CRM – A Practical Introduction.

By Wes Henry

This article is an excerpt from a presentation I gave at the 2007 Great Plains Technology Conference in Fargo, ND.

What is CRM

CRM is an acronym for Customer Relationship Management. But what CRM means to you is “a system to understand your customers better and use that understanding to serve them better; ultimately resulting in increased customer loyalty and greater profit per customer.”

CRM isn’t a new idea. Using good customer service and customer relationships as a way to improve business profitability is an idea that’s been around for a long time. But while CRM isn’t a new idea, it is a great idea. CRM computer systems are experiencing a boom now because the software has finally matured to the point where it is powerful enough to really make an improvement in business and affordable enough even for small businesses.

Powerful CRM solutions can also integrate with other software and data on your network making your CRM system the one place where customer data is centralized. This is one of the easiest to achieve, yet most valuable features of CRM – a centralized location where all staff can get the information they need to best serve customers.

I’ve outlined what I feel are the seven key features of CRM here. Key Features of CRM Solutions:

1. Shared knowledge – entire organization can collaborate
2. Centralized customer data – available to everyone
3. Customer history – at a glance, know the history of each customer; improves customer service
4. Customer segmentation / profile – know the characteristics of your best customers
5. Marketing tools – easily market to each customer segment differently
6. Workflow / Automation – automation streamlines activities, increases efficiency, reduces errors
7. Analysis and reporting – dashboards and reports for managers / decision making

With typical implementation times running from a few months to nine months or more, it’s important that top management is committed to seeing the project through. One way to do that is to focus on the benefits that CRM will bring once fully implemented.

How Businesses Benefit From CRM
1. Increased efficiency
2. Improved customer service
3. Better marketing
4. Better decision making
5. Greater profitability

CRM can make a difference in your business. Your staff will be happier, your customers will be happier, and your bottom line will be better.

Contact Ignus today to see how CRM can work for you.

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