What is the real cost of manual data entry for businesses? Sales representatives spend a lot of time typing contact details into systems. This leads to their focus on data entry rather than selling. Studies show they spend about 20% of their work time on tasks like entering details. This also creates another problem: lost contact. A salesperson may collect many business cards from an event. They may forget important parts of the conversation when they add the details after many days.
Manual entry can create a lot of mistakes. A wrong phone number can mean losing a potential customer completely. The biggest issue is the delay between meeting someone and saving their information. Industrial Research shows that companies that respond quickly to new leads are much more likely to turn them into customers. This is why CRM integration with business card scanner apps is important for a better workflow. There are multiple CRM systems like Salesforce, HubSpot and Zoho that are used by different organisations. Optbiz is one of many apps that help you organise your contacts efficiently.
How Contact Scanning and CRM Sync Work
The technology behind scanning a business card and saving the information into a CRM may sound complex. But it is very simple to understand. The entire process of syncing data takes less than a minute.
Step 1: Capture Image for Data Accuracy
The process starts when you open a contact scanning app on your phone. You point the camera at a business card. The app captures a high-resolution image of the card. It is just like normally taking a photo.
Most apps can scan each side of the card. This is useful because many business cards contain extra details on the back. One thing to know is that the more accurate results will be shown with better image quality.
Step 2: Reading the Details
The app uses a technology called Optical Character Recognition after taking the photo. OCR helps the software in reading the printed text on the card. It can identify different formats of information on the card.
But modern systems do more than simply copy text. They also try to understand the meaning of the information on the card. Advanced technology helps in understanding the complex layouts.
For example:
- A string of numbers is recognised as a phone number.
- Text with an “@” symbol is identified as an email address.
- A larger name at the top of the card is usually understood to be the person’s name.
- The company logo is separated from personal details.
Step 3: Organising the Information into CRM Fields
The software places each piece of information into the correct CRM field when the text is recognised. This is called field mapping. The business card scanner app uses it to put the information in the right place, like:
- First name goes into the first name field.
- Last name goes into the surname field.
- The job title is added under the designation.
- The company name is stored in the company section.
Step 4: Checking the Data
Many tools verify that the data is correct before saving the contact into the CRM. This means the software will make sure that the information looks reliable.
For example:
- Is the email address in a valid format?
- Does the phone number contain the correct number of digits?
- Is the website link properly written?
Some advanced platforms also make the data more attractive by adding extra information from public sources. This may include:
- LinkedIn profile details
- Company size
- Industry type
- Job role information
- Recent company news
This gives more useful background information for taking the lead on contacts. It is recommended to go for an app that is more likely to offer you multiple features to save a contact effectively. Optibiz is a smart business card scanner app that provides such a service.
Step 5: Sending the Contact to the CRM
The app sends the contact information directly into the CRM system when the data is cleaned. This happens through an API connection.
An Application Programming Interface acts as the bridge between your card scanning tool and your CRM platform. The API carries your data into your CRM. The role it carries is of placing each piece of information into the right field automatically.
Some scanning tools, like Optibiz offer direct integrations with popular CRMs. Other tools use automation platforms like Zapier to connect with CRMs that may not support direct integration.
Step 6: Running Automated Workflows
The system can automatically perform different tasks once the contact is saved in the CRM. It helps in many things like:
- You can send a welcome email.
- Assign the lead to a salesperson.
- Set a reminder for any meeting.
- Add the contact to an email campaign.
- Notify the sales manager about the new lead.
All of this happens right after the business card is scanned. There is no need for manual work.
What Makes This Different from Simply Saving a Contact to Your Phone
What is the need for a business card scanner app if saving a contact to your phone is easier? The problem is that it only stores basic information for personal use. The contact stays on one device and is not connected to your workflow. It becomes difficult to track where the lead came from. Some key differences between phone contacts and CRM contacts are:
- Phone contacts are private. They are limited to one user.
- CRM contacts can be shared across the entire team
- CRM systems can automatically send reminders to you
- Contacts in a CRM can be tracked through the sales pipeline.
- One can easily analyse CRM data.
- Managers can check the lead performance.
Stop Losing Contacts. Start Closing Deals.
Every business card you scan should work for you. Optibiz makes this effortless. Snap a photo of any card to extract the details. Export your contacts directly to your CRM in just a few seconds. Why does this business card scanner app work well for professionals?
- No manual typing.
- No lost leads.
- No missed follow-ups.
This tool helps you to handle your contacts in a simple way. Optibiz is available on both the App Store and Google Play Store. Operating this app is very simple. Download the app today!
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I export my OptiBiz contacts to a CRM?
Yes. OptiBiz lets you export scanned contacts directly to your CRM system. This means no manual entry is required.
Will the scanner create duplicate contacts in my CRM?
Most scanning tools can detect duplicate contacts automatically. The system checks your CRM database to see if the person already exists in the contacts. It will not enter the same information.
Does Optibiz support linking social media profiles?
It does. The app lets you connect to their multiple social media profiles like LinkedIn, Facebook and many more.
Can I export contacts to platforms other than a CRM?
Yes. But it highly depends on the tool you use. Scanned contacts can be exported to Excel spreadsheets or other platforms.
