Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a key component for any business. It takes your data-driven marketing efforts to the next level and helps you understand customers, move product and build loyalty.
You’d like to think you know your customers pretty well. You’re probably on a first-name basis with some of them, and you’d recognize most of them if you saw them in the wild.
But do you know that Sally Smith’s golden wedding anniversary is coming up on the 29th, and it wouldn’t take much to get her to book a table in your restaurant to celebrate with her husband?
Do you know that John Jacobs has used your accounting firm for 35 years solid and is currently your longest-tenured customer?
Or do you know that Bob Bartlett has forgotten his wife’s favorite flower — again! — and would really love to know what bouquet he bought in 2018? (That’s the only year he actually got it right.)
With CRM software, you can know all of that and much more. Every interaction you have with a customer — from how often they shop to their purchase history to things you learn from them in one-off conversations — can be documented in one central location and used to create a highly personalized marketing strategy.
If you’re not already using CRM to keep track of your customer interactions, you need to be. Here’s why.
6 Big CRM Benefits
High-Level Targeting
If you’re having a big sale on apples, you don’t want to waste time and money targeting customers who only buy oranges. CRM software allows you to keep track of your customers’ purchase histories so that you can target the right people at the right time.
Better Analytics
Data is great — as long as you know what to do with it. A good CRM program won’t just spit out meaningless facts and figures. You’ll get actionable information that allows you to easily connect the dots and decide how to proceed.
Enhanced Lead Nurturing
Leads don’t stay leads unless you nurture them. CRM makes it easy to see exactly where your leads are in the purchase cycle. And it literally tells you what to do next to nudge them along. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
A Virtual Crystal Ball
To predict the future, you must look at the past. CRM can help you forecast your sales more accurately by looking at previous buying cycles, ensuring you’re not stocking too much (or too little) merchandise.
Customer Loyalty
All other things being equal, which business would you rather support: one that sells you what you came to buy and sends you off with a “have a nice day,” or one where the staff remembers your name, sends you a card on your birthday, or comps a bottle of wine for Sally Smith’s anniversary dinner? CRM helps you keep track of your customers’ life events, which keeps them coming back for more.
Better Team Communication
When all of your information about a customer is in one central hub that can be accessed by anyone on the team, it makes communication quicker and easier. There’s no need to waste time going back and forth between departments or team members; everyone can see the notes on the customer in the same system.
CRM Helps You Market Your Business More Effectively
Your customers are the lifeblood of your business. So it makes sense to learn everything you can about them and then put that knowledge to good use. Customer relationship management software makes that possible!
Are you looking for a reliable CRM tool? Here are some of our favorites! And as always, if you need more advice, Mischa Communications is here to help!