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What priority would you put on the need for CRM (Customer Relationship Management) in your company? If you understood what CRM was that would be an easy question to answer. After all, what is the most important part of every business – even your business? What’s that aspect of your whole operation, without which the whole kit and caboodle would fall down like a house of cards?
The answer is, as you are probably aware by now, your customers. Without customers you have no business. Every business has the need for CRM. Every business, from the very smallest one man operation to multinational global corporations, relies on customers. Not only rely on them, but are competing with others to attract new customers in order to expand and to retain the ones they have in order to survive.
So why is it that the customer is frequently the most ignored aspect of your business when it comes to computerized management systems? The need for CRM seems to come second to every other system such as Sales Analysis and Management systems, Production Management, Inventory and Purchasing systems, etc, etc, etc. In fact, many companies have not even heard of CRM.
Your business will stand or fall on you maintaining good relationships with your customers, especially in this increasingly competitive era. CRM is not just about keeping customers happy from a personal point of view, and once you find out what a good package can provide, you will understand the need for CRM.
It is important to understand why customers buy your products or services. To be able to identify your most profitable customers, and to forecast what to give them when they want it. Here is the need for CRM, which can set your company apart from the others and provide all the tools required to give you the edge over your competitors that can get you ahead of the pack, and stay there.
There are several software packages than provide adequate tools to enable you to meet the need for CRM within your business, but is ‘adequate’ enough? Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 leads the field in providing everything you should be looking for in a state of the art CRM system, and also has the versatility and flexibility to fit in with the way your company operates. Sure, it can make extremely valuable suggestions for improvement, but can also work exactly as your company works. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0 meets the need for CRM without requiring you to change your processes and procedures to fit in with software requirements.
There is nothing more annoying than have to retrain employees in your own internal procedures as well as in the use of the CRM software. It is important to you business to balance the need for CRM software with its acceptance by your employees.
Do not underestimate the need for CRM within your company. It can automate and analyze such functions as sales forecasting, sales cycle analysis, time management, sales force optimization, account management, and all the reports and analyses required. Your sales force can have essential information at their fingertips through palm computers or PDAs at the point of contact with customer. No more having to “send the information later” or “we will get back to you on that”. All information available on the network is visible to your sales force when they require it. You can secure that order before your customer has time to change his mind, or be tempted by a competitor.
This is just one simple example which indicates the benefits that CRM can bring to your company. The need for CRM does not require much thought, and can not only get you ahead of the pack but will also keep you there.
About the Author:
Chris McElroy helps manage the Microsoft CRM Software Provider Blog |
