CRM systems support interaction via email, instant messengers, social networks, push and SMS.
In B2B, for example, they can be used to send personalized offers via messengers or email, and in B2C, push notifications about urgent promotions or letters with general offers.
Important: it is necessary to use those channels that are convenient for customers.
In the absence of CRM, there may be a possibility and problem of losing customer data.
Example: a wholesale clothing supplier from Yekaterinburg. It had two managers who worked in channels convenient for them. There was no centralized management of interaction with clients. One design director managers email lists manager suddenly quit, and this led to a partial loss of clients assigned to him.
Why did this happen? The second manager ignored the channel his colleague worked in (Telegram), so the clients’ questions either remained unanswered or were answered a week or two later.
The initial implementation of a CRM system would have avoided this situation, and the business would have been able to manage all points of contact with customers.
How could multichannel manifest itself? Let’s imagine that the company from the example implemented a CRM and configured it to suit its needs.
The image below shows on the left all the tools that are used at different stages of the classic sales funnel, and on the right is the functionality of the CRM system.
It is clear how, thanks to CRM, the source of leads is tracked, applications are recorded and processed.
individual notifications are automatically sent, and bottlenecks in the work scheme are identified:
Image from the author’s archive
For example, at the “desire” stage, to motivate the client, you can how large files can be uploaded to cloud storage? send special offers with a discount on the goods that he left in the basket. All applications that you receive through this funnel will be distributed among managers, and after the purchase, the CRM will help to further maintain contact with the client: it will send notifications about new products, promotions.
At the analytics stage, the system helps collect data across all channels and shows what worked best for you and where the process can be “pumped up”.
Trend #2: Microsegmentation
Every time you interact with a client, you collect a certain amount of data: how and where the contact took place, what the clients responded to, whether they “hung” at some stages or showed interest.
This data needs to be used.
How can you start working with them? Through segmentation and micro-segmentation , another trend for next year.
Segmentation in CRM helps to personalize the gambling data approach:
- B2C – taking into account behavior, demographics and preferences;
- B2B – by company size or industry.
Moreover, microsegmentation is replacing traditional segmentation , because customers are already expecting more precise, advantageous, and striking offers.
With the help of a CRM system, you can manage micro-segments, identifying even narrower audience groups based on their needs.
For example, you can remind the client that the contract has ended and hint at an extension.
Important: in B2B, microsegmentation is not always applicable; sometimes it is enough to simply correctly update the data in the counterparty card in the CRM.