What is CRM? Definition and examples of tools

CRM definition: what exactlyis behind this acronym for customer relationship management?

CRM places customers at the heart of a company's development strategy, with a clear mission: to convert prospects into customers, and then build their loyalty.

In an increasingly competitive environment, CRM ( customer relationship management) software is becoming a crucial and essential step for any company wishing to grow, whatever its size.

So what is CRM? What CRM tools are available and how do you use one? All the answers in this article!

See all software Sales & Customer Management

CRM: definition

CRM (customer relationship management) refers to all the techniques and tools used to gather, process and use information from prospects and customers in order to optimise customer relations, build loyalty and , ultimately, increase sales.

Today, the term CRM (customer relationship management) is more commonly used.

CRM tools

There are many CRM tools available to support and optimise customer relations.

Here are some of the most commonly used:

• targeting
• contact management (management of customers, prospects and partners)
• identifying and scoring customer profiles
• audience segmentation
• creating quotations,
• creation of sales offers,
• customer appointment management,
• generating canvassing lists,
• monitoring dashboards,
• after-sales tickets,
• satisfaction surveys,
• exchange and order history, etc.

💡 All these tools are generally integrated or linked to CRM software. This means they can be used by all departments and processes, and that's really what makes them so powerful!

What is CRM software?

CRM software is an information system connected to CRM applications and tools, to facilitate and optimise the management of customer relations and sales prospecting, in an intelligent and collaborative way.

It centralises and updates all types of information on prospects in a centralised database, in order to :

• get to know and understand them better
• respond quickly to their needs and expectations
• personalise sales offers,
• offer them a smooth, high-quality experience,
• convince them more easily to become customers,
• build customer loyalty,
• maintain a competitive edge in your market.

What is a CRM in a company?

Generally speaking, there are three departments in a company that regularly use a CRM to carry out their tasks:

• the marketing department
• the sales department
• and the customer service department.

However, its use should not be limited to certain departments, as CRM can be useful to everyteam and employee in the company.

The objectives of customer relationship management

Centralise information in a single tool

Your company's various departments can work together more effectively, across all departments, using the same CRM software.

Information is :

• better transmitted
• unique
• well stored
• automatically updated
• and accessible to everyone from anywhere.

Generate more opportunities and optimise sales prospecting

CRM tools enable you to automate your sales prospecting activities, and even personalise them. Using the data in your prospect files, you can segment them and set up personalised email campaign scenarios.

This frees up your time for higher added-value tasks, such as :

• getting to know your customers
• meeting them
• and convincing them with the information you have.

Manage your business

You have the opportunity to adopt agile management of your business with CRM software.

You'll find the entire administrative cycle for a customer in one place, from sending a quote to receiving payment, via purchase orders and invoices. This improves your project management and your customer relations.

Monitor and boost performance

With a CRM solution, you can view your results on a dashboard.

This means you can immediately pinpoint the actions that have been beneficial to your sales and the areas for improvement in order to optimise your results and performance.

Building customer loyalty

A loyal customer is a satisfied customer. So you have a good chance of keeping them if you :

• target their expectations
• offer them a personalised service
• and respond to their questions and objections.

Bear in mind that building customer loyalty costs 5 times less than winning new ones.

How to use CRM software in 4 steps

In order to better manage customer relations with the aim of improving profitability and productivity, it is essential to define the following stages:

• the company's objective
• the business lines responsible for achieving this objective
• the CRM software functionalities that will enable managers to carry out their tasks.

The table below details the stages in Customer Relationship Management using CRM software:

Examples of the best CRMs for your customer relations

Today's CRM market is marked by the rise of SaaS (Software as a Service) software, also known as e-crm, which can be used online via a simple Internet connection.

But with so many players on the market, it's not always easy to make the right choice of CRM software for your business, particularly depending on its size and needs.

Sellsy CRM, for example, has a number of à la carte modules that can be adapted to suit any type of organisation with up to 250 employees.

As for SOeMAN, it has all the tools to meet the needs of very small businesses and SMEs with up to 50 employees.

See all software Sales & Customer Management

CRM software: essential in the omnichannel era

As you will have gathered by now, CRM software is essential if you want to remain competitive.

This is especially true in the omnichannel era, where the number of points of contact with customers is multiplying on the web and social networks. While this represents fantastic opportunities to interact with them, it's also one hell of a challenge that's almost impossible to meet without the right CRM software.

So, are you ready? Ready to get equipped?