Here’s today’s indispensable CRM news. Utilising CRM to its
full potential in practice, and making it work for your business and customers.
You must adopt to achieve
When it comes to
the success or failure of a CRM strategy, adoption is key. There are a number of reasons why a business
might not fully adopt or implement a CRM system or strategy, but one of the biggest
problems occurs when implementation never has a chance to happen.
Here are some
ways to help ensure adoption happens:
- Make the experience valuable to end users. First
and foremost, implementing a CRM system and strategy is not a technology
project; it’s a business project.
Make it clear how CRM will make life easier for everyone
involved. Overall, CRM
implementation should improve the efficiency and effectiveness of users in
all departments and improve the customer experience as an end result.
- Don’t skimp on comprehensive training. In
many cases, when the CRM strategy isn’t fully adopted or the system is
only partially used, it is due to lack of training. It is difficult to recover from a poor
start, so be sure to make a strong start by offering comprehensive
training and refreshing that training over time.
- Start simple. Don’t start off using the CRM system to its maximum
capacity; instead, keep implementation simple and straightforward. Many employees won’t want to use the
system if they don’t understand it or if it seems too complicated. Ease into it and build more robust
customer files and reports as everyone acclimates to it.
- Make sure management is on board. Never
let the staff believe that the use of the CRM system is optional. This means that everyone from the bottom
of the ladder to the top needs to be on board.
- Use it or lose it.
This might be obvious, but if
no one uses the CRM system or implements the strategy, it will fail. Make sure that all departments use the
system consistently and work together to integrate their reporting,
analysis, and customer management schemes.
Each and every
business will have a unique CRM implementation plan, but these steps should
help any business move down the path to success.
Source: http://customerthink.com/adoption-is-everything-5-ways-to-reach-your-goals-2/
CRM: Control impulses by controlling
cost
When it comes to the most expensive software requirements,
it isn’t the ones that cost a lot to launch – it’s the ones that should have
never been started in the first place.
This is particularly true in customer relationship management (CRM).
Excessive CRM customisation requirements are typically
caused by these factors:
- Managers are
dazzled by demos and testimonials and are therefore over-optimistic.
- The manager in
charge of finding a CRM solution has done too much to overcome internal
opposition.
- A previous CRM
system was over-customised and therefore any subsequent solution also
requires a high degree of customisation.
- Managers are
confused about the true nature and capability of the CRM system.
- Users are too
optimistic about the system’s ease of use.
When
the ends justify the means
Sometimes, it is a good idea to customise the CRM
system and invest in a few bells and whistles.
This is acceptable when it adds value to the business. For example, if certain expenditures can help
to improve revenues, decrease costs, or boost customer loyalty, it may be worth
it. If this is not the case, it may just
be an "impulse buy" that only leads to spending more money than is
advisable.
Remember, CRM isn’t just about the software a business
implements; it is also a strategy. This
means that even with the most robust CRM system, which may have been purchased
on a whim, a business could still have dissatisfied customers because they
simply do not practise solid CRM strategies to ensure loyal and happy
customers.
Source:http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/051214-in-crm-software-cost-control-281498.html
Use CRM to build customer loyalty and
satisfaction
Building a sustainable business depends more heavily
on the loyalty of existing customers than it does on adding new clients.
However, ensuring repeat business is a big challenge.
Every business owner knows that they need to figure
out what customers need and then do it better. These are lofty principles, so
it is not really surprising to find that many businesses tend to focus on
customer relationship management (CRM) to build customer loyalty. In order to
do this successfully, it is useful to know exactly what customer loyalty is.
The first thing business managers must remember is
that their CRM system is not worth a thing without a solid customer service
strategy in place. In order to lock this down, the differences between customer
satisfaction and customer loyalty must be made clear.
A loyal customer is one who will come back to make
repeated purchases. However, loyal customers might come back again and again
out of necessity, not because they are satisfied. This is more of an enforced
loyalty rather than true loyalty. Strong loyalty
occurs when a customer actually wants to continue the business relationship.
CRM can be used to help determine what kind of
loyalty a customer is exhibiting, and it can also help a business combat
enforced loyalty over true loyalty. There are a few ways it can accomplish
this. First, CRM can help start conversations with customers, capture data, and
track results. It can also help keep track of details that help ensure that
customers feel taken care of. Finally, CRM allows businesses to maintain
regular follow-ups with customers.
Sources:http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/building-customer-loyalty-with-crm-solutions-61322
Don’t automate bad practises with CRM
Today,
most businesses recognise the financial value that they can gain by improving
their customer experience and are now focusing on more efficient customer
relationship management (CRM) systems.
Despite
this, many companies focus too heavily on the CRM technology rather than their
overall strategy, which can actually end up hurting the very thing they are
trying to enhance: the customer experience.
It is
vital to remember not to use the CRM system to automate bad practises and
behaviours. Instead, it should be used
to eradicate those things and boost the bottom line in the long run.
How do
businesses break these bad habits? First
of all, they need to have an in-depth understanding of how their customers
define a meaningful experience and learn from it. Any and all CRM strategy practises should be
based on this information.
Getting rid of bad behaviour
Getting
rid of bad behaviour is sometimes easier said than done, but it is
possible. Improve the customer
relationship and experience by making changes across every point of contact
with the organisation, from the sales and marketing teams to collections and
customer service. It is also important
to maintain the high-quality experience throughout the business-customer
relationship, not just when selling.
CRM technology has come a long way in recent
years, but that doesn’t mean that it is the only aspect of maintaining and
enhancing the customer relationship. Don’t
be swept away by technology’s promise; focus on understanding what the customer
wants and how to make that happen.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ernan-roman/dont-use-crm-to-automate-_b_5313263.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business
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