What common assumptions stand in the way of CRM usage in SMEs?

[mouakter13]

Although the light at the end of the coronavirus tunnel is getting brighter, businesses are still facing new hurdles. Last year, media coverage was dominated by labour shortages and huge waves of layoffs. However, our survey now shows that SME leaders are less concerned about recruiting or retaining staff than the current economic downturn. Almost half of respondents (44%) see inflation as the biggest challenge facing SMEs, while others continue to cite pandemic-related difficulties such as uncertain supply chains (28%) or reduced demand for services (25%). The latter could be directly related to increased market share and more intense competition with other small businesses (21%).



Fears of rampant inflation, the thought of a recession, ongoing supply chain problems and reduced demand for services mean that many SMEs are focusing on their budgets. This also explains why managers in small and medium-sized companies today have so many different roles: around 70% of respondents say they take care of all sales and marketing activities.With many business people overworked and customers increasingly demanding timely and accurate communication since the pandemic—as confirmed by more than a fifth of respondents—it's clear that they and their teams need help. To address these challenges, larger companies often implement innovative technologies, while SMEs continue to struggle with outdated tools. Almost half of the SME leaders surveyed (45%) still manage things japan cell phone number like contacts, leads and customer communications on paper. 39% rely on Excel spreadsheets, and only 22% use CRM software.



Why are so many SMEs hesitant to implement new software? While some decision-makers will continue to reject CRM and other digital solutions in the future, others are prevented from implementing a CRM system by certain factors:

Your company is too small. (47%)
The software is not suitable for their operation. (28%)
A CRM system costs too much. (25%)
They don't have enough time to implement new tools. (17%)
Integration into existing software is difficult (14%)
A CRM system is not profitable. (12%)
These beliefs seem to stem from a lack of understanding or knowledge of modern CRM software. The fact is that CRM systems have evolved in recent years and there is now a solution for every company - regardless of its size. In addition, they are extremely integrable and can be easily integrated into existing systems. CRM software such as Act! is also highly intuitive and includes extended support as well as extensive digital resources that make implementation easier.

How do SMEs benefit from a CRM system?