The path to growing a successful small business is filled with countless interactions — prospects to follow up with, deals to close and commitments to deliver. Yet surprisingly, over 50% of businesses don't use a CRM, with nearly half of business owners believing their businesses are too small to need one. This couldn't be further from the truth, especially as these interactions multiply and the challenge of keeping track becomes increasingly complex.

In my experience, businesses typically engage with at least five to ten prospects for every customer they acquire, and sales cycles can stretch anywhere from a few days to nine or even twelve months.

This is especially true for service-oriented businesses, professional services firms and creative agencies where deal values are substantial and relationships matter. Unlike a simple retail transaction, these businesses often involve complex sales cycles with multiple touchpoints.

I learned this lesson firsthand in my early days as an entrepreneur. When I was both coding and selling, I constantly found myself switching between multiple roles. I would forget to call prospects back, lose track of where previous conversations had left off and miss follow-up interactions.

After searching unsuccessfully for a solution in........

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