CRM is critical for running a profitable business that is focused not only on getting new customers but also on their retention. If you didn’t know, CRM stands for customer relationship management. It is a type of software through which you can manage relationships with your customers. And it is essential in today’s market for running a business. According to the data presented at how to make a CRM article, over 90% of companies with ten or more employees use CRM systems.
It is a valuable and vital asset to any business. A CRM system is useful for sales managers, business leaders, marketing departments, business analysts, and even support agents. In this article, we are going to discuss the must-have features of CRM software.
7 essential features of CRM software
1. Client engagement management
The system should keep information about all the engagement with your clients, such as purchase history, order status, invoices, etc. These details should be easy to access and manage. As a result, you can use the data to increase the customer retention rate since you can easily stay connected with anyone added to it. Moreover, this feature is essential to provide high-quality customer services.
It should allow you to divide your customers’ data into different categories, such as areas of interest, order history, and purchase behaviors. It is helpful when you are planning advertising or starting campaigns for your business promotion. This feature’s essential functions are customer data segmentation, payment management, account management, interaction management, and filtered views.
2. Contact management
You will not be able to find a CRM that does not have contact management capabilities. This must-have feature of CRM allows the salespeople to store customers’ data and contact records in a well-organized database. This function boosts accessibility and makes the handling of data easier.
It will also enable the marketing team to develop thoughtful strategies for launching new products in the market. When contacting consumers, even automated personalization will make them feel important, leading to a higher satisfaction rate.
3. Mobile version
This feature is beneficial when your team members need to travel to different locations. To make the most of smartphones in business, the mobile version of CRM allows salespeople to access data. They can manage data or have access to all the CRM features needed for their job.
CRM system installed on their device will allow your team members to view data and receive alert notifications for business campaigns. It is a must-have feature that enhances the sales productivity and growth of the company.
4. Sales forecasts
You can use sales forecasts as a metric to determine the success or performance rate. The data is transferred to the CRM system for forecasting. As a result, you can see what needs to be changed or abandoned.
It also enables the user to compare their actual data with the forecasts. As a result, you can determine whether the company sales campaign achieved the target or not. They also help you create benchmarks for sales.
5. Sales Analytics
It is one of the essential features of CRM, which allows you to analyze the data from the past to make future campaigns better. It will enable the business developer to collect data from various sources such as websites, social media, polls, etc., and improve tactics. A CRM system must include reporting features that simplify the task to improve customer retention rate.
6. Team Management
CRM also provides automation of essential business activities such as group calendars, scheduled tasks, tracking progress, period tracking, employee data, workflow management, etc. The users get notifications with schedules and make sure that work is done correctly and on time.
7. Automatic Marketing
A CRM system enabled with this feature makes marketing easier and more efficient. You don’t need to implement additional software since CRM can handle email marketing, automated response, email tracking, customer targeting, campaign delivery, analysis, campaign design, and many more.
Bottom line
Maintaining a good customer relationship, handling information, or solving client’s issues is a challenging process. The CRM implementation solves a lot of problems faced by your business development and marketing department. It helps to develop a more open way of doing business when the customer is there in the first place.
If you are planning to get CRM, the above-listed features are a must for a successful implementation.
