CRM Software

Good CRM software is the cornerstone of any customer relationship management program.  Without a good CRM software package, it would be very difficult to gather and store the myriad of details gained about a customer from each contact and subsequent interaction.

• Basic Features:  The CRM software needs to manage data relating to both individuals and companies and it should help you manage your time. As most businesses use Microsoft Office, which includes Outlook, the CRM package should offer seamless integration with Office or a fax program, as you need the ability to compose a letter, fax, or email without leaving the CRM software.

• 360 Degree Customer View:  You need to know which individuals work for the same company; who said, emailed or wrote what to whom, and when. These details need to be a single click away. How well does the CRM package provide this 360-degree view?
  

• Connectivity:  More and more these days, a growing business and its mobile workforce employs networked access to a central contact database, to mobile phones, and to PDAs. Make sure your CRM software package supports all the connectivity you require.
  

• Campaign Management: Tracking your marketing campaigns and measuring their performance is critical to optimize the marketing dollars you are spending.  You will need a package which provides this feature.
  

• Lead Management: Tracking sales opportunities is vital if you want them to become closed sales, so select CRM software which provides lead tracking.
  

• Data Exchange:  Unless you are starting a business from scratch, you will need to import data from a previous software package. Are you able to import directly, or must you spend hours processing the data through an intermediate stage or even worse, manually? You will also need an export feature to exchange date with businesses who might use another product.
  

• External Support:   To get the most from any CRM package, you'll find tips from fellow users, industry-specific templates, plug-ins to be vital. Is the package you are looking at well-known and supported?

CRM gurus Dr Martha Rogers and Don Peppers say that practising good CRM means you need to develop a one-to-one learning relationship with each customer, over four stages:

• Identification

• Differentiation

• Interaction

• Interaction

It's about treating different customers differently. It requires a shift in thinking, perseverance, discipline, and very good CRM software.

It’s going to take you many interactions with each customer to improve identification of their details. You’ll need more than a few customers before you can place them in different segments and address their needs by segment. It may take even longer before you know enough to customise individual offerings.

So get researching, and find yourself the very best computer CRM software technology that suits your business.  Without it, you'll be pushing up hill to run a successful customer relationship management program.