If you are in the market for a customer relationship management (CRM) platform or it’s time for a CRM rescue, consider market trends before making a decision. An awareness of enduring features and anticipated developments will help you select a robust and adaptive CRM system that delivers a consistent experience over time.
Industry thought leaders and other reputable experts explored a variety of recently published CRM articles by industry. Below is a summary of the top trends according to the insiders.
Customer Experience (CX)
Personal, memorable and intimate customer service experiences will be the norm, and therefore it will continue to be more important than even the quality of the product or service on offer. Ultra-personalized service delivery will focus on leaving memorable impressions to promote brand loyalty.
Retaining existing customers will take priority over the more expensive task of finding new ones. Businesses will have access to more detailed and specific information on customers. In addition, automated data integration will make it possible for service staff to start where they left off with customers every time.
AI & Automation
Artificial intelligence (AI) is here and more and more menial and time-consuming tasks are being automated all the time. Some examples of processes that will be automated include:
- Data entry
- Logging interactions
- Personalized email sequences
As well, the automation of mundane tasks will free up employee time to focus on processes that further enrich the customer service experience.
Mobility
An increasingly mobile workforce, including employees who work remotely, will demand software for accessibility from anywhere in the world. For example, for employees working in the field, mobile devices will overtake laptops as the primary channel of communication.
Social Media
Ultra-customized service demands that access to businesses be on the customer’s own terms and through the channel of their choice.
Because prospects are more likely to be engaged in social media more than any other medium, sales teams must have access to these platforms. Therefore CRM systems will include social media integrations that support direct access for sales teams.
User-Friendly
An obstacle that continues to plague CRM implementations is the poor rate of adoption by stakeholders. Research has shown that the easier the CRM is to use, the more likely it is to be adopted. (CRM Adoption – it’s an issue)
CRM platforms promise to make life easier. But that’s only possible when people actually use them. Users new to CRM software tend to adopt functions that are intuitive and easy to use and simply ignore the more complicated features. If the learning curve is too steep, users are likely to give up and abandon the software entirely.
An increasing emphasis on simple, clean design will attract less techno-savvy customers.
Customer-focused design in CRM systems will see increasing use of the graphical user interface and intuitive design elements to attract customers new to CRM.
Omni-Channel
Multiple communication lines between customer and business will provide a more seamless customer service experience. Businesses must ensure that customers can contact you on as many channels as available to the customer, including:
- Text
- Phone
- Messaging Apps
- Social Media
While giving customers the widest possible number of choices is advantageous, it is time-consuming for a customer service rep to check five different channels and respond appropriately. CRM will enable omni-channel communications and streamline multiple channels into a single point of contact for one employee to monitor.
Eligeo Business Solutions specializes in CRM software consulting. Contact us for help with selecting the most suitable platform for your business and follow us also on LinkedIn for upcoming news and updates.