Is CRM not for you? Don’t need it in the business that you’re in? How sure are you about that?
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programs are developed to manage businesses interactions with their customers, past, present or future. It allows you to organize and store the data you collect on your customers maximizing your sales, marketing and customer service potential. What business wouldn’t want to utilize that?
- When a customer calls with a question, being able to quickly pull up their file and answer is paramount. Having instant access to the information you require and knowing it will be up to date and correct is valuable in the workplace because customers love nothing more than a well oiled smooth running machine. Having organized data in front of you is essential in delivering exceptional customer service which is the kind of service that will keep your customers coming back, again and again and again.
- Do you have an exciting event coming up? A fundraiser, charity event or even a team BBQ? Keeping track of the various events in your CRM database takes the pressure away from having to remember it. You are able to create an event, add tasks that you need to complete and set reminders for you, your colleagues or your customers enabling you to stay focused and efficient.
- One of the brilliant things about CRM is that it can provide you with insight into areas that may have otherwise been missed had you not had CRM in place. Running a report or creating a forecast can provide predicted sales or work quota’s that your sales team can aim for. Having these figures at your disposal makes it easier for you to calculate the variables, plan future targets and track how the business is doing.
- We all like to believe that we can remember every conversation or recall which documents were put where but in reality, we often forget and have to retrace our steps to jog our memory. What a waste of time! Utilize CRM by having it all stored on the system where you can find it with one search. This ensures that everyone is able to assist the customers rather than it being down to you and only you. I believe that the biggest thing to point out here are new recruits. Who teaches them everything you know? It would take far to long for you to share every detail about your customers that you deemed important so if it’s all stored on a central CRM database, they are able to access it, gather the information they require and assist customers efficiently from the start.
- Were you ever given someone else’s customer but didn’t know which stage they were at with their purchases? Having this information, the customers history, is important because being well informed is what enables you to deliver great customer service. You are able to determine your approach by knowing things such as which customers are doing well, if any have had changes recently or if someone simply likes more attention that others. What if you are calling a customer that you have previously had trouble getting payments from? What if the customer had a particularly bad experience with you and that’s why they left. Being prepared is everything!
- Knowing the status of an account aids you in organizing your customers, your approach and your time. By seeing who is a prospect, new lead or a customer you are able to allocate how much time you would like to dedicate to each and develop a strategy plan.
- We all have to admit that email is not the best way to file information. I have worked for several companies where it was deemed quick and simple to file away your inbox keeping everything you need nice and tidy. But what if a colleague needed to access that information? What if you were unexpectedly away from the business? Information should be stored in a central location where it can be accessed if required. You will no longer have to sync it to each device you have or wonder about who emailed the customer last. It will all be there where you need it the most.
- Cloud based CRMs provide a flexible solution allowing employees a degree of freedom within their job role. They are able to access it from anywhere so if they find they have back to back meetings with only 10 minutes between each, they can add quick updates to the system without the worry of forgetting important information.
- Customization is the key to ensuring that you are collecting exactly the information you require, it is meaningful for your business and that your team are able to utilize it in the most efficient way. You make CRM work for you and through customizing it as your business develops, it allows you to stay current with the market around you.
- Using a CRM well can also help build relationships with your customers because when you remember those key pieces of information that were discussed 6 months ago, they will feel valued and a top priority. You can also remember the personal touches such as birthdays or anniversaries creating a deeper relationship with your customers.
CRM is a valuable, logical tool that every business should use. It can provide great results and maximize efficiency so if you want to deliver excellent quality service, start using CRM.