--- title: "Blog :: Vanessa Hunt Consulting | CRM consultant | Marketing | CRM" description: "CRM | Vanessa Hunt Consulting Ltd wants sales, marketing and service teams to love using their CRM as much as we love selecting, designing and configuring it for you. We blog about sales and marketing topics, including how to ensure you get value from your CRM right from the outset - and how to prepare your whole team for using a CRM. Call +44 (7967) 620215 if you'd like to explore how a well-implemented CRM can streamline your business and support your ambitions for business growth." --- ### Blending tech & creativity for more focused, rewarding relationships ### Latest posts - [June 2020 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2020/06) - [March 2019 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2019/03) - [December 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/12) - [November 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/11) - [October 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/10) - [August 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/08) - [July 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/07) - [June 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/06) - [May 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/05) - [April 2018 (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/04) - [March 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/03) - [February 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/02) - [January 2018 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2018/01) - [December 2017 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2017/12) - [July 2017 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2017/07) - [June 2017 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2017/06) - [April 2017 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2017/04) - [March 2017 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2017/03) - [February 2017 (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2017/02) - [August 2016 (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2016/08) - [March 2016 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2016/03) - [October 2015 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2015/10) - [May 2015 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2015/05) - [April 2015 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2015/04) - [March 2015 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2015/03) - [February 2015 (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2015/02) - [January 2015 (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2015/01) - [December 2014 (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2014/12) - [November 2014 (4)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/archive/2014/11) [See all](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm#) ### Filter by tag - [Art (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/art) - [Beginners (3)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/beginners) - [Blogging (8)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/blogging) - [Books (3)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/books) - [Checklist (5)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/checklist) - [Coaching (3)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/coaching) - [Consultancy (4)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/consultancy) - [Creativity (10)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/creativity) - [CRM (7)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm) - [Email (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/email) - [Facebook (16)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/facebook) - [GDPR (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/gdpr) - [HTML (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/html) - [HubSpot (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/hubspot) - [Insightly (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/insightly) - [Instagram (5)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/instagram) - [Learning (7)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/learning) - [LinkedIn (4)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/linkedin) - [Management (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/management) - [Marketing (18)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/marketing) - [Networking (2)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/networking) - [Nimble (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/nimble) - [Pinterest (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/pinterest) - [Privacy (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/privacy) - [Productivity (8)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/productivity) - [Salesforce (3)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/salesforce) - [SAP CRM (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/sap-crm) - [SEO (4)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/seo) - [SharpSpring (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/sharpspring) - [Social (11)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/social) - [Training (7)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/training) - [Twitter (4)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/twitter) - [User Adoption (1)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/user-adoption) - [Websites (3)](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/websites) [see all topics](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm#) # Blog ![Increase sales velocity by shortening your sales cycle](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/590.jpg) ## Increase sales velocity by shortening your sales cycle Still waiting for a response from that website you were browsing last month? Maybe you got a reply, but not soon enough. Just last week I completed a web form on the site of a large CRM vendor who specialises in customer experience. Guess what. Nobody followed up my enquiry! I ended up chasing them via chat (which worked really well). It's okay, these things happen. But not everyone would've given them a second chance. It made me wonder how many other companies are missing out on business because they're sluggish responding to leads? Posted on Wednesday, 3rd June 2020 by Vanessa Hunt [CRM](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm) [HubSpot](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/hubspot) [Insightly](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/insightly) [Productivity](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/productivity) [Salesforce](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/salesforce) [SAP CRM](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/sap-crm) [SharpSpring](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/sharpspring) [Read full post »](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/2020/06/sales_velocity_shorter_sales_cycle) ![Advice for small businesses to become compliant with GDPR](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/450.jpg) ## Advice for small businesses to become compliant with GDPR For many small businesses, especially sole-traders and Limited Liability Partnerships, it may only be necessary to produce and publish a clearly defined Data Protection Policy in order to be compliant. However, merely declaring a policy will be deemed to be insufficient in the event of an investigation (which is only likely to happen following a data breach / compromise) unless there is hard evidence that adequate precautions were taken to implement the policy, including protecting all data that falls within the scope of GDPR – namely data that identifies a person either directly (full name, address, or photograph) or indirectly (IP address + Facebook handle and / or + characterisation of an individual). Posted on Monday, 2nd April 2018 by Martin Herbert [CRM](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm) [GDPR](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/gdpr) [Read full post »](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/2018/04/advice_small_businesses_gdpr) ![Eight low-cost tools every start-up business owner needs](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/407.jpg) ## Eight low-cost tools every start-up business owner needs I don't suppose you received any emails this week tempting you to a free trial of an amazing new app, did you? How many apps did you try out? And which ones are you still using? Are you addicted to subscribing to new apps that you never have a chance to use? Don't feel bad - we all do it! When you first start out in business, you're pulled in all directions, so of course every minute is precious. Any extra app or tool that promises to help you manage your business more easily is enticing. Most organisations can't do without email, Word, Excel and PowerPoint (or their equivalent), but there are thousands of other software apps you could add to your suite of business applications. Our digital world offers so much choice that even the smallest, simplest business can find it overwhelming. I've been running my small business for more than ten years. I've tried hundreds of apps because I love productivity tools. But I've continually been refining my list and I now have a shortlist of eight tools I'd recommend to any small business owner just starting out or in their first couple of years of business. The majority are free or include a free version, depending on the features you need. I use all of them daily and they ensure I keep my business running smoothly.  Posted on Sunday, 14th January 2018 by Vanessa Hunt [CRM](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm) [Facebook](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/facebook) [LinkedIn](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/linkedin) [Marketing](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/marketing) [Nimble](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/nimble) [Productivity](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/productivity) [Read full post »](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/2018/01/eight_low_cost_tools_every_start_up_business_owner_needs) ![Guest blogging earns Gold for best article in CRM Writers' Awards 2017](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/360.png) ## Guest blogging earns Gold for best article in CRM Writers' Awards 2017 I love creating content on current CRM topics like user adoption, sales enablement and training for [SalesMethods](https://salesmethods.com/blog/). So I was even more delighted for my client when I learnt that my guest blogging had won the Gold and Silver awards in two categories of the CRM Writers' Awards 2017.  Posted on Tuesday, 25th April 2017 by Vanessa Hunt [Blogging](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/blogging) [CRM](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm) [Marketing](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/marketing) [Salesforce](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/salesforce) [Read full post »](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/2017/04/guest_blogging_earns_gold_for_best_article_in_crm_writers_awards_2017) ## An interview with Data2CRM: Customer experience and CRM I was recently interviewed by Nataliia Matsyk (Marketing Manager) of [Data2CRM](https://www.data2crm.com/), who asked some interesting questions about my experience of working in the CRM industry. Posted on Friday, 12th August 2016 by Vanessa Hunt [Consultancy](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/consultancy) [CRM](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/crm) [Salesforce](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/salesforce) [Training](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/training) [User Adoption](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/tag/user-adoption) [Read full post »](https://vanessahunt.co.uk/blog/2016/08/an_interview_with_data2crm_customer_experience_and_crm)