Contemplating CRM? Here’s Where to Start.

So you’re thinking of implementing or upgrading a CRM software solution. Where do you start? You might rightly think that the best place to start would be to consult the experts. You’d be right. But have you realized that some of those experts are right within your own organization? Here’s a huge resource to consult before you even call in the implementation experts.

Your team is in the best position to know your business processes, your present software limitations and what they hope to achieve with a new or updated CRM solution.

There are useful questions you can ask of your sales, service and marketing teams.

What does your sales team need?

They want increased customer insight; they want the ability to manage and prioritize leads and anticipate trends in their opportunities and pipelines. They want productive activity that will drive revenue.

So ask your sales team these questions:

Is our sales team involved in social media?

In a typical day, how much time is actually spent in contact with and selling to customers?

What are some of the time zappers that keep our team from being able to concentrate on selling?

Does our team have easy access to the tools and data they require, both in the field and in the office?

Does the team know what comments our customers are sharing about us?

Do we know what approach our customers are responding to?

Do we have the tools to enable us to understand our customers and deliver a personalized approach?

Does our current CRM solution provide not only the data but also the insights necessary for productive conversations with every customer?

Are we able to prioritize, manage, and track interactions with our prospects, customers, and partners?

Are we using social media to cement our presence, improve our approach and enhance our customers’ perception of our business?

Could we achieve more with tools that enable us to work closely with our marketing and support teams?

What does your service team need?

They want access to information that enables they to quickly and efficiently respond to customers’ needs, whether it be on social media or by direct contact. They want the ability to resolve issues correctly the first time and ensure the satisfaction and loyalty of your customers.

So ask your service team these questions:

Do we have access to the knowledge we need in order to address customers’ concerns?

Does our solution support multi-channel and self-service assistance?

How do our customers prefer to interact with our company? Is their preferred method supported?

Does our system enable customers to choose from multiple channels, including proactive web chat?

Does our solution enable our service reps to upsell and cross-sell?

Do we have the tools necessary for helping our team collaborate and provide exceptional customer service?

Is there flexibility built into our current CRM solution enabling us to easily respond to changing situations and special needs?

What does your marketing team need?

In today’s workplace, marketing can no longer operate independently of sales and service, nor would they want to. They want to be sure that their marketing strategies are targeting the most likely prospects and they want to be able to track the efficacy and success of both initial and follow-up campaigns.

So ask your marketing team these questions:

Does our current CRM system provide powerful analytics combined with social insights to help us understand how our brand is perceived and what the market demands?

Do we have the ability to track what the market is doing and what people are sharing on social media?

Do we have the tools to enable us to personalize every customer interaction?

Are we able to monitor what our audience is saying about our brand on social media?

How are we able to generate attention and demand for our products/services?

What tools do we use to manage our marketing interactions?

These questions will start a discussion with your teams about just what a top notch CRM solution like Microsoft Dynamics^® CRM can do for your business. Based on your teams’ insights, Crowe can help you determine how Microsoft Dynamics CRM would best enhance your business processes.