Most businesses spend a lot of time trying to figure out who their best customers are. In most cases it’s usually cheaper for your company to sell more to existing customers than it is to go out and get new customers. With the right CRM system in place, identifying your best customers, and using that information to find more of the same, should not be a challenge.
How much time do your sales and marketing teams spend searching for customer information that should be in the CRM system? Most importantly, how much more efficient and effective could your teams be by eliminating their need to search for this information in multiple places?
Gorkana, a public relations company in London, asked themselves this exact question. Their business grew through acquisitions, so their sales and marketing teams spent hours a day compiling information only to discover that it was out-of-date by the time they needed to use it. It was clear they needed to aggregate data from their various brands into one CRM system.
"We used to spend time talking about data quality. Now we focus on cloud innovation," says Alex Bates, head of channel marketing at Gorkana.
A CRM system can make information easy to track and manage, improve operational effectiveness, and maximize productivity. It should:
You probably think you know who your best customers are. But without the data to prove it, you are just guessing. A good CRM system can provide a perspective of your customers, both collectively and individually. Identify your best and worst customers by looking at:
Once you have a clear picture, you can determine your future relationship with them. Use your CRM system to help you target your best customers and identify the best way to sell to them.
Later, use the same system to ensure they are getting the best service. Automate customer service processes, allowing agents to instead focus on resolving issues and pinpointing best practices. Automated processes can also help customer service manage data entry and resolve customer service inquiries.
From marketing to sales and customer service, a CRM system is at the core of a successful business. It accurately targets your best customers so you can put your efforts into keeping them. The same system can then focus your customer service efforts, ensuring that these customers remain loyal.
For more information on the multiple facets of a CRM system, read the white paper "Improve Service with a Single View of the Customer."
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