What is a CRM?

ustomer Relationship Management (CRM) software is a program that is used to manage projects, people, time, etc. and keeps you on track. It lives on a server and is like a website that you can access.

We here at OakTree Designs use one to keep us on schedule and organized to keep our customers updated and everyone happy. Our CRM is lovely referred to as the “TreeFort” (we are just getting started with tree puns…sorry not sorry).

It has an administration side for us to handle all the nitty gritty, everyday workflow stuff like invoices, expenses, proposals, our calendar and all of that and we have a client side that displays all the information that we need to share with our clients in one easy location.

From the Client side, people can ask for support, book appointments with us to discuss changes or issues they are having. They can also pay their invoices, read through our knowledge base section on pertinent information that applies to the products they have through us.

Our CRM makes our life and our clients like so much easier. There are additional modules available for things like scheduling appointments, Quickbooks Online integration and quite a few more.

Why Use a CRM?

Just like a filing cabinet, rolodex or any other piece of office equipment that keeps you organized, a CRM keeps your business and relationships with customers or clients and employees organized so you can stay focused.

CRM software can organize client lists, to-do lists, invoices, contracts, sales, expenses, schedules and quite a bit more. It really is a one-stop-shop for keeping everything organized.

Whether you are a startup, a small business or an enterprise, a CRM brings order and clarity, helps improve interactions with customers, optimizes sales performance, and streamlines business processes.

Take Your office anywhere!

Some of the extra modules that are available come with added functionality like our appointment scheduler for instance. It comes with Google Meet integration baked right in.

At the time of writing, we are dealing with a bit of a global emergency and the ability to work from anywhere just became a very big deal. With or without a deadly pandemic, the ability to take some time away from the office is a great choice.

The CRM isn’t just for one person either of course. You can add employees and assign them tasks, delegate with ease and see a rise in your productivity. That being said, it’s important for your employees, just as much as yourself, to have the ability to work from anywhere too.

A great article written back in 2015 from Entrepreneur Magazine, touched on some really great points about the benefits of allowing your employees to work from home.

If you aren’t yet in that space but have been thinking about it, click HERE for that article. There has been lots of evidence since the start of the pandemic to show that companies have seen a rise in production, a cut in costs and an overall betterment to their business and employees well being.

What are these extra Modules you’re talking about?

Now, I was going to write a whole section on the different add-ons that can be used with our CRM but it is a REALLY long list.

So instead, if you’re debating whether or not a CRM would be the right choice for you and want some additional information, you can click HERE to take you to our CRM sales page. We have a whole page just dedicated to how awesome this thing is and what it can do.