CRM (client relationship management) software was created to streamline business process and up productivity by stripping out the monotonous and time consuming tasks that the software could automate. CRM systems have evolved an incredible amount, and the software has expanded to improve business efficiency for a range of different departments across a business. There aren’t many sales people today that won’t have come into contact with or have extensive knowledge of sales CRM software.
Older versions of sales CRM software were used to centralise customer data, improve the sales pipeline and automate the sales process, providing a sales team with real time updates of client contact, historic information, correspondence and touch points. The CRM software made the sales process a breeze, simplifying the way they interacted and sold to customers, making sure relationships were formed and maintained and sales and pitches were tracked.
From its inception, it transformed the way that salespeople managed their time and prospects. Businesses that could afford the expensive costs of implementation and installation of the systems prospered and those that couldn’t stuck with the old systems, the spreadsheets, the outlook reminders, post it note after post it note and scribbling and scrawled short hand in their A4 pads.
Recent developments with cloud computing and SaaS (software as a service – essentially software accessed over the internet and charged for by the volume of use) have made CRM cheaper and more obtainable for all and the playing field is levelling off, allowing smaller businesses access to some incredibly powerful tools for a relatively small outlay.
The cloud isn’t the only thing that’s been making an impact in sales departments around the world though. There’s something else that everyone is talking about in the world of sales – social. The internet has changed in the last few years and the way that people interact with brands and products online and the online sales figures going up year on year, it’s now more important than ever for the sales department to start getting social.
Social has transformed the way that employees handle their sales jobs. Knowing what their customers and clients are saying about their business is beneficial in a number of ways, allowing businesses to find shortfalls in a product or service, track their reputation online and push their brand through a diverse set of channels to a diverse set of customers.
Customer service becomes a real time consideration, and businesses can track positive and negative reactions and responding accordingly, reinforcing brand reputation and improving the sales process for the client or customer. Customer service can be taken to the next level using social tools, and the ease at which you can set up a real time customer services hub at little to no cost makes providing the best service for your customers easier than ever.
Leads and contacts can be pulled in through social channels as well, using the social tools to track and pitch to potential customers by finding social mentions and online conversations by users with specific needs that match the profile of your product or service.
A number of industry pundits on both sides of the fence are saying that social is just a flash in the pan. Whether it is or not is still to be seen, but one thing is for sure – social CRM tools can help businesses get the edge in incredibly competitive markets. Suddenly, social isn’t just for the marketing team, now is the time for sales to get social.
