Julie’s Story

Customer: Julie Lavery

Company: Orb Rope Access

Industry: Rope Access Specialists – working at Height

Julie’s CRM Journey

Introduction

Julie and I first began working together in October 2020. It has been a pleasure to follow Julie on her CRM journey and we continue to enjoy a catch up over a coffee several months later. I helped Julie, the Director, in the family business, to map out their customer journey and implement a CRM system that worked best for them. We recently met up for a chat about the process her business has gone through since we started, what it was like before finding VK, how I was able to help and where they are now.

The Story of Julie

Julie, is a Director of Orb Rope Access – a company which specialises in working at height. She works closely with husband Matt to deliver a very successful family business.

Julie’s role at Orb Rope Access keeps her very busy, she is responsible for marketing, sales, finance, work planning and scheduling, networking, and growth. It is her task to keep all this on track and organised, which ultimately led to her finding VK.

Julie came from a background of learning and development in corporate banking so her skills set lent itself well to joining the family firm which Matt had set up five years prior to her joining.

We discussed how the business was before and after finding VK, and her experience of implementing some of the business solutions which arose during our time working together.

The Challenges of Orb Rope Access Before CRM

Julie discussed that she hadn’t recognised how their small business was running to be a problem before it was brought to their attention. She talked about how she managed to keep track of her clients and leads by making notes on paper and following up invoices on the computer calendar.

It wasn’t until she was asked what would happen if she suddenly onboarded ten new customers tomorrow, that she began to see the potential impact that running the business from an email inbox and note pad may have. Until that point, she was focused on the practical side of things, such as getting more equipment to deliver the service. The other aspects needed for business growth, the ‘behind the scenes’ part of the business were overlooked (as they often are).

When asked how she found contact information for customers, where new leads are or work in progress, she pointed to her email inbox or on pieces of paper she’s jotted it down on. She then questioned the business planning, how she would cope if they gained 10 more clients, and how difficult this would be to keep track of in the same way.

Julie put it down to pure luck if she remembered to call back the person that newly enquired about services, perhaps only stumbling across her scribbled notes in her trusted note pad at best. This, she worked out, had cost thousands in potential revenue.

This series of ‘what ifs’ led to her contacting VK.

Why Julie Chose VK

“I would not hesitate to recommend Veronica to anyone who is thinking about getting a CRM.”

Julie discussed how she chose to go with VK as I was recommended by someone she trusted. She was happy with this choice as straight away she could see that I just ‘got’ their business, fully understood them, and what they wanted, from day 1 – which just made life miles easier!

Did you Any Reservations Before Working With VK 

Julie felt that the main risk they would be taking when implementing a CRM system was that they would pay for this system but wouldn’t actually use it. This worry however was diminished when Veronica showed her a demo of the CRM system that she was interested in. They could then understand all the benefits of applying a CRM system and how much easier it would make the organisation processes behind their business. Julie said, if it looked clunky and grey then I am going! Luckily It was well received, and Julie soon wove the CRM into her day-to-day life.

“Veronica has made the whole process seamless.”

The Results

Julie still raves about her CRM system today and how helpful it has been for the business. “it is a game changer”. She loves how you can see the customer journey, starting from the pipeline of leads to tracking the way through each project. She also described how she finds her ‘task list’ that it creates each day incredibly useful to stay organised. She has the CRM app on her phone so this helps her when she is away from the office to have visibility.

She chatted about how in the past the way they were working could have been negatively affecting their business. This was mainly though missed opportunities. Now they have a system that helps them to chase the leads and push opportunities forward in a visible way, growing their business even further.

They use their system all the time, and after ‘trusting the process’ have found it an incredibly positive step forward for their business.

Sound Familiar?

If any of Julie’s challenges or reservations resonate with you, or you just want to learn more about CRM and my services, book a chat with me at https://www.vkbusinessconsulting.com/contact/