The idea of using tags in your CRM to categorize things in our lives is not a new concept, libraries and automotive parts departments have been using them for decades. And software companies only recently started adding tags to help us sort through our contacts.
What are tags? Tags are a powerful tool that can help you organize and manage your customer data in CRM. By tagging your contacts and companies, you can create custom categories and filters that make it easy to find the information you need
Here are seven awesome uses for tags in CRM:
1. Segment your customers and companies:
Use tags to segment your customers based on their interests, demographics, or purchase history.
When it comes to marketing, one size does not fit all. By using tags in your CRM, you can create highly targeted call and email campaigns that speak directly to the interests and needs of specific customer groups.
For instance, tagging customers as “Return Buyers” or “Interested in Tech” or “Old School” allows you to send personalized emails with curated products or services that they are more likely to purchase. This segmentation leads to higher engagement rates, more conversions, and a marketing strategy that resonates on a personal level.
Suggested Segments for Interests, Demographics and Purchase History
- Demographics: Age, gender, location, income, education level, occupation, etc.
- Interests: Product categories, brands, hobbies, etc.
- Purchase history: Products purchased, date of purchase, amount spent, etc.
Use case: A clothing retailer uses tags to segment their customers by age and gender. This allows them to send targeted email campaigns to different customer groups.
2. Track your Sales Pipeline with Tags in Your CRM
Use tags to track the stage of each deal in your sales pipeline. This will help you stay organized and identify any potential bottlenecks. Time is money, and in the world of sales, knowing where to focus your time is crucial. Tags like ‘High Value’ or ‘Urgent Follow-Up’ can help your sales team prioritize leads that are more likely to close or require immediate attention. This ensures that high-potential opportunities are never missed and that your team is always working efficiently towards the most profitable outcomes.
- Sales pipeline stages: Lead, prospect, qualified lead, opportunity, closed won, closed lost, etc.
- Sales Pipeline Priority: Hot, Cold, Urgent, High Value, etc.
- Sales Time: This month, Next Month, Jan Deal, etc.
Use case: A software company uses tags to track the stage of each demo they give. This allows them to identify which demos are most likely to convert into paying customers.
3. Identify opportunities:
Use tags to identify opportunities for cross-selling and upselling. For example, you can tag customers who have purchased a certain product with a tag for a complementary product.
Use case: A computer retailer uses complementary product tags to identify customers who have purchased a laptop. They then send these customers targeted emails with offers on laptop accessories.
4. Use Tags in your CRM to Improve customer service
Why add the additional expense of a separate support ticket manager such as Zendesk when you can add support tags to your customers and keep it all in one place.
Use tags to identify customers who need special attention. For example, you can tag customers who have had a negative experience or who have opened a support ticket.
Every interaction with a customer is an opportunity to learn and improve. By tagging interactions such as ‘Support Call’ or ‘Product Feedback’, you can keep a detailed record of how customers engage with your business. This data is invaluable for understanding customer behavior, improving service, and making informed decisions about product development and customer support strategies.
Listening to your customers is key to product improvement. By using tags like ‘Feature Request’ or ‘Bug Report’, you can categorize customer feedback and ensure that it reaches the right teams quickly. This organized approach to feedback management accelerates the improvement cycle and demonstrates to your customers that their input is valued and acted upon.
Customer support tickets: Open, closed, unresolved, high priority, etc.
Use case: A telecommunications company uses tags to identify customers who have had a service outage. They then contact these customers to apologize and offer a resolution.
5 Use Tags in Your CRM to Create Instant Reports
Use tags to generate reports on your sales, customer service, and marketing campaigns. This information can help you make better business decisions.
Collaboration is essential in any business, and tags can play a pivotal role in ensuring everyone is on the same page. You could create quick reports using tags such as ‘Needs Review’ or ‘Awaiting Approval’ clearly communicate the status of tasks and projects within your team. This clarity helps prevent bottlenecks, ensures tasks are completed in a timely manner, and fosters a collaborative environment where everyone understands their responsibilities.
Graphic: A report showing sales data for different customer segments.
Use case: A used car lot uses tags to track customer satisfaction. They then generate a report on customer satisfaction by salesperson and dealer location.
6. Managing Event Attendees with Tags
Events are a great way to connect with customers and prospects, but managing attendees can be a logistical nightmare. Tags like ‘Webinar Attended’ or ‘Trade Show Guest’ can help you keep track of who has engaged with your events, allowing for effective follow-up and nurturing of those relationships. This targeted approach ensures that the momentum from your events is not lost and that potential leads are pursued appropriately.
Use Case: A Towing Software company, uses tags to track opportunities from each of the trade shows they attend, such as the Baltimore tow show, or Orlando Tow show. This way they can pull up two tags, 1 “opportunities” and 2. “Orlando Tow Show” and work those leads as a group.
7. Collaborate with your team:
Use tags to collaborate with your team members on deals and customer relationships. For example, you can tag a team member in a note or task to keep them updated.
Use case: A real estate team uses tags to track the status of each property listing. They then tag team members in notes and tasks to keep everyone updated on the progress of each listing.
Final Thoughts:
These are just a few of the many ways that you can use tags in CRM. By using tags effectively, you can organize your customer data, improve your sales process, and provide better customer service.
In conclusion, tags in your CRM are more than just labels; they are powerful tools that can transform the way you interact with customers, manage your sales pipeline, and collaborate as a team. By leveraging tags effectively, you can create a more organized, efficient, and customer-centric business.
I hope this blog post has given you some ideas on how to use tags in CRM to improve your business. If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below. And I hope you’ll consider Selling Lane’s Tag Manager as your favorite choice for small business software.
