When we talk about CRM, we usually refer to a contact management system, a tool that helps with contact and sales management, productivity, and more. In its simplest definition, a CRM system allows companies to manage business relationships, as well as the data and information associated with them.
Today, CRM is an indispensable Inbound Marketing tool, but what does it mean, specifically, Customer Relationship Management?
Customer: The primary resource of any business is customers. For this reason, contacts and leads that fill out online forms or request information via e-mail are fundamental to the company.
Relationship: Once the client has fulfilled their role as a buyer, should they be abandoned? Absolutely not. The customer relationship must be nurtured so they buy again. The post-purchase loyalty process is essential for the customer to continue to be an asset to the company. Simply put, it is necessary to build a relationship with the customer at every stage of their journey.
Management: CRM is not only "customer relationship", it is also co-ordinated management of contacts between all company departments. Through dedicated software, the same and true set of information can be consulted from department to department which provides seamless communications and fewer errors of judgement.
CRM is mostly identified as a concrete tool for managing contacts, leads and customers from a purely sales perspective but there is more to this tool that makes it so fundamental. BENEFIT 1 – ORGANISING INFORMATION
Over the years, marketing has changed, going from a ‘push and interrupt’ technique to a‘connection and offer’ methodology. The company must try to establish a strong and serious connection with leads and also with those who have already become customers. The goal is, of course, to bring profit to the company while always paying attention to the customer and their needs.
It is essential to get to know the person who has requested information by entering his data on the site, or the customer who has already made a purchase. Through the CRM system, every action and interaction of the user on the site can be monitored, tracked and saved in a shared database, along with personal data voluntarily released by the user himself. The CRM tool has the advantage of creating different, filtered lists based on the type of prospect: newly acquired lead looking for specific information, contacts collected at trade shows, customer who has already made a purchase, and so on.
BENEFIT 2 – COMMUNICATION WITH THE CLIENT
In every company, there are many sales agents with busy agendas. This, - normally-, leads to a division of customers and tasks between each operator, and consequently, exclusive contact with the user. Obviously, direct communication between the user and the dedicated salesperson is amuch-appreciated service with a good economic return, but it is not always possible.
When the usual sales contact is not available, a new one needs to be triggered and briefed as efficiently as possible.
The CRM system can be used to avoid such situations, as every detail and piece of customer information can be accessed by any employee at any time. This is due to the cloud factor - the possibility of having an online database, and therefore which is accessible from multiple devices, including mobile ones. All operators will have the same information at their fingertips, which will enable them to provide the same quality of service regardless of the case they face.
BENEFIT 3 – CUSTOMER SERVICE EFFICIENCY
Improving the user experience is a direct consequence of applying CRM to your Inbound strategy, but why? CRMs lets you offer your customers effective answers in an increasingly short time frame. It is well known, that one of the criteria used by users is the speed with which the company is able to meet their needs.
Through the use of CRM, you can give your customers the answers they want, in the shortest possible time frame. This all down to analysis of the data in the database, relating to past activities,behaviours and preferences.
BENEFIT 4 – PROCESS AUTOMATION Customer centricity is key, and, the ultimate goal of any marketing strategy is the conversion from lead to customer. However, it's not always easy to maintain the customer focus, this is due to the fact that there are also many due of other tasks to be completed:
Manually return contact form data to specific lists.
Prepare reports and emails specific to each contact captured.
Send newsletters and emails to each contact individually.
With appropriate CRM software, all these tasks can be automated and the multi-tasking will be just a memory. Automation is a key benefit of CRM tools. The forms filled in by users on the website will transfer all the information to the database, without manual intervention of an operator. Through the creation of workflows, it will be possible to decide when, how, and to whom you can send certain newsletters or emails. Each department will be able to collaborate through the creation of different tasks for each area and situation. This will allow the company to save time and money as well as to have a more inbound marketing approach.
Customer Relationship Management is key tool for the success of any business. - Customer centricity is prioritized - while the conversion rate of lead to repeat customer will increase significantly.
