We know the saying time is money, and we also know that the more time you are spending on tasks that could be automated, the more money you are consistently losing. And it is not that these tasks aren’t important, but the time they take when they are manual can be exhausting.
There are benefits to using the right software across all parts of your business; here are some that you should know about.
Payment Management
A streamlined payment process from customers to your business bank is a must. Manually processing payments is time-consuming and leaves room for error. When they are automated, the software will keep track of all the figures, and you can see what you need immediately. Understanding your daily finance is something that you will benefit from, and it is easier and faster with an automated system.
Customer Relations
Remember the day that to make a complaint; you’d need to send a letter in the mail, with all of the original receipts and wait for a reply? That was a long process for a disgruntled customer, and the time it takes for the reply is where you lose that customer to a competitor.
With the right software, you can have a chatbot handle the first line and a person handle the escalation if it is needed. Not only that, but it can streamline all communications from all platforms into one location, making it faster and more efficient for customer services to help people.
Conversions
Salespeople love the chase; they love the close. Getting hot leads in the first place is something that can be automated and then taken over by the sales team. The right software will track where people are in the user journey and offer up leads that are more likely to convert. And while there will always be a place for cold emails and calls, the hotter the potential customer, the better.
Day-to-day
The day-to-day running is where a lot of time goes, but it can be made a lot easier when you have the right software in place. There are industry-specific solutions that can help your team manage their tasks in a more efficient way, and there are general options too. For example, for task management and project management, Monday and Trello are often top of the list, but for more specialised software, you might look at job management software or RIB CCS.
Competitive Edge
If all of the companies that do what you do are using software to help them be more efficient and productive – and you are not, you will be losing your competitive edge when it comes to speed and output.
You can also opt for a custom build platform that works exactly as you require it to, and although you might need to pay a little more for that to work, it can be worth it in the long term. So long as it is scalable, you can comfortably use the software for many years (with regular updates and support).
Implementing software is often something that happens alongside other changes that are going on or being planned for; here are some other tips to help make those changes work: 6 Tips for Implementing Successful Changes in Your Business.