Compare CRM VendorsCRM ArticlesCRM Vendor RecommendationsCRM Evaluation ToolsCRM Glossary
Download Free CRM Reports
 

CRM from A to Z



CRM from A to Z

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a broad strategy that encompasses many company-wide processes. But just how expansive is CRM’s reach? Let’s take a look at CRM from A to Z.

CRM allows for more effective Account management by providing sales, marketing, and support staff with the complete customer histories they need to deliver more personalized service. It also facilitates the implementation of Best practices, by helping companies gain insight into the interactions that positively and negatively impact the customer experience, so more effective processes can be implemented.

Most CRM solutions include modules for Campaign, Call center, and Contact management, as well as Customer analytics that deliver vital intelligence about client needs, preferences, and behaviors. Customer relationship management solutions also provide Dashboards that allow executives to track critical customer-related performance metrics.

CRM can streamline Email marketing by fully automating the way campaigns are developed, launched, and tracked. It also improves First call resolution by giving call center and field support teams the tools they need to resolve customer issues as quickly as possible. And, CRM enhances Global account management, eliminating redundant and overlapping activities by better coordinating service delivery to clients with numerous offices spanning multiple countries.

Help desk automation, a component of many pre-packaged CRM applications, ensures that clients receive prompt, responsive service when technical or other issues arise. Many help desk automation solutions are tightly integrated with Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems, so customers have self-service touchtone-based access to FAQs and resolutions to common problems. And, they often provide complete Job ticket handling, so clients can report issues online, and staff can track the status of those issues from the time they are reported, until they are closed.

CRM also enables proficient Knowledge management by centralizing customer information, and making it readily available in real-time to all staff in customer-facing roles. Additionally, it enhances Lead management by allowing marketing teams to more productively generate, qualify, distribute, and track prospects generated through campaigns and promotions. This functionality is often part of a broader Marketing automation module, which improves the way all marketing programs are executed and managed, so more successful strategies can be developed and implemented.

CRM helps companies increase New customer acquisition by empowering sales reps with effective Opportunity management that helps them prioritize their prospects, organize their sales cycles, and accurately maintain calendars and activity logs. Once a prospect is ready to make a purchase, CRM can be utilized for Order processing and status tracking.

Company-wide procedures can be dramatically improved with CRM. Advanced forecasting capabilities facilitate more accurate and timely Pipeline management. Automated quality assurance activities, and direct links between customers, and support, engineering, and marketing teams allow for highly effective Quality management. And, companies can build stronger, more profitable alliances with their clients and business partners with CRM’s Relationship management capabilities.

Sales force automation is considered the cornerstone of customer relationship management. Sales force automation includes functionality that augments Territory management by enabling sales directors to monitor activities and opportunities, create forecasts, and assess rep performance across their regions. With sales force automation, businesses can also improve the effectiveness of Up-sell, cross-sell, and Value-added selling initiatives.

CRM dramatically improves Workflow management throughout an entire business, tightly aligning processes across multiple customer-facing teams and departments. It also helps simplify workflow for marketing teams who wish to develop XCM (cross-channel marketing) strategies that leverage multiple communication vehicles and mediums.

So, what can CRM do for You? With its wide range of features and functionality, CRM can provide you with the technologies and methodologies you need to deliver the highest quality experience to your clients, and reach the Zenith of customer satisfaction and loyalty.