Digital Transformation of the Customer Relationship Management Function – Dos & Don’ts
With the increased availability and usage of digital tools, the needs of customers have also evolved. No longer can firms simply use traditional channels such as telephone and email to maintain their relationships with their customers — they now need to go where their customers are and increase their points of contact. Digital transformation of CRM can augur multiple benefits such as more loyalty, increased scope of sales, upselling, and so on. However, firms should be careful in their philosophy, selection, and deployment of a CRM solution themselves. We compiled several dos and don’ts for firms regarding the same.
Do – Implement a Comprehensive CRM System
Customer Relationship Management is not just a tool, not just a simple keyword that we use here and there, nor is it a simple concept. It is a comprehensive overhaul of how we think about going about maintaining relationships with our customers or customers-to-be. Customer relationship starts way before the sales function, which is where CRM starts in many organizations nowadays. Salesforce automation tools are just one aspect of CRM, while for many organizations, they are the end-all of all CRM. Instead, the organization should do a comprehensive think-over of its CRM function and make sure that all the people at the organization look at CRM comprehensively from the time the prospects make their first contact with the firm.
This can happen with a comprehensive CRM platform that allows all the users to come together and work together and share the details of all the prospects from the time they make the first contact with the firm. That way, this can be done from the first time of contact throughout the customer journey.
Allocation of resources and High-level buy-in
One of the best ways to ensure that the firm CRM is taken seriously by all the parties is to allocate adequate resources to the project, both in terms of money and time of all the necessary parties. Also, there is a great need for high-level buy-in; the CRM project of deployment and usage cannot just be done at the business unit level. It has to happen at the top level, preferably from the CEO level. In fact, it is the CEO who benefits the most from a CRM system since the CEO can get a bird’s eye view of all the happenings of the firm at all times and need not waste time having endless meetings with all the different components of the CRM team. Therefore, adequate resource allocation and high-level buy-in are very necessary for successful CRM.
Don’ts – Do not make CRM silo-based
Communication among all the involved parties in the CRM process is a must for the continued success of the CRM process. If the parties work in a silo, there is no communication among them, and there is no collaboration among them. This must also be reflected in the CRM system since the system cannot be silo-based and allow all parties adequate collaboration. A comprehensive CRM platform that allows marketers, sales force, and support teams to work together ensures collaboration and does not make CRM silo-based.
Don’t fail to be in constant communication
Constant communication with your prospects is a key element of CRM since it allows organizations to stay on top of the clients’ minds at all times and ensure that they turn to the organization as soon as they have a requirement. If you fail to be in constant communication, you run the risk of being out of sight and, therefore, out of mind. This can never bode well for organizations since it runs the risk of being forgotten by the prospect and turning to your competitors because you can be sure that your competitors are doing this, even if you are not.
