Author: Amy Freeman | May 10, 2024

There's more to running a successful roofing company than replacing or repairing roofs. You also need to attract new customers and keep your existing client base coming back for more. In the past, you may have had to tediously and inefficiently use pen and paper or spreadsheets to keep track of leads and current customers. Fortunately, modern customer relationship management (CRM) programs can do the heavy lifting for you. Learn more about the benefits of a CRM for contractors and what it can do for your company.

What Is CRM Software?

Customer relationship management, aka CRM, is software that takes charge of all your company's relationships, whether they are with current or potential customers. Using a CRM helps you improve the connections you have with leads and customers so that your business can grow.

CRM software falls into several categories. There are general software programs, which are designed for companies in a wide range of industries. Then there are CRMs designed specifically for those in the roofing or construction industry. A CRM built for contractors, such as JobNimbus, may be more likely to meet your needs than a general-purpose platform.

What Does a CRM for Contractors Do?

CRM platforms for contractors keep track of, organize and automate the work you do, to help you save time and money while expanding your customer list. When choosing a CRM, it's important to look for the following features:

• Marketing support: Your roofing business's website and online presence can help you win more customers. A CRM that integrates with a marketing services platform allows you to build a site that converts leads and ensures that your digital reputation remains solid.
• Lead tracking and scheduling: When you have a lot of leads, keeping track of where they are in the funnel can get complicated. A CRM should streamline the lead-tracking process for you, so you never miss a connection or an opportunity to turn a potential client into a client for life. The platform should also simplify the scheduling process and support you in making a great first impression.
• Communications support: Communication is key when winning or retaining customers. Your CRM should make it easy to stay in touch or follow up with your existing clients and reach out to new or potential customers. Ideally, your CRM will support text messaging and allow for automated responses, even when your sales team is on vacation.

Why Use a CRM?

The major reasons to use a CRM are to organize your existing customers and to bring in more leads. Once you start using a platform, you're likely to notice:

• Faster quotes and estimates from your sales team: When customers are looking for a roof repair or replacement, they want to know how much it will cost, quickly. A CRM makes it easier for your sales team to produce estimates and quotes, giving your leads what they want when they want it.
• Improved communication between leads and your sales team: A CRM can keep messages from falling through the cracks by simplifying the communication process and ensuring that your team will reach leads where they are.
• Faster payments: A CRM can also simplify the invoicing and payment process. Features such as text-to-pay can lead to payments within minutes of sending the request, rather than having to wait weeks or months.
• More responsive customers: When you connect with customers or leads using their preferred method of communication, you can expect faster response times. Rather than having to wait days for a customer to reply to an email or waste hours playing phone tag, you can send a text and get a reply, sometimes immediately.

The more efficient and organized your roofing company is, the better the service you can provide customers and the more you'll stand out in a crowded field. If you haven't tried using a CRM yet, now's the time to explore your options and start seeing the results.