CRM Built Around You
Configurable CRM Isn’t the Same as a CRM Built Around You | OpenCRM On this page Configurable vs a CRM Built Around You Three Levels of Fit You Don’t Have to Start at Level Three Where Configuration Runs Out When …
What Two Decades of CRM Has Taught Us
20 Things We’ve Learned from Over 20 Years of CRM Implementations | OpenCRM On this page What CRM Has Taught Us People, Not Software Data, Fields and Reporting Getting a Project Live Playing the Long Game What We’d Tell Ourselves …
CRM Drift: The Hidden Cost of Never Reviewing Your CRM
10 Warning Signs Your CRM Is Holding Your Business Back | OpenCRM On this page The Review Nobody Books How CRM Drift Begins 1. Spreadsheets Are Back 2. Nobody Trusts the Reports 3. Data Quality Has Slipped 4. Processes Have …
The Real Cost of Tiered CRM Pricing: What Will Your CRM Cost in Three Years?
The Real Cost of Tiered CRM Pricing | OpenCRM On this page When the Shortlist Looks Affordable The Rise of Tiered Pricing Businesses Don’t Grow in Tiers The Hidden Upgrade Cycle The Cost of Working Around It When Workarounds Become …
Outgrowing Spreadsheets, Outlook Folders and Memory | Signs It’s Time for a CRM
Outgrowing Spreadsheets, Outlook Folders and Memory | OpenCRM On this page How Businesses End Up Here A Familiar Situation The Real Problem Isn’t Excel Outgrowing Spreadsheets Outgrowing Outlook Folders Outgrowing Manual Tasks When Your Team Becomes the Database The Hidden …
CRM for Membership Organisations : Create a Single View of Every Member
Why Membership Organisations Need a Single View of Every Member | OpenCRM On this page Key Takeaways More Than Memberships The Engagement Challenge The Single View of the Member Every Enquiry Is a Case The Member Lifecycle Personalisation Spotting Disengagement …
Ticket, Case, Incident or Request? The Name Changes. The Process Rarely Does.
Do You Really Need Case Management Software? | OpenCRM On this page Introduction The Cost of Searching What Others Call It The Case Journey A Case in Practice Why Support Teams Solved This The Real Problem Is Information Why Context …
GDPR in 2026: I Thought We’d Done All This Years Ago?
GDPR in 2026: I Thought We’d Done All This Years Ago? | OpenCRM On this page Done All This Years Ago? The Fundamentals GDPR Didn’t Expect AI Good GDPR, Good Data Data Retention A Trust Issue Not a Paper Exercise …
Microsoft 365 CRM Integration for better team visibility
Microsoft 365 CRM Integration: Bringing Your Customer Information Together | OpenCRM On this page Bringing Information Together Why Integrate? Outlook Email Contact Sync Calendar Sync Microsoft Bookings Planner & Teams Documents & Storage Word Document Generation Power BI & Copilot …
CRM Accounting Integration for UK Businesses
CRM Accounting Integration for UK Businesses | OpenCRM On this page Connect Sales & Finance Why Integrate? Bringing Sales & Finance Together Making Tax Digital What to Look For How OpenCRM Integrates Is It Worth It? FAQs CRM Accounting Integration …
CRM for manufacturing
OpenCRM — CRM for Manufacturing (preview) On this page Key Takeaways More Than a Standard CRM Common Challenges Sales & Production Projects & Orders Inventory Visibility Integrations & Security Why Choose OpenCRM FAQs CRM for Manufacturing: Bringing Sales, Production and …
The Benefits of Using OpenCRM for Project Management
OpenCRM — The Benefits of Using OpenCRM for Project Management (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Single Source of Truth Sales-to-Delivery Handover Real-Time Visibility Reduced Tool Fatigue Communication & Accountability Improved Profitability Final Thoughts At its core, OpenCRM connects your …
Common CRM Project Management Mistakes When Using CRM (and How to Avoid Them)
OpenCRM — Avoiding Common CRM Project Management Mistakes (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Why CRM PM Fails No Clear Objectives Just a Sales Tool Overcomplicating Setup Poor User Adoption Lack of Ownership Replicating Broken Processes Disconnected Systems The Bigger …
A Closer Look at OpenCRM’s Project Management Features
OpenCRM — CRM for Project Delivery: Exploring OpenCRM’s Features (preview) On this page Key Takeaways What Makes It Different? Project Creation Centralised Project View Task Automation Time & Cost Tracking Communication Tools Integrated Invoicing Customisation Final Thoughts OpenCRM doesn’t treat …
Business is better with less Tech
OpenCRM — Business is Better with Less Tech (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Centralised Database Efficiency Features Moving to One System Sustainable Growth FAQs Your business doesn’t need more technology; it needs the right technology working harder for you. …
Manage Customer Data for a Small Business
OpenCRM — Manage Customer Data for a Small Business (preview) On this page Key Takeaways The Foundation 5 Steps to Success Turning Data into Growth Building a Resilient Future FAQs A serious personal data breach can lead to significant penalties …
OpenCRM for Project Management
OpenCRM — OpenCRM for Project Management (preview) On this page Key Takeaways What is OpenCRM for PM? Key Features CRM vs Dedicated PM Tools Organise Your First Project The UK Advantage Transform Delivery Today FAQs How many times has your …
CRM for UK Charity Sector
OpenCRM — CRM for UK Charity Sector (preview) On this page Key Takeaways What is a Charity CRM? Streamlining Operations UK Data Residency Evaluating Costs Your Trusted Partner Digital Stability FAQs What if the greatest threat to your mission isn’t …
Why do it when you can automate it? – Tips from a CRM Project Manager
OpenCRM — Why Do It When You Can Automate It? (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Identifying What to Automate Why Introduce Automation? Where Do I Start? Which Route to Take Workflow Action Plans Email Plans As a Project Manager, …
Getting Your CRM Security Aligned
OpenCRM — Getting Your CRM Security Aligned (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Let’s Go Shopping Your Customers Standard Users Line Managers Inventory Managers Senior Management Social Engineering Your CRM Organisational Structure CRM Security is a vast topic but it …
CRM Workflow: your OpenCRM system’s management assistant
OpenCRM — CRM Workflow: Your System’s Management Assistant (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Do You Really Need Workflow? Workflow for Project Management Keeping Sales on Track Data Retention Workflow — particularly a smart CRM Workflow — is one of …
CRM Data Management Central: Is your OpenCRM system an integrated part of your team?
OpenCRM — CRM Data Management Central (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Onboarding Your CRM CRM Evolution Building Your Data Strategy Analyse and Review When implemented correctly, your CRM system acts like another member of your team — a virtual …
Round Robin Rounded Up: OpenCRM’s solution to record assignment (and more!)
OpenCRM — Round Robin Rounded Up (preview) On this page Key Takeaways CRM Round Robin Explained General Settings Adding Users via Teams Record Sharing Using Multiple Teams First of all, what is a Round Robin? It’s a tool that shares …
Managing Time using OpenCRM
OpenCRM — Managing Time with OpenCRM (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Time Management Starts at Home Planning is Everything The Notifications Centre The Projects Module Manage Your Time Management Tools (Republished from an earlier article) Time Is Money — …
Sales Discipline and CRM: Can opposites attract?
OpenCRM — Sales Discipline and CRM (preview) On this page Key Takeaways A Lack of Sales Discipline Disciplined in Every Other Respect Fixing the Relationship: 5 Tips As long as there have been sales teams, there has been someone in …
5 Sales Reports Your Business Can’t Do Without
OpenCRM — 5 Sales Reports Your Business Can’t Do Without (preview) On this page Key Takeaways What Are Your Sales Team Up To? What About the Rest of the Business? Let’s Hear It For Views (and 5 Other Reports for …
World Backup Day – Let’s Talk about Backups
OpenCRM — World Backup Day (preview) On this page Key Takeaways What Is World Backup Day? Why Should I Backup? What Should I Back Up? How Does OpenCRM Backup Data? What’s Included in a Backup? How Long Are These Stored? …
Your CRM Data Migration Checklist
OpenCRM — Your CRM Data Migration Checklist (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Why Migration Matters Before You Start Cleanse Your Data Field Mapping Test, Then Test Again Go-Live and Beyond Moving to a new CRM system is exciting — …
CRM: the Ultimate Business Organiser
OpenCRM — CRM: The Ultimate Business Organiser (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Everything in One Place Tasks & Follow-Ups Your Pipeline, Organised Organising a Whole Team Why Organisation Matters Most businesses don’t start out disorganised on purpose. It creeps …
Measuring the ROI of your CRM System
OpenCRM — Measuring the ROI of Your CRM System (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Hard Costs vs Hard Returns Time Saved Win Rate & Retention The Value of Visibility Calculating Your Own ROI Every CRM has a monthly cost. …
Building and Automating Your Sales Funnel with OpenCRM
OpenCRM — Building and Automating Your Sales Funnel (preview) On this page Key Takeaways The Stages of a Funnel Capturing Leads Automatically Nurturing Without the Manual Work The Handoff to Sales Measuring What’s Working A sales funnel only works if …
Pairing CRM and Entrepreneurs: Top qualities and finding a system to complement them
OpenCRM — Pairing CRM and Entrepreneurs (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Entrepreneurial Qualities Where CRM Fits In Why the Pairing Works Entrepreneurs tend to share a certain set of qualities — drive, resourcefulness, an instinct for opportunity. Those qualities …
Why You Should Use a CRM (and some Best Practices for using your System)
OpenCRM — Why You Should Use a CRM (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Why Use a CRM Best Practices for Using Your System Making It Stick Buying a CRM and getting value from a CRM are two different things. …
CRM Reports – 16 Big Hitters For You
OpenCRM — CRM Reports: 16 Big Hitters (preview) On this page Key Takeaways 16 Big-Hitter Reports Why Reporting Matters A CRM full of accurate data is only half the value — the other half comes from the reports that turn …
A Basic CRM System – is that so much to ask?
OpenCRM — A Basic CRM System (preview) On this page Key Takeaways The “Basic” Trap What Businesses Actually Need Simple to Use, Not Simple in Capability Why It Matters “We just want something basic” is one of the most common …
Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio: Everything You Need to Know to Increase Revenue & Grow Your Business
OpenCRM — Sales Pipeline Coverage Ratio (preview) On this page Key Takeaways What Is Pipeline Coverage Ratio How to Calculate It What’s a Healthy Ratio Improving Your Coverage A sales target on its own doesn’t tell you whether you’re actually …
Angry Customers and How to Deal with Them
OpenCRM — Angry Customers and How to Deal With Them (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Why Customers Get Angry How to Respond Where a CRM Helps After the Conversation Every business deals with an angry customer eventually. How that …
How to Manage your CRM Data Privacy
OpenCRM — Enhancing Data Privacy Through CRM (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Why Data Privacy Is a CRM Issue Best Practices Why It Matters A CRM holds some of the most sensitive information a business keeps — names, contact …
3 Stages Of CRM Implementation
OpenCRM — 3 Stages of CRM Implementation (preview) On this page How is CRM Implemented? Planning (Part 1) Planning (Part 2) Execution Your Shop Window Review For us here at OpenCRM, the idea of a business setting up a CRM …
10 Tips For Monitoring Leads
OpenCRM — 10 Tips for Monitoring Leads (preview) On this page Preparation Configuration Execution Review Conclusion There are very few businesses that are not on the hunt for new customers. Gaining new clients means acquiring and monitoring Leads. This is …
Cloud Software: 5 Common Concerns and How to Address Them
OpenCRM — Cloud Software: 5 Common Concerns (preview) On this page Cloud Software Concerns Cloud Software Benefits 5 Common Concerns Cloud software concerns Our CRM system is and has always been cloud-based. The decision to develop our software exclusively for …
How to Perfect Your Sales Cycle
OpenCRM — How to Perfect Your Sales Cycle (preview) On this page Perfect Your Sales Cycle Phase 1: Making First Contact Phase 2: The Deal Phase 3: Keeping Them Happy Perfect your sales cycle To perfect your sales cycle is …
Business Reporting: The Devil is in the Detail
OpenCRM — Business Reporting: The Devil is in the Detail (preview) On this page The Importance of Data Making Intelligent Decisions The Practical Details Customer Reports Business Trend Reporting When it comes to running (and growing) a business, I have …
CRM Goals and Objectives: How to define and how to achieve
OpenCRM — CRM Goals and Objectives (preview) On this page The Importance of CRM Goals Identifying Your CRM Goals Ensuring Your Goals Are Addressed Measuring Success When people start looking for a new CRM system, they will usually have a …
What are the benefits of a CRM Integration?
OpenCRM — Benefits of a CRM Integration (preview) On this page CRM Integration and Why it Matters Benefit 1: The Basics Benefit 2: The Specialists Benefit 3: Controlled Chaos CRM Integration and Why it Matters CRM systems are great (yes, …
How much CRM storage do you need?
OpenCRM — How Much CRM Storage Do You Need? (preview) On this page How Much Storage Do You Need? Basic Storage Definition First Data Storage Examples CRM Storage in the Real World How much CRM storage do you need? As …
Custom Views and Segmenting your Customer Data
OpenCRM — Custom Views and Segmenting Your Customer Data (preview) On this page Are Custom Views Just Filters? What Is a Custom View? Form an Orderly Queue How Is It Different to a Report? Who Needs What? Put Those Custom …
Privacy and permissions in CRM: how to build a policy
OpenCRM — Privacy and Permissions in CRM (preview) On this page Privacy, Permissions & Security Building Your Policy Step 1: Identify the Data Step 2: Privacy & Permission Step 3: Exceptions Step 4: Ask for Advice Step 5: Implement & …
The Practical Application of CRM
OpenCRM — The Practical Application of CRM (preview) On this page Understanding the Practical Application Example 1: Subscription & Account Management Example 2: CRM in the Service Industry Example 3: Applying CRM in Manufacturing CRM solutions are complex and powerful …
Your CRM Toolbox: Evolving with your business
OpenCRM — Your CRM Toolbox: Evolving With Your Business (preview) On this page Open Your CRM Toolbox Putting Together Your Toolbox Getting Your Team on Board First Things First – Open Your CRM Toolbox You’ve just received your shiny new …
Sales Skills and CRM can help
OpenCRM — Sales Skills and CRM Can Help (preview) On this page Soft Skills Hard Knowledge Work Ethic There are some key skills you’ll need to have if you want to succeed in sales. This isn’t about being able to …
Your CRM Journey
OpenCRM — Your CRM Journey (preview) On this page Building Blocks The Win-Win Rolling Out to a Wider Audience Forward Planning A Journey Along Many Roads Listen to Clients Have Regular Reviews Enjoy the Ride Whether you are simply curious …
Lead Management 101
OpenCRM — Lead Management 101 (preview) On this page Managing Lead Sources Actions: Managing New Leads Lead Times and GDPR/DRR Conversion Reporting on Leads and Opportunities What If I Don’t Need Leads? Conclusion There cannot be many businesses that are …
Team Management Tips: 5 ways to make sure your team are performing at their best
OpenCRM — 5 Team Management Tips (preview) On this page 1. Get to Know People 2. Invest in Company Culture 3. Keep Communication Lines Open 4. Give People Responsibility 5. The Right Tools Effective team management is about so much …
What is Business Growth? And how can your CRM system help?
OpenCRM — What Is Business Growth? (preview) On this page Building the Right Strategy Answering Those Questions Using CRM to Measure Growth Business Growth Management Growth Management Never Stops Put simply, business growth is positive expansion in any part of …
Why do I need to think about CRM management?
OpenCRM — Why Do I Need to Think About CRM Management? (preview) On this page CRM Management – Getting It to Work Data Management Pipeline Management Target & Commission Management Account & Project Management Support Management Marketing Management Brand Management …
6 Tips to Better Assess Your Prospects’ Needs
OpenCRM — 6 Tips to Better Assess Your Prospects’ Needs (preview) On this page Key Takeaways 1. Do Your Research 2. Be Personable 3. Take the Pain Away 4. Make Their Goals Your Goals 5. Ask the Right Questions 6. …
PDF Templates: Sending professional Sales Templates with just one click
OpenCRM — PDF Templates: Sales Templates in One Click (preview) On this page PDF Templates for Quotes or Proposals Sales Order PDF Templates PDF Templates for Any Kind of Invoice Which Modules Support PDF Templates Our Five Top Tips I’d …
20 CRM Automation Tips To Help With Your Sales Pipeline
OpenCRM — 20 CRM Automation Tips for Your Sales Pipeline (preview) On this page When an Enquiry Lands The Auto Email Warming Up the Lead One Follow-Up Lead Conversion Working Your Opportunity When Things Don’t Go As Planned Smiles All …
Separating B2C from B2B Sales – 3 Techniques for Success
OpenCRM — Separating B2C from B2B Sales (preview) On this page The ‘I Want’ vs The ‘I Need’ How’s B2B Different? Buyer Accountability The Bigger Picture H2H – The Human Element Putting It All Together Sales is sales, right? Well, …
Strengthening the Link between Sales and CRM Software
OpenCRM — Strengthening the Link Between Sales and CRM Software (preview) On this page Sales and CRM Software Why Isn’t My Team More Excited? How Do I Encourage Ownership? Automated Reporting & Dashboards Make It Part of Regular Meetings Encourage …
Sales Interview Questions: answering them and asking them
OpenCRM — Sales Interview Questions (preview) On this page Questions From the Hiring Chair Questions to Ask in an Interview I’ve been working in sales for virtually all of my adult life, working my way up through the ranks. I’m …
The Benefits of a CRM Consultant
OpenCRM — The Benefits of a CRM Consultant (preview) On this page What Is a CRM Consultant? Benefits (and Downsides) Phase 1: Helping With the Search Phase 2: Configuration Phase 3: Implementation & Training Phase 4: Reviewing & Expanding Do …
Clean Desk, Clean Data, Clean CRM!
OpenCRM — Clean Desk, Clean Data, Clean CRM! (preview) On this page First, Let’s Take a Look at Your Desk Stress Focus Hygiene Data Stress What’s the Answer? What About Focus? Focus on the Right Things! Data Hygiene The ‘Take …
8 Tips for Creating Great Email Templates
OpenCRM — 8 Tips for Creating Great Email Templates (preview) On this page 1. Think About Look and Feel 2. Assemble Your Toolkit 3. Putting Your Email Together 4. Images: Size Is Everything 5. Call to Action 6. Test, Test, …
5 Essential CRM Templates your Sales Team Needs
OpenCRM — 5 Essential CRM Templates Your Sales Team Needs (preview) On this page Why Before the What 5. Sales Intro 4. PDF Templates 3. Emailing Cold Opportunities 2. Product Overviews 1. Welcome Aboard! Think about the things you considered …
How to Use CRM to Offer a Premium Customer Experience
OpenCRM — How to Use CRM for a Premium Customer Experience (preview) On this page What Is Customer Experience? How Does CRM Help? 360 Degree View of Data Using Support to Measure Feedback Gather Feedback Directly Customise Your CRM Lead …
Cyber Security – Why is regularly reviewing so important?
OpenCRM — Cyber Security: Why Regular Reviews Matter (preview) On this page Why Is Cybersecurity So Important? Yahoo – 2013 Sina Weibo – 2020 The Evolution of Cyber Security The Early Noughties The Human Factor Stay Up to Date! Review …
How to Build the Best Marketing Email
OpenCRM — How to Build the Best Marketing Email (preview) On this page Why Stick With Marketing Email? B2B and When to Send The Email Template Itself How Should Your Email Look? What About Wording? What Is Your Call to …
Questions to ask during a CRM Demo
OpenCRM — Questions to Ask During a CRM Demo (preview) On this page Which Model? Your Departments – Today and Tomorrow Which Integrations Features Present and Future Functionality Security Must-Haves vs Nice-to-Haves Who Has Put the Questions Together? Data Migration …
Your CRM Training Matrix
OpenCRM — Your CRM Training Matrix (preview) On this page Key Takeaways Understanding the Matrix Start With the System Setup Configuring Your Out-of-the-Box CRM Making It Yours: Bespoke Configuration The People Side of the Matrix Championing the Cause System Management …