Benefits of CRM Software and How to Choose a Platform



benefits of crm

Forming and maintaining relationships with customers is one of the most important aspects of any business. Without positive relationships, it’s hard to thrive in any industry and long-term success can be jeopardized. That’s why it’s so advantageous to implement a customer relationship management (CRM) system into your operations.

Let’s discuss the basics of how this technology works, the benefits of CRM and some guidelines for choosing a CRM platform.

Function

The primary purpose of CRM software is to streamline all major areas of customer interactions. This can include managing contacts, setting appointments, monitoring a marketing campaign, handling customer service, and numerous other tasks.

CRM software makes use of a dashboard, analytics and reporting tools to provide business owners with an all-encompassing vantage point of operations. By spotting patterns and identifying trends, this puts you more in control of customer engagement so your business can run more efficiently.

With that being said, there are some major benefits of utilizing CRM software.

Task Tracking

Meeting deadlines is very important in today’s business world. By inputting information like scheduled appointments and important tasks, it takes the guesswork out of project completion. Many platforms also allow this data to be synced with a calendar to keep you informed of upcoming tasks and deadlines.

For instance, if you have a sales call scheduled with a valuable lead, CRM software would send you an email in advance so you remember to make the call.  Whenever a customer has an upcoming birthday, you or a sales rep would be notified so you promptly send out birthday wishes. Consequently, you can make customers feel more valued and build deeper relationships.

This way you can juggle all of your tasks while ensuring that each customer gets the attention they need and nothing is forgotten.

Sales Rep Management

If you have assembled a team of sales reps, it’s important to keep tabs on their progress and know just how effective they are at nurturing leads and closing sales. Using this type of software will provide a firsthand look into each team member’s sales statistics, including information like average lead contact time, task completion time and conversion rate. This way you can reward the top performers and coach individuals who need some extra help.

Over time, your sales department should operate like a well oiled machine where sales are maximized.

Increased Organization

When dealing with hundreds or even thousands of customers, it’s easy to become disorganized and overwhelmed. Fortunately, the right CRM software makes it simple and intuitive to keep customer information organized and retrievable. By maintaining a contact list, it gives you quick access to a wealth of information like customer email, telephone, buying history and birthday.

Performing a search will provide an overview of this information so you can extract what you need without the hassle of searching through paper folders or using other outdated techniques. Since many platforms incorporate metadata, you can search via broad terms instead of highly specific ones.

This is beneficial because you can find the customer you need by entering general keywords instead of a specified term.

More Selling Opportunities

As information on customers accumulates, it’s common for more opportunities to present themselves. For example, keeping track of a particular customer’s buying patterns would make it clear what they are most interested in.

When launching a new product that’s similar, you could make it a point to contact that customer and let them know. Consequently, this makes it possible to increase sales without having to constantly advertise to new customers.

By capitalizing on an existing customer base, you can get more repeat sales while keeping customers happy.

Improved Social Media Marketing

Another feature that most platforms offer is the ability to integrate with social media networks like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Pinterest. This can have major advantages because it allows businesses to track all aspects of their social media campaign. For example, business owners can identify which networks are resulting in the most traffic, what followers are saying about their brand and the overall customer experience. As trends emerge, adjustments can be made so you get the most from your efforts and boost your brand’s presence across the Web.

Now that we know the benefits of CRM software, let’s talk about how to find the ideal product for your business.

Determine Individual Needs

Prior to checking out any products, it’s important to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve. According to Michael Krigsman, CEO of Asuret:

You need to get a package that’s tailored to your company’s size. At the most basic level you have simple contact management. Then you have contact management with a shared database. You can have sales tracking or opportunity tracking or customer service functionality. Match the capabilities of the software with what your business goals are.

After identifying specific needs, it should be easier to choose a suitable software platform.

Scalability

Besides immediate needs, it’s important to consider long-term needs and take future growth into account. That’s why software that’s adequately scalable is so critical. Ideally, a platform will be Cloud-based to accommodate increased data storage and more contacts as they are acquired. It will also have the option to conveniently purchase upgrades as needed.

Otherwise, getting locked into a lengthy contract with a vendor with limited scalability can be detrimental to your efforts.

Integration with Existing Platforms

One issue that businesses run into is when the CRM they choose isn’t compatible with programs like Outlook, Microsoft Excel and Quickbooks. If you already have some form of an existing infrastructure for monitoring customer interactions, it’s smart to find software that can be integrated with relative ease. This should reduce your learning curve and help you put the software to use quickly.

Otherwise, the integration process can be arduous.

Mobile Capabilities

In the modern business world, mobile devices like smartphones and tablets have become the norm for many businesses. They make it possible to complete tasks and stay up to date on projects regardless of location. If your business uses any type of mobile technology, it’s necessary to look for CRM software that can be accessed on these devices.

This should help all team members boost their productivity and get things done on the road.

Support System

Even if you’re tech savvy, it’s not always easy to figure out all of the components and features of a CRM platform. Consequently, a comprehensive support system with easy access to technicians can save you from a lot of headaches during the transition and afterward. This might include phone support, online chat and email correspondence to resolve issues.

While 9 to 5 support is helpful during the regular hours of the workweek, it’s best to have 24/7 support in case of an emergency at an odd time of day.

Stability

Finally, the vendor you choose should have a positive reputation for providing a quality product and professional service. This should reduce the possibility of having to jump ship and find another CRM software provider in the future. Generally speaking, the longer they have been in business, the better.

Reading some reviews and/or contacting a few references should give you a good idea of a vendor’s reputability.

CRM Photo via Shutterstock


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Jayson DeMers Jayson DeMers is the founder & CEO of EmailAnalytics, a productivity tool tool that connects to your Gmail or G Suite account and visualizes your email activity -- or that of your employees.

32 Reactions
  1. Excellent article Jayson. Firms have to realize the importance of a CRM platform in today’s market. The advantages that come with a CRM platform can be endless. As you stated, CRM platforms work to strengthen the relationship between the firm and their clients. By building stronger relationships, there will be an increase in overall customer satisfaction and ultimately an increase in sales. Firms need to make sure they have a CRM platform implemented in order to be successful and thrive. I have experience with using GreenRope. They are a complete CRM platform that is efficient and effective in meeting my CRM needs. They have integrated all of their features into one centralized location and have made the platform easy to use. I also use their CRM platform because it offers integration with social media and also features predictive analytics. I believe it is important for a firm to choose the correct CRM platform that will meet their needs. Many of these CRM platforms available offer a variety of features, firms should investigate as to what features will make their business succeed.

  2. You’re right. CRM is simply indispensable in any type of business. A business thrives because of one thing – its strong relationship with its clients or customers. It is a good thing that we now have softwares to manage these stuff.

  3. Great points, Jayson. Many developers are striving to improve CRM systems that fit to your business’s preferences and it now has reached to many, if not all, industries. I’m under the shipping industry and we also specialize in CRM software as part of our software packages, and yes, even maritime companies need it! 🙂

  4. This is a good start, but I’m surprised there’s no mention of simplicity or ease-of-use when looking for the right solution. Nothing could be more important in determining if a CRM adoption will be successful or not than how easy to use the software actually is.

    This is especially true with SMBs that don’t have the time or money to invest in expensive and never-ending training with enterprise software like Salesforce, and is the reason why CRMs like JobNimbus are so much more user-friendly.

    Usability is a huge issue and certainly can’t be forgotten if a team is hoping for success with their CRM software.

  5. Thank you Jayson for the insightful post. CRM system is a must for those who values their clients and encourages long term relationships. I have also integrated Talygen CRM software to my business and it has incredibly increased business revenue and profits.

  6. Companies with CRM systems in place have been found to generate revenues over 260% higher than those without them – so it’s crucial to ensure that you opt for the right one! Choosing a CRM platform that suits your business goals and needs is no easy feat, and it’s crucial that you establish what functions and added features your business needs from a CRM system before shopping around.

    Anita Holley, head of marketing EMEA, Maximizer Software

  7. Check out PayPanther, it’s free web-based CRM software with a really intuitive UI and accessible from mobile devices or laptops also.

  8. This is a great article and the comments were all very informative.

  9. Simplicity is key to a good CRM system as well.

    There are few things more annoying and frustrating in work than dealing with a piece of complex machinery or a cumbersome process which will not do what you need done. From complexity comes stress, anxiety and frustration – even rage – followed by apathy and exit. But you do not have to be a victim any more.
    Simplicity, Edward de Bono

    We at Really Simple Systems have designed an elegant and Simple CRM system that is easy to use and will grow with your business.

    Sally Dickson

  10. Well taken points! A business that develops or integrates a CRM system is considered a “Customer-centric” kind of business. We all know that a business would not survive without it’s customers and thankfully, we now have CRM’s to help us keep our customers loyal to our brands.

  11. By using a CRM strategy for your business you will be able to increase the revenue of your company to a great extent. Onsite CRM gives you total control of your entire sales process and lead pipeline. Making it easy for you increase employee efficiency saving your business time and money. Easily integrate with all your major lead providers.

  12. Wow it was really deep and informative about CRM. These 6 steps are really great. Well personally i am using CRM solutions services of SenServe Ltd. and very well satisfied with them. So not in a mood for switching the CRM. Best CRM Solutions

  13. Pretty nicely explained! CRM is actually an expertise that would create the most satisfying experience to customers – offering them more personalized services. Important steps considered carefully in providing them quality services, support to maintain good relationships and achieve repetitive visits; expecting higher sales. Random way to work instead, a well-managed CRM system embedded into company operations will be actually honored through followup with customers, performed regularly & efficiently. Great info overall!

  14. I just found this from your website. I have just joined a company dealing with Personal Financing in my country Botswana. The holding company is the second biggest in GDP after the giant Botswana. So i have been recruited to do Customer Services and retention. The company is losing out because a lot of clients are doing settlements and end up with other Financial Institutions. So i have to build team to Retain, care and restore the lost customers.

    Please i would like your recommendations on what of your products can we use in such a business. Our customer base is the Government, Parastatals and Cooporate. I will be glad to work closely related to you since i have been nominated with the CEO of the company Mr Dick King and i am working with the General Manager Finance and Manager Operations and having over 20 branches offices country wide. And if you can supply the system which works best then the whole company can gladly use it.

    Please let me know how we can network with this request.

    You are free to contact me because i must be the man to make a difference within this organization.

    You may email me or contact me on my +267 73932913.

  15. Great article Jayson. CRM gives a professional image to your business.The right CRM software can automate manual tasks & enlarge existing business processes.So to select a right platform is very important.

  16. Great article, Jayson. CRM gives a professional image to your business. The right CRM software can automate manual tasks & enlarge existing business processes. So to select a right platform is very important

  17. Bhavesh Koladiya

    Here are five biggest benefits of CRM Software:
    – Efficiency
    – Collaboration
    – Data
    – Increased accountability
    – Improved Customer Experience
    If you are confuse to select right CRM platform for you business, marketplaces like Getapp, SoftwareSuggest, SoftwareAdvice, Capterra, etc,. provide a list of top CRM system with reviews, comparison, price quotes & help you to find right software for your business.

  18. A very clear and concise article on CRM and its benefits. I really like the #Task Tracking point, because it clearly describes that how the CRM make our life easy, and how we can keep all our records easily and how CRM keep a good relationship between employee and company. Thanks Jayson for sharing this wonderful guide!

  19. You’re right. CRM is simply indispensable in any type of business. A business thrives because of one thing – its strong relationship with its clients or customers. It is a good thing that we now have software like SutiCRM to manage these stuff.

  20. Choosing the right CRM is really difficult. It is very difficult to find all the necessary functionality in a single system. CRM Zoomia is an excellent solution in situations where no CRM can satisfy your wishes. Since this CRM is developed in accordance with your requirements for you.