The era of big data is driving the need to have an effective CRM system that promotes customer satisfaction and converts prospects into loyal customers. CRM systems help your company provide the information and knowledge that improves your sales and marketing efforts, reduces the cost of customer acquisition and optimises your sales revenue.

Information is power!

Whether your business is focused on B2B or B2C, your CRM system should allow you to capture all your customer’s key features such as sector, departments, employees, contacts and all key personal features (preferences, tastes or interests). Remember that information is power.

New social media channels (social networks, reviewing portals and blogs) offer opportunities to collect customer data and to interact with them when it matters. Many existing CRM tools on the market offer affordable solutions for SMEs who are having to manage ever-increasing amounts of data.

How to choose the right solution among all of existing CRM systems on the market?

Have you recognised the need and importance of having a CRM system to manage customer relationships? How then do you choose the right solution from all the options open to you.

First of all establish your customer management strategy to help you establish your customer path and then you can consider what CRM system technology is best suited. The choice of system depends on your type of business and business strategy.

When choosing the most suitable CRM solution for your company, it is important that you identify the features which you need most, i.e.: the type of installation, the best solution for your size of business, the way to access your data, the necessary type of front-office and back-office integration.

Secondly, you will have to choose which functionalities are the most appropriate for your type of business.

If you are working in the Sales department you should always be able to:

1. Manage your customers and prospects centrally

2. Know how to contact them for an order

3. Produce sales forecasts for customers and prospects

4. Have unlimited site and bin location product stock management functionality

5. Profile your customers to make balanced pricing decisions

6. Integrate with Outlook and to add notes on customers, products, prospects and quotation records to enhance relevance of your data

7. Identify how and where to improve profits through optimal pricing.

Given the huge opportunities presented by social media, it is important to establish a link between your CRM and social media.