The last thing managers want is that employees are indifferent to "mandatory" application systems-even contradictory, because these systems do not meet their needs or are too complicated to use.
In fact, the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) solution is to provide users with comprehensive support to help them complete their work, rather than adding extra burden to them.
When you are trying to encourage employees to use and be familiar with the new system, the last thing you want is employees to resist the new system.
Lack of user support is one of the most common reasons for the failure of customer relationship management (CRM) projects.
So the application system you choose should help to improve efficiency.
Besides efficiency, you also want to reduce costs or increase profits.
Ideally, you can still get a considerable return on your investment.
What is customer relationship management? Customer relationship management (CRM) is a mechanism to meet the needs of business processes and improve the relationship between enterprises and their customers through software application systems.
Customer relationship management (CRM) can consolidate these relationships in the following ways.
Generally speaking, the application system of customer relationship management (CRM) must meet at least one of the three important functions related to customer information management: marketing, sales or service.
Generally speaking, the software includes four functional modules: sales automation, marketing automation, customer service and support, and reporting and analysis tools.
Some customer relationship management (CRM) software packages are more comprehensive, including the above four functions.
So, how do you know if you need a comprehensive software package? This depends in part on whether your enterprise is a small or medium-sized enterprise, a large national enterprise or a multinational enterprise.
It also depends on what aspects of the customer relationship you want to change-or "gradually improve"
Finally, it has something to do with your budget.
What are the functions of CRM? If you want the implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) to have a positive impact on your business, the solution must have all the functions related to customer interaction.
However, don't limit yourself to face-to-face interaction.
The function of customer relationship management (CRM) should cover all aspects of customer contact-pre-sale, in-sale and after-sale.
Therefore, advertising and customers' complaints and smiles are equally important for seeing customers walk out of the store after shopping.
All these actions are to show customers how much the company values customers-or how well the company knows customers from the perspective of providing users with a personalized experience.
In this way, when you thank your customers and invite them to come again, they may really visit your store again.
Customer relationship management (CRM) can include any of the following functions:-call management-customer management-service event management-knowledge exchange management-sales team activities-marketing activity management-sales lead tracking-marketing analysis and prediction-special database storage.
For example, the customer service and support automation module includes the following functions: call routing, contact center sales support and tools for evaluating customer satisfaction.
The marketing module focuses on sales activities and time management, including sales opportunity analysis and reporting.
What benefits can we get from these functions? In short, the advantage of customer relationship management lies in cultivating better customer relationships.
The name of the software clearly reveals this feature, although "management" does not necessarily mean "improvement"
What you need to know is how many functions of customer relationship management (CRM) software will help you reorganize and improve your customer relationship.
The main advantages of this software are listed as follows:-Data management and analysis tools can help you track customer preferences that change with time and market changes, and infer demand according to their buying habits.
Marketing automation can help you plan marketing activities according to the predicted demand.
-Cost is further reduced due to higher efficiency of after-sales support and service.
-Now that we have established a stable customer base, we can devote more energy to expanding the customer base.
-Improved relations with new and old customers have increased profits and income.
-New software can be easily integrated with existing platforms or previously installed software applications such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), sales force automation (SFA) and email programs. )
-It can simplify the process, improve the competitive advantage and reduce the cost.
Changing the business philosophy from product orientation to customer orientation can improve customer loyalty.
-You can better understand the customers' views on the company's services or products.
What is the biggest benefit of implementing a customer relationship management (CRM) solution? It's easy to list all the benefits, but the biggest benefit is up to you to decide.
In other words, what improvements do you hope to achieve through the customer relationship management (CRM) software package? In order to find the solution that best meets your needs, a thorough comparative analysis is very important.
Which industries are suitable for applying customer relationship management (CRM) and what benefits can they get? Customer relationship management is suitable for many industries and enterprises.
The application system is also suitable for specific fields, such as aerospace industry, automobile industry, call center, real estate industry, telecommunications industry, financial banking industry, energy industry, government agencies, legal services industry, manufacturing industry, medical and pharmaceutical industry, retail industry, transportation industry and tourism industry.
Finance and Insurance-This solution includes comprehensive customer relationship management (CRM) software package functions, designed to meet the financial and insurance needs of specific customer groups.
The main functions include policy tracking and investment tracking for the purpose of expanding customer base.
Some software vendors can also support customer data merging, which can promote communication between branches and reduce staff training costs.
Real estate industry-Customer relationship management (CRM) solutions in this industry can improve customer relationships by capturing online sales leads, increasing the number of high-quality sales leads, implementing personalized e-marketing activities and automating multiple management processes (forecasting, quotation and financing).
Telecom industry-customized solutions for this industry can help reduce customer churn, create new sales opportunities and improve customer retention.
In this era, the number of competitors is as diverse as the types of services. Customer relationship management (CRM) can help users to provide bundled services, thus reducing costs and maintaining a fickle customer base.
Tourism transportation industry —— Among the functions of customer relationship management (CRM) solution customized according to the needs of this industry, event management automation and sales force automation (SFA) help to integrate customer data and bring customers a more comfortable experience, thus improving productivity, increasing passenger flow and reducing costs.
Health care industry and pharmaceutical industry-For pharmaceutical industry, customer relationship management (CRM) application system can help improve sales presentation skills, better publicize product information and promote cooperation with doctors in product market statistics.
Government departments-Even for non-profit organizations whose customers are usually called "citizens" rather than "customers", the application system of customer relationship management (CRM) can bring them benefits.
Generally speaking, government departments have been working hard to improve the quality of "customer service" and improve the overall user satisfaction.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application system can help government departments to merge services and respond more quickly.
Develop gradually, not change. When the customer relationship management (CRM) system is installed, it is unrealistic to expect the system to run at high speed immediately.
Some users are eager for success, and hastily implement the customer relationship management (CRM) system without training or user participation.
Related reports abound.
According to incomplete statistics, although 60% to 80% of enterprises are deeply troubled by this problem, you really don't have to be one of them.
The following are some tips on the selection and implementation of customer relationship management (CRM):-Don't forget the top management (if you can't get their support, it will be difficult for you to solve the bottleneck problem in the selection process)
-Don't spend more than your budget.-At least not too much.
-Carefully choose the customer relationship management (CRM) application system.
Before you start looking for an application system, you must first make clear your own needs.
Then compare the alternatives in depth.
-Ensuring that employees know how to use the new customer relationship management (CRM) solution correctly can get twice the result with half the effort.
-Set aside enough time and seize the opportunity.
In other words, don't arrange training too early.
Otherwise, when the solution is implemented, employees have forgotten what they have learned.
Unfortunately, there are many cases of customer relationship management (CRM) failure: a giant enterprise in American health care industry lost 6% of its members within one year due to improper planning and training, and its share price fell by 40%; Before Halloween, a chocolate manufacturer delayed the order, causing huge economic losses; Due to exceeding the budget and missing the project deadline, a municipal water conservancy commission in the Midwest of the United States had to stop its customer relationship management (CRM) project urgently. There are countless similar examples.
Usually, the problem is not the software itself, but the implementation mode and attitude.
If you don't reserve enough time for the procurement and implementation of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, you are likely to be a victim of improvement failure because you can't meet the changing market demand.
To further illustrate the possibility of the above events, let's take a look at the following true and sad story about the failure of evolution: in the decades after the industrial revolution, air pollution in London became more and more serious.
The diffuse soot blackened the trunk, and two different moths living in the city struggled to survive in this environment.
The white moth (typica) gradually disappeared because it didn't adapt to the environment, while the dark moth (carbonaria) survived tenaciously. Because the color of the dark moth is closer to the color of the trunk, it is easier to avoid birds' predation.
Which do you want to be: the endangered white moth or the thriving black moth? Customer Relationship Management (CRM) application system can help your enterprise to achieve gradual development-provided that you know the goals of system implementation and how to use the system to achieve these goals.