My last couple of articles have concentrated on getting your brand out into the market and getting recognised.
A couple of points I will impress again, as it is all too easy to become disillusioned if business starts slow, unfortunately no one owes you a living, and what you get you will have worked damned hard for, none so hard as when you are starting out:
- If you are advertising do not expect the phone to start ringing the day the advert comes out, it usually takes 3 or 4 insertions before the general public have confidence in you and your product before they react; and
- Talk to other like-minded people, as a Member of the Society of Will Writers, we have 20 regional groups around the UK, and all Members are invited to attend. Details can be found on the SWW website, www.willwriters.com. Members are encouraged to attend as visitors in the expectation that they will become a Member in the future.
CRM Software
Most readers will know what CRM software is and does, and for those that don’t, it stands for Customer Relationship Management software. It is designed to help businesses and salespersons effectively manage leads, contacts and customers.
CRM’s range in price, from about $25 USD (most are American) per user to around $400 per user per month. In my research I found there is one that charges a one-off lifetime fee of $24,000, yes $24,000 USD (that is a self-hosted version for up to 1000 users). Note: fees are only a guide and will vary from provider to provider and information taken from several comparison web sites.
As a matter of interest, the Society uses Act! Premium CRM software and pays £2,148 approx. per annum. We have used this for eighteen years and therefore would cost us more to change, but it is a nice piece of software (if a little complicated to set up or change), and there are probably easier ones to use today for a similar cost.
The Society’s drafting software Sure Will Writer Professional Will Suite, contains an excellent CRM package included in the monthly fee of £69 +VAT per user, this is something the Society has for years been trying to have added to earlier versions.
The new version only launched in August 2017 and is now fast becoming the software of choice for the professional, both Will Writers and solicitors alike.
The main features of the CRM software included in the monthly user fee are:
- All fields are fully customisable;
- You can create a new case from the existing address book that the software creates;
- Built-in postal address finder from the post code;
- Case tracking pipeline; and the most exciting;
- It will send acknowledgements to your clients by text or email of the next appointment;
- You can access the CRM software (and the rest of the system) from any device to check appointments etc.
Which businesses can benefit from CRM software?
Almost all businesses will benefit from having a CRM to help manage their contacts, sales and appointments, as well as future contacts and marketing opportunities.
Most CRM’s are cloud based (including Sure Will Writer) meaning that you can access your data through your desktop browser or mobile device.
Summary
CRM packages are essential to any business, from the sole practitioner to the larger Will Writing companies. CRM’s can be used to track your own diary, client’s appointments and future appointments, if you are storing Wills for your clients provide reminders into the future to offer reviews and a great opportunity to market new products or services.
You can diarise the kids, when your client tells you their son, daughter, nephew of whatever is buying their first home, birth of a grandchild or getting married, make a note and add it to the CRM and it will remind you when the date is due so that you can make amendments to the clients existing Wills and also talk to the children about future planning.
For more information on Sure Will Writer Professional Will Suite or for a 14 day free, no-obligation free trial, contact the Society of Will Writers – the #1 body representing the Will Writing profession or visit www.surewillwriter.com.
Brian W McMillan
Director General
The Society of Will Writers
