Imagine the equivalent of a million dollars in lost sales sitting in your top desk drawer. That's what happens when business cards accumulate without follow-up. Each card tucked away—or phone number entered and then forgotten in your mobile phone—represents a potential client who never had the chance to work with your dental lab. You may have even jotted down important notes on these cards at the time, circling and highlighting them with the best intentions of following up. Yet, they often end up bundled together collecting dust, instead of collecting revenue for your dental lab.
You're not alone; this is a common issue that many dental lab owners, managers, and sales reps face. That's why a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is the right solution.
Each card tucked away—or phone number entered and then forgotten in your mobile phone—represents a potential client who never had the chance to work with your dental lab.
The Game-Changing Features of a CRM
You might think your lab management software, which touts CRM features, is all your team needs to convert contacts into sales. However, these platforms often offer only the most basic functions, such as entering contact information or logging notes about interactions with prospects. Similarly ineffective methods include storing new contacts in your mobile phone or email address book, where they quickly become "out of sight, out of mind." Using Excel for follow-ups is another strategy that quickly becomes too cumbersome to manage effectively. In short, these common alternatives are no match for the capabilities that today's CRMs offer.
A well-chosen and configured CRM system offers scalability, personalization, and a focus that guides you from the initial contact to converting a prospect into their first new case. It records every interaction you and anyone on your team has—be it an email, a phone call, or an in-person meeting. It helps with keeping in touch, automating drip campaigns, allowing prospects to effortlessly schedule calls, video meetings, and even integrates routing apps to maximize and monitor your sales reps' field activities.
A well-chosen and configured CRM system offers scalability, personalization, and a focus that guides you from the initial contact to converting a prospect into their first new case.
Furthermore, a well-configured CRM allows you to categorize contacts based on various attributes such as challenges, specialties, and areas of interest. You can sort these contacts into “pipelines” or “funnels” for a graphical, drag-and-drop representation of opportunities, sorted by their stage in the sales process. With access to thousands of third-party integrations, a CRM can optimize nearly every aspect of a dental lab's sales process, substantially improving your win rate. Additionally, CRMs offer mobile apps that enable you to capture contact information on the go—sometimes as easily as snapping a photo of a business card.
A CRM doesn't just benefit you; it elevates your entire team.
With a CRM, you can easily filter these prospects, review notes entered by sales reps and other team members, and strategize to move the deal forward.
Conclusion
A well-chosen and configured CRM system is an invaluable asset for any dental lab. With a range of systems available at various price points, there's no reason to hold off on using a tool that can easily and significantly grow your customer base, sales and profitability.
Contact 8&9 Consulting today if you’d like to learn more about how to easily add a CRM to start improving your dental laboratory’s sales process.