Managing Contacts

The basic function of the CRM system is to annotate customer information, relevant to the business of the company. It is done to ensure that every employee has a whole image of the customer whenever he comes into contact with him. It is of most importance for the employee in customer care to see that who he is dealing with is a very important customer, deciding on an important purchase. Produs IT differentiates information regarding the potential customer (Leads) and information regarding customers we are already in Contact with.

Leads in Produs IT are Contacts we are not yet in business with and will, if confirmed, enter the sales process. Before we start handling a certain company individually and before we have the whole image of it, we manage it here first. That means that we only have one note with basic information e. g. name, surname, basic contact and the Lead's source.

Data on Leads is usually more extensive than data on customers. It is collected on fairs, conferences, over the internet and from other sources. Later on we check the Leads' suitability for sale and if they are suitable, we convert them into customers, contacts and eventually sales opportunities.

Accounts are records in Produs IT regarding organizations or companies we are already cooperating with, whether they already are our buyers and whether we are in process of preparing the deal or already in the selling process. Accounts are fewer than Leads, but there is more data regarding them, which is also verified and certain, since we are in a direct Contact with customers. The data is separated into data on the company itself, managed in Accounts, and data on persons of that company, managed in Contacts.

Contacts are notes on persons we are already cooperating with, whether they are our individual partners and buyers (seldom), or employees of a company which is our customer, our Account. Data on more Contacts is usually managed within one Account. A proper organization which cares about its customers, has to focus on individuals in the company it is working with − people do business with people. That is why Contacts are usually the central point of our database.

The data on Leads, Accounts and Contacts are more or less static. Managing tasks and events regarding them is crucial. Events are calls and meetings. We note down tasks and events at time they are being planned or after they have happened, depending on the working organization or agreement within the company.