Why You Need CRM

Big Data

One of the most frequently spoken terms in the world of business today is “big data.”  This of course, is the popular term used to describe the exponential growth and availability of data. Anything concerning customers, vendors, employees, competitors, internal IT systems and more is grouped into this bucket of facts and statistics.  As far back as 2001 Gartner and other industry analysts alike were already looking to define this phenomenon of technological evolution.

The unfortunate truth is that this term and often the solutions to make tap into its potential are so complex, so daunting to implement, let alone use on a day to day basis that many businesses not named Walmart or Amazon are having trouble making sense of it all.

Customer Data

That being the case, I’d like to shine the spotlight on another term, “Customer Data.” This is the lifeblood of your business and includes everything from customer contacts, purchase history, product pricing, buying processes and more. Consider the following question: What is the goal of doing business? The answer? To make a profit. In today’s competitive and ever changing world the only way to do this is to deliver exceptional customer experiences. To do that you need Customer Data.

If you’re reading this you may have been considering purchasing a CRM system. Or maybe you simply are browsing the internet and stumbled upon this by accident. But, if you’ve read this far I’d like you to take two nuggets of information with you as to why you may want to put CRM higher on your priority list.

Lost Data: A familiar story

Without a centralized system, it becomes very easy to lose customer data. Maybe an employee leaves thus taking all of the knowledge and information stored in their brains with them. Perhaps you can’t remember where you saved a certain file. Or, worse yet, perhaps that time and data lost meant losing a customer. With a centralized system like CRM you never have to go through sleepless nights of “what if?”

Incomplete Data: Your worst nightmare

Imagine how amazing it would be having all of the information you need about a customer accessible at any moment. A CRM system provides extensive data storing capabilities. It also enables you to have emails centralized, phone calls documented, and meetings scheduled and accounted for. No matter what scenario should occur you ensure that your customer experience doesn’t suffer.