Stop the guessing game with a good CRM solution

It is much cheaper to sell to an existing customer than to acquire a new one. Customer retention should, therefore, be a focus of the entire company, says Managing Director of Softline Enterprise, Ashley Ellington. “If you keep your customers happy, they will not only buy more from you but it will also cost you less to sell and market to them,” Ellington says.

A business wanting to effectively run a relationship marketing programme needs to find a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution that offers a full spectrum of information relating to its customer base. “A CRM solution which enables the company to track the lifecycle of a customer is core to relationship marketing,” says Ellington.

A successful CRM solution integrates marketing, sales and customer service functions, making it easy for everyone inside the company to work together and share critical information. “It also empowers customers to do business with you in the way they choose to, while increasing your staff’s awareness of the customer’s needs,” says Ellington.

Any company that has customers, prospects or competitors needs a good CRM solution because without it you’re just guessing. “Before you implement a CRM solution, make sure everyone in your organisation has bought into the idea,” Ellington says. There is no point to a CRM system that only 20 percent of your staff is using.

“CRM is a customer-centric business strategy which is aimed at maximising profits, revenue and customer satisfaction,” says Ellington. Technologies that support this goal include the capture, storage and analysis of customer information, while functions that support this business purpose include sales, marketing and customer service. If the supporting technology is not integrated as part of a company’s overall customer strategy, the business will fail to maximise its CRM function, Ellington warns.

Decisions about spending on CRM must take into account significant changes in the vendor landscape and must look to getting more value out of CRM technology. Other important considerations behind customer-driven processes are coping with the demand of mobile computing, resolving customer data management challenges and adapting to global standards and service-orientated architecture.

“CRM was originally developed to assist companies with their customer relationships,” says Ellington. “It has evolved into a software solution that provides a 360-degree customer view via consolidation of information from sales, marketing, customer service and support. Today, CRM needs to be part of and integrated into the rest of the enterprise. More broadly, it is aimed at helping users resolve customer questions, issues and requests, quickly, for a high-quality customer experience while also capitalising on new selling opportunities. Further to this, CRM helps extend customer service delivery through 24/7 self service solutions, reducing the time and resources it takes to support and service customers.”
Businesses need to bear in mind that CMR short cuts can be harmful. Ready-made and tailored solutions are very attractive to businesses and are key to resolving customer data management challenges and keeping up with global standards in customer service.