Digital solutions to assist with customer relationship management (CRM) have been around for a long time. Who are the CRM players and what are their strengths today? Why does having a successful CRM matter to you and your business? And, how is that success found? At the 2021 Americaneagle.com Forum, Amy Stoefen, Salesforce Practice Lead at Americaneagle.com, and Steven LaGow, HubSpot Practice Lead at Americaneagle.com, shared the considerations smart businesses are making in regard to CRM solutions.
Successful businesses are built upon successful relationships. CRMs provide technology to organize and advance relationships through interactions. The technology helps with those important relationships across the entire customer lifecycle.
The Who
For most sales professionals, the popular CRMs are very well known, names like Salesforce, Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM, Adobe Campaign, and HubSpot. There are many other CRM solutions available. Some niche providers are industry-specific.
The Why
A good CRM is good for the business because it is good for the customer. Understanding the history of interaction with a customer, as well as their interests, helps to personalize service and product offerings for individuals and segments. To record, organize, and analyze customer data, virtually every company should be using a CRM.
CRMs can be used to reward customer longevity, manage longer sales cycles, coordinate relationships with multiple touchpoints, and so much more. Each available system records prospect and customer data that promotes advancement in the customer journey from lead generation, nurturing, conversion, closing, and post-sale service. At their best, CRMs strengthen customer service with immediate and proactive prompts. Trends can be identified to inform resource planning to match demand. As CRMs become even smarter via artificial intelligence, increased automation has led to higher productivity and efficiency.
Refined reporting may be the most significant attribute in which each CRM is trying to outperform the others. It is important for businesses to have cross-functional reporting between marketing, sales, and service. How long does it take for a prospect to become a customer? Who are the best customers and what makes them alike? Smart reports that answer many key questions and allow colleagues to work smarter are the “why” behind most businesses investing in their CRM.
The How
With so many choices, how does a business choose? The answer should begin with the problems needing to be solved. There will undoubtedly be CRM solutions that address your top pain points in a way that looks better to you. Whether you’re prioritizing your sales process pipeline, forecasting, centralization of disparate data, workflow management, sales and marketing collaboration, customer service or reporting, each CRM offers a slightly different flavor or approach within their platform.
Successful implementation of a CRM should clearly identify the business goals. The right stakeholders should have access, input, and share accountability in the success of the CRM. Documentation and detailed, empowered training within the CRM are absolutely essential. Certifications and academy offerings from the providers are available to support continuing education for your team members.
Americaneagle.com would like to help you and your business maximize your CRM. We have extensive experience within a wide range of industries. Identify the right strategies for your business before your competition calls us first. Contact Americaneagle.com today to get started.
