Interview with the Liki24.com team: why they returned to automation and how they implemented CRM

— How did it all start? How did you realize that the tables were no longer working?

Oleksandr: After abandoning the previous service, we worked for some time without CRM, in spreadsheets — each manager kept his own, and then we combined everything into common files. But as the number of clients and tasks grew, it became clear that this approach was not suitable for scaling. We decided to return to a system tool and automate processes using CRM. That’s why we chose NetHunt CRM.

— What tasks did you set for the CRM you were looking for?

Nadiya: We had several main tasks at Liki24.com. The most important one was sales funnel analytics. We needed to see at what stage each customer is, where they are stuck, at which stage we most often lose potential deals. This is necessary for analysis and further improvement of conversions between stages.

It was also important for us to work with customer statuses — «current,» «potential,» «lost.» This allows us to avoid losing leads and bring them to the end of the funnel.

Another goal was to centrally store contacts. We wanted to have a single database where any manager could quickly find the company, its contacts, and communication history.

— Why did you choose NetHunt CRM?

Nadiya: We looked at several systems, but it was in NetHunt CRM that we found all the tools we needed — without unnecessary functionality, with the ability to customize the tool to our processes. Flexible funnel settings, task management, and technical support that really helps — all this made the integration simple.

Andriy: I would also add about the speed of the system. Compared to other CRMs I have dealt with, this is a big advantage.

— You said that you wanted to track deal statuses, was this implemented in the CRM system?

Nadiya: Yes, and even more. We completely customized the funnel to our process. In NetHunt CRM, you can create your own fields, and we actively used this. We added our own fields for the contract amount, the date of receipt of funds — for payment control, the legal name of the company, the additional agreement number — for accounting.

Thanks to this, all information is structured and available for analysis. For example, we can quickly filter data by month and manager and see how much money was spent and who was responsible for it.

— How do you work with payments and contract extensions?

Nadiya: I use saved filters to monitor payments. For example, I have a «pending payment» view filtered by month and client status. At the end of each month, I go to this list and see who hasn’t made a payment yet — I write a reminder so I don’t miss anything.

NetHunt also helps with contract renewals. When a contract is about to expire, we can see when it’s time to contact the client. It’s also convenient to see who has paused the collaboration or who should be brought back into the funnel closer to the season.

— Alexander, how does CRM help you as a manager in your daily work?

Oleksandr: I work with data on contract amounts: what services we sell, what and when we promote, for what amount — I see all this immediately in the system, without unnecessary clarifications from team members. I can quickly filter data by brands, by managers, by directions. This greatly facilitates analysis.

— What else has become more convenient after implementing CRM?

Nadiya: Document management and cooperation with accounting. We enter all the data necessary for the formation of invoices and acts into the CRM system. We upload the necessary information and transfer it to accounting. Thanks to this, the process of forming primary documents has become much faster.

Oleksandr: And in general — the effect of systematization. Everyone works in a single system. If a manager is on sick leave or goes on vacation — another one easily picks up current deals. There is history, statuses, correspondence, tasks.

Andriy: I would add that managing tasks directly in CRM has greatly simplified my work. For each client, I create tasks with deadlines, for example, to send a commercial offer or to contact after a break. This helps not to miss important steps.

— What results are already visible after implementing NetHunt CRM?

Oleksandr: It is difficult to accurately assess the impact of CRM on business indicators, because we work in B2B, where contracts have a long cycle. However, we have significantly reduced the time for data processing and manual work. For example, generating and uploading reports now takes minutes. Managers' efficiency has increased due to quick access to information and filters. We have also noticed that the percentage of clients brought to the conclusion of contracts has increased.

— What advice can you give to companies planning to implement a CRM system?

Oleksandr: My main advice is not to be afraid of change. Many companies are used to old methods and are afraid of automation, but this is a huge step towards efficiency. You should always think about systematizing processes, moving away from manual work. Everything should work like clockwork with minimal human intervention in these processes. And, of course, refuse Russian products in favor of Ukrainian ones — this is not only a matter of ethics, but also of quality.