72% of customers say they hate having to repeat their problems to multiple people at the same company.
It is in your interest to synchronize your teams to avoid this kind of problem! However, a CRM is probably the best solution to this risk.
What is a CRM?
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a strategy adopted by a business to optimize the quality of its interactions with its customers .
A CRM is above all a software or a set of tools dedicated to the management of customer data. to improve relationships and business results. It centralizes all interactions with customers in a database.
It helps entrepreneurs better understand the needs of each client, to anticipate their expectations and respond accordingly to their requests. Thus, it makes it possible to set up personalized offers and strategies for each client.
For example, your customer support noted in the CRM that a customer was unhappy with delivery times. On the next call, your sales rep will see the information without asking support. He can offer the customer an upsell for delivery in 48 hours.
A CRM then makes it possible to organize the tasks and internal activities of a business in order to optimize all the resources available.
It not only acts on the customer relationship but affects all the cogs allowing your business to function properly. CRM helps management of the various functions of a business such as marketing, sales force management, human resources management or supplier management.
What is a CRM used for?
A CRM facilitates business steps to maximize customer value. Using a CRM has several advantages:
1. Increase conversion rate by knowing your customers better
The data collected is much easier to use. A few clicks are enough to identify the needs and expectations of a customer segment, so you can personalize your offers. You no longer need to rummage through separate folders or regroup scattered ideas : everything is centralized and easily accessible.
Implementing a personalized customer experience and support that knows your customers will improve customer satisfaction .
2. Save time with a CRM
More advanced CRMs help reduce time spent on simple tasks such as finding customer information.
There are also tools allowing the automation of certain tasks. You can, for example, automate the drafting of invoices when making a purchase on one of your sales channels. You can also automatically send a confirmation email to your customers.
On Twilead you can even create automatic replies in order to place reserved appointments on calendars without any human interaction .
3. Increase your team’s productivity
CRMs are available on different interfaces (computer, phone, tablet, etc.). You have access to your business information at any time. Each member of your team has access to the same information : you can facilitate the coordination of your teams.
A team that is not coordinated risks carrying out catastrophic actions with your customers. For example, if one of your sales reps follow up with a prospect, when the prospect has signed a contract with another sales rep. Your credibility would be negatively impacted by this kind of event.
4. Facilitate the communication and follow-up of your collaborators
The information recorded in a CRM concerns your customers as well as the members of your team.. You can then go directly through the software interface to communicate with them.
You can also follow the evolution of your stocks, your orders and see which person is responsible or associated with which project.
What are the best CRMs
Many CRMs are offered on the web, they meet different needs and are suitable for many businesses. Discover our selection of CRM software below:
Twilead
Twilead is an online CRM known for its various management features. More than just a CRM, the software is an all-in-one tool suitable for all industries.
Indeed, Twilead offers many features that affect customer relations as much as marketing and sales.
The platform offers several extensions:
- “ Marketing Hub ” for centralizing all your marketing tools
- “ Sales Management ” for booking, tracking and sales automation tools
- “ CRM/E-Reputation ”, a CRM solution with no contact limit
- “ Twilead Finder ”, an integrated B2B lead scrapper
- “Twilead Service”, to generate B2B leads targeted by Leadin teams , a partner service
The basic Twilead plan is €75/month. One 14-day free trial is offered by the platform.
Hubspot CRM
HubSpot CRM made a name for itself by offering a completely free platform for its users. It is easy to learn and very intuitive.
The platform offers basic CRM functionalities such as lead management and management of messages/emails with customers. It also offers marketing and sales features. It also includes a website creation tool.
HubSpot is available for free for unlimited contacts and unlimited users. Although this free version offers sufficient functionality for a new business, it is very limited for advanced businesses.
For access to much more interesting options to manage your business, you will have to pay at least €46/month for Hubspot’s first Sales Starter plan.
Salesforce
Available from €25/month/user , Salesforce is the leader in sales CRM.
It’s the favorite software for salespeople (according to Salesforce itself) and it has a very rich catalog of integrations and applications. You will find functionalities for customer relations, marketing, HR management but above all for sales management and commercial management.
However, its handling is quite difficult for novices. It is therefore not recommended for beginners. It is also a expensive tool, although it is customizable thanks to its various integrations. But each integration is paid.
The main features of the CRM
Contact management
A CRM is a customer database. It makes it easy to add and organize contacts.
A search is done in a few clicks, with keywords and tags to differentiate contacts. These functionalities for adding and searching for contacts are accessible and easily reproducible by all users of the platform.
Document management
In addition to customer data, important files and documents can be listed within a CRM.
The CRM is a tool that helps your digitalization. Each document is easily accessible with a powerful search engine.
Sales process monitoring
CRMs provide you with reports and graphical representations of your sales funnels. They then allow you to visualize at what stage of your sales process your prospects are.
Optimization of marketing campaigns
The information collected from the various contacts makes it possible to set up personalized offers. You can better target your marketing campaigns by providing the right offers to the right people.
How to choose your CRM?
The choice of a CRM should not be taken lightly and must meet several points. In order to facilitate your search for a CRM for your business, find below the main criteria to take into account when making this choice.
Definition of your budgets and the size of your business
It is obvious that if you are a small team, you will not have the same needs as large companies.
Define a budget for the subscription , the training of your teams and the administration (if necessary) of the CRM.
Identification of your business needs and objectives
A CRM is above all a tool that will help you achieve the goals you have set for yourself.
Note in a specification the objectives (preferably quantified) in the short, medium and long terms of your business. Take the time to analyze and see if each CRM meets these objectives.
Ask yourself the right questions :
- Do you have a customer database?
- Having trouble tracking and researching a customer profile?
- What tools do you already use? Why ?
- Are you having trouble optimizing your marketing campaigns?
- What are the difficulties encountered by your salespeople?
Take a tour of the CRMs presented on the market and compare them
At this stage of your choice, you should have 5 or 6 CRMs that meet your needs and for which you are hesitating. To keep only the best, you can read comparisons. We have for example compared the best CRMs on the market with each other on this article .
Ask your employees
The primary purpose of a CRM is to facilitate processes and even to personalize them.
That’s why it’s important to ask your teams which CRMs they’ve used and which ones they prefer .. Because they are the ones who will use it on a daily basis. You can complement their points of view with feedback from other entrepreneurs, whether they are around you or from Facebook groups, for example.
Test the selected CRMs in this article
The majority of CRMs offer free trial periods , or even completely free formulas for some.
Take the opportunity to see if the features and handling of the chosen software really meet your needs.
Twilead, for example, offers a 14-day free trial with no obligation.
Conclusion
CRMs have become essential, not only in the management of customer relations but also in the management of your business itself.
In order to maximize your profits and keep loyal customers , these tools offer several additional features .
If you want to simplify your life and don’t want 50 tools to manage your business, go for an all-in-one tool with an integrated CRM .
Twilead offers solutions and systems adapted to all businesses. It allows you to generate targeted leads and increase your sales while taking care of managing your customer relationships.
Do not hesitate to test the platform and form your own opinion: try Twilead here .
