Companies of all sizes are recognizing the value that a CRM system can bring to the table in terms of improving not only relationships with customers for greater retention, but communications among departments and elimination of the data silos that prevent them from fully leveraging customer information. With a CRM system in place, you can easily acquire new customers, improve customer service and satisfaction, boost customer retention and devise a successful social CRM strategy.
It is all about managing your customers, and you need to manage them well. A CRM helps you formulate an effective strategy on all fronts. It is true – CRM software helps you improve the overall experience of your customers.
However, as we noted in our blog post – “Today’s CRM Best Practices” – there is much more involved than taking the CRM “out of the box” so to speak, setting some basic tasks and assuming the software will work like a magic wand. We offer the following experienced advice on how to set up your CRM for success and obtain the optimum benefits from it.
Select the Right CRM for Your Company’s Needs
If you want your CRM to be effective, you need to start with the basics. That means selecting the right CRM for your company’s needs. Don’t be impressed with the brand name alone. A CRM that’s well-known and well-reviewed may not necessarily be the best fit for your business’s objectives.
Do proper research before buying a CRM. Do you need a cloud-based CRM or an on-premise system? How much customization do you need for your organization? Will basic CRM functionalities serve your purpose? If you weigh your options carefully before buying the CRM, it is sure to help you in the long run. But if you don’t assess your needs properly, you are sure to face a lot of problems in the future.
Invest in CRM Training
After you are through with the selection process, you need to shift your focus on training. Return on investments for CRM systems range from $5.60 to $8.71 for each dollar spent. But without providing adequate training to your employees, you should not expect to achieve what you want from your CRM. When it comes to implementing CRM training, you need to ensure that your employees understand and assimilate the information that is being presented to them. You can test your employees (in between the training and even afterward) to find out whether your employees have understood everything about the CRM. If your employees are unable to use the CRM properly, the whole purpose of buying the tool can be a loss.
Also, ensure that your employees follow the ground rules you lay for the use of the CRM. Everyone should be using the CRM the way they have been trained to use it, without any exceptions.
Understand the Customer’s Needs
Another CRM best practice that you need to adopt is to leverage CRM analytics so that you can make smart data-driven decisions. Keeping customers happy is the bottom line for every organization, as today’s customers will readily drop a business that doesn’t deliver good service, and buy from one of your competitors.
So, what is it that you need to do to keep your customers not only satisfied, but enthusiastic about continuing to do business with your company?
You need a CRM system to build a strong relationship with your customers! Don’t forget that CRM is considered a powerhouse of customer data. To serve your customers in a better way, you first need to know your customers well. You need to understand your customers’ behaviors – what they want, what they like, what they dislike, when do they make a purchase, what do they purchase, and so on.
When you have a CRM system in place, you don’t have to worry about any of these customer insight issues because your CRM can capture and organize all your customer data.
Many CRMs have built-in analytics features that help mine all of the captured data. When you have the data in front of you, it’s easier to make informed business decisions for their benefit. New generation CRM systems also perform predictive analytics. The more you analyze your customer data, the better you can serve your customers. If you are not analyzing this data properly, you’re missing big opportunities.
You also need to ensure that you invest in a CRM that is scalable. Your needs as an organization are sure to grow with time. A CRM option that is not scalable can lead to problems for you in the future.
Also, customization and integration are two other factors that you need to consider when you set out to buy a CRM. You need a CRM system that can be customized to suit the needs of your organization. And, it is important to invest in a CRM that can integrate well with other third-party apps.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
You need a CRM system that employees in your organization can use to their advantage. It’s easy to become confused, because so many options are available in the market. What you need is a CRM that suits your organization’s needs. There is no point in buying a complex CRM with features that you will never use.
Buy a CRM solution that your employees feel comfortable using. To do so, include them in the decision-making process and be sure you get their buy-in. If they don’t see the value in the solution, they’ll likely continue to follow their own processes, thereby negating the purpose of purchasing a CRM. Our blog post – “Best Practices to Increase CRM User Adoption” – covers effective strategies for getting employees on board and compliant.
Ultimately, there’s no secret to achieving success for your company with its CRM. Choosing a solution that is intuitive and easy to use is the fundamental basis for strong performance. eZnet CRM is a cloud-based CRM platform for integrated business operations. It is scalable and has social CRM features so that you can get top-class leads from social platforms. eZnet CRM helps streamline your business processes, allows you to understand your customers in greater detail, lets you register leads and contacts, improves your customer service and allows you to accurately track all customer interactions. We also provide comprehensive training to our customers.
In addition, we can customize our solution to suit your requirements. Contact us to learn more, and start your free 30-day trial period.
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