CRM systems have been around for several decades, but they have gained momentum over the past few years. The reason for their popularity has a lot to do with tech-savvy customers’ needs and expectations. They communicate with brands via multiple channels, including phone calls, emails, social networks, and live chat. No matter which medium they use, they expect businesses to provide relevant and highly personalized user experiences. They are even ready to pay more for individualized offers and services.

Here is how using CRM can help you align your teams and drive sales.

1. Understanding Customers

No matter if you are running a B2B or B2C business, understanding customers is critical for your sales. Today, customers want you to provide highly personalized experiences at every stage of their buyer journey. However, no matter how big your business is, staying on top of customer data can be challenging. 

Fortunately, your sales agents can use a CRM system to record customer data. That way, they can pick up exactly where they left off with the conversation. When a lead visits your website page, downloads an eBook or attends an event, your CRM will automatically capture this information. Your sales reps will also have quick access to customer profiles, knowing what they have purchased, how satisfied they are, what issues they have reported so far, etc. 

2. Lead Prospecting and Generation

Source: Ironpaper

Spending time and resources attracting and generating new leads is not always enough. Once they make a list of potential leads, your sales reps need to cherry-pick the hottest opportunities. That is where your CRM system helps. 

By connecting your lead prospecting tools with your CRM platform, your teams will have a 360-degree insight into their leads. Both sales and marketing departments will have access to the same data so they can create individualized and engaging customer experiences. That could serve as an effective icebreaker and help you convert prospects into qualified leads faster.

3. Offer Better Customer Service

We mentioned that customers would pay more for better customer experiences. Precisely because of that, you need to align your sales and customer service departments and focus on increasing customer satisfaction. Sure, this does not mean you should overwhelm customers by sending numerous marketing promotions. That would only annoy them. Instead, follow up strategically to determine whether there is a chance to deepen the relationship.

When your entire customer service team has immediate access to a customer’s data, they can quickly provide personalized tips and solutions and point them to the right resources. Let’s take the example of your call center. Most call centers today use VoIP solutions for small businesses that integrate with their CRM tools. 

Once you integrate your business VoIP system with CRM, your sales and customer support team will be able to deliver highly personalized user experiences. Every phone call will be logged into your CRM for future reference, along with call details. A CRM tool creates detailed profiles for each customer and populates it with relevant data. Therefore, when a customer calls, the VoIP tool will pull their data from your CRM system and display it on an agent’s screen. That way, your sales and customer service reps will provide personalized service, build trust, and encourage repeat business.

4. Retaining Existing Customers 

Statistics say that the likelihood of selling to a new prospect is 5-20%. On the other hand, the probability of converting an existing customer is 60-70%. While new customers are critical for growing your customer base and expanding your business, they are neither easy nor cheap to generate. Precisely because of that, you need to focus on retaining your existing customers. To do that, your sales and marketing teams need to have unlimited access to customer data and identify upsell, cross-sell, and renewal opportunities.

Your CRM system can improve your customer retention strategy in multiple ways:

• It improves the efficiency of the sales process by identifying leads that are more likely to convert. 
• CRM enhances the effectiveness of your sales processes. It informs your agents which customers are engaged and tell you when the right time is to reach out and deliver personalized offers. 
• It increases upsell and cross-sell opportunities. CRM allows you to identify customers that are willing to spend more if they receive relevant offers and deals.
• It minimizes time to close. You will convert leads to customers faster by providing them with personalized offers. CRM provides you with a 360-degree view of their previous touchpoints with your brand.

5.Enhancing your Sales Team’s Productivity 

Your sales team’s satisfaction is crucial for driving sales. Investing in the right CRM technologies frees up your sales agents from manual and process-heavy tasks. Instead of scrolling down Excel sheets to find contact information or manually entering data, your sales agents will use a CRM system to automate these activities. That way, they will spend more time on the creative aspects of their jobs. They will use CRM as a tool that helps them connect with prospective customers and strengthen relationships with existing ones.

Ready to Use your CRM to Align your Teams and Increase Sales?

There is no one-size-fits-all rule for choosing a CRM platform. You need to pick the one that meets your company’s needs. 

For starters, look closely at the disadvantages of your current sales tools. Does the tool help you meet the goals you have set? Are you able to map out customer journeys and personalize customer experiences? Can you identify the buying phases of all your leads? How confident are your teams when interacting with customers? 

If your current tool cannot help you meet these objectives, it is time to invest in a CRM system. It is a powerful addition to any sales team, allowing you to automate a wide range of repetitive tasks and improve customer relationships.