What is CRM?
CRM (short for Customer Relationship Management) is a business strategy, business practices aimed at effectively managing customer relationships with the ultimate goal of increasing business profits in general. In practice, it has already been accepted that when talking about, we mean CRM software or CRM system - the IT platform by which customer relationships are managed. A CRM system is essentially a customer database, which stores rich and detailed information about current and potential customers, partners, suppliers.
The CRM system is used to organize and synchronize information about customers across business units, allowing individual approach to each customer, partner or provider. They automate and improve customer service, sales, and marketing activities, which reduces costs and increases the efficiency of each unit.
Benefits of CRM systems
In today’s highly competitive and saturated markets, businesses are increasingly relying on CRM systems to attract and win new customers, to foster customer relationships with them, and to improve the services offered. CRM Systems arrange and organize information, which makes them an irreplaceable helper in the battle to build customer loyalty and engagement.
Benefits of implementing a CRM system:
360-degrees customers view
The collection of information received through various channels - from specialized business systems, from Excel spreadsheets, results of meetings, email communication, phone calls and web chat in one place, in one screen, in one system, and in an easy-to-view form is a major advantage of a good CRM system. In addition to basic contact information (name, phone, email, address, etc.), the CRM system also provides other important, business-specific information such as customer type, services used, outstanding obligations, communication history and activity with the customer, results of conducted meeting, filed complaints and sales deals.
Easily accessible customer information
The modern employee is mobile, and to be effective, it is necessary, even when outside the office, to have easy access to customer data, to sales deals and offers he works on, to be able to contact the customer directly from the CRM system and to have that communication automatically documented and recorded into the customer’s profile. CRM systems save employees’ time by supporting their activities. They are the key to efficiency, better communication and achievement of established goals. The implementation of a CRM system in a company invariably leads to employee satisfaction.
Effective communication with customers and partners
Effective communication is achieved when, with minimal effort, you serve customers regardless of the communication channel they choose - phone, email, web chat or contact form on your website. With the right CRM solution, communication from all channels will come into one system and customer interactions from different communication channels will be documented in one place. Automatic recognition of the customer when receiving a phone call or an email, as well as displaying all the needed information on the employee's screen, is a prerequisite for fast, high quality and efficient customer service.
Sales Management
The CRM system puts order not only customer information, but also in business organization and sales processes, allowing you to easily and intuitively manage the sales funnel and sales activity, to know the stage at which each deal is located, to know the next steps in a sales deal, the decision makers, the probability of winning, the competitors (with their strengths and weaknesses), and the expected amount of the deal.
Management decisions based on real data
With a CRM system in place, the management has all the information and reports they need to make timely and accurate decisions and take preventative actions based not on feelings and premonitions, but on real data and real numbers.
