Juggling customer details, remembering follow-ups, and keeping track of every interaction can be overwhelming for small business owners. While there is no shortage of robust CRM (customer relationship management) tools, most of them are expensive and not feasible for small teams with limited budgets. Instead of opting for another hefty subscription, utilize Microsoft's spreadsheet software, Excel, to get the job done.
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Whether you are a startup founder, small business owner, or leading a sales team, you can utilize Excel with the right techniques to organize customer data, track interactions, and manage relationships without breaking the bank.
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7 Define your objectives
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Before you open a blank workbook and start creating a CRM, make sure to define your objectives. Having clear goals will guide your setup and ensure your CRM is effective and tailored to your specific needs. Here are some of the questions you can ask yourself before starting out.
What customer management challenges are you currently facing? Are you struggling to keep track of leads? Do you want to increase customer retention and boost conversion rates? What are the most important functionalities for your CRM? Do you need to track email communication, monitor sales progress, or divide your customers into different groups?
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A clear objective ensures that your system is not just a collection of data but a robust tool to drive your business forward.
6 Explore Excel CRM templates
Creating an entire Excel CRM from scratch can be time-consuming, especially for busy entrepreneurs, professionals, and business owners. Instead of starting out with a blank workbook, utilize Excel's built-in template collection.
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These templates offer a pre-built structure with required columns, formulas, and formatting already in place. You can jump straight into entering customer data instead of spending hours setting up your spreadsheet.
With a wide range of free and paid templates available online, you won't have a hard time finding a suitable template. Even if you don't want to start with a template, I encourage checking out the library just to get some inspiration for your CRM system.
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5 Structure your spreadsheets
For an effective CRM system, you need to have a well-organized spreadsheet from day one. Your data should be clear, accessible, and easy to analyze. Here are some tips you can follow.
Create multiple sheets such as Contacts, Interactions, Sales, Leads, and more in your Excel workbook. Use clear headers that accurately describe data in each column. For instance, instead of just using Phone, use Mobile Phone or Business Phone for clarity to avoid any confusion. Create drop-down lists for fields like Country, Lead Status, Product Interest, and more to standardize data.
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4 Jot down all the essential customer information
Your effective Excel CRM system shouldn't be limited to having a first name, last name, email, phone, and company details. Make sure to utilize Excel's flexibility and add comprehensive contact details such as job title, LinkedIn, X, or other relevant social media profiles, company website, personal blog, and more.
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You can even go a step ahead and log every interaction - emails, phone calls, meetings, online chats, and social media exchanges. Make sure to add dates, times, and detailed notes to summarize key points and use such information as a valuable context for future conversations. You should also track every lead that originates - whether from website forms, social media platforms, or online ads. Such detailed planning paints a comprehensive picture of each customer.
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3 Leverage advanced Excel features
This is the most crucial part of having a CRM system in an Excel workbook. You can convert your customer database into a table to unlock more features and add an aesthetic touch. You can also use filters to display only the data that meets certain criteria. Furthermore, utilize conditional formatting to highlight important information or apply visual clues.
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With Excel's powerful formulas, you can calculate customer lifetime value, track sales performance, or analyze marketing campaign effectiveness. For example, you can use =TODAY()-[Date of Last Contact] to calculate the number of days since you last interacted with a customer. The possibilities are endless here.
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2 Enhance your spreadsheets with visualizations
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Here is where Excel truly shines. It unlocks a host of visualization options for your CRM system. You can transform raw numbers into insightful charts and graphs, communicate key findings, and unlock a whole new level of understanding. You can use different charts, Pivot Tables, and even create a centralized dashboard to transform your spreadsheet into a data-driven decision-making machine.
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1 Maintain data hygiene and secure it with a password
It's important to update your Excel sheet regularly. You can periodically clean your data to remove duplicates, correct errors, and ensure accuracy.
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Securing your CRM is another crucial part. Your CRM system contains crucial customer data and potential leads, and it's vital to prevent unauthorized access. You need to password-protect your Excel sheet, and even when you generate a sharing link via OneDrive, make sure to set a password to avoid it falling into the wrong hands.
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Manage customer relationships like a pro
While dedicated CRM software provides advanced features and automation, it may be overkill for most small business owners. Besides, Excel isn't a slouch, either. By using the tips above, you can convert your spreadsheets into an organized CRM system that helps manage customer data, track interactions, and build stronger relationships. It does require time, effort, and a little creativity, but it will pay off.
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Aside from a CRM system, you can also use Excel for a bunch of other interesting projects. Check out our dedicated post to find the top creative ways to use Excel.