CRMs don’t always live up to their value. They’re supposed to help you keep track of leads, streamline follow-ups, and make business life easier.
But sometimes, it feels like they were designed by someone who’s never marketed anything. If you’ve ever stared at a CRM dashboard thinking, “What am I looking at?” you’re not alone.
You can use a CRM without feeling overwhelmed by keeping it simple, consistent, and tailored to your actual workflow.
Don’t Overcomplicate It
CRMs have a million features, but you don’t need all of them. Start with the basics:
- Contact information
- Lead source
- Lead status (new, contacted, quoted, sold, ghosted)
- Follow-up reminders.
That’s it. Ignore the shiny extras until you’ve mastered the essentials.
Bells and whistles won’t help you if you’re not even logging activity.
Set It Up Like You Think
Your insurance marketing process probably has a rhythm:
Information request → follow-up → service → renewal.
Set your CRM stages to match the marketing process and name things in plain English! “Hot” and “Cold” leads are easier to understand than “Tier A” or “Level 3 – Priority Medium.” Customize it so your CRM feels like your system, not a spreadsheet from outer space.
Automate the Boring Stuff
CRMs can perform some helpful tasks automatically if you set them up correctly. For example:
- A lead fills out your website form. The CRM automatically creates a lead and sends you a notification about that lead.
- You haven’t followed up in 3 days, so the CRM reminds you to follow up.
- You sent someone information, but haven’t heard back from them, so the CRM reminds you to check in.
Using automation helps cover the gaps when life gets busy, which is a common occurrence in this industry.
Check It Once a Day, Not Once a Week
The number one reason people lose leads is simple: they forget to check their CRM. Block 15 minutes at the start or end of your day as your CRM time.
See what’s new and follow up with the ones in the “waiting to hear back” bucket. Update statuses and log your contacts.
Do it every day, and you’ll avoid losing leads later.
Make It a Habit, Not a Chore
Don’t treat your CRM like a thing you “have to do.” It’s how you make sure no lead or contact falls through the cracks.
Every contact in your CRM represents revenue that’s in motion and can be lost if its issue isn’t addressed, or revenue waiting to be generated. Logging notes and follow-ups isn’t busy work, but it’s how you keep revenue from vanishing into thin air.
Use the CRM Mobile Application
You’re constantly meeting people, taking calls, and putting out fires, so if your CRM has a mobile application, use it. Enter a note right after a call and update the status while you’re grabbing coffee.
Check your tasks while walking into a meeting. The more you tailor the CRM to your actual day, the less it becomes something you “forget” to do.
CRMs can absolutely save your sanity if you don’t let them become another source of stress. Keep it simple, use it daily, and make it your own.
When your CRM works for you, your contacts and leads stop slipping through the cracks, and your revenue increases in more sales and retention, with fewer sticky notes on your desk, too.
Welcome to the future of insurance that runs at the speed of now. Agility Holdings Group (AHG) invests in innovative InsurTech, HealthTech, and related companies that aim to revolutionize access to insurance products, establish patient care, and improve health outcomes.
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