In order to thrive, your business needs a reliable way to approach customers and build a relationship.
This is exactly what a CRM Software (Customer Relationship Management) does for you.
It involves collecting customer data and analyzing it.
This data is then used by the CRM software to build better relationships with your customers that will increase your sales and revenue.
A lack in CRM strategy will result in disorganized customer information. It will be hard to keep track of all the previous interactions you’ve had with your customers, not to mention a tedious sales process, and a forgettable customer experience.
What Is A CRM In The First Place?
A CRM is a software designed to gather all your customer’s information in a centralized place that will provide you with a complete picture of your customer data. Some of your most important customer data includes their:
- 1Name
- 2Email
- 3Phone number
- 4Preferred communication
- 5Lead Source
A CRM is a software designed to gather all your customer’s information in a centralized place that will provide you with a complete picture of your customer data. Some of your most important customer data includes their:
In addition to showing this in one place, your CRM software will also display a record of past interactions, such as:
- 1Email replies
- 2Product queries
- 3Items they looked at
- 4Purchase history.
You can even include information they share on their public social media accounts, such as their likes and dislikes, what they say about you or your competitors. Armed with this data, you can reach out to your customers properly.
There are plenty of CRM software out there, so choosing the right one for your business may be overwhelming at first. But thankfully, there are also a ton of resources for sorting through the guff and finding a CRM tailored to you.
Why Should You Get A CRM For Your Business?
Great customer relationships are based upon the consistent and personalized experience that you provide. Every member in your team should be in tune with each other when dealing with your customers. If you are a new business, a simple spreadsheet is enough to keep a record of your 10 or so customers.
As you grow, this spreadsheet is no longer enough. You’ll also most likely be spreading yourself thin across multiple marketing channels, such as SEO. Eventually, you will have difficulty managing your sales, marketing, and customer relations.
This is when investing in a CRM is worth considering.
Doing so will help you avoid the following scenarios that plague businesses:
- 1Lack of centralized information – It will be difficult to make business decisions when your customer data is scattered among spreadsheet files, index cards, business cards, and notepads that you bring in your meetings. It takes effort to collate and understand data.
- 2Lack of knowledge base – Because your customer data is all over the place, your sales team will have a hard time keeping track which ones they have talked to, needs a follow up, not interested, have made a purchase, etc.
- 3Ill-equipped in the field – You will be sending your salespeople on the field ill-equipped to close deals if they are not updated with each transaction.
- 4You lose customers – Customers build a relationship with your sales personnel. If this sales personnel leaves your company, you cannot take his or her place in the relationship unless you have a record to build the client’s history on.
- 5Generic treatment of customers – A scattered information log makes it difficult to offer personalized interaction with your customers. You will have no choice but to treat everybody
the same way, generically, and this can turn off customers.
Essential Features Of A CRM
Now that you know the importance of a CRM, it’s important to remember that it can also be used hand-
in-hand with your digital marketing strategy to boost sales even further. This is especially the case if
you’re working with a seasoned digital marketing expert!
Make sure that the CRM software that you are investing in has the following:
- 1Usability – The usual reason why businesses are resistant to technology is it’s difficulty to use. It’s important that the interface is user-friendly so that your employees will have an easy time learning it. If you can, ask about the user experience of their clients, or try it out before committing.
- 2Integration – You want to simplify your process, and integration is key to this. The CRM you’re getting must be able to integrate with your website, email, and phone accounts.
- 3Ability to track revenues – Choose a CRM that goes beyond providing you a list of customers and the ability to monitor their behavior. It must also allow you to track revenues.
- 4Security – Concerns for data security will never end. Get a CRM with secure centers and industry standard security practices that will take your worries off your customers’ sensitive data getting compromised.
- 5Customization – There are a lot of CRMs customized to a type of business. You can find a CRM for finance, real estate, PR, and more. Find one that is customized to your business because its features are tailor-fit to your operations.
- 6Can hide features – You will find features in a CRM that you don’t need yet. Ask the provider if you can hide these features for a cleaner interface.
- 7Mobility – Mobile internet has long overtaken desktop traffic. When your sales team is on the field, access to customer data on their mobile device is important. This allows them to update records and close deals easily while on the move.
- 8Robust data collection capability – Aside from providing you with stored data, the CRM should be able to analyze said data. Look for one that can do complex analysis so it can keep up with your changing needs.
- 9Can integrate with channel data – Get a CRM that will identify where your leads come from – is it Google? Social Media? Trade show? Exhibits? This will tell you which channels deliver leads, then you can adjust the cost you spend per channel and the content you provide.
- 10Automation – Look for a software that has maximized automation. Let the AI take care of the routinary processes for a quick and efficient customer relationship management.
- 11Test drive the CRM – Don’t always go for the most popular CRM: there are many CRMs available and most of them offer a free trial. Take advantage of this and find one that fits your needs and budget.
- 12Report Generation – Look for a CRM that can generate the reports you want. A good one can help you understand how your customers react to your sales and marketing efforts. In order to run the most successful business, you must know how many users check your website after a campaign, how many calls your team receives, how many reads the email you sent, etc. Your CRM must help you reach and connect with customers.
- 13Can help you forecast – Get a CRM that can help you project your opportunities and growth based on your marketing efforts by providing a reading on how your campaigns affect your sales.
- 14Lead tracking – A CRM with a lead tracking feature allows you to identify users who have high potential to convert, and this is key to your business. It must be able to give you a profile of the type of people who are interested in your product.
- 15Backroom management – You need an efficient backroom or document management to have an efficient system. Look for a CRM that will allow you to manage your documents properly and keep your information in one place easily accessible by your team.
As you’re more than likely aware by now, most customers want to be treated like a person - not a number. Sending them generic communication will not get their attention. Worse, it may even put them off your sale.
A CRM can help you Leverage the amount of data you can get online about your customers. You can find everything you need to know, not just their personal data, but also their personality, buying behavior and history. Make use of these data when dealing with them and you will get their attention. A good CRM strategy will help manage the customer information you can gather and with this, you can let your business grow to new heights!
Tectonic CRM - Automating positive human experiences.
Tectonic CRM
If you’re after a CRM that can do all of this and more, then we highly recommend Tectonic.
Digital Marketing agencies across the globe (including Digital Junkies) use Tectonic to build a database of actionable client data that leads to skyrocketing sales!
The best part is we offer training sessions on exactly how to use and maximize this cutting-edge software to scale your business swiftly and reliably. Learn more about Tectonic here.
If you’re after a CRM coaching session or just looking to take your business to new heights of sales and marketing, then contact Digital Junkies today. Our digital marketing experts and website gurus are only a call away.
