What is InStream?

InStream is a strong, simple, and affordable platform. It covers all the basics of a robust CRM system: salesforce automation, contact management, communication features, scheduling, reminders, and customer service. It also integrates with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to create a multichannel business and enhance your social selling strategy. The CRM is also free for small businesses with less than ten employees. Ease of Use InStream is a straightforward platform where you can get up and running within the day.

The interface is simple, with an intuitive sidebar for your contacts, leads, calendar, opportunities, tickets, and more. Each of these modules offers a search bar, customizable view, and reporting feature. The layout brings relevant information to your fingertips with minimal navigation around the platform. Contact Management Instead of typing information into a static database, Instream continuously updates your customer profiles. You get an almost microscopic view of the customer without the effort of manual input. On your contacts page, you can record profiles by person or account.

Much of the record will be auto-completed once you integrate with email, social media, and other apps. If you have only a name, the lead generator tool can scan the web to find a likely email address. You can configure the record to collect the information relevant to your business, such as contact details, interaction history, social media accounts, notes, and much more. With third-party integrations, you can contact clients on email, mobile, social media, and the web without having to leave InStream.

Contacts view: You can easily divide contacts and accounts into lists. Lists let you group certain types of leads and prospects together, such as upsells, cross-sells, hot leads, contractors, and any other group you need. You can use these lists to segment your marketing and sales strategies. What`s unique about InStream is you can also create a separate reporting system and unique workflows for each type of list. Search bar: You can search for a client in any module. If you`ve lost the name of an account or need a specific type of customer, InStream offers fast-filter options to narrow your results.

You can set multiple filters to refine your results. Communication Features InStream connects with any mailbox, letting you manage your messages with easy access to the client record. You can time your communication perfectly, ensure no one slips through the cracks, view who has opened emails and keep your message consistent and pertinent. Managers can also oversee communication and add comments to guide the team. The reporting feature makes it easy to track how productive staff are in their email outreach. You can view your overall communication flow with just a click or separate by employee. Automated communication: You can automate common touchpoints, such as follow-ups, welcome messages, and thank you emails.

Each can be personalized to the client, and you can schedule to send at a particular time. Reminders and Scheduling The InStream calendar has weekly and monthly views, which you can share with colleagues and clients. The system will also remind you when you last contacted a client, how long they`ve spent in a deal stage, and what type of communication you last sent. From there, you can make data-driven decisions about your next steps--then program them into the system. You`ll receive automatic alerts when it`s time to reach out. The To-Do Dashboard has all your tasks laid out for you so that you can organize your time.

It also integrates with Google calendar. Sales Tools InStream offers standard sales tools, such as pipeline management. It`s easy to customize the funnel to your sales process, and employees can be assigned to each lead or deal stage. Sales reports: The CRM makes reporting simple, with easy click and print options. This isn`t enterprise-grade business intelligence, but it comes close, with reports for staff performance, sales forecasts, and win/close rates. You can publish results to a company-wide dashboard to encourage a little healthy competition between sales reps.

Customer Service The CRM provides a ticketing system. You can automate the most repetitive tasks and track service cases in one easy place. Hand-offs between departments and employees are seamless since everyone has access to the same client record. You can also publish reports on customer metrics, such as average time to close a service ticket. Social Selling Social media offers a window into the preferences and pain points of your target audience.

You can monitor customer sentiment in real-time by integrating InStream with Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. You can set up notifications for when someone interacts with your brand and respond to customers on any platform--direct from your CRM.