Good Implementation Practices
I reiterate what I said at the beginning, CRM software is just a tool that must be implemented well and used well. This is achieved by applying good practices at the strategic and operational levels. For CRM software to provide the operational benefits I discussed above, it is essential to use methodological frameworks for marketing, sales and customer service processes. There are several world-class ones that are applied depending on the profile and needs of the company. The implementation consultant should just do their consulting work and apply these frameworks during the implementation.
Likewise, at the strategic level, the implementation must apply the principles of the CRM management approach, aligning it with the customer-centric vision and laying the foundations for future customization.
Also, the implementation consultant must accompany your company so that it can use the software well and ensure that users apply good practices.
What CRM software can I use in my company?
There is a variety of CRM software. There is software provided by big brands and there are not so well-known brands. There are high-cost ones and there are free license ones, that is, completely free, which easily support the volume of information and users of medium-large companies.
CRM softwares available in the market have similar functions. They manage clients, marketing campaigns, sales opportunities and quotes, customer service incidents. They have a notification platform, report generator, are integrated through web services or APIs, to other systems such as ERPs, social networks and messaging services, Call Centers, etc.
Beyond the brand, or specific technical characteristics, to choose a CRM software, it is necessary to be clear about the company’s need, what problem it wants to solve, what objective it wants to achieve, what use will be given to the software, what volume of information they handle and of course, what budget they have. With this it will be clear which software functionalities are really needed. The success of a CRM software in the company is not based on whether it is big or small, “brand” or not, or has many features (that may never be used), but on whether it is well implemented or poorly implemented. For this, the ability and experience of the implementer to apply good CRM and commercial management practices must be evaluated.
The implementation of digital tools can be gradual, in stages, in phases, guided only by a long-term “customer first” approach that includes vision, the basis for personalization, customer experience and organizational collaboration. This is the best recipe to get forever customers!
