EVERY BUSINESS NEEDS CRM

It's not just for sales teams: explores how CRM can be a powerful tool for any organisation, of any size

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When you think of customer relationship management (CRM) systems, you probably picture big businesses with tens of thousands of customers to look after.

But the usefulness of CRM is by no means limited to large companies. Modern cloud-based platforms cater for organisations of any size, with prices to suit.

Nor is CRM limited to traditional sales and support functions. While the “customer” part of the name might suggest a focus on direct selling relationships, CRM solutions can help in all sorts of jobs across a whole range of industries, from legal advice to fundraising and financial planning. Simply put, any business that needs to maintain relationships with external parties can benefit.

Getting started is easy. There's no need to worry about having to roll out new software; all that's needed is a browser, and there's usually a free trial on offer so you can test out how a package fits into your business before making a commitment.

What is CRM for?

At its core a CRM platform is a database of contacts, but it stores far more than just names and addresses. It's a dynamic, comprehensive record of your relationship with every customer - past, present and hopefully future - tracking every interaction you've had with them, and even ones you plan to have at a later date. This ensures team members all have access to the same information, support staff can see what their colleagues have been doing, and marketers can track touchpoints between the business and its customers. The CRM software can also instantly generate statistics and reports, so you can monitor how the business is going on a larger scale, and spot emerging trends.