Those businesses that have a good sales strategy always focus on getting to know their customers well in order to offer them quality services that really meet their expectations. However, getting to know your customers well is not always easy; there is too much data that is difficult to handle when you don’t have the right tool. Luckily, there is CRM software.
This type of tool has contributed for several years to significantly improve the performance of the sales teams of companies. Thanks to their popularity, there are many things that are said about CRM software, however, not all of them turn out to be true. Read on and learn some of the most important myths related to this tool.
What is CRM software?
CRM is a tool that allows companies to better understand their customers and prospects to adapt and customize their products or services. As a result, organizations can increase the individualization of the customer relationship while reducing the amount of time they spend managing this relationship.
This individualization leads to a sense of personalization and reactivity, which in turn leads to increased customer satisfaction and, therefore, greater loyalty.
CRM software and its associated myths
CRM software has helped companies around the world achieve better customer interaction strategies. That’s why it’s been gaining popularity for some years now. Precisely because of this popularity, some misconceptions have been created around CRM that can cause confusion about its true usefulness. Here are some of them:
#1 CRM software is only for big companies
It is a fact that all companies must interact with their customers, this means that they all need effective strategies and tools to manage the relationship with them.
Taking this into account, it is unrealistic to say that CRM software is only for large companies. The truth is that any organization, regardless of its size, can leverage the competitive advantages that this type of solution provides. The best part is that good CRMs provide scalability, which means they adapt to business growth.
#2 CRMs are hard to manage
One of the most common myths about CRM is the idea that because of their multiple features, they are difficult to manage. In fact, the providers of these types of tools have striven to create highly intuitive solutions in order to ensure that the user has a simple access experience.
This ease of use allows companies to save time in training their staff in the use of CRM. This means that almost immediately after its installation, the organization’s members will be able to take full advantage of all the functionalities of this type of solution.
#3 CRMs are expensive
In relation to CRM software, the market offers multiple options. There are those that are free but for no cost offer limited functionality and poor data security.
With regard to paid CRM, there is an enormous variety that includes licenses adapted to almost any budget. It is important to point out that CRM software stands out for its ROI, i.e., its cost-benefit ratio is quite advantageous, which makes CRM a very profitable acquisition for companies.
#4 A CRM will automatically increase my sales
We need to be careful with this idea because it can make us create false expectations about the acquisition of CRM software. A Customer Relationship tool in no way represents by itself a guarantee of an automatic increase in sales of a company.
It is more appropriate to say that CRM software is part of a global strategy and that its main function is to facilitate tasks and processes and optimize workflow. In other words, even after acquiring a CRM, you still need a good plan and an efficient human resource to improve your relationship with customers.
#5 Developing my own CRM can help me save costs
This may be true in some cases, however, many times; companies make the mistake of underestimating the amount of time and effort required to create their own software tools. This leads them to invest large resources in software building projects that in the end only prevent them from advancing quickly with their strategies.
Considering the great variety of options available in the market, the best thing for organizations is to evaluate the offers and choose a CRM that allows them to start working on their projects immediately.
Advantages of CRMs
Now let’s talk a little about what a CRM can really do. CRM software brings advantages to companies that even go beyond improving customer relationships. Among those advantages, we have:
Data Centralization
More customers equals more data accumulation. This can become complicated in companies where information is not stored and managed from the same location.
Whether it’s to quickly gather all the data for a service proposal, to fulfill a customer request, or to enable efficient collaboration of sales and marketing team members; having a pool that centralizes all the data is vital to achieving optimal performance. That’s precisely what a CRM does.
Improved customer service
One of the most obvious advantages of CRM software is that it helps exponentially improve customer service. Do you have a customer who has contacted you several times? Use the record to get immediate access to his case; and give him a quick and effective response.
Do you need to create user profiles to give them personalized answers? Use your CRM software database to get to know your customers and prospects better, and propose interactions that suit their tastes and needs.
Standardized, automated, and improved processes
With CRM software, you can get your team to follow standardized processes when creating email campaigns; responding to customer requests or trying to close a sale.
In addition, through automation, you will also prevent your team members from having to perform too many manual or repetitive tasks; thus saving an enormous amount of time and effort, which can then be channeled into achieving higher sales.
Still, in doubt about whether to purchase your CRM? Let us guide you. At GB Advisors, we have a team of experts in software solutions; always ready to clarify all your doubts and help you make the best decision. Contact us now and start carrying out your IT projects in the most efficient way.