An Introduction to CRM
The term "Customer Relationship Management" (CRM) is traditionally recognised as meaning a software solution that assists organisations who want to record interactions with prospects and customers and to leverage off of the information collected. In our opinion it applies to more than that, it is about recording any interaction of business interest with the people your organisation comes into contact with. Good contact and account management is a fundamental practice that can be greatly improved by CRM. At the heart of CRM is a customer database that records information / interactions between your organisation and clients, distributors, resellers, partners, etc.
Information held within CRM can be granular by design and most CRM systems have a reasonable degree of flexibility which allows solutions to be designed that are reflective of an organisations business terminology. Generally CRM systems provide reporting capability and allow workflow processes to be designed to automate business processes that are reflective of the organisations needs. CRM therefore enables organisations to make informed decisions:
- Identify and segment key customers
- Understand who are the key accounts
- Appreciate which accounts are most profitable
- Mine information and improve customer service
- Support individuals responsible for sales, marketing and customer support
More than a Sales Tool
Since first coming on the scene CRM solutions are more flexible and functionally rich. Beyond being purely a sales management tool, leading CRM solutions offer much more potential and as an organisation C2 has experience of:
- CRM for Membership Organisations
- CRM for Event Management
- CRM for Accreditation Management (CPD/Profile System)
- CRM for Charities - Pledge Management
