Using CRM to Extend Existing Key Business Strategy

A recent client is well known for their great customer experience in obtaining accurate pricing, product
availability and ease of placing orders. Their Picas Greenhouse Production software capabilities handle financial, inventory, shipping, logistics planning, production, and wireless warehouse management.  

The production software did a good job with taking their product and getting it to the customer. However, the relationship communications with their customers were lacking. There is a need to have a systematic approach to consistently attract, retain and grow profitable customers. There was a need for the core capabilities of CRM - customer relationship management system.  An integrated systems approach is required in today's connected world.

You hear it all the time: "People are our No. 1 asset." Or, "People are our most important resource." And yet it's amazing how often people get left out of the equation when a company is considering a new CRM system.

I understand why this happens. It's easy to get caught up in bells and whistles. Technology can help us to do amazing things, and that's certainly true of CRM. But without people, technology is only technology. That's why we at Success With CRM are such fans of People First CRM.

CRM can't just be a well-running database. CRM has to be well used and purpose-built. And when we encourage our clients to follow People First CRM, that's what we're helping them do.

Now let's be real here and take a bigger perspective of your company's  knowledge of its customers.  

We often find that when my firm reviews how a prospective CRM client has been using their CRM system, there are key gaps in the knowledge of the customer and the operational processes they follow.

This makes it much harder and time consuming for the marketing person, the sales team and the customer service representatives to do their job effectively.  Yes, we all get busy but a disiplined effort needs to be applied for keeping your customer information clean, accurate and fine tuned.  Yes, operational processes  can be optimized.  Yes, newer CRM systems like Infor CRM and Swiftpage Act! provide more efficient ways to add and update information on the fly using  mobile phones and tablets.

Does the information in your CRM system show a clear picture of who your customers really are and how they behave?

Bad CRM and Winter Blizzard Experiences....

For those of you with past experiences from a Winter snow blizzard you might find similar characteristics in a badly implemented and non-used CRM.

Top 10 reasons a Winter blizzard is like Bad CRM, in no particular order since each of us have different experiences...

1. Both a blizzard and bad CRM never come at the right time.  You have places to go and a business to run.  Who has time to get stuck or stranded?
2. You can't get a good vision of where you are at.  Well-used CRM will have helpful information to guide a business and make smarter decisions.  Just like a blizzard you can get blind-sided, rear-ended and effectively NOT knowing where your business stands with poor CRM.

Avoiding the trap of the wrong CRM system 

Buying a new tool based solely on features is never a good  idea. Even for the most revered, top-rated product, if it doesn’t fit the needs of your organization, or, if it is not properly implemented, the fact is, it will be hated, berated, and worse–avoided.

According to Forrester, “The cost of poor adoption is twofold: underutilized investment and unmet business objectives.”¹  Therefore, since your sales are highly dependent on the quality and use of your CRM and how it integrates with the rest of your organization, choosing the right one is not a decision to make lightly. 

The definition of an "Educator" is a person who provides instruction or education; a teacher.  From the perspective of a professional educator -this is how we define ourselves to our CRM clients.  A well-used CRM has education build in from the start.

Having a detailed overview of customer needs and requirements

The main idea of CRM solutions for manufacturing companies is the fact that they allow companies to have a detailed overview of their customers' needs and requirements. At the same time CRM enables them to improve their relationships with customers which certainly turns out to be a benefit for both parties.  With CRM it will be easier for the organization to understand their customers and make smarter decisions, more quickly.

The manufacturing industry needs to concentrate on customer relationships. That may be the dealer network in many cases. On one hand CRM helps to increase the level of productivity. On the other hands it is the best way to improve different business processes. That is why CRM in the manufacturing industry is one of the most important tools nowadays. Every strategy is mainly aimed on increasing profits as well as giving sales a boost. Prospective customers (dealers) are farther down their buying process with access to Internet resources so the sales team has to be geared up and prepared. Additionally today's customers also call for more attention and higher quality services. These facts should all be taken into consideration.

Non-CRM designed systems don't cut it in today's world

 In "20 Warning Signs Your Business Needs a CRM System - Part 1", we discussed "Leading Indicators" - signs that you're outgrowing your current processing system and should start considering a CRM.

The "Lagging Indicators" signs show that you've already outgrown your processes and are probably losing money because you're not keeping up with your current clients and prospects. Opportunities are not getting captured and decisions are slow and not fully informed.