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Making Progress
Paul Hines, says a software solution made his business run efficiently: “Before we used Business Pilot, I’d say we were working hard rather...
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How To Build A Better Business
For many window companies contemplating investing in a Customer Relationship Management tool the first question is – ‘do I need one?’ Elton Boocock, MD at Business Pilot told TheInstaller.pro.
The second question is ‘will it integrate with other systems I might use’?
And they are obvious questions, as in all likelihood you have a system in place that manages the flow of enquiries, quotes and projects already. In many companies, this system is kept on an Excel spreadsheet which Boocock, believes, is not optimised to work in your favour.
“Excel requires your input to make stuff happen, while a CRM gives you more data, more information and makes that data manageable, by doing the hard work for you in the background.”
– Elton Boocock
Managing director, Business Pilot
Information is power
“It captures everything you could possibly capture in your spreadsheets but it slices and dices it, to make that information understandable and usable,” adds Boocock.
Recession proofing
Right at the top of business owners’ concerns at present is the threat of recession and the effect this will have on the sales of home improvement products. Keeping a track of every lead and understanding why they are won or lost will be key to taking advantage of the opportunities that present themselves.
“We’re going into a much tougher set of trading conditions,” Boocock says. “The Covid boom made effective lead management less important – if you lost a lead by failing to manage it properly it didn’t matter because another was on its way. Leads now count again. Excel isn’t designed to be a lead management tool. It’s not designed to collect information about prospects, prompt your team to follow up when they need to, support the conversion process and understand what’s working and what isn’t.”
Auto comms
With Business Pilot, each lead is captured once, and all communication – internal or external – is linked to that lead. It can be assigned to a team member, who can be prompted to follow it up and standard communications can be automated.
“Feedback we’ve had from Business Pilot users demonstrates that this function alone is highly valued,” says Boocock. “There are so many processes operating all at once in a window company and it is easy for leads to go off the boil if they are not monitored. With Business Pilot, this happens in the background, which not only keeps the lead active, it saves time carrying out repetitive admin tasks.”
Win more business
Boocock says that companies with CRMs win on average 29% more business than those without them. But this efficiency runs throughout a project’s life. He says: “Everything is visible on Business Pilot – where a lead or job is, who’s working on it, are there any blockers, where your product order is, when you’ll invoice, if you’ve registered the installation, to job profitability. Everything is there at your fingertips.
“And Business Pilot has been designed to work natively with the cloud, so that all information is available anywhere on any device through a secure login.”
Integration
“Business Pilot has also been designed to work with other software tools, to help you automate regular tasks, reduce the risk of error and increase your profitability,” adds Boocock. “For example, we have Affinity Partner status with FENSA, which allows installers to register their installations at the click of a button.
“And there are integrations with Tommy Trinder, Xero accounting software, and Windowlink – all designed to speed up processes, increase accuracy and improve cash flow.”
Business advantage
As the market conditions become tougher, having this oversight of all the functions in your company could give you the operational advantage you need to keep generating business.
“There are many advantages to using an integrated CRM tool like Business Pilot,” says Boocock. “Primarily, you are no longer slave to the spreadsheet - and the time clawed back allows you to concentrate on other aspects of running a successful window company.
“And the insights you gain – leads won and lost, operational efficiencies and profit margins – are all available at your fingertips, which will help you succeed even during the most difficult trading periods.”
Pictures: Business Pilot up close.
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
09th January 2023