Small businesses make up some of the most unstable business sectors, as they face competition from new start-ups, larger organizations and established businesses. Unless you have a unique selling point or clear brand identity, it can be tough to make it big.
That’s why you should strive to improve the quality of your customer service throughout the sales process, so people are more likely to desire your product or service. A Customer Relationship Management (or CRM) system can help you keep track of customer details, streamline the sales process and more if used properly.
With a CRM system, you can maintain a positive reputation with existing and potential customers by optimizing your sales process and marketing much more easily. What’s more, you can improve the after-sale experience with flexible discount systems, regular notifications and customer support if necessary.
How can CRM help me?
CRM systems are databases that can keep track of all relevant customer details (everything from contact details to past orders), revenue, purchase preferences and more. Storing all this data in an easy-to-manage system allows you to optimize customer interactions and support, make intelligent business decisions and anticipate demands on stock, etc.
These systems are ideal for managing customer interactions, contact information, marketing automation and more. By keeping all your data in one centralized system, accessible by your whole team (or a select few), you can streamline your business processes and make your life simpler.
Furthermore, by keeping all this data in one system, you can analyze more aspects of your business and gain a deeper understanding of all the processes linked to customer relationships. For example, CRM systems can record phone calls, store email conversations and more.
How can CRM help my business?
The most widely used CRM systems – like Microsoft Dynamics 365 – offer lots of customizability to suit a wide variety of business needs, meaning you can complement existing practices and make your business more efficient. Many CRM providers or after-market sellers offer a range of ready-built CRM systems to suit a variety of business models, from cash & carry businesses to surgeries, meaning that getting a CRM system could be easier than you ever imagined.
Can CRM help me anticipate customer trends?
While traditional CRM systems focus on collating data from customer interactions (their purchases, data gathered from surveys/interaction, etc.) newer systems can monitor data from social media activity. By tracking quantifiable data – the number of retweets/shares, like/favorites and so on – these systems can help you create intelligent marketing strategies to spread awareness and drive sales on social media.
As more and more people use social media on a regular basis, Social Media Marketing (or SMM) is a powerful way to reach customers without the costs associated with traditional marketing methods. However, your ability to reach millions of daily social media users will depend largely on your SMM strategy, helped by the data gathered through surveys and your CRM system.
CRM helps to gather and collate data with a clear overview.
As you may well know, information is only as useful as it is understandable. Most modern CRM systems include a ‘dashboard’ that allows users to quickly access the system's features and overview of collected statistics, all while localizing a wide variety of data in one database.
What’s more, users can customize this dashboard with specific views and filters to get right to the information they need without having to search for it. With a little help, you can have a database that is easy to use. Intuitive to navigate and full of the information you need to manage customer relationships and lead your business to even greater successes.
Is it hard to manage a CRM system?
Managing a CRM system – especially for smaller businesses – isn’t especially hard, though you might not be able to appoint someone to manage the system on a day-to-day basis. In these scenarios, it’s best to seek outside assistance in managing your system, so that you’re not left high and dry when a technical issue inevitably rears its head.
When seeking CRM support, there are many IT companies offering technical support, ongoing system changes and more, though you should try and look for professionally accredited companies for help. And who could know your system better than the company that built it and/or sold it to you?
Cleardown offer a wide variety of CRM systems, specializing in Microsoft Dynamics 365 and a bespoke PHP solution as well as aftercare and support options. As Microsoft Certified Partners, we can help you get the system you need with minimal fuss and expert aftercare to keep your business running smoothly.
If you want to implement a CRM system for the first time or alter an existing system, our CRM Implementation services will help you to streamline your business. We offer a variety of services to both existing users and those just starting out, so contact us to learn more, request a quotation or see how we can help you today.