures Priceless Data

What is your business's most valuable resource? Here's a hint: it's invisible and everywhere.

This might sound like an impossible riddle. But the answer is simpler than you'd think. Today, companies are learning to extract value from data—and client management software can help.

At its core, client management software provides a snapshot of your company's activities. Want to know how long it takes customers to resolve issues? There's a report for that. Want to check on employees' productivity so you can set realistic goals? There's a report for that, too.

If data is so valuable, why do companies struggle to access it? The hard truth is that data accumulates at a high volume in real time. This means that poorly maintained data loses its accuracy, fast.

Your company might know how to access data. But unless you have systems to manage and analyze data, you may not be able to keep up with it.

When you have access to data, you won't have to risk flawed guesswork. Because client management software features automation, you'll spend less time gathering data, too.

4. Client Management Software Enhances Existing Systems

In spite of client management software's many benefits, some companies still hesitate. After all, why add one more system on top of all the other tools employees use?

In reality, client management software works even better when it's layered on top of your existing systems. By pulling information from a range of sources, client management software delivers a much-needed 30,000 foot view.

You can easily integrate client management software with tools such as:

• Email providers, including Gmail and Microsoft Outlook
• Accounting tools, including Quickbooks
• Flexible platform integrations powered by an application program interface (API)

These integrations help you get the most value out of the systems you already use and enjoy.

Want to learn more about how client management software can increase efficiency? Download GoSite's free eGuide!