CRM：客户关系管理
在当今不断发展的业务环境中，每个运营决策都是至关重要的-包括管理客户的最佳实践。客户关系管理平台是该过程的组成部分。实际上，拥有11名以上员工的公司中有91％使用CRM系统。
由于节省时间和CRM交付的结构（及其在整个销售技术体系中的重要性日益提高），对于企业而言，做出转换似乎令人生畏，但现实是有一些明显的迹象表明，现在是时候做出CRM更改了，即使这意味着要重新构建集成，实质上是从头开始。
1.没有人在使用它
听起来很明显，但是应该使用您的CRM平台的实际上有多少人使用它？如果您的答案小于90％，则说明它无法正常工作。
一般来说，低CRM使用率与两个基本问题之一有关。首先，有可能某些用户实际上不再需要访问系统。用户可以在内部进行工作变更或离开公司。角色和责任也会改变。
其次，也许是更常见的问题是，您对该平台的采用率可能较低。也许您没有得到培训，文档和支持等形式的平台入门培训。
对CRM技术的投资并非一劳永逸的命题。相反，它需要不断的培训，指导和服务，以防止用户遗弃。如果您的团队不知道如何使用和最大化您的平台，那么您可能会遇到采用率低下的后果-如果是这样，您真正为此付出了什么？
2.您的预算确定...确实
对于许多供应商而言，续订时间是增加每月经常性收入而无需交付任何新功能的机会。作为客户，您的选择是二元的：应对交换提供商的麻烦，以节省20％或吞没20％的年增长率，从长远来看，这可能代表大量的钱。
您甚至可能最终为不需要的功能付费。尽管这可能会带来短期的痛苦，但最好的选择是找到一个符合您的需求并且在预算范围内的平台，并且您知道该平台将保持在预算范围内。
预先进行一些额外的研究可以带来长期收益。如果您没有从CRM中获得最大收益，而是在每次涨价中继续付款，那么该是时候了。
3.您的数据无处不在
当今，软件即服务驱动的生态系统使数据孤岛变得更加普遍。您的销售团队可能使用标准的CRM平台来跟踪潜在客户，而市场营销团队使用单独的系统来发送新闻通讯和特价商品。具体实施的团队可能会利用另一个系统来跟踪项目和客户入职。
不知不觉中，您的组织使用了十几种或更多种工具，这些工具不是集成的，也不能提供有关客户旅程的全面视图。
投资于销售，市场营销和交付的统一CRM平台是减少开销成本并最大程度地利用营销支出的唯一最快，最有效的方法。
它还可以确保与客户互动的员工，无论在市场营销，销售，交付还是支持方面都具有与客户数据完全相同的视图。这对您的客户来说太好了。您的CRM应该是客户数据真实性的单一共享来源。如果不是，那么您需要寻找另一个CRM解决方案。
4.功能让您不知所措
市场上不乏CRM平台，因此，企业不乏可用的功能。对于中型企业来说，要知道现在最重要的功能可能很难-更不用说将来哪些功能最重要。
随着新的市场进入者不断挑战现状并加快变革的步伐，商业模式发展迅速。您现在要迈向的目标可能与寻求CRM供应商时要达到的目标有很大不同。
这回升到采用率。如果功能与您的目标不符，您的团队就不会使用该系统……那您要为此付出什么呢？
中型公司不需要符合其当前需求的功能集。相反，他们需要的解决方案必须具有足够的灵活性，以适应不可避免的情况发生变化时的需求。选择可扩展的CRM，使其随着公司的发展或变化的发生而适应您的需求。
5.它正在帮助您的销售团队……还有其他人：
另一方面，CRM世界的发展步伐意味着平台可以管理从营销到客户支持再到实施的任何事务。 CRM只是销售团队的工具的日子已经一去不复返了。
如果您希望数据存放在一个地方，那么这是最佳做法。
6 Signs You May Be Ready for a CRM Switch
In today's evolving business environment, every operational decision is critical -- and that includes best practices for managing the customer journey. The customer relationship management platform is an integral part of the process. In fact, 91 percent of companies with more than 11 employees use a CRM system.
Because of the time it saves and the structure CRM delivers (and its ever-growing importance in the overall sales tech stack), it can seem daunting for businesses to make a switch, but the reality is there are a few clear signs that it's time to make a CRM change, even if it means rebuilding integrations and essentially starting from scratch.
1. No One is Using It
It sounds obvious, but how many of the people who are supposed to be using your CRM platform actually use it? If your answer is anything less than 90 percent, it's not working as it should.
Generally speaking, low CRM utilization is related to one of two underlying issues. First, it's possible that some users actually do not need access to the system any longer. Users may make a job change internally or leave the company. Roles and responsibilities also change.
Second, and perhaps the more common issue, is that you may have low adoption of the platform. Perhaps you weren't given adequate onboarding from the platform in the form of training, documentation and support.
An investment in CRM technology is not a set-it-and-forget-it proposition. Rather, it requires ongoing training, guidance and service to prevent abandonment by users. If your team doesn't know how to use and maximize your platform, you may experience fallout in the form of low adoption -- and if so, what are you really paying for?
2. Your Budget Is Firm… Really
For many vendors, renewal time is an opportunity to increase monthly recurring revenue without delivering any new features or functionality. As a customer, your options are fairly binary: Deal with the hassle of switching providers to save 20 percent, or swallow the 20 percent annual increase, which could represent a substantial amount of money in the long term.
You even could end up paying for features you don't need. Although it might involve short-term pain, finding a platform that fits your needs and is within your budget -- and that you know will stay within your budget -- might be the best bet.
A little extra research up front can pay long-term dividends. If you're not making the most out of your CRM but continue to pay through each price hike, it's time to switch.
3. Your Data Is All Over the Place
Today's Software as a Service-driven ecosystem has made data silos more commonplace. Your sales team might use a standard CRM platform to follow up with leads, while the marketing team uses a separate system to send newsletters and special offers. The implementation team might leverage yet another system to keep track of projects and customer onboarding.
Before you know it, your organization uses a dozen or more tools that aren't meant to integrate and fail to provide a comprehensive view of the customer journey.
Investing in a unified CRM platform for sales, marketing, and delivery is the single fastest and most effective way to cut overhead costs and make the most out of every marketing dollar spent.
It also ensures that employees who engage with customers will have the exact same view of the customer data, whether they work in marketing, sales, delivery or support. That's great for your customers. Your CRM should be a single shared source of truth on customer data. If it's not, then you need to look for another CRM solution.
4. You're Overwhelmed by the Features
There is no shortage of CRM platforms in the marketplace, and thus there is no shortage of features available to businesses. It can be tough for a midsize business to know which features are the most important now -- let alone which features will be the most important in the future.
Business models evolve fluidly as new market entrants constantly challenge the status quo and accelerate the pace of change. The target you're marching toward now could be wildly different from the one you're trying to hit when you were courting CRM vendors.
This ladders back to adoption rates. If features don't align with your objectives, your teams won't use the system… and then what are you paying for?
Midsize companies don't need feature sets that align with their current needs. Rather, they need solutions that are flexible enough to adapt to meet their needs when things inevitably change. Choose a scalable CRM that can adapt to meet your needs as your company grows or as changes occur.
5. It's Helping Your Sales Team… and No One Else:
On the flip side, the pace of advancement in the CRM world means platforms can manage anything from marketing to customer support to implementation. Gone are the days when CRM was just a tool for the sales team.
If you want your data to live in one place, which is the best practice for your customers, you need a platform that can do it all.
Get clear on what your priorities are, and make sure you're using tech that can help the most teams in your organization -- whether marketing, customer service, implementation, project management, or anything else -- because the functionality almost certainly exists, even if you're not currently using it.
6. You're Using Outdated Technology
Cloud computing has ushered in a complete transformation of business and what businesses are able to accomplish. Software that required a robust IT staff and team of database administrators just a decade or two ago now is instantly accessible for a fraction of the cost.
Despite the cloud's prevalence, legacy systems still plague a sizable portion of midsize companies. CRM is no exception. When your system is installed onto your server, rather than cloud-based, it can create a number of data accessibility issues.
Moving to a cloud-based system can eliminate bottlenecked data, resulting in less administrative overhead, improved transparency, and a healthier pipeline.
Knowledge Is Power
Switching your CRM can be an effective way to boost efficiency, reduce administrative and infrastructure costs, and maximize the impact of your sales stack.
Although it's not a decision to be made lightly, investing an adequate amount of time to gather helpful resources, talk to your users, and understand your unique situation will help you reevaluate the CRM market with a clear focus.
Armed with this information, you'll be in an excellent position to consider a switch.
Tony Kavanagh
https://www.technewsworld.com/story/86571.html
