CRM to optimize your customer relations
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Planning September 16, 2013
3 min.
Have you ever heard of the acronym CRM? These three letters stand for Customer Relationship Management. In a nutshell, a CRM is a software package for managing customer relationships.
Several CRM solutions, such as Zoho, Salesforce or SugarCRM, exist to manage your customer relationships and optimize your communication efforts. But how can this tool help your business?
Let’s start with a definition: what is customer relationship management, and how do you manage it?
Customer relationship management refers to the strategies, practices and technologies companies use to manage and maintain customer relationships. Beyond saving your clients’ contact information, it involves systematically collecting, analyzing and using customer data to strengthen interactions, improve customer satisfaction and drive business growth.
At its core, CRM is about understanding and satisfying each customer’s unique needs and preferences. By gathering and centralizing this data, companies can gain insight into their customers’ behaviours, preferences, purchasing history and communication interactions. This information enables them to tailor their marketing, sales and customer service efforts to deliver personalized experiences that resonate with customers.
Companies employ various management tools, techniques and software to manage customer relationships effectively. These include implementing customer segmentation strategies to classify customers according to specific characteristics or behaviours, using customer feedback and surveys to gather information and measure satisfaction, and using customer communication channels such as e-mail marketing, social media and customer care systems. In addition, CRM systems and software play a crucial role in organizing and managing customer data, tracking interactions and facilitating collaboration between different teams.
Successful CRM solutions involve establishing solid communication channels, delivering exceptional customer service and constantly adding value. By maintaining a customer-centric approach and continually refining their CRM strategies based on customer feedback and evolving needs, companies can build long-term, mutually beneficial relationships, resulting in greater loyalty, improved customer retention rates and, ultimately, business growth.
What are CRM tools or software: an indispensable relational asset
Customer relationship management software has become indispensable for companies seeking to optimize their CRM efforts. Thanks to the many available options, companies can choose the CRM system that best suits their specific needs and objectives.
These CRM solutions offer many benefits to streamline and improve customer interactions, sales processes and business operations.
Classify your leads
A lead is a potential customer, evaluated according to their commitment to your company.
For example, if someone is connected to your social networks, regularly visits your website, or has already made a few purchases from your online store, this person will likely make further purchases.
This is a lead!
CRM is used to observe these behaviours and list your potential customers. This way, you can determine which ones should be considered qualified sales contacts (leads) and act accordingly!
Here are some of the factors that can be taken into account in this calculation:
- Subscription to your social networks
- Subscription to your newsletter
- Number of visits to your website
- Level of familiarity with your company (Have you already introduced your company to this person, and do they have a particular attachment to it?)
It enables you to move your leads through the buying process
When should you follow up with each prospect? Should you present your services? Have you had any positive exchanges or rather negative responses with this person?
It can be challenging to know where your contacts are in their journey… CRM software will help you define the best time to follow up so that your leads make a purchase. Appropriately used, CRM becomes a tool that optimizes your every action… and can boost the performance of your sales team!
Calculate your ROI
Can you calculate the extent to which your marketing actions are creating revenue? A CRM system will help you put it all together and determine which tools convert your leads into customers. In short, CRM software allows you to make the connections and calculations of potential that you don’t have time to do. Once again, man and machine go hand in hand to improve your efficiency. Keep an eye on the process; nothing yet equals the human brain!
Need a hand converting your leads into customers? Get in touch with us!
