3 Reasons You Need Business Processes Before a CRM

Before you consider investing in a CRM, make sure your business processes are in place. I see business owners make this mistake so often. They think they need a CRM, but they don’t have any processes or systems in place yet. Those have to come first! I’m going to share a few reasons to prioritize your business systems over investing in a CRM tool. I hope it puts a fire in you to get your processes and systems aligned!

3 Reasons to Prioritize Business Processes

A CRM won’t help you have better business processes. I don’t care if it’s Dubsado, Honeybook, SuiteDash, HubSpot, or a makeshift GoogleSheet with DocuSign… it’s not gonna work. Keep reading to learn why.

1. You haven’t taken the time to clearly map out or simplify your client journey.

Instead, you paid a bunch of money for someone to automate your mess. Your client journey should outline what a client goes through when working with you. What emails do they receive, and when? Do you send a welcome guide before or after they sign the contract and make payment? 

When your client journey isn’t clear, you don’t know what you can automate. You don’t understand the user experience enough to know what you can automate. I’m a huge advocate of automation, but it needs to be done after your processes and systems are defined. 

2. You haven’t accurately documented how you work.

There’s no way for you to effectively hire a team to manage your business processes. They can’t read your mind! I often see this as an issue with a solopreneur who is hiring for the first time. Even a simple task like ‘sending an email’ can be done a thousand different ways. How do you want a team member to do it YOUR way? You need to outline the steps in an SOP so there’s no room for miscommunication. 

Here are a few systems you need to create SOPs for:

• Operations
• Client management
• Marketing
• Finances
• Team members or HR

Take some time to document your processes. In addition to writing steps to my processes, I also like to include specific verbiage (if necessary), links, or templates in my SOPs so a future team member can read through them and easily understand what they need to do.

3. You are trying to force your way into a CRM or biz management tool without first auditing your business processes.

And now you’re upset and frustrated that this tool isn’t working for you when really, it’s your systems that aren’t working. I’ve seen this happen to many clients! I feel like there’s a perception that you need a CRM to be successful or considered a legitimate business. That’s completely false. You need systems to be viewed as reputable, trustworthy, and legit. 

Take some time to audit your processes. Identify areas for improvement and make some changes. Are there systems that are confusing for your clients or team members? Update them! Is there a tool you’re using that’s no longer serving you? Cancel your subscription. There are a ton of ways to audit your business processes, which I outline in this blog.

You don’t need a CRM – you need your processes in place. The software is not the system, friend. The software can only take you so far without you putting in the work first to clearly and accurately define and implement your processes. I’m here to help give you the clarity you need to implement systems (and tools) that support your business, not hinder it. Together, we’ll streamline your processes so you have the clarity needed to scale your business. Inquire today!

About Solution Integrators

To keep it simple, I’m Ashley, a Chief Systems Officer. I take your complex problems and find ways to simplify them. My goal isn’t just to save you time (saving you time is the easy part!) – I want to fully level up the way you interact, manage, and fulfill offers for your clients. I want to help you provide a cohesive experience. An experience that not only feels like quality but looks that way, too. From onboarding to offboarding – I want to transform each phase of interaction from lead to signed client. Let’s work together!