What’s on the iPod: Take Care of You by The Clarks
It’s Wednesday and I’m still waiting for one project to finalize and for interview subjects for another project to finalize. Once more, I’m in a holding pattern when I have the most free time and ability to get stuff done. For those of us writers who like ticking things off the list (and who may be just a little hyperactive), it’s frustrating to have to wait. Not to the point where I’m going to obsess or lose sleep, but it’s a shame to waste free time like this.
So I don’t.
I use the time to go back over my contact lists, reconnect with client prospects (clients who haven’t bought yet), and see what projects I can do in the meantime.
Since I’ve written articles on technology and even sales, I had been kicking around the idea of trying a CRM. What’s that? It’s a “customer relationship management” system — software usually, often times web-based, always with a learning curve, and nearly always helpful in keeping on top of client contact.
Nearly all CRM solutions are built for the salesperson. Why that’s okay for freelance writers running a business: we’re nothing if not salespeople.
I’m going to start with how to build your own CRM solution without software. However, if you’re looking for something more automated, Friday’s post will go over these in a little more detail.
Having tried a few CRM methods (and having struggled with my own spreadsheet mayhem), I’ve devised a quick-and-dirty process that allows me to keep in touch with clients and contacts.
Track it. I use Excel to make sure I have contact info in one place. I include simple columns — contact name, company, two blank columns (for whatever I need), then email contact and four columns titled Date. Each time I contact a client prospect, I add the date to the first empty Date column.
Note it. If I get a note back, I’ll write the contents of the note (or the gist of it) in one of those blank spaces before the email. I make sure to note the tone if I’m paraphrasing, and what action I want to take.
Schedule it. Now I open Outlook Calendar and go out two months. If the client hasn’t responded or has with a “not right now” or “check back later” comment, I schedule it as I’m thinking about it. It’s so much easier than going back over the spreadsheet every week to see who needs a follow-up note.
Log it. Since I tell you guys every month how I do with my marketing, I open up a virtual sticky note on my desktop and jot down a quick note on the contact I’ve just made. That helps me quickly locate my numbers for the monthly assessment.
Group schedule. This is something I’ve just started doing since I’m working from two different spreadsheets. Once I log it on the sticky note, I’ll label that week’s contacts with a number — maybe Group A or Week 3 November. Then I open the calendar and schedule those follow ups for one day (shouldn’t take 15 minutes to forward the original note and add something like “Per my note below, would you have five minutes to chat about how my skills might be of benefit to you?”
It’s simple and while it requires a little back-and-forth between programs, it works for me. However, there are CRM programs that integrate. I’ll be looking at the freebies on Friday and giving you a basic must-have list for these solutions.
Writers, how do you currently track your client interactions?
How can you add to the process I’ve listed here?
9 responses to “Customer Relationship Management for Writers”
Lori, I recently discovered ClinchPad. (www.clinchpad.com) It's a web based CRM app, and it's free. I've been using it for a couple months now and love it – you can attach notes, emails, to-do's and so on to a contact. You can look at your entire pipeline and see at a glance where each contact is in your sales process. I'm liking this better than spreadsheets for sure.
That's great, Eileen! I'm currently testing one I happen to love, too. More on Friday. 🙂
Lori, I've got almost a non system… email and a calendar… of course, I write books for folks so I don't have a ton of clients.
Hey, whatever works, Anne. 🙂
Great topic! Sales was one of those things I had a LOT to learn about when I went full-time. It's not something many people enjoy, but it's so vital to business success!!
I'm all about finding systems that integrate into the way I'm already working- they should make me faster and more efficient, not add more tasks to my to-do list! That's why I haven't tried a CRM yet. I do like my spreadsheets, but I just keep losing interest in the few CRM spreadsheets I've tried keeping.
What works for me right now is email automation with Boomerang and Yesware integrated into my Gmail account. While I'm sending an email, I can set it to remind me again in a week or a month. There's a lot of other features to Yesware, too, like email templates and tracking opens and response percentages.
Maybe if I grow much bigger a CRM would help, but right now it would just create more work for me 🙂
I use good old-fashioned paper and pen. Each January I start a new folder – I list every contact made (date, person, company, reason, etc..). Every month or so I look it over to see what I need to follow up with.
I'm very much and out-of-sight-out-of-mind (ahem) person, so the paper works best. It's right here in a drawer I open every day, so it's always front-of-mind for me. But I am extremely low tech.
Keri, I love your perspective. It's great hearing from someone who's had experience in customer tracking! I'm playing with a "lite" version of one now, which may be okay, but the freebie lacks the full functionality I might need. It may be short-lived.
Paula, I like that system. Hey, if it's working, why not? My spreadsheet system is getting out of hand, so I had to do something. Plus I was cleaning out the in box and found three client emails that I never followed up on. That's not working for me.
I'll keep you posted on this latest one, which integrates with Outlook. So far, it's okay, but not a game-changing program.
I'm a total spreadsheet girl (throwback from working in finance for all those years!), but a CRM sounds like a better plan in the long term.
[…] Customer Relationship Management for Writers 10 resources to limber up your writing muscles 25 easy ways to drive a freelancer insane Even the best-laid freelance plans… 21 Marketing Tips for Freelancers […]