10 signs it’s time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM

There is no question that spreadsheets can be efficient and helpful for a starting business. However, they are far from flawless; signs that they may be underperforming might soon emerge. In such cases, MoversTech confidently suggests a moving company customer relationship management (CRM) software. Indeed, while your first thought might be to not replace what’s functional, your sales process may suggest otherwise. What’s more, a CRM platform can both fully replace spreadsheets and optimize your operations. With that in mind, let us explore 10 signs it’s time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM.

When is it time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM?

There’s arguably no clear, definitive time or factor. You may start having difficulty keeping track of your daily schedule. You may notice a deterioration of internal collaboration, a decline in your sales funnel’s efficiency, or that you’re starting to lose data. Regardless, a general feeling of disorganization is a good first indicator. You may then start attributing the issue to any of the following signs.

1. You’re starting to lose key customer data

Excel can certainly suffice when there’s a reasonable number of leads to follow. Having a few staff members work on a few leads allows the total volume of data to be manageable. However, as a business expands and data demands increase, the option to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM becomes appealing. Some would argue it’s even necessary.

A spreadsheet-driven workflow can lend itself to any such errors. As you expand you may have started to see that notes become unreliable. Missing vital customer data can, in turn, impact your sales process, and that’s perfectly avoidable with a CRM.

2. Manual spreadsheet entries are taking up too much time

If data reliability has not been an issue yet, you may have noticed that manual spreadsheet entries take too long. It’s not really arguable that “time is money” when your representatives spend exponential amounts of time on manual data entries. Indeed, the weekly hours spent this way could contribute to any level of your sales funnel instead.

You can alleviate this issue by simply migrating from spreadsheets to a CRM. You’ll be able to automate upcoming tasks, categorize incoming leads at the point of import, and filter contacts accordingly. The time-saving conveniences CRM can offer will free up your team to deal with more pressing matters.

3. Rep collaboration is lacking

On the subject of your team’s performance, lacking collaboration may be a clear sign it’s time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM. It may be that your reps need to communicate many times for each individual issue or lead, or that disorganization lets data and spreadsheets get lost.

Collaborative CRM software specializes in this exact front and can let your team coordinate and function more effectively. In fact, as we’ve covered before, there any many ways in which CRM can help your employees outside of collaboration alone.

4. Sharing spreadsheets manually is ineffective

Perhaps a subset of the previous sign, you may find that sharing spreadsheets manually leaves too much room for error. Your team may be sharing wrong spreadsheets or neglecting to do so in a timely manner – or at all, at times. A centralized CRM database could remedy this and let your team work seamlessly on each case.

5. Assigning tasks is too time-consuming

Similarly, you may start to find assigning tasks to be too daunting or chaotic. Indeed, delegating tasks individually may take too much time, to the point where you needlessly lose time best spent elsewhere. A CRM could let you assign tasks on one, centralized spreadsheet, reducing the chance of losing a deal due to delays or mistakes.

6. You’re lacking insights on conversions and sales

Your team aside, you may start to lose track of what turns leads into customers. Spreadsheets can provide basic records, but they don’t allow you to track and compare data points. Your sales reps can use all the insights they can get, and a CRM can do just that.

Analytical CRMs in particular can provide solid, comprehensive data points that can inform your decisions and improve your business. Furthermore, they can provide predictive models that can be invaluable assistance to your sales strategies.

7. You’re lacking insights on individual reps’ performance

Outside of your team’s overall performance, working with spreadsheets may not let you have a clear view of individual reps. Without such insights, you can’t hold underperforming reps accountable, and you can’t coach your team effectively.  If you’re finding yourself in dire need of such insights, it may be time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM.

8. Reporting and forecasting is becoming tedious

As your business expands, you may find that spreadsheets don’t favor quick and efficient reporting and forecasting. A CRM could let you bypass the need for manual input and, at times, physical presence, and hasten the process. What’s more, analytical CRM specializes in predictive models which can inform your forecasts.

9. Your spreadsheets’ security is lacking

A less frequent concern, but a concern nonetheless, maybe the security of your spreadsheets. Your spreadsheet may be accessed by third parties and malicious actors, despite Google Sheets’ security settings. Taking a file offline to prevent cloud woes is an option, but it comes with its own pitfalls; one can easily lose a locally saved file. Thus, if the security of your data starts to concern you, it may be a clear sign that it’s time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM.

10. Everything just feels disorganized

Lastly, even if you can’t pinpoint the exact issue yet, you may simply get a general feeling that you’re disorganized. It may be any number of factors, but they can all likely boil down to a simple truth; spreadsheets can’t keep up with your demands. A CRM can truly elevate your organization and collaboration to new heights and let you shake off the feeling.

It might be time to migrate from spreadsheets to a CRM

Any of the above, or a combination thereof, could be valuable signs that it may be time to make the change. But fear not; most CRM solutions out there are easy to use, and the long-term benefits will overshadow the adjustment period.