As a business owner, you know that one of the essential things to your business is good customer relations. Yes, your employees are important and your vendors, but if no one buys what you’re selling, then you’re out of business. When your business starts to grow, you want to make sure that you’re keeping up with essential information about your customers with customer tracking software.
69% of customers said they quit doing business with companies they had dealt with in the past because they had perceived an attitude of indifference.Jan Carlson
Source
This is the time to retire your paper system of customer information management and choose a customer tracking software that meets your company’s need. Even if you’re using a software program that adds a customer tracking feature, you want dedicated customer tracking software to make the most of keeping up with your customers and grow sales to those clients.
Maybe you’ve considered purchasing customer tracking software in the past but hesitated over the cost. Here are the top reasons to add customer tracking software to your office computers.
History
Customer tracking software offers you the entire relationship history of a customer in just a couple of clicks. With the customer history at your fingertips, you can see when you’ve contacted that client and topics discussed.
It’s possible that a customer was interested in a product a couple of months ago and decided to wait to purchase. With customer tracking software, you have a record of that interest and can follow up with a phone call to get that sale. Customer tracking software provides you with all of that history.
The saying goes that those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it. With customer tracking software, you can identify issues that a customer is having with your company and correct it before you lose that client and revenue stream. Having a customer’s entire history on your computer with customer tracking software helps you tailor each phone call and contact to that customer’s needs.
Organization
Good customer tracking software helps you organize all customer tasks into a single location. These types of software programs let you send emails, handle tasks and notate customer accounts after contacts and jobs done for them. It’s an organizational dream.
Customer tracking software allows you to organize all of your customer’s information into one convenient program. This includes things, such as calendars. You’ll get a unique perspective on your customer when you organize their information with customer tracking software.
The organization of customer records with customer tracking software helps to ensure that nothing falls through the cracks. If you have a client that you haven’t spoken to in a couple of months, the customer tracking software will help you identify them and provide the history of the relationship so that you can make a positive contact with them.
Good organization of customer records can help your business grow and help you keep your customers happy and ordering from you.
Customer Tracking Software Helps You Stop Relying on Memory
Yes, that young lady in customer service has a great memory, but it’s not nearly as good as the memory in a customer tracking software program. If you want to grow your business and add more customers, you need customer tracking software.
It was easy to keep up with customer information by memory when there were only a dozen or so, but as your business has grown, your memory abilities really haven’t.
A customer tracking software never forgets the information about clients that you enter. With almost unlimited memory, you can add whatever information to a customer’s record that you like. This can make your customers feel more like a part of a team.
For instance, if you have a customer whose daughter is getting married in June, then you can make a note to ask them how it went during their first phone call in July in your customer tracking software. This goes a long way towards building positive relationships and building sales.
Instant Access to Customer Status
With customer tracking, you can organize your customer information by the customer’s current status. This customer tracking software perk can help your sales and marketing department connect with customers and prospective customers who are ripe for a phone call.
You can note the customer’s level of interest in certain products or services with customer tracking software so that they sales staff instantly knows where the customer’s interests are and don’t need to ask.
The customer tracking software helps you identify customers who’ve had issues with your company in the past so that you can use a little tender loving care when they place a new order or call in for information.
You want to know as much about the customer’s frame of mind before you answer the call or make an outgoing one, and customer tracking software helps you identify their status. You can also use that status to sort customers and concentrate your efforts or make quick sales when you need to get your numbers up.
Emails in One Location
If you aren’t using customer tracking software, then you probably have all of your customer emails in one folder but not in the customer’s folders. It’s possible that you have some emails on your laptop, some on your desktop and some on your phone. With customer tracking software, you can have all of the customer’s email in a single location and connected to that customer’s information.
With customer tracking software, your sales and marketing team can quickly access all the customer’s emails to see what information has already gone back and forth. This helps your sales staff to avoid repeating work or leaving the customer feeling harassed.
Customer tracking software helps you keep an email record of anything that has been said between your company and the customer. This helps to ensure that you’re honoring any deals that you’ve made and that the customer is living up their side as well.
Secure Your Information
If you have a sales team that makes notes about customers on notepads or in notebooks, it’s entirely possible that the information will go missing. Customer tracking ensures that your customer information is secure. If the customer tracking software offers a cloud backup, then even an issue with the computer doesn’t mean that your information is at risk.
Keeping customer information secure is also important to the customer. You don’t want one of your sales staff losing a notebook with sensitive customer information written inside of it. Customer tracking software secures all of your client information in one central place.
Related Questions
What is customer tracking software?
Customer tracking software helps businesses keep an eye on every interaction they have with customers, from the first time they visit a website to their latest purchase. Think of it as a digital diary that remembers everything about your customers – their preferences, buying habits, and communication history. It’s like having a super-smart assistant who never forgets any detail about your customers.
How do I track my customers?
Start by collecting basic information when customers first interact with your business, like their name, contact details, and how they found you. Use a simple tracking system to record every purchase, conversation, and support request. The key is to make notes about their preferences and feedback, just like you’d remember details about a friend. Many businesses begin with a simple spreadsheet before moving to specialized software as they grow.
What is the best software for tracking customers?
The best tracking software depends on your specific needs, but popular options include Salesforce for large businesses, HubSpot for marketing-focused companies, and Zoho for small businesses. Look for software that’s easy to use, integrates with your existing tools, and grows with your business. The right choice feels natural to use, like an extension of your daily routine, not a complicated system that creates more work.
How do small businesses keep track of customers?
Small businesses often start with simple tools like spreadsheets or basic CRM systems. They focus on recording essential information: contact details, purchase history, and important notes from conversations. Some use email marketing tools that include customer tracking features, while others combine a few affordable tools to create a complete system. The key is starting simple and building up as needed.
What information should I track about customers?
Track basic contact information, purchase history, communication preferences, and feedback. Note important dates like birthdays or anniversaries of their first purchase. Record any special requirements or preferences they mention. Think about what information would help you serve them better – like their favorite products or preferred contact time.
How can customer tracking improve sales?
When you track customer behavior and preferences, you can spot patterns that help you sell more effectively. You’ll know when customers typically make purchases, what products they prefer, and what marketing messages work best. This knowledge helps you time your offers perfectly and personalize your approach, making customers feel understood and valued.
Is customer tracking software worth the investment?
For most businesses, tracking software pays for itself by preventing lost opportunities and strengthening customer relationships. It helps you remember important details, follow up at the right time, and provide better service. Think of it as investing in a system that helps you keep customers longer and sell more to them over time.
How do I choose the right customer tracking system?
Start by listing your must-have features and budget limits. Consider how many team members need access and what other tools the system needs to work with. Test free trials of different options and pay attention to how intuitive they feel. The right system should make your work easier, not add complexity to your day.
What are common mistakes in customer tracking?
Many businesses collect too much data but don’t use it effectively, or they focus on the wrong metrics. Another common mistake is not keeping information updated or making it hard for team members to input data. The key is to track information you’ll actually use and make the process simple enough that everyone follows it consistently.
How can I protect customer data in tracking systems?
Choose software with strong security features and regular backups. Set up different access levels for team members based on what they need to see. Create clear policies about data handling and train your team on privacy best practices. Remember that protecting customer data isn’t just about security – it’s about maintaining trust.
What are the signs I need to upgrade my tracking system?
If you’re missing follow-ups, losing customer information, or spending too much time on manual data entry, it’s time to upgrade. Other signs include team members creating their own tracking systems or customers mentioning that you’ve asked them for the same information multiple times. A good system should make your work flow smoothly, not create bottlenecks.
