I meet a lot of business people who are frustrated with their technologies—particularly the software that they’re using. I get it. There are a lot of great applications out there, but many of them only do particular things.
Business owners and managers have asked me for years if there’s just one application that can do it all. Sadly, there still isn’t. But we’re getting closer. And the applications from Zoho are leading the way.
So maybe it’s time for you to consider Zoho software. These are five signs you should look for that may help you in that direction:
Sign #1: You have a workgroup
Honestly, if you’re just a freelancer or an individual user, the capabilities of a typical contact manager or email application, like Outlook or Gmail, will probably suffice for your needs. Sure, Zoho has a free version and of course you can quickly learn how to use it by watching our videos on Marks Group Live.
But it’s not until you start having an actual workgroup who needs access to a system that you’re ready to not only implement Zoho CRM, but also many of their other applications. Workgroups require certain capabilities with regards to communications, collaboration and process tracking that you won’t get from a single-user software. You don’t want things falling through the cracks (see below). And you certainly don’t want your people looking like dopes. With a workgroup system like Zoho, everyone is sharing the information, so everyone’s on the same page when anyone calls.
Sign #2: You have multiple applications and they don’t talk to each other
Maybe you’ve got a CRM system already. You certainly have an accounting system. You probably have an office system for word processing and spreadsheets. Or a quoting system. Or a system for tracking issues. Or an email system. Or a calendar application. All of these are likely separate and living on their own islands and it’s all getting pretty unwieldy. That’s your sign that maybe Zoho is a solution for you. With Zoho One, you can get a suite of products that pretty much handles all of your business needs: email, activities, calendaring, CRM, marketing, accounting, invoicing, analytics, help desk, project management, and even word processing. And they talk to each other! And they’re made by one company, so you’ve got one single source of support.
Sign #3: Your quotes are falling through the cracks
There are few things worse to a business owner than when you hear that a customer opportunity was lost because no one followed up on it.
“What happened?” You yell in the office (and yes, you have permission to yell about this one). “Who was responsible?”
Just losing one or two deals due to a lack of follow-up and attention could literally pay for an entire Zoho system—not to mention the monthly fees we charge here for training and services at Marks Group Live! When you use Zoho (particularly Zoho CRM) and you’re using it the right way, you’ll be tracking leads, opportunities and quotes with a process that will include automated follow-ups, reminders and workflows to ensure that no potential deal or sale falls through cracks again. If you’re like me, there are probably many ways you’ve lost deals in the past on your own. You don’t need a lousy follow-up system to be the reason.
Sign #4: Your customers are ignored
In my Zoho system, we have a workflow that runs through our database monthly and alerts with a report of any clients who haven’t received an email, phone call or appointment from anyone in my company in over 60 days. I learned the hard way that when you ignore your customers, they tend to get insulted and go to your competition. It took me a while to figure this out. But that’s not going to happen anymore. A good CRM system like Zoho has the automation tools available so that you can stay on top of your customers with emails, tasks and other follow-ups and they can feel the love. No one likes to be ignored. And no one likes to lose customers because of it. If you’ve got this problem, then you’re ready to consider Zoho.
Sign #5: You want to sell your business someday
Yes, I know you’re passionate. You love what you do. Your business is your baby. But let’s face it, if the right price was offered, you’d sell, right? I mean, in the end a business is just a business. Many of my clients feel the same way. Many others are growing older and are looking to exit someday. If that’s you, then let me let you in on a little secret: Zoho software that is tied together with good, clean, updated data that stores the history, notes, emails, products sold, products interested, quotes given, opportunities lost, potential deals and other key business information is a big, intangible asset in these days of big data. When it comes time to sell your business, bring on a partner, or even look for investors, a strong Zoho system will add value to your company, which can be turned into actual dollars. Good companies have good data. If that’s what you want to be, then that’s a sign you need Zoho.
The Marks Group offers expert-led Zoho training and support on all Zoho apps and products. Contact us at info@marksgroup.net to find out more and check out our YouTube video library!
