CRM software benefits businesses in many ways; however, finding the best solution for your needs takes time. Many vendors offer various products with wide-ranging features. Some even offer specialized software for specific industries like hospitality and healthcare.
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While your organization may benefit from niche CRM functionality, the following 25 essential CRM features can help every business operate more efficiently and seamlessly manage relationships with customers at every stage of the customer life cycle.
TipTipWhen researching CRM solutions, familiarize yourself with key CRM software terms to get a handle on this complex subject.Contact management is at the heart of any CRM platform. Contact management helps businesses seamlessly gather and organize detailed information about prospects and customers, helping you build solid relationships and do better at keeping your customers.
Customer profiles contain demographics, social media connections and all client interactions, regardless of department (sales, customer service, etc.). You gain a 360-degree sales pipeline overview, helping you manage relationships and gain valuable insights and feedback to improve marketing, sales and customer service.
Contact management is a crucial CRM feature. Ensure you choose a straightforward, easy-to-use solution with all the necessary customer interaction metrics. Some of the best CRM software, like Hubspot CRM, offer customer profile templates that make it easy for you to gather all the information you need about your contacts.
Automated CRM workflows can make your life easier. Look for software that lets you set up custom rules and comes with sales force automation to help you and your team be more productive.
With workflow automation, your CRM software can automatically perform specific actions based on triggers or events, such as the following:
Beyond sales automation, look for CRM software that automates marketing tasks.
Marketing automation helps you effectively reach potential target customers by providing valuable insights to inform personalized messaging, such as deals and coupons. You can use website forms to automatically capture lead-tracking and client profile data; your sales teams can use this information to successfully convert more leads. Marketing automation data can also help you analyze your marketing campaign return on investment and help plan future marketing efforts.
No two businesses are alike, so the best CRM software will cater to your business’s unique needs with customization features. Some CRM solutions let you choose which features to include in your package. Others let you add contact fields, select dashboard elements and create custom reports. Many CRMs boost customization options with extensions, plugins and other add-ons to expand your software’s capabilities.
If you need even more customization, many CRM vendors offer advanced options using application programming interfaces (APIs). APIs give developers access to technical specs and coding for even more enhanced software customization. APIs also let you integrate the software with your company’s existing business solutions to streamline processes.
Finding a customized solution that offers features that meet all your business requirements is essential. But it’s also important to eliminate package features you don’t use.
CRM software should provide a seamless way to manage your data, customer relationships and sales. You must be able to focus clearly on crucial information without getting bogged down by unwanted and extraneous software features.
Most CRM programs offer third-party software integrations; choosing a CRM solution that integrates with your crucial business software is key. For example, the popular CRM platform Salesforce has its own AppExchange marketplace, where users can easily connect Salesforce to solutions like QuickBooks, Mailchimp and DocuSign.
Here are a few must-have CRM integrations that can make your life easier:
Depending on your software, some integrations may require IT administration.
Many businesses use CRM for customer service functions. If customer service is a top priority, look for a CRM that can do the following:
Some CRM solutions simplify customer service functions by integrating third-party apps like the Desk.com support platform, SurveyMonkey feedback forms and the RingCentral business system.
Key TakeawayKey takeawayBad customer service is one of the primary reasons why customers will dump your brand. CRMs can help you deliver excellent and timely responses to keep your customers happy and away from competitors.CRM software is a great way to evaluate and track employee performance and activity. Choose software that gives employees their own accounts to track hours, tasks, meetings, sales numbers, goals and other items.
The software should also give supervisors and upper management access to dashboards to view individual employee goals, completed tasks and other productivity metrics. This can help managers write employee performance reviews, create incentives, reward strong employees, identify those who are struggling and address areas of improvement.
Look for a CRM solution that goes beyond tracking employee performance. Find one that helps you manage their tasks.
A good CRM system can automate task assignments based on an employee’s skill set, experience, workload and location.
As businesses use social media more, finding a CRM with built-in social media monitoring features is crucial. With the right feature set, your marketing team won’t have to switch platforms to monitor your company’s social media accounts.
Salesforce provides excellent examples of social CRM capabilities. It allows users to do the following:
Using CRM software for lead management will help you identify leads and their actions throughout the sales cycle. This feature supports lead scoring, allowing you to filter leads to the appropriate team members.
Dead leads can sit in a CRM for weeks or months. Robust lead management features help sales managers stay on top of leads and redistribute quiet or seemingly dead prospects to different reps for reengagement.
Your company needs the most current, accurate data to make the right decisions. Good CRM solutions can pull real-time data and provide valuable reports and insights.
These are just a few of the benefits of pulling real-time data:
CRM analytics, also known as customer analytics, offers customer data insights. This crucial data can help you make better decisions about the products, services, marketing and overall communications you distribute to customers.
Look for solutions that provide the following CRM metrics:
CRM reporting is a crucial standard CRM feature. Reports generate valuable insights that inform decision-making.
Here are a few report types your CRM should provide:
Consider a CRM’s report presentation capabilities. You want reports that are visually engaging and easy to understand. Ease of sharing across platforms is another factor to consider.
You must ensure team members across all departments can easily visualize the entire sales pipeline.
Tracking customers as they move along the pipeline helps relevant departments provide appropriate, timely services and allows you to spot problem areas. You can efficiently address issues to get the most out of every opportunity.
CRMs with sales forecasting tools help you predict future sales based on data from your current pipeline. You may need to alter your marketing plan based on the sales forecast. For example, say you thought your toy store would sell many puzzles over the holidays. However, sales forecasting revealed that building blocks would be more popular. This knowledge helps you tailor your advertising and marketing campaigns accordingly. Sales forecasting can also anticipate market changes to mitigate business risks.
Tracking emails through a traditional inbox can get overwhelming and confusing. It’s essential that every sales be received and addressed promptly to increase the probability of generating revenue.
CRM features help keep your sales reps organized and productive. They can integrate their calendars to schedule appointments and engage prospects and customers.
Another great feature is the ability to automatically pull in templates so reps spend less time crafting content. Essential templates include the following:
With most providers offering cloud-based services, your employees will most likely use CRM software on their computers and mobile devices. Look for a solution with an easy-to-use mobile app with access to all features and tools. A mobile CRM solution should also work across all devices, including iOS and Android.
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Mobile CRMs let you set up alerts to stay on top of campaigns by receiving valuable information as it comes in. Alerts can also notify you of new customer interactions so your team can provide necessary support as quickly as possible.
CRM solutions can help take much of the time-consuming busywork out of sending quotes to potential customers by using templates to generate automated quotes from information taken directly from the lead.
Once a sale is made, you can also use custom templates and automation to speed up the order and delivery process.
A CRM dashboard is a central location where you can easily visualize all relevant information and data you need to do business. You can see reports, real-time data, lead information, forecasts, employee performance, customer interactions and the sales pipeline.
Your CRM dashboard should be easy to understand and straightforward to control. It should also be customizable so that employees can include the information most relevant to their tasks and roles.
Data security is a crucial CRM feature. CRMs contain a plethora of sensitive customer information, sales data, and financial information about your company. You’ll want to choose a provider – whether it’s cloud-based or a data center – with robust security.
A good CRM solution should also allow for internal security control with role-based access. You can restrict specific information and features to certain people within your organization.
CRMs allow team members across departments to access and share information effortlessly. However, they should also be able to collaborate through an integrated chat program.
A chat program can also provide real-time customer service that employees from any department can participate in.
Did You Know?Did you knowLive-chat systems generally connect human service reps to handle customer inquiries. However, some chat systems use AI chatbots to handle straightforward queries.A customizable CRM should provide an isolated testing environment, sometimes called a sandbox, where you can make adjustments and changes to the system before implementation.
A sandbox allows your developers to tinker with the system without running the risk of affecting your data. A CRM testing environment also allows you to invite third-party developers into a separate workspace without granting them access to sensitive data.
Although not technically a CRM feature, your CRM provider’s customer service level is another crucial consideration. Whether it’s getting the software up and running, training employees to use its features, or getting someone on the line to troubleshoot problems as they arise, you want a vendor that goes above and beyond.
When it comes to implementing a CRM solution, look for a provider that makes tutorials, videos or training sessions readily available. Ensure you have access to live customer service chat, a 24/7 support hotline and forums to help quickly solve any problem.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming businesses, and CRM usage is no exception. Many CRM providers are implementing AI into their software to help automate tasks, provide advanced insights and help your business run even more smoothly.
Generative AI, like Bitrix24 CoPilot, can improve the customer service process through chatbots that have a complete picture of the customer and can analyze their feelings and respond appropriately with personalized messages. AI can also personalize automated marketing efforts to help drive a customer through the sales pipeline.
Through machine learning, AI can monitor and analyze complex data in real time, generating quick and accurate insights that can inform your decisions, help you determine how best to spend your money, and forecast future sales and marketing efforts.
Over the recent years, manufacturing companies have experienced a dramatic shift towards the implementation of innovative technologies into their processes, including those related to customer relationship management. On their way to becoming even more customer-centric, manufacturers don’t just wait for people to tell them directly what they want and need, but take advantage of software solutions that allow making predictions on products that will be demanded in the coming months. This approach is used not only by large players of the market but also by small and medium-sized businesses willing to keep pace with modern times and outperform their competitors.
One of the most popular and beneficial solutions manufacturing requires is CRM software that allows businesses to take advantage of such effective techniques as lean production and automation to meet future demand. Considering the highly dynamic nature of the time we live in, the importance of CRM software in manufacturing cannot be overstated. Streamlined business processes, delivery of unparalleled customer service, improved sales management — these and other benefits become available for those who decided to invest in CRM implementation.
To survive in today’s consumer-driven marketplace, manufacturers need to think beyond one-size-fits-all mass production. They now need to engage their customers in a personalized way. To do that, they need deep, timely insights into customer needs. CRM for manufacturers provides a 360-degree view of the customer, making it possible to configure the right solutions at the right price, and exactly in the demanded volumes.
In addition, CRM allows manufacturers to engage customers and channel partners and distributors across the manufacturing lifecycle, in this way creating an end-to-end experience that is consistent for their B2B customers.
What’s more important, is that the customer experience doesn’t end when a sale is complete. A CRM system can provide useful insights that help businesses to understand the entire lifespan of a sold product: these include support, repairs, installation, upgrades, handling inspections, add-ons, training, and customization. Insights that derive from this understanding can help to effectively compete with global, third-party competitors.
Continuing the list of reasons why manufacturers need a CRM, let’s dive deeper into the key benefits such systems have on offer.
This benefit is extremely useful for companies operating in fast-changing industries such as high-tech, electronics, retail, etc. A custom manufacturing CRM solution can help manufacturers cut the time required to develop a product from the concept phase to market delivery. Allowing for the elimination of the need to invest in other manufacturing planning software.
To stay in business, a manufacturing company has to keep producing high-quality products consistently and efficiently. Defective products can not only harm the brand image but also result in unhappy and unsatisfied customers, leading to a reduction in sales and revenue. This is where custom predictive software for manufacturing industry can help companies stay ahead of the competition.
When a business fails to simplify and optimize business operations, it can face the problem of overly complex processes. Moreover, costly implementations of production management software can have a detrimental effect on the company’s desired ROI.
Deploying CRM in the manufacturing sector can give manufacturers detailed and useful insights about operations, inventory management, order processing, warehousing, and distribution chains. And this delivers phenomenal results, empowering companies with everything needed to effectively manage their production schedules, maintain materials supply, and move products quickly from the production stage right to the market, all within a smart supply chain solution tailored to their business needs.
Customer relationship management in the manufacturing industry has proved to be a game-changer because safe delivery of a product and provision of quality after-sales services are no less important for a manufacturing company than closing a new deal.
Unlike other manufacturing software solutions, CRM software is a valuable marketing tool, as it helps businesses to gain followers and customers. It enables the Marketing and Sales departments to make detailed reports, taking into consideration the customers’ behavior.
Manufacturing CRM systems let the support teams help the customer immediately and also provide valuable insights that help to improve product quality and business processes over time. This streamlines the operations, lowers costs, and increases profits.
It is also possible to leverage blockchain technology together with CRM to streamline financial transactions, maintain a transparent ledger system, and keep track of all digital payments.
There’s no secret that CRM systems are not created equal. The manufacturing industry is huge and has particular needs. And while the majority of CRM systems have core capabilities and features, like lead management and a database for storing contact info, manufacturers have some unique demands.
Here are several key features to look for in a manufacturing CRM:
This is a must-have for selling highly customizable products. It includes features such as a product catalog, quote management, and inventory tracking.
Capabilities here range from activity streams to loyalty programs, enabling companies to manage relationships with distributors and other partners.
Algorithms can predict future demand, allowing operations to stay on top of inventory needs. Forecasting also opens up space for making sales projections.
If there is a need to connect your CRM with your ERP for a smooth data flow and holistic approach, integration options are a must.
This feature enables the creation of effective workflows and automation of various processes for more efficient operations.
CRM systems can be considered as a core part of many businesses but choosing the best one for your manufacturing business means careful consideration of some specific things, like those related to your vendor’s expertise in manufacturing and a presence of relevant cases in the portfolio.
At Emerline, with years of experience in the delivery of CRM services, we know exactly what a modern CRM system should be. CRM systems developed by our teams are:
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