CRM service providers are constantly responding to changing market conditions. There are many more CRM options compared with even five years ago. In every industry sector, be it professional services, charities, social enterprises, education or other, large and small firms alike are finally abandoning spreadsheets in favour of CRM systems.
This surge in CRM options underscores the increased emphasis all organizations are placing on selling and marketing. In the services industry, more than in any other, customer references are the lifeblood of sustainability and growth. Client references have a strong correlation with service marketing effectiveness, the length of the sales cycle, and the ease of getting things done. Client references are a leading indicator of organizational success. As the percentage of client referrals increases, so does the probability of high levels of growth, higher bid-to-win ratios, and lower sales costs. CRM is a critical for enabling this to happen in any organisation.
Also driving the trend in CRM options are other outside pressures, including market consolidation, tighter government regulations, and challenging new business conditions.
CRM Options – How middleware is enabling integration
Today there are more and more CRM options for integrations with other business applications. Middleware platforms, such as Zapier and open CRM API’s have reduced the cost and enabled greater adoption. However, it is estimated that less than 15 % have integrated their CRM and financial systems directly. Greater integration among accounts and CRM applications yields greater operational and financial results. Ideally, these solutions [should be] integrated out of the box or easily integrated through standard interfaces, which do not require extensive upkeep and expensive maintenance. This is one of the CRM options that Maximizer CRM is increasingly offering. They have out of the box integration with Xero accounts, Sage accounts and others.
Organisations of all sizes see a bigger need for integrations with CRM and their front-end solutions. As work comes in, they see the need to integrate all the data and have a 360 degree view of their business.
Gone are the days when CRM systems were used primarily for basic list management and customer contact information storage. A lot more sophistication in the process, can be easily achieved with todays CRM options.
Of particular note is a greater emphasis on analytical data, with firms wanting to know more about the success of marketing campaigns, and being able to apply that information to customer records and other CRM system information. Companies want better data around customers and business prospects to enable good business decisions to be made.
A CRM system benefits an organisation through the visibility of its sales activities. This visibility is fundamental to managing sales performance and control of the sales process. This visibility enables management to understand why, when, who and how opportunities are being won, stalled, or being lost. If it cannot be monitored, it cannot be managed. The visibility offered within the CRM system also allows management to make educated business decisions based on hard data. A CRM system will enable structured data to be used to access performance. This assessment should indicate for example, which sales person is out performing others.
CRM Options – ProAptivity can help
ProAptivity are an independent CRM solutions provider with over 30 years experience in helping clients successfully onboard user-customisable CRM solutions. We focus on the implementation, training, and support of highly customised CRM software solutions. Our CRM software supported by our training provide customers with the tools needed to deliver successful business process management.
Fundamentally, we help organisations embed CRM best practice throughout their organisation. This helps organisations become more competitive, customer focused and ultimately more profitable.
If you need help in understanding why my business needs CRM, maybe some of our video’s or eBooks could help! Alternatively visit Maximizer CRM for more information. You can contact us today on 0330 223 6362 or via email at info@proaptivity.com. Contact us today for a free CRM consultation that will assess if your business is CRM ready.
Source: Destination CRM
