It is easy for businesses to become overwhelmed by copious amounts of data and information regarding client transactions, sales, and employees. If businesses are unable to organize this data efficiently, employee productivity will be slowed to a crawl. Many businesses are relying on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to streamline the day to day work flow in a customer-centric way that increases employee productivity and efficiency.
Every successful company is continuously looking to improve employee productivity. One of the ways many businesses increase employee productivity is by improving the efficiency of customer facing staff through CRM technology. Data from Nucleus Research reports that the average return on investment from CRM is nearly $9.00 for every dollar spent. When it comes to the sales and customer service side of your business, CRM can streamline processes, eliminate extra employees, focus work flow activities, and deliver client information to sales and customer service reps with the following functionalities:
Integrated Client Profile
When customer data is integrated seamlessly within the CRM system, everyone who interacts with the client has access to all customer information, including previous communications. Employees do not need to search for prior emails or call logs, as complete information will be detailed within the customer profile. The 360 customer view allows for quick and easy viewing and analysis of all communications, contracts, documents, and promotions associated with a specific customer on one convenient screen. As your employees work from mobile or multiple locations, coordinating customer data and delivering consistent communications with customers becomes simple with the integrated client profile feature.
Email & Phone Integration
Maintaining email and phone systems within the CRM platform allows for customer data to remain updated at all times. Operating all communications within the CRM promotes a stream lined process where information can easily be shared. Offering consistent and integrated communication processes allow employees to focus on the actual customer care rather than on logging calls and entering data.
Mass Communication
Delivering information to customers is simplified and more efficient with mass communication tools provided by CRM software. Communicate using personalized emails or SMS to entire or segmented client lists in a fraction of the time it takes using traditional methods. Having the ability to remain in ongoing communication with customers while utilizing limited employee time or effort is what makes CRM platforms a smart choice. The ability to review and analyze the effectiveness of each communication allows employees to continue to tailor communications in a way that will improve the effectiveness with time. With mass communications through CRM, all contacts are automatically logged and organized within the customer profile for convenient access in the future.
Integrated Knowledgebase
Accessing information quickly and delivering a consistent message to customers is the primary function of an integrated knowledgebase. When customers call looking for product information or account information, it is important that accurate answers are communicated to them, regardless of who answers the call. With a CRM platform that offers an integrated knowledgebase, customer care and sales specialists can quickly access answers to frequently asked questions and account details in order to assist customers with the answers that they need. When employees can rely on an integrated knowledgebase to provide instant access to the information required to quickly service customers, they become more effective and productive.
Dashboard
The ability to view either an overview or specific details of real time activity within your business is invaluable. Visualizing performance and other metrics in a variety of visuals and graphics allows management to track employee efficiency and productivity. By providing insight into the day to day business operations, business owners have the tools that they need to make sound decisions and allocate resources appropriately. Dashboards also allow management to receive an overview of customer activity. Sales staff can easily monitor customer activity in an effort to maximize ongoing sales and ensure sufficient customer support.
Task Management System
When employees use a single point interface to communicate, delegate tasks, and collaborate on projects, internal communication is more productive. Having the ability to assign tasks, prioritize them, share pertinent documents, and discuss the progress of projects is an important feature of any CRM platform. When employees function as cohesive teams, the clients benefit. For businesses whose employees are either working at remote locations or at various office locations, task management systems allow for efficient project completion through the use of the task management system, which is cloud based.
Calendars & Reminders
Nothing communicates incompetence to a client more than a missed appointment or deadline. Creating transparency with employees about client deadlines, appointments, and other time lines improves employee efficiency and customer reliability and communicates an impression of professionalism and organization. A CRM platform that makes use of a calendar and reminder system allows employees to rely on one platform for day to day functioning and organization. Corporate calendars may be integrated with personal calendars to prevent double booking and to streamline the scheduling process.
Mobile Access
Accessing the CRM system from personal devices is increasingly important as offices become more mobile and as traveling becomes a more frequent part of business. Real time access to the CRM platform is possible with a mobile app. Using a Windows device to look up customer information, run a quick report, or access a document template is simple when the CRM platform includes a mobile application that can be downloaded to personal devices. Updating employees or clients and reviewing data before a meeting are important tasks that can be completed by accessing the CRM platform through a mobile device from anywhere in the world.
Cloud Infrastructure
No one can afford to be tied to the desk anymore. Cloud based business platforms are essential in the ever changing digital landscape. Selecting a cloud based CRM platform allows for effective scaling, which translates into an increase in productivity with fewer employees. Cloud based solutions also decrease spending requirements for technology infrastructure, software, and hardware. Cloud based platforms are also known to have improved reliability as compared to their software based counterparts. The ability to access your CRM platform from anywhere at any time is the most important feature offered by cloud based CRM platforms and is necessary in order to operate your business in the most efficient manner.
CRM ensures your business presents one, unified face to your customers, by enabling all departments to use a central resource for information. CRM platforms help establish systematic ways to strengthen connections between what your clients expect and what your business is able to deliver. CRM platforms allow all departments, even off site locations, to take advantage of a system that provides higher quality answers to customers within a faster time frame, based on discovery data your CRM solution stores and provides.
Delivering top notch experiences to clients becomes easier when your staff has complete and accurate client data, so a meaningful data set delivers the most important information that helps to close more sales and provide exceptional service. Invest more time managing the day-to-day business concerns, while your CRM program handles more of the online and data based relationships for your business.