This article was first published in First Voice. Written by Ross Slogrove, UK & Ireland manager, Ringover.
Determining the specifics of a customer relationship management (CRM) strategy can be overwhelming, especially for small businesses. But CRM adoption shouldn’t just be reserved for large multisite corporations – they’re an absolute essential for small businesses too. So, what are the factors a small business should consider when creating its CRM blueprint?
Customer needs and expectations are constantly evolving, and it can be challenging to keep up, especially for small businesses that might not have the resources to do so. According to a Salesforce report, there’s a growing need to respond to enquiries more quickly, adding a new dimension to quality customer service. And a CRM is a key enabler required to meet these expectations.
Understand why you need a CRM system
CRM software gives a centralised, access-all-areas overview of a business’ customer base. This allows it to support every business function, from marketing and lead generation to sales and customer support. Crucially, as the name suggests, CRM software elevates a business’ ability to manage client relationships.
Collating all customer information in one, available-from-anywhere location enables seamless work, relationship building and creates a seamless brand image, with all employees working with the same system and procedures. Streamlining operations in this way gives the people in your business more time to concentrate on more complex matters that require deep thought and strategy to complete.
Stop thinking of it as just a piece of software
CRM systems aren’t just software — it’s a whole strategy and way of thinking. A CRM is a business’ gameplan for how it will maintain the relationship between its customers and its sales, marketing and customer service teams. At its core, it’s all the activity, strategies and technologies a business will use to manage interactions with existing and prospective customers.
When done right, a CRM strategy can transform a business’s operations. But to do this, everyone needs to get onboard. It’s vital to ensure that all employees are trained on how to use the CRM and integrate it into their daily flow, adopting a mindset that all data must be stored in one centralised, accessible location is the key to successful adoption. That way, using it becomes second nature, unlocking long-term business benefits.
Find a solution that suits your needs
According to SoftwareAdvice.com, most first-time CRM purchasers overestimate what they need, so make sure you’re questioning the features and functionality of the software you’re thinking about. Does everyone in the company need all the bells and whistles of the system, or could you favour a modular approach and only use the elements that are absolutely vital?
For a CRM to become the beating heart of your small business, it needs to be a simple, intuitive system that employees can master with ease, without the need for extensive training. Different systems have different focuses, so selecting one with a similar focus to what you want to get out of it is a crucial thought – be it lead generation, marketing, sales forecasting or customer service.
Ensure it’s integrable with existing systems
Adopting CRM isn’t meant to mean more work, and it can actually mean less. If you’re an existing small business, chances are you’ll already have plenty of customer data already. Adopting a CRM just brings all this together. Once all the data is centralised, you can use it for good by integrating other third-party products and services to elevate operations.
Where customer service is a priority, integrating your CRM into your business phone system gives anyone answering the phone all the information the company holds on the recipient, if they’re an existing customer, in just one click.
Calls, texts, voicemail messages and recordings are automatically logged in the CRM. This comprehensive customer profile can be pulled up as soon as the call comes in. Any customer-facing staff can then immediately take information from this profile to provide a personalised service, ensuring customers feel known and valued by the company.
Regardless of industry, ensuring a good-quality customer experience lies at the heart of a successful business. Whether you’re a small business just starting out, or you have an established system that could use a polish, it’s never too late to assess your CRM strategy to ensure it’s working for your business in the way it should.