Part 4: Are the Benefits of CRM Real?

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The Benefits of CRM Software

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a common term used to refer to all customer-facing processes. This refers to sales communications, customer service and marketing automation.

When a business uses business management software correctly it can accurately track and organize all current customers and every potential customer that they are in contact with. CRM is more than just a way of storing customer contact details and purchase information, it is a way of restructuring the internal workings of a business to increase productivity and lower costs at the same time. Below you'll find some benefits of CRM solutions.

Advantages of CRM Software

  • Inefficient practices are eliminated. Valuable time is commonly lost each day by using several different software packages or spreadsheets to track all sales and customer service issues. One large advantage of using a CRM system is the consolidation of all these separate solutions that you use to track your customer activities. With a CRM in place, you rid yourself of double entry across multiple spreadsheets or contact systems, and you set the stage for greater automation of all your customer activities. By using one CRM software package to complete all daily tasks a business will save thousands of hours each year, hours which can be focused on your overall business strategy.
  • Customer details are stored in an easy to access place. No more searching for customer information on various databases. Customer relationship software enables all customer details to be stored in the same place which can then be accessed by anyone within the business who has the correct permissions. The advantage of having a single centralized CRM in place is that even if you lose employees you'll always have access to up-to-date customer information. You'll always have the information at your fingertips to close any sales lead, regardless of employee turnover or lost data.
  • Invoicing and quoting is more streamlined. Being able to create quotes and invoices for a customer within minutes means that no more quotes will be overlooked and no more invoices will be left unsent. Many businesses lose a great deal of revenue by failing to send out quotes on time and leaving invoices languishing in filing cabinets. With a CRM in place, you can benefit from the automation of all paperwork and invoicing, without any delay.
  • Business owners can keep track of their staff. Being aware of which staff are on holiday or are sick at any one time can enable the business owner to divert help from other departments when it is needed. CRM software lets you track the progress of all employees and their schedules, you'll always know which leads they're working, how much they're closing, and be able to make changes based on performance immediately.
  • Another benefit of CRM software is the ability to create a better customer experience. Your CRM software will allow you to view all notes taken on customers, so you can better serve them, and also have the advantage of a consolidated knowledgebase of past service issues to help solve future problems in a timely fashion.
  • CRM gives a professional image to your business. All businesses want their customers to regard them as professional and it can be the little things such as knowing what your customers usually buy that will help to project this image. Knowing the service or products your customers have purchased also enables you to cross-sell or up-sell any additional services/products that you offer to gain additional value.
  • Marketing can also be assisted by CRM as it can help to create more successful targeted marketing campaigns by looking back on customer purchasing trends. The advantage of viewing purchasing trends is that you can find correlations between campaigns and actual sales performance. This additional knowledge lets you understand how your customers think and what campaigns drive the desired actions.

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In Part 5: How do I Choose the Best CRM Software for my Business?