When it comes to customers and sales, it is impossible not to mention the interpersonal relationships that are formed with clients. In fact, most purchases are made as a result of establishing a connection with the buyer.
We already talked about the importance of app localization and user-generated content. But how do you manage and optimize the organization of all your contacts, leads and sales? Simple: with a CRM Software you can perform these tasks as easily and efficiently as possible.
What’s a CRM Software?
With CRM (Customer Relationship Management) you can manage and use a whole range of functions that help to organize your work and relationships with your customers. In this way, smaller companies, as well as larger businesses, can study and analyse data related to their products and sales.
Just think about the times when, in order to keep track of all the information you have at your disposal, you used to use pen or paper, or simply a notepad on your PC. Well, this process has since evolved through programs like Excel or Google Sheets.
Now, however, CRM Software can make a difference, as you can connect on all fronts of your operations: from marketing, to customer service, to metrics and the entire ecosystem of a given business.
By doing so, the team members can move around in a coordinated way, analysing every piece of data that is available. The main feature of CRM Software, or CRM Manager, is that it can be used from any place where there is an Internet connection.
This is possible thanks to SaaS and Cloud Computing, which are necessarily integrated within these types of platforms.
CRM Software evolution
It all began in the 50s, when there were still typewriters, used to take notes on customers and track their habits. After that, it was time for computers, in which there are databases to save endless information. Then, one of the first Contact Management Software was created: digital Rolodex, forerunner of today’s SalesForce.
In ’95, however, Contact Management Software evolved into today’s Customer Relationship Management. With the rise of mobile devices, all the focus that was on transactions, was then shifted to interactions and user-side experience (UX).
Now, most CRMs allow you to hold information by business contacts, have details about different accounts and potential sales opportunities. These work, as mentioned above, through SaaS (Software as a Service), and Cloud Computing. The former represents online programs that don’t need to be downloaded, while the latter increases scalability, security, and customization level.
What, exactly, can a CRM be used for?
In addition to tracking your customer data, this type of software allows you to manage your time, maximizing results. This is possible thanks to various analysis tools that record not only visits to your site, but also more specific activities such as calls, emails and online meetings.
By analysing the results, you can significantly improve your operations, from customer service to lead generation. This, of course, will increase the economic returns of your business. To understand the potential, just look at the differences with a classic Excel spreadsheet.
While names, surnames, emails, phone numbers and various addresses can be recorded in such software, a CRM Manager allows you to:
- Track any type of lead based on the various triggers you activate
- Detect the size of your business by modifying the parameters according to it
- Manage and analyse multiple contacts simultaneously and the different departments of a company
- Receive detailed reports on each type of operation, plus multiple features that vary depending on the software you choose to use
In fact, there isn’t just one type of software to manage your customer relationships. Among the most important CRMs you can find:
Conclusions
We have briefly seen how a CRM Software works. Given all their functions and the enormous potential they have to increase any kind of business, you just have to choose the one that best meets your needs and start using it.
On the other hand, it is statistically proven that those who use this type of software have significantly increased their sales.
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