Why use a contact management system in your small business? Because building a customer relationship management system (CRM) can help you:
- Generate more business,
- Increase productivity, and
- Enhance relationships with your customers.
By using a CRM, your company can increase sales an estimated 29-41%. How does this happen? By preventing lost opportunities and enhancing customer relationships.
What is a Customer Relationship Management System?
Customer relationship management systems are designed to keep track of multiple pieces of information on customers. The type of information collected will vary depending on the needs of your company and industry. It is important that for team members to document conversations and other relevant content into the contact management system. For instance, a team member might record the caller’s name, phone number, email address, and then take notes on the reasons for calling. Reminders can then be created for follow-up dates and actions. This information is stored, so summary reports can be generated, providing more insight into why customers call and problems with products or services, for example.
Maximize the Benefits of CRM
Choosing a CRM system that easily integrates into current business applications, such as phone or email systems, is important. Information that is not documented is lost and cannot be used in future interactions with customers. So, it is very important to ensure all team members understand the system and believe in its benefits.
With CRM, all members of your team can stay informed on company information and opportunities. Centralized information allows team members to handle customer interactions more efficiently, since the information (such as call history) is literally at their fingertips.
Improve Customer Relationships
While gathering information is important, how this information is used is more important. The underlying reason for establishing and maintaining a customer relationship database is to actually build better relationships with your customers! It’s not enough to collect the information. It must be incorporated into daily customer interactions to matter.
Think of how refreshing it is to call up an organization and have the representative recap your story without having to repeat it! Or, being reminded to purchase ink with your next box of paper since you have reordered the two together multiple times in the past.
Properly used information can make all the difference in customer service. Instead of just collecting data, you have the opportunity to build extraordinary relationships! Your organization will be rewarded with additional sales and increased customer loyalty.