6 Ways a CRM Tool Can Help a Freelancer

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Credit: Yuri Arcurs on Photodune

As freelancers, we tend to want to keep the number of tools we’re using to a minimum. We’ll set up some sort of accounting tool, maybe something to help us handle project management and not much more. But there are reasons that finding a customer relationship management (CRM) tool that you’re comfortable using is worth the added hassle.

• The more you know about your clients and (prospective clients), the better. Good CRM tools help you collect and maintain information about the people you’re working with. Many of the newer tools even go out and pull in information from social media about given people in your CRM database. You can use that information to better tailor your services: perhaps a recent tweet from a customer has given you ideas on how better to design a website for him. Similarly, a well-timed birthday wish can show your client you care about more than his checkbook.
• You can better track the differences between clients. Every client has her quirks: some want you to include a specific purchase order number on every invoice, others need to run revisions past multiple stakeholders. Bringing all those details into one place, such as in your CRM tool, will make it much easier to manage each step of the process. All you have to do is check what quirks you’ve noted as you send out invoices or other communications.
• You can manage the contact information for the people you’re working with. Have you ever found yourself in a position where you absolutely have to talk to one of your clients right this minute — and you didn’t have anything easily accessible beyond an email address? Using a CRM tool helps in two ways: first, if you know that you want to fill out as many fields in a client’s entry in your database as possible, you have an incentive to actually ask for more information. And many of the more recent additions to the CRM marketplace integrate tools that will pull information about an individual out of their email signature, as well as other places, helping you create a centralized record.
• CRM software can keep you out of your inbox. Personally, I have a problem that when I head into my inbox to send an email to a client, I can get sucked into dealing with any new email that has arrived — pulling me away from that one email I really ought to be working on. But when my first stop is my CRM tool, it can be asier to stay focused. The tool that I rely on is integrated with my email account so that I can send emails without actually switching into my inbox.
• You can outsource some of your communications with a little more ease. If you want to bring in a virtual assistant to handle a little bit of your email — maybe something as simple as contacting past clients and offering them a special deal — having all your contacts in a CRM tool makes a lot of sense. You can give an assistant access to your CRM tool without handing over your email password, as well as have him track the communications directly in your CRM tool.
• You can get a reminder to check in with old contacts. It’s easy for people to fall off our radar, especially when we get busy. But a good CRM tool can remind you to stay in touch, with updates on when the last time you communicated with a particular person was. You can also make a habit of going through your database regularly and checking in with a certain number of people. Even brief emails can bring you back in contact with someone who may need your services.

There are a wide variety of CRM tools available online these days, with varying features and varying prices. Some are even at that magical price point for a beginning freelancer — free. Test out any options that look good. Since most tools offer at least a free demo, it makes sense to get a feel for them before you fully commit to moving all your contacts over from your address book or wherever else you keep information.

Photo credit: Some rights reserved by Yuri Arcurs.