Careers And Tech Trendz
Friday, 31 July 2020
Thursday, 23 July 2020
Artificial Intelligence Tutorial – It’s time to innovate the future
Have you ever thought it would be our life like in a world without artificial intelligence? Or without computers? Remember how you spend an average day of your life you get up, you check your smartphone. You reach your workplace, then start working on the internet.
Remember, most of your work is done on cloud computing and other Internet services provided. Now imagine that you have to seek an answer to something. For how long and how many books you will continue to look for the answer? Another example, you get home and decide to order a meal online. Really sets the order if you are behind the screen? Before going to sleep, you are probably using a voice text wizard that is present in your phone to set an alarm for the next day. We can not imagine living without all this now, can we?
Wednesday, 28 August 2019
CRM COURSE
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT
This
booklet is designed to help small
and medium business owners understand the
basics of customer relationship management
(CRM) and, more specifically, how the Internet can help you implement CRM in
your business. If you want to understand how to better meet your clients’ needs, this booklet is
for you.
What is Customer Relationship Management?
Customer
Relationship Management (or CRM) is a phrase that describes how your business
interacts with your customers. Most people think of CRM as a system to capture
information about your customers. However, that is only part of the picture.
CRM involves using technology to gather the intelligence you need to provide
improved support and services to your customers. In other words, CRM is also
about what you do with that information to better meet the needs of your
existing customers and identify new customers, resulting in higher profits for
you.
WHAT’S INSIDE
Online customers have a special set of expectations that set them apart from traditional customers. In particular, they expect
lots of information about
your company and your products to
be available online with
minimal searching, close to immediate service, opportunities for self-service via your website, speedy
shipment of products, and after-sales
support. Therefore, you need to consider CRM principles when doing business online.
Benefits
of CRM
CRM is about
making each and every customer feel like they have a one-to-one relationship with you. Effective CRM gives you the opportunity to show your customers that:
• You know and recognize them.
• You understand them.
• You care about their needs, questions and concerns.
• You want to deliver services and products they need the most.
• You appreciate their business.
• You understand them.
• You care about their needs, questions and concerns.
• You want to deliver services and products they need the most.
• You appreciate their business.
CRM will also benefit your
company by allowing you to:
• Develop
superior services and products that meet your
customers’ identified needs.
• Enhance marketing towards the most profitable customers to improve your bottom line.
• Improve efficiency by providing support and services to customers online (through frequently asked questions, for example).
• Anticipate future business needs based on data on historic sale and service trends.
• Increase your customer base as you develop new ways to engage in business online.
• Enhance marketing towards the most profitable customers to improve your bottom line.
• Improve efficiency by providing support and services to customers online (through frequently asked questions, for example).
• Anticipate future business needs based on data on historic sale and service trends.
• Increase your customer base as you develop new ways to engage in business online.
How Can I Use CRM in My Business?
The table below displays
the types of information you can collect
with a CRM system, along
with the questions that the information can help answer.
Type of Information
|
Questions
|
Customer
profile
|
•
Who are they?
• Are they a business or a person?
• Where are they located?
• If they are a business, how big are they?
• If they are a business, what do they
do?
• Why do they need your product?
• How do they communicate
with you?
• Do they have an account?
• How long have they been a customer?
|
continued on next page
Questions
|
|
Customer
buying profile
|
•
How often do they buy?
• When do they buy?
• Is there a pattern
to their buying
habits (e.g., seasonal)?
• How much do they
buy at one time? Over
time?
|
Customer
buying preferences
|
•
What do they buy?
• Do they always buy the
same thing?
• Why do they buy it?
|
Customer
service profile
|
•
What kinds of problems/issues do they encounter?
• What is the current status of their
issues?
• How many open tickets are there?
• How many cases have been resolved?
|
Building Value for You
By compiling
this information and analyzing it, you can then build a strategy with this
information to:
• Maximize repeat business opportunities by anticipating your existing customers’ needs.
• Identify your best customers.
• Identify potential customers.
• Identify complementary products you can sell to your customers.
• Target marketing campaigns/materials and promotions.
• Maximize repeat business opportunities by anticipating your existing customers’ needs.
• Identify your best customers.
• Identify potential customers.
• Identify complementary products you can sell to your customers.
• Target marketing campaigns/materials and promotions.
Building Value for the Customer
Other ideas on how you can use this information to increase
your company’s perceived value to the customer include:
• Make ordering or buying easier through pre-filled order forms and e-mail reminders.
• Tailor the shopping experience for your customers and allow self-service to reduce customer wait times.
• Develop an e-newsletter or blog with topics that would be of interest to customers to earn their loyalty.
• Quickly share updates and respond to comments/ feedback from customers through social media channels such as Twitter.
• Offer an online forum where customers can provide reviews and feedback; this also allows you to hear about problems as they emerge and to respond quickly.
• Offer free products to your best customers.
• Offer incentives for additional or future purchases.
• Make ordering or buying easier through pre-filled order forms and e-mail reminders.
• Tailor the shopping experience for your customers and allow self-service to reduce customer wait times.
• Develop an e-newsletter or blog with topics that would be of interest to customers to earn their loyalty.
• Quickly share updates and respond to comments/ feedback from customers through social media channels such as Twitter.
• Offer an online forum where customers can provide reviews and feedback; this also allows you to hear about problems as they emerge and to respond quickly.
• Offer free products to your best customers.
• Offer incentives for additional or future purchases.
Implementing CRM in Your Business
Developing a CRM Strategy
Developing a CRM
strategy is an investment of your time that will be beneficial over the
long-term. Creating a strategy allows you to set a direction for your CRM
initiatives and ensures that
your investments are targeted to foster stronger relations with your customers.
As a starting
point for developing a CRM strategy, your business should identify its customer
profile (e.g. their needs, their level of satisfaction, and what impacts their
purchasing decisions). Through this process, you may be able to identify
a subset of your client
base where you
would like to focus your efforts.
Your CRM strategy should also define the goals of your business’ engagement with current and future customers to maximize sales, profit and long-term growth. You also need to assess your company’s capabilities
and whether it has the technology, human resources and skills to meet these goals.
Gartner, an
information technology research and advisory company, released a report in 2010
called “Three Steps to Create a CRM Strategy”. It identifies these key areas
for creating a successful CRM strategy.
1.
Set clear desired results for CRM, identify the steps
to achieve this vision, and monitor progress
towards these goals.
2.
The CRM strategy
should be incorporated into the entire
business model and align with strategies from other areas such as marketing and sales.
3.
The CRM strategy
should include these eight aspects: vision, strategy, customer
experience, organizational collaboration, processes, customer information,
technology, and metrics.
Possibilities for Using CRM
There
is a continuum of CRM from the most simple
(a spreadsheet or database containing information about your customers—referred to as a contact management system) to the
most complex (online
applications automatically linked with your back-end
systems). An integrated CRM system
can include the following features:
Feature
|
Benefits
|
• A central database that is accessible by all employees to view and update customer data.
|
•
Improved customer service, loyalty and retention.
|
• Analysis of customer data including customer
segmentation and segmentation of potential customers.
|
•
Customized marketing or sales campaigns.
• Improved campaign targeting.
|
• Customer
self-service where the customers can self-order and help themselves using
web-based, password access.
|
•
Reduced order entry cost and customer service cost.
|
•
Identifying and tracking potential
customers.
|
•
Wider customer base.
• More focused prospect tracking.
|
• Reports generated with
up-to-date information, including
revenue forecasting and trend analysis.
|
•
Better and more timely decision making.
|
CRM Delivery Model Options
So what are your options in terms
of implementing CRM at your business? You have two main options:
1) a CRM package
installed on your premises, or 2) a hosted CRM solution. These two options,
along with their relative pros
and cons are discussed below.
Option
|
Pros
|
Cons
|
On-premise
CRM
There are many CRM systems that are available for
purchase off-the- shelf. These can then be tailored to your needs. Companies
such as Siebel, Oracle, SAP, and Chordiant are well known in this area.
|
•
Can be tailored to your business
• Can be
integrated with your other systems
• Most
companies offer flexible packages that are
suitable for small and medium businesses
|
• More expensive in the short run (costs can vary from
several thousand to several million dollars)
• Can take a long time
(months or even years) to implement fully
|
Hosted
CRM
Web-based applications for CRM with no software to
download. In this case, the CRM system resides online and
you rent the service on
a monthly basis. Examples include,
Sage Software, Microsoft Dynamics, Entellium, Clear C2, SAP,
NetSuite, VanillaSoft
|
• Less expensive in
the short run (monthly fees run from
about
$65 to $150)
• Appropriate
for businesses with standard CRM needs, and little or no internal IT support
• Can be
implemented quickly (often within a
few months)
|
• Cannot be
integrated with other back office systems
• You are allowing someone else to control your
customer information and data
|
Social and Cloud-Based CRM
In addition to
the two main system-based options for implementing what could be called
traditional CRM as described above, there is a new approach to CRM being used
with increasing frequency. Social CRM is a type of CRM that uses social
media tools and services to engage
and attract customers. As well, Social CRM is also used to monitor what is
being said about your company or product in the social media realm. Companies such
as Vitrue,
HootSuite, and HubSpot offer web-based applications to help you effectively
publish content, monitor responses, and track brand mentions on social media
sites.
Social CRM can be quite advantageous to your business since you can increase
your reach and have immediate
engagement with your customers. As well, it can offer you another way to get
feedback from your customers regarding
products, services, and your brand.
Another
advantage of this approach
is that it can be implemented
quickly. On the other
hand, you need to align
your Social CRM with your
overall marketing strategy and brand management. As well, you need to keep in
mind that you will have limited control over
any negative feedback posted about your brand or product/service. To implement Social CRM,
you will also have to ensure that your employees have social media knowledge or training.
At the same
time, there is also cloud-based
CRM. Cloud computing services are
becoming increasingly popular and offer a cost-effective way for
businesses to gather customer data. Cloud computing is really any form of
shared computing service that you access through the Internet (e.g. Gmail, Dropbox). Several CRM cloud-based systems are already available that allow
businesses to access, organize, and analyze information about their customers and sales online. Cloud-hosted CRM
software also facilitates data integration from other
sources since many other services are
also cloud-based.
GETTING HELP
There are many organizations that specialize in implementing CRM and can
help you identify the best option for you. A CRM specialist can
help you evaluate your existing system and provide recommendations
on how to improve it or implement a new system. In addition, a CRM
specialist
will be able to help you
identify the most appropriate CRM technology that
matches your business needs and budget, develop a plan for carrying out the
CRM project and direct you towards reputable service providers that can
assist in the implementation.
A
simple web search of “CRM” will
result in a list
of dozens of organizations that
work in this
area. In choosing a CRM specialist it is important to consider what
kind of help you require. Is there specific CRM software that you need a
specialist’s help in implementing? Or are you
a new business that requires assistance
with implementing an entirely new CRM strategy?
CRM consultants have different strengths and skills, with
some being more technical with certification in specific CRM technology, and some more
strategic and business focused. Once you have determined your business’
CRM needs, you can begin searching for the right CRM specialist. Visit their websites to review their services and
consult testimonials. Also, drop in on discussion forums on CRM. You
can get lots
of advice from your fellow SME business
owners and operators.
Implementing CRM
GETTING HELP
There are many organizations that specialize in implementing CRM and can
help you identify the best option for you. A CRM specialist can
help you evaluate your existing system and provide recommendations
on how to improve it or implement a new system. In addition, a CRM
specialist
will be able to help you
identify the most appropriate CRM technology that
matches your business needs and budget, develop a plan for carrying out the
CRM project and direct you towards reputable service providers that can
assist in the implementation.
A
simple web search of “CRM” will
result in a list
of dozens of organizations that
work in this
area. In choosing a CRM specialist it is important to consider what
kind of help you require. Is there specific CRM software that you need a
specialist’s help in implementing? Or are you
a new business that requires assistance
with implementing an entirely new CRM strategy?
CRM consultants have different strengths and skills, with
some being more technical with certification in specific CRM technology, and some more
strategic and business focused. Once you have determined your business’
CRM needs, you can begin searching for the right CRM specialist. Visit their websites to review their services and
consult testimonials. Also, drop in on discussion forums on CRM. You
can get lots
of advice from your fellow SME business
owners and operators.
|
Implementing a
CRM system is more than installing a software package. All functional areas of
your business need to be engaged—human resources, marketing, sales, IT, product
development, etc.
TIP: CRM is a business
strategy, not a technology.
For
CRM to succeed in your company, first develop
your CRM strategy, and then choose the best technology to support it.
You will need to
ensure all your employees understand CRM and what it means in your business.
This can be done through formal training or information meetings. Developing a
written CRM strategy is another good way to communicate with your employees.
How much data is the right amount of data to collect? Once you get started
collecting data
about your customers,
it’s sometimes hard to know
when to stop. If you do collect
a lot of data, there are two things
to consider:
1.
Do your current
systems have the capacity to hold and manage it?
2.
Do you really
need to store every
piece of information you collect (e.g., maybe you just need it one time)?
Smooth implementation of CRM in your business is
likely to depend on the level of planning that went into developing a comprehensive CRM strategy in the first place. The clearer your
business’ CRM objectives are, the easier it will be to prepare a plan to implement
these initiatives and ensure that
all your employees understand
how it relates to the overall success
of the business.
Questions
To Consider
Consider the questions below when
implementing CRM.
• Can you identify your customers when they visit your website?
• Do you have a mechanism to collect
visitor/customer information?
• Can visitors/customers opt out of sharing their personal information?
•
Do you offer value to visitors coming to your website?
• Can visitors/customers
register on your website?
• Is there
an incentive for visitors/customers to register?
• Have you
anticipated questions that your visitors or
customers might have? Have you posted those answers on your website
(either through a FAQ or
other mechanism)?
• Is a
significant amount of your time taken up communicating with existing clients to
resolve issues they are having?
• Is it easy for your visitors
or customers to contact you?
• Can your customers interact
with each other?
• Do you have a mechanism in place to quickly respond to visitor/customer inquiries and orders?
• Can visitors/customers easily find all relevant information
about your products (e.g., prices, options, technical specifications, quantities, shipping information, order status) on your website?
• Can customers place orders online?
• Can you make product
suggestions based on the
customer’s order or purchase history?
• When shipping a product, do you send
tracking information to the customer?
• Do you follow-up with your customers after
their order has been filled?
• Do you know which customers give you the best
business?
• Do you have a privacy policy and statement
posted on your website?
Future Trends
CRM has
developed over the decades, and will continue to evolve with new technological
advances that enhance the opportunities that businesses have to interact with
customers. Businesses will need to be prepared to adapt their CRM initiatives
to meet new customer behaviour in a dynamic market. There are several CRM
trends on the horizon that businesses can anticipate.
Mobility – With
technology like smartphones and tablets becoming more popular,
customers are increasingly
online at all times of the day. These new mobile technologies create a sense of
immediacy between the customer and the business like never before. CRM
strategies will need to be aligned with new customer needs and expectations
that follow from customers having constant access to data and tools to express their opinions.
Integration of CRM into the Business
Process –
A wealth of information about customers,
sales trends and other relevant information
affecting the business is becoming available through advanced CRM systems. From marketing
and sales to customer
service and executive
management, CRM will need to
be integrated into all areas of the business process
so that everybody is listening, engaging and in tune with the customer base.
Customer
Relationship Experience – Customers are bombarded with brands and
choice. If businesses want to attract and
retain customers they need to do more than just deliver information: they need to make a lasting emotional impression. New CRM tools will provide businesses with the
information they need to understand
customers and what kind of experiences appeal to them.
Source: http://www.techopedia.com/2/28333/enterprise/crm/ top-6-trends-in-customer-relationship-management-crm
Related Topics Covered in Other Booklets
•
E-Commerce: Purchasing and Selling Online
•
Online Sources of E-Business Information
To view or
download these booklets visit ontario.ca/ebusiness
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