Strong customer relations are pertinent to any business. So much so, that companies have created customer relationship management software to find and generate leads that will help real estate businesses grow. How do you know if you need CRM software?  Jessica Barrett Halcom, a writer for TechnologyAdvice.com, provided these tell-tale signs to help you decide:

1. Low efficiency/productivity — CRM replaces time-wasting manual processes like data entry and repetitive tasks by automating them and by bringing account-related team communication into a single, shared interface.

2. Breakdown of collaboration between departments — It’s not uncommon for one department to be unaware of another’s daily tasks and how they affect customer relations. With CRM’s team dashboards and file sharing, anyone in the company can see the lifecycle of each customer or lead and address those needs accordingly.

3. Limited accountability among associates — CRM eliminates the “customer fell through the cracks” problem. The software performs like a “centralized database” that provides precise data on every interaction with customers and leads.

4. Poor data analysis — The more data about your customers you have, the better you can serve them. CRM’s built-in reporting analysis provides insight into customer shopping and seasonal habits, digital behaviors, and more.

5. Low customer satisfaction — Low satisfaction rates, an increasing number of complaints, or less-than-stellar responses to customer surveys are sure signs something needs to be done. The software allows you to determine which ways your clients prefer to engage — for example,  those who prefer social channels more so than telephone conversations.

6. Missed sales opportunities — Manually tracking sales leads is not the most fool-proof way to ensure you don’t miss any sales opportunities. This software uses automation rules to notify sales reps that it’s time to follow-up with a client.

7. Rapid business growth — If you’re growth is outpacing your ability to keep up with your customers’ demands for attention, it may be time to consider CRM. Most companies offer software-as-a-service (SaaS) pricing models to allow your system to grow with you.

Source: “7 Warning Signs Your Company Needs CRM Software,” HubSpot.com (Oct. 3, 2016)