MS Outlook Based CRMs Bring Out The Best In SMEs

Almost every enterprise uses Microsoft’s operating
system to track and manage data in the company. And
thus, a lot of managers are familiar with MS Outlook
and its excellent e-mail management. However, it
doesn’t fulfill other essential features like a good
database engine. However, there are programs on the
web that utilize Outlook’s strengths and builds on its
weaknesses. Furthermore, they add CRM and Contact
Management solutions in the program, completely
beefing up the system. And these programs are
Outlook-based CRMs.

Benefits

The end result of embedding these CRM solutions in
Outlook creates a more powerful and versatile CRM
software. Not only are there added features (which are
standard to CRM apps) that contribute to more sales
and a sturdier database, the basic features of Outlook
are enhanced to give the company more convenience in
team-to-team communications. Sharing is one of those
features, where Outlook address books are passed along
networks without the assistance of MS Exchange Server.
Users can also share calendars so that there will be
no time-consuming conversations about finding a common
free time for meetings and whatnot. Lastly, tasks can
also be shared, bringing team members closer to each
other with a push of a button.

Given that the software is flexible, can it be also
hassle-free? The answer is yes. Synchronization
processes are now not required, the pains of external
database management are tempered and there will be
absolutely no problems whenever the user works
offline. Contacts, workflows and assignments are
available and can be utilized swiftly in an
Outlook-based CRM. This is because it works fully
within MS Outlook, storing your customer information
in the Outlook Contact, Task, Appointment and Journal
entries a typical entrepreneur uses every day.

Why Outlook based CRMs are ideal for SMEs

Amidst the hustle and bustle world of SMEs, being the
first to act is crucial for survival not only against
competitors but also the bigwigs who control the
general market. The recurring question is that can
Outlook-based CRMs rival open-source ones in terms of
quickness?

They can make a case for that. One is that the user
stays in one application; every other user needs to
shuffle through different email accounts and
specialized auditing programs to find the perfect
information for his/her client. In the end, the
absence of this obvious hassle is that there will be
more pleasurable user experience, consequently
triggering improved productivity. Second, training
costs will be dampened given the universal familiarity
of Microsoft’s program interfaces, which equates to
snipping hidden costs and help pile up savings for
future investments.

There is also an observation of transparency in the
program: the user can capture customer e-mails with
just a click. With this capability, you and your sales
professionals can cultivate transparency and associate
correspondence to the appropriate contact, account or
opportunity for essential sales activity tracking.

Conclusion

Versatility, familiarity and the little details make
Outlook-based CRMs like MX Contact and ProphetCRM a
good choice for small and medium enterprises. It
provides the magic of CRM philosophy, boosting up
sales, improves on a company’s marketing strategies
and builds brand and customer loyalty. Also, it gives
the plethora of the conveniences of embedded CRM
software: it operates on a peer to peer network and
stores massive amounts of information that is
necessary for a company’s jolt to the top. With these
said, Outlook-based CRMs truly bring out the best in
SMEs.