Customers define the trajectory of a business. Therefore, it is a must to create a positive relationship with them, making them feel heard, understood and valued. But for a growing business, with an increasing number of customers, staying on top of all things, like attending to each of them and keeping records of their files and concerns can be a whole lot of work when done manually.
This is where customer relationship management or CRM software comes in handy. CRM systems are valuable tools for business as it provides an easy-to-use system for handling all customer communications, gathering and organizing customer data, and managing processes for various departments in a business. In fact, around 91 percent of businesses use CRMs to transform their process and customer service approach.
As today’s consumers grow more demanding of faster, better and more personal customer service, CRM systems help teams answer this demand in a smart and efficient way. CRM software comes in different styles depending on the nature of your business and the needs of your team.
Here are the different types of CRM software and how you can best use them:
Collaborative CRM
Many departments in a business act as silos, knowing only what pertains to their department and having no idea what others are working on. This is where CRM systems play a huge role in bridging gaps between departments.
A CRM software, particularly, a collaborative CRM can address the problem by breaking down silos and sharing information with all departments. Collaborative CRMs can connect departments involved in the customer journey, from marketing, sales, technical support, customer service, as well as vendors and third-party providers. This way, a customer’s concern can be easily pushed to the right department without many discussions and asking around.
It inspires better communication and cooperation among teams, eliminating the need to pass information from one team to another manually. Having all teams on the same page helps customers have a better, more supportive experience and not have to keep repeating themselves to multiple parties or waiting in a queue for a long time.
Operational CRM
Operational CRM systems cover customer-facing functions, like communications, sales and marketing. It primarily helps streamline processes making them as automated as possible. Such a type of CRM facilitates automatic sending of email, forwarding calls and notifying customers. It can also be used to guide customers through your sales funnel as well as collect information and leads from customers.
Various departments can utilize an operational CRM to deliver services and functions directly to the customers. This is a useful type of CRM to serve the whole customer experience from initial website visits all the way to post-purchase behaviors.
Analytical CRM
Most companies today are going digital, which means they collect, store and generate data to get to know customers. However, about half of the data that companies collect goes unused. In order to collect data and turn it into useful insights and analytics, proper tools must be utilized.
An analytics CRM helps to organize data into trends, demographics, and behaviors that can help you improve your business and its customer satisfaction. An analytical CRM helps teams make sense of the data collected. It facilitates fast and easy reporting. It can also help teams understand their customers better and make informed decisions and business strategies.
Campaign Management CRM
The way to reach and attract customers is through effective marketing and sales campaigns. To manage such efforts better, the best thing to use is a Campaign Management CRM. It allows users to plan, execute, monitor and analyze key campaigns easily. This type of CRM system helps best execute multi-channel marketing strategies and manage campaigns across different channels, from website to social media and email to generate more leads and make more sales.
The software allows you to segment your audience for more targeted campaigns, powering a more personal approach. Campaign Management CRM enables users to assemble email lists based on the target audience, deploy campaigns easily as well as launch and track surveys.
Strategic CRM
For businesses focused on long-term relationships with customers rather than quick sales, Strategic CRM works best. It is similar to collaborative and analytic CRMs as it brings various types of data and processes together to optimize the customer experience.
What makes it different is that it is more customer-focused. It is designed to collate customer data and information for the purpose of generating a personalized strategy of engaging or delivering services. It considers all the ways in which a customer interacts with your brand and offers a system that seeks to improve those interactions.
Invest in a CRM That’s Best for Your Company
There are many CRM software vendors you can choose from, but the key to knowing what CRM to use is on understanding how each type works and comparing it against your goals when it comes to customer service. Whether you want to get to know your customers better, want to scale your customer service team, collect and manage data, customer relationship management can be a task filled with pressure, but it surely is rewarding when done right.
