CRM

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, is a software application that helps businesses manage their customer interactions and data. A CRM software can track customer interactions across different channels, including email, phone, and social media. It can also store customer data, such as contact information, purchase history, and demographic data.

CRM systems have become more than a software that tracks customer data.

CRM software can be used to help businesses with a variety of tasks, including:

1. Tracking leads, prospects and lead management
2. Managing sales opportunities and sales management
3. Recording customer relationships and customer interactions
4. Tracking customer orders and contact management
5. Generating reports on customer activity that helps sales rep and sales team
6. Identifying trends in customer behavior and use the data for marketing campaigns
7. Targeting marketing campaigns to specific customers
8. Helping with customer support inquiries and checking for outstanding customer service issues

CRMs can be expensive to purchase and implement, but they can provide a lot of value for businesses that use them effectively. Businesses that want to improve their customer relationships, sales, marketing and business development should consider using a CRM and their business objectives will surely be met.

When choosing a CRM, businesses should consider their specific needs and choose a CRM that offers the features they need. There are a variety of CRMs available, like Salesforce CRM, Sunbase CRM, Zoho CRM, etc., so businesses should research the options before making a decision. Check out the list of top CRM systems to make your decision easier!

CRM, also known as Customer Relationship Management, helps organizations increase productivity and streamline processes across departments where customer interaction is critical. 

It is viewed mainly as a sales-focused technology, but other business teams such as customer support and marketing can still greatly benefit from CRM use. CRM is one of the biggest enterprise technology markets globally and is expected to reach more than $ 80 billion in revenue by 2025. Businesses that leverage CRM has seen sales increase by almost 29% and sales productivity increase by 34%. 

Types of CRM system

There are three types of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems which are known as on-premise, cloud-based, and hybrid CRM system.

On-premise CRM

On premise CRM systems are customer relationship management software require companies to install and maintain the software on their own servers. On-premise CRM systems are more expensive to set up and maintain, but they offer more flexibility and customization options.

Cloud-based CRM

Cloud based CRM software are hosted by the software provider and do not require any hardware or software installation. Cloud-based CRM systems are less expensive to set up and maintain, but they offer less flexibility and customization options.

Hybrid CRM systems

Hybrid CRM systems combine the features of both on-premise and cloud-based CRM systems. Hybrid CRM systems offer the best of both worlds, but they can be more expensive to set up and maintain.

Each type of CRM system has its own advantages and disadvantages. The type of CRM system that is right for a company depends on its specific needs and budget.

For example, a small company may not need the features offered by an on-premise CRM system, and a cloud-based CRM system may be more cost-effective. A large company may need the flexibility and customization offered by an on-premise CRM system, and a hybrid CRM system may be the best option.

If you're in search for one stop solution for your CRM needs, contact Sunbase and book a demo session to decide for yourself if Sunbase is the right CRM for you.

More about Sunbase CRM

Sunbase Solar CRM was initially built to fit the needs of solar companies perfectly but it has so many features and tools like lead management, project management tool, etc., in the software that it can be (and is) used by non-solar companies too!

Sunbase not only helps in sales and marketing automation but also has additional features and tools like finance management, canvassing software, etc., to help in different business processes. Additional to that it has over 20 integrations. It is the ultimate customer relationship management software for any business!

Other features of Sunbase CRM:

• Proposal Tool
• Asset Management
• Marketing and Sales Management
• Project Management
• Invoice and Quoting Tool, etc.

No matter which type of CRM system a company chooses, it is important to make sure that the system is properly implemented and supported. Otherwise, the company may not be able to realize the full benefits of CRM.

Results companies get after getting a CRM Solution

We have discussed all the tools that a good CRM solution has above. Lets talk about the results that having a CRM platform gives. Companies that have implemented CRM solutions have reported several benefits, including:

Increased sales

With a CRM platform in place, companies can track every step of the sales process and ensure that each potential customer and sales opportunities are properly followed up with by the sales rep and sales teams. This has led to more sales and a higher close rate.

Improved customer satisfaction

By having all customer information in one place and being able to quickly respond to customer inquiries, companies can improve and develop customer relationships. A CRM platform ensures that customer satisfaction is met!

Higher efficiency

A CRM system can automate many tasks, such as lead generation and follow-ups, that would otherwise need to be done manually. This can free up time for employees to focus on other tasks. A CRM tool can eliminate the need for manual data entry and automate the process. Not just sales and lead management, one of the significant software in a CRM platform is marketing automation software.

Manage marketing campaigns

CRM systems can also be used to see what are the preferences and trends of the customers and additionally track marketing campaigns and measure their effectiveness.

Better team collaboration

With a CRM system, team members can easily share information and work together more efficiently. This can lead to better results overall. A sales manager can easily communicate with the sales reps and ensure better team collaboration.

If you're considering implementing a CRM system for your business, these are just some of the potential benefits you could see. Of course, every business is different, so it's important to evaluate whether a CRM system is right for you before making any decisions.

How does a CRM software help sales?

CRM helps sales teams by giving them a complete view of their customers, including contact information, purchase history, and details about any interactions the customer has had with the company. This information makes it easier for salespeople to identify potential customers, upsell and cross-sell to existing customers, and close more deals. Additionally, CRM systems can automate repetitive tasks such as sending follow-up emails or generating leads from website visitors, freeing up salespeople to focus on more important tasks.

How does a CRM software help marketing?

CRM software helps marketing teams by giving them a complete view of their customers, including contact information, purchase history, and details about any interactions the customer has had with the company. This information makes it easier for marketing teams to identify potential customers, segment and target their audiences, and measure the success of their marketing campaigns. Additionally, CRM systems can automate repetitive tasks such as email marketing or lead generation, freeing up marketing teams to focus on more important tasks.

Does a CRM help large businesses more than it helps small businesses?

There is no definitive answer to this question as the benefits that a CRM system can bring to a business depend on the specific needs of that business.

Earlier, it was thought that larger businesses gain more benefits from a CRM system than smaller businesses, as they have more complex sales processes and customer data to manage. But in the current CRM market, there are different CRM software available for every business type and size!

Large businesses typically have more customers and contact data to manage, which can be difficult to keep track of without a CRM system. A CRM system can help large businesses to organise and track this data, as well as helping them to identify potential leads and target their marketing efforts more effectively.

Large businesses have long recognized the need to implement a CRM solution by some estimates. As many as 91% of larger businesses now rely on the power of CRM to centralize data and manage customer and prospect relationships.

Making adequate communication, immediate support, and intuitive products is essential. Customers want to be the primary focus and feel their importance from the first interaction onward. Without CRM, big companies will face serious challenges keeping tabs on and utilizing their considerable volumes of information. 

Small businesses may not have the same need for features like supply chain management, sales force automation, etc. as their sales processes are typically simpler and they may not have as many customers and employees. However, a CRM system is still be useful for small businesses as it can help them to manage their contacts and communications more effectively. Small businesses face essentially the same challenges as large businesses but on a smaller scale. These challenges can be-

• Organizing information 
• Data visibility and security 
• Customer support 
• Marketing

The above are just to name a few, but a minor operation often may not recognize their own pain points or be aware of the benefits of a CRM system.

Noting that less than 50% of businesses with ten employees or less currently use CRM technology and coincidentally 50% of all small businesses also fail in the first 12 months.

A common misconception among small business owners is that CRM is a complicated tool that primarily benefits larger organizations and is ultimately an unnecessary expense for a small operation to absorb.

But the truth is small businesses often have unique challenges that result in the need for CRM. Small Businesses have fewer resources, and team members are usually required to wear various hats during day-to-day operations. Using the powerful automation capability of clarity, small businesses can set up CRM routine tasks such as report generation, email notifications, website lead collection, email marketing communication with customers and prospects, and much more to run automatically. 

Freeing up small businesses limited team member resources for more pressing tasks. Additionally, the focus on data security may not be as highly prioritized as an enterprise for a small business. Losing a sales team member may also mean losing the customer and prospect data they control, which would have devastating consequences for some small businesses.

CRM gives you total control of who has access to your centralized data, and you decide who can see and who cannot and who has permission to make changes to it. Your data remains your data regardless of staff changes. The value CRM brings to any business is significant regardless of size. 

These are CRM tools that deliver as much value to a small business as they do to an enterprise organization-

• Pipeline Management 
• Email marketing 
• Analytics 
• Automated price quotations and invoices 
• Account and contact management 
• Workflow automation 

CRM from any software meets the needs of the business, both large and small, delivering the robust array of features and extensive customization capabilities needed for the complexities and scale of a large organization.

Additionally, eases of use, intuitive, customizable interface, and hit the ground ready options and templates to get a small business ready and up and running quickly. Without the power of CRM, a small business may always be just a small business! But with the power of flexibility of CRM, your small business may not always be so small. 

In conclusion, while a CRM system can bring benefits to both large and small businesses, it is generally thought that larger businesses can gain more from using one. This is because they have more complex sales processes and customer data to manage, which a CRM system can help to organise and track effectively.

About Sunbase

Sunbase is all-in-one management software that helps companies saves time and money with automation! If you have a business that needs to optimize operations, try Sunbase software suite for FREE! If you have any doubt about our software, feel free to contact us!