What is CRM?
What are the Aspects of CRM?
There are three aspects of CRM, each of which can be implemented in isolation:
Operational CRM: The automation or support of customer processes involving sales or service representatives
Collaborative CRM: Direct communication with customers not involving sales or service representatives (“self service”)
Analytical CRM: The analysis of customer data for a broad range of purposes
Operational CRM
Operational CRM provides support to "front office" business processes / teams, including sales, marketing and service. Each interaction with a customer is generally added to a customer's contact history, and staff can retrieve and update information on customers from the database as necessary.
Data gathered on customers can be used to determine how a customer is handled. Data may include profitability, contact history and products purchased. Staff members are able to access this data when servicing customers or making a sales pitch.
Collaborative CRM
Collaborative CRM covers the direct interaction with customers. This can include a variety of channels, such as the Internet, whether through a website or e-mail, or automated telephone systems. It can generally be equated with “self service”.
The objectives of Collaborative CRM can be broad, including cost reduction and service improvements.
Analytical CRM
Analytical CRM analyzes customer data for a variety of purposes, including:
design and execution of targeted marketing campaigns to optimize marketing effectiveness
design and execution of specific customer campaigns, including customer acquisition, cross-selling, up-selling, retention
analysis of customer behavior to aid product and service decision making (e.g. pricing, new product development, etc)
management decisions, e.g. financial forecasting and customer profitability analysis
risk assessment and fraud detular for credit card transactions
Analytical CRM generally makes heavy use of Predictive analytics.
Technology considerations
The technology requirements of a CRM strategy can be very complex and far reaching. The basic building blocks include:
A database to store customer information. This can be a CRM specific database or an enterprise data warehouse.
Operational CRM requires customer agent support software.
Collaborative CRM requires customer interaction systems, eg an interactive website, automated phone systems etc.
Analytical CRM requires statistical analysis software, as well as software that manages any specific marketing campaigns.
Support CRM systems require interactive chat software to provide live help and support to web site visitors.
Privacy and Data Security
The data gathered as part of CRM must respect customer privacy and data security. Customers want the reassurance that their data will not be shared with third parties without their consent or accessed illegally by anyone.
Customers also want to benefit when their information is used by companies. For instance, an increase in unsolicited telemarketing calls is generally resented by customers while a small number of relevant offers is generally appreciated.
Customer Relationship Management software
Customer relationship management software is comprised of both business management and automation of the front-office divisions of an organization. CRM software is essentially meant to address the needs of Marketing, Sales and Distribution, and Customer Service and Support divisions within an organization and to allow the three to share data on prospects, customers, partners, competitors and employees. The purpose of CRM software is to manage the customer through the entire lifecycle, i.e. from prospect to qualified opportunity to order.
CRM software automates many of the needs of Marketing, Sales and Support users, such as Telephony, or the ability to conduct phone calls and manage call data, and tools to capture, share and manage automated alerts on lead data as it passes through the sales pipeline. CRM software provides a standard framework for pushing leads through a sales pipeline and managing it amongst many stakeholders in real time, in order to provide better customer relations and grow revenues by creating more sales, and losing fewer customers.
Pro Star on Demand
This software is amongst the best on the market today. On Demand is an aggregation of software that will enhance you business and give you complete satisfaction and control over your business organization. This package offers ProStar CRM, ProStar Lead Manager and the Contact Anywhere Feature, all this on the one computer system. You have in this system the tools available to further intensify your customer service and follow ups that are sometimes missed in the hustle and bustle of customer service, which will further your business's standing in the industry.
You will have the ability to further your customer care with the customer relation programs that feature in this total package. You can inter-mingle the customer calls to in and outgoing, keep customer records and pass callers on to other departments, all this combines to make this a very useful and target related tool to have in your business.
All these features are available in real time so there are no delays in your service offerings and your staff will be up to date with all customer data. You will also be able to relate directly with them on a one to one basis. This will further your agents and your organizations standing in the business world and will put you among the leaders in your field. It will also enable you to outsource with complete confidence to be able to furnish lead production.
With an amalgamated call centre application program you will be capable of service that includes outbound predictive dialer, recordings, VOIP and inbound IVR/ ACD, making sure that the service you are providing is of the utmost high standing within your industry. You can have access to a merged CRM application program, with superior lead generation with great management as well. You can also analyze sales and merchandising metrics reporting and call announcement. You can also be able to record and more importantly this feature will allow you to monitor as well.
You will benefit also from the low cost involved in setting up the software and it's hosted program so you don't have to be concerned with expensive computer hardware to buy. And it's compatible with any telephone system, so you will be able to install and use immediately.
With this software package you are able to start a new business from scratch and get started very quickly as you only have to install the computer software and then align it with your telephone system. So it's basically a plug and play and it will save you plenty of time and will be basically hassle free. With the fantastic online help system involved with this package you can?t really go wrong. It is just like hiring an expert to iron out the problems that you may have and get you on your way to success and satisfaction.
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Improving Contact Center Service and Performance
