What is CRM?
When Maria taught the Von Trapp children how to sing, she started at the very beginning. As we think about CRM or customer relationship management, we often think about products or solutions that can support the customer functions of the business. We often dive right into the complexities of implementation and assume that everyone’s an IT professional, but today as we think about CRM, we’re going to start at the very beginning, because like the Von Trapp children learned, that’s a very good place to start…
So, what is CRM? CRM, or customer relationship management, is the systematic oversight of all interactions and information relating to your customers. Or to simplify it even more, it’s the management of details regarding potential and current customers. Proper management of the key details helps your business develop relationships, which can lead to increased sales, positive word of mouth, and lifelong customers.
What happens when you add technology into the customer relationship mix? A customer relationship solution is one the most important programs you’ll use to run your business. But what is it? A CRM solution is a general term for a wide variety of products created to track and store customer information and interactions, all in one place for your organization to access. CRM solutions can be one size fits all, but the best solutions are customizable to suit the needs of tiny mom-and-pop shops, monster conglomerate companies, and everyone in between.
What does that mean for your business? Why should you care? Imagine misplacing customer contact information, only to learn that your delay pushed your client into the arms of your staunchest competitor. Picture your top two salespeople pursuing the same prospect, resulting in an annoyed potential customer and some unfriendly in-house competition. Without a centralized program to log and track customer interactions, your business falls behind schedule and out of touch.
Now that you know the basics, what’s next? It’s important to have a solution that’s entirely customizable to your company’s individual needs. Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows you to do just that. Take what you want and leave the rest. It’s a CRM solution just for you.
