It’s a must: CRM for indie news sites

Eleanor Cippel talking about CRM systems

Whether you are managing an entire sales team for your site or if you’re the lone wolf selling advertising, a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system will make your life easier.

In Eleanor Cippel’s breakout session, “Turning Prospects into Dollars,” she shared the benefits of using CRM for indie new sites.

Benefits of using CRM for indie news sites

• A CRM system provides reminders and alerts that will keep you on top of your sales activity.  It gives you a good lens into your advertiser’s business.
• A CRM system helps you manage revenue opportunity.  It helps you see where you are and where you need to go.
• A CRM system helps you organize and prioritize your sites sales activity.
• As a sales manager/publisher, you can use a CRM system as a communication tool between you and your sales rep.  For example, if you see that a sales rep has an appointment with a big client, you can do what you can to help your sales rep close the deal.

What goes into a CRM

• Contact info: account name, billing address, multiple contact information, status of clients (primary, recruitment, inactive, general contact)
• Revenue forecast, pipeline, type of revenue, notes about presentations, sales close rates
• Activity history, which proves to be helpful when a sales rep leaves you.  This history provides important customer knowledge for the next sales rep.
• Sales leads

CRM advice

• You can find CRMs that link up to your accounting system. For example, Salesforce can link up with Quickbooks
• Use a CRM that your sales reps are going to want to use
• There are free-ish CRM systems out there: Sugar, Zoho, Really Simple Systems, FatFreeCRM, Vtiger, CapsuleCRM

Eleanor says that at the very least if a CRM system isn’t in the cards, use an excel spreadsheet to keep track of sales activity.

“Don’t get crazy or fancy.  Do what works for you. Keep it open on your computer and updated all the time,” Ben Ilfeld says.