What a CRM Holds
At its simplest a CRM is a database of people and companies with a timeline against each: emails sent, calls made, meetings, notes and the stage of any deal. Its value is that the history stays when a person leaves or forgets. Anyone on the team can see where a relationship stands without asking.
How Contacts Get In
The common routes are manual entry, a file import in CSV, a web form that creates a contact on submission, and an integration that pushes records automatically. Collecting someone’s details at an event and typing them in a week later is the weak link in most processes, and it is where leads go cold.
From a Card to a CRM
When a visitor to a digital card sends their details back, those details can be sent on automatically by webhook to a CRM that accepts one, or exported as a CSV and imported in bulk. The first suits steady flow and the second suits a one-off event. Either way the contact reaches the system the same day, not a week later.
Do You Need One
A spreadsheet is a reasonable CRM for a handful of contacts. The case for dedicated software grows with the number of people involved and the cost of a missed follow up: reminders, shared history and a record of who spoke to whom. Choose on how you actually follow up, not on features.
Frequently asked questions
What does CRM stand for?
Customer relationship management. It refers both to the practice and to the software that records contacts and interactions.
Is a spreadsheet a CRM?
For a small number of contacts it can serve as one. Dedicated software adds reminders, shared history and automatic capture as the numbers grow.
How do I get event contacts into a CRM?
Import a CSV in bulk, or send each contact automatically by webhook or integration as it is collected, which avoids retyping.
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Related terms
Put this into practice with your own card
Put your details on one card page, share it by link or QR code, and change them whenever they change. The printed code keeps working. No credit card required to start.