{"id":3077,"date":"2019-02-22T12:58:21","date_gmt":"2019-02-22T12:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/?p=3077"},"modified":"2020-10-27T12:57:07","modified_gmt":"2020-10-27T12:57:07","slug":"loop-crm-solution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/loop-crm-solution\/","title":{"rendered":"If you don\u2019t quite need a CRM solution \u2013 we have the right tool for you"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After seeing an ad for a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software solution on YouTube and then hearing about it at a conference, you may start thinking about <strong>implementing one for your business.<\/strong> The selection of products available is mind-boggling and of course very tempting because of all the promises that they make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"486\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-1024x486.png\" alt=\"A list of CRM apps.\" class=\"wp-image-3081\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-1024x486.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-300x143.png 300w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-768x365.png 768w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-370x176.png 370w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-270x128.png 270w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-1053x500.png 1053w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list-740x352.png 740w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/CRM_tools_list.png 1783w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>A sea of CRM tools.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Deep down, however, you know you don\u2019t actually need one, but you also know your business has some has room for improvement.\nIs CRM software the right tool for you or is there something else that could\nmake your work life easier?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>The downsides of CRM tools<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are some important matters to\nconsider before you implement a CRM tool in your business:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>The price performance<\/strong> &#8211; While a monthly\nsubscription probably won\u2019t break the bank, most businesses are paying for a\nlarge chunk of features you possibly will never use. If you decide to give it a\ngo, know that many tools offer a free trial.<\/li><li><strong>The learning curve and team adoption<\/strong> &#8211; The more powerful the tool, the longer the learning curve &#8211; your\nteam is probably not too excited about learning new\ncomplicated software.<\/li><li><strong>The time-consuming setup &#8211; <\/strong>Most CRM tools require at least a certain level of\ntechnical knowledge to set up and fine-tune to a company\u2019s case. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Don\u2019t get us wrong &#8211; <strong>perhaps you do need it.<\/strong> Perhaps you have a big daily inflow of customers, and you can\u2019t keep track of them, or you manage a large sales department, and your boss keeps asking for weekly reports which take up a lot of your time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <strong>this often isn\u2019t the case<\/strong>, especially when we\u2019re talking about companies with up to 20 employees. Many small to medium-sized businesses don\u2019t necessarily need a CRM system with all the bells and whistles. In this case, implementing a big CRM software solution can even slow down workflows, cause frustration and create unnecessary expenses. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"770\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team.png\" alt=\"A group of frustrated office workers.\" class=\"wp-image-3083\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team.png 770w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team-768x479.png 768w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team-370x231.png 370w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team-270x168.png 270w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Unhappy_team-740x461.png 740w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 770px) 100vw, 770px\" \/><figcaption>Don\u2019t frustrate your team members with tools you don\u2019t need.  <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>There&#8217;s an easier solution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Rather than a fancy CRM tool, these businesses require a tool that helps them communicate better inside their business and with their teams. A tool that enables:<strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong>Transparency <\/strong> \u2013 The CEO or team lead never have to ask about the progress of a conversation with a certain client.<\/li><li><strong>Simple sharing of important information<\/strong> \u2013 No more losing time endlessly sharing emails, texting and updating the team.<\/li><li><strong>Automated organization<\/strong> \u2013 Skipping the usual step of sorting by folders, but rather focusing on the most important tasks.<\/li><li><strong>Quick problem-solving with the team<\/strong> \u2013 Keeping clients happy.<\/li><li><strong>Very fast team adoption and onboarding <\/strong>\u2013 Getting everyone working together faster. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\">Loop Email<\/a><\/strong> comes into play. Loop Email is a platform built on your existing email account. It turns your inbox into a <strong>collaboration hub<\/strong> and as such serves as a great alternative to a bulky CRM solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using it is simple and intuitive because it\ncombines the best of the two most popular\nmeans of communication: <strong>email <\/strong>and <strong>chat messaging.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-1024x640.jpg\" alt=\"Loop Email banner.\" class=\"wp-image-3087\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-1024x640.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-300x188.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-768x480.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-370x231.jpg 370w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-270x169.jpg 270w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-800x500.jpg 800w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email-740x463.jpg 740w, https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/Loop_Email.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption>Loop Email is a collaboration hub based on email.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2>How do companies use Loop Email for CRM?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sounds a bit abstract? Let\u2019s have a look at <strong>a few examples<\/strong> of how our users are implementing Loop Email to improve their workflow and manage their clients easier and more efficiently. <br><br><strong>1. Two separate departments \u2013 working together<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A customer or client has made an order for some PC monitors. He or she would like an update on the delivery status, so they decide to reach out to their point of contact, the salesperson or account manager. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With Loop Email, the salesperson no longer needs to forward the email or call the delivery team for a quick response. By using a feature called <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/loops\/\" target=\"_blank\">Loops<g class=\"gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim Style replaceWithoutSep\" id=\"6\" data-gr-id=\"6\">,<\/g><\/a><\/strong><g class=\"gr_ gr_6 gr-alert gr_gramm gr_inline_cards gr_disable_anim_appear Style replaceWithoutSep\" id=\"6\" data-gr-id=\"6\">they\u2019re<\/g> able to get the team or people from the delivery team involved in the conversation. Now, the salesperson and the delivery team can <strong>chat about the email from the customer or client in private <\/strong>and get to the answer faster and without cluttering each other\u2019s inbox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/loops\/\">Learn more about Loops<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Distributing tasks easily from one place<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A translation agency gets\nmany client inquiries every day. They must assign an appropriate translator\nfrom the roster to each job. The deadlines are tight, and it\u2019s time-consuming\nhaving to contact all translators to find out who can take over the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the project manager at this agency <strong>organizes his workflow on Loop Email.<\/strong> He gets an email from a client asking for a for a Spanish translation, so <g class=\"gr_ gr_13 gr-alert gr_spell gr_inline_cards gr_run_anim ContextualSpelling ins-del\" id=\"13\" data-gr-id=\"13\">he<\/g> <strong><a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/loops\/\" target=\"_blank\">loops in<\/a><\/strong> the entire Spanish speaking team. They can let him know who\u2019s available by replying in team chat. Because he has access to the original email, the translator already has all the files, so he can get right to work. With direct access to communication between the client and the agency, the translator\u2019s job is <strong>easier, faster, and more efficient.<\/strong><br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/teams\/\">How do teams work?<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Customer history at the tip of your hands\ufeff<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Loop Email improves external communication as well as internal. Let\u2019s take the example of a company that specializes in corporate gifts. The sales manager receives an email from a client who wants to reorder a bunch of promotional T-shirts they ordered a few months back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The sales manager is using\nLoop Email to communicate. Here, each<strong> person\nhas a dedicated channel<\/strong> where all their emails, files, and chats are archived. She can pull out the T-shirt\ndesign file to check it with the client and send it to the print shop. Inside\nthe client\u2019s channel, she can also locate\nthe original offer and prepare the new invoice in a matter of minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Your business can run faster and more efficiently if you communicate and collaborate better. For that, we believe, you don\u2019t need multiple apps or a complicated software solution. Give <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Loop Email<\/a><\/strong> a try and see how your customer relationships can benefit from smarter team communication!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/download\"><img src=\"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/loop-email-app-free-download.jpg\" alt=\"Loop Email download banner.\" class=\"wp-image-2959\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you don\u2019t need a CRM system, Loop Email can simplify a lot of customer-related workflows in your business. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3079,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[45],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3077"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4743,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3077\/revisions\/4743"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3079"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3077"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3077"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.intheloop.io\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3077"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}