What CRM means
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. In practice, it is the place where you write down everything about your customers: who they are, what they asked for, what they like, what you talked about and what comes next.
When all of this sits in one record, anyone on the team can pick up a customer where a colleague left off.
What the CRM application we build does
The CRM applications we deliver start from the CRM, marketing and leads module and are fitted to the way your team sells:
- The customer record with its full history. Quotes, orders, invoices, calls, e-mails and documents, on one screen.
- Leads that come in on their own. From the website form, from campaigns, from Google Sheets. For hiring, candidates come straight from BestJobs, a Romanian job board.
- A pipeline by stage. You see how many opportunities you have at each stage and where they get stuck.
- Quotes and contracts from templates. The sales rep generates them from the customer record. See Quotes and estimates and Contracts.
- Sales reps in the field. Visits are planned and reported from the phone, and profit and commission are calculated for each rep.
- WhatsApp reminders. The customer gets the appointment confirmation with buttons and a reminder beforehand. Their reply lands in the CRM on its own. Details on the automated WhatsApp messages page.
- Loyalty. Customer cards, discount codes and GDPR consents kept on each customer.
- The link to the ERP. A won order moves into sales, stock and invoicing. Each customer's outstanding balance shows on their record.
7 types of CRM
- Contact management CRM. Contact details, history and preferences for every customer, gathered in one place.
- Sales CRM. Pipeline, opportunities, follow-up and results by sales rep.
- Marketing CRM. Campaigns, leads and the results of each campaign, so you know what brings in customers.
- Customer support CRM. Tickets, complaints and service calls. See Support, service and helpdesk.
- Analytics and reporting CRM. Data from sales, marketing and support, put into reports. See Reports and KPIs.
- Sales force automation CRM (SFA). Scheduling meetings, quotes and order tracking, done by the application, not by the sales rep.
- Collaborative CRM. Sales, marketing and support work on the same customer record.
Our applications usually combine several types, depending on the company.
Artificial intelligence in CRM applications
AI changes the way a CRM works. Here is what it can do, in general:
- Takes over repetitive tasks. It updates records, sends follow-ups and creates tasks.
- Analyses customer behaviour. Based on history, it estimates who is ready to buy and who is about to leave.
- Personalises the offer. It suggests products based on what the customer bought before.
- Answers through chatbots and virtual assistants. Simple questions, at any time of day.
- Scores leads (lead scoring). Sales reps call the leads with the best chances first.
- Analyses conversations. From calls and written messages, it picks up what worries the customer.
- Recommends the next step. When to send an e-mail or which offer to present.
In the CRM we work with, AI summarises meetings with customers and pulls the tasks out of them, drafts messages for leads based on the company's public data and suggests WhatsApp replies. More in the article about artificial intelligence in CRM.
What a CRM application gives you
The team works from the same information
Sales, marketing and support see the same record. Support knows what the customer bought, and sales knows which campaigns they received. Duplicates disappear, and so do the “did you talk to him?” phone calls.
Less routine work
The application handles e-mails, reminders and record updates. Sales reps have more time to sell.
Happier customers
When you know the customer's history, you answer to the point. The customer no longer explains everything from the start to every person in the company.
Up-to-date data, from anywhere
The record updates in real time, in the office or in the field. Everyone decides on the same numbers.
Sales followed from lead to payment
You see every lead, opportunity and quote and find out which have the best chances. The reports show what works and what does not. A well-known example of a sales CRM is Pipedrive. The difference with an application built to order is that the pipeline has exactly your company's stages.
Marketing that starts on its own
You set up messages that go out when something happens: a form filled in, an appointment, an expired quote.
Higher revenue
When you know what customers want, you offer them the right products and shape your services around them.
CRM or ERP? Who uses each one
- The CRM is about customers: it improves the relationship with them, makes them happier and gives you analysis of customers and sales.
- The ERP is about the company: it does part of the work on its own, keeps track of stock, production and money, and helps you decide based on data.
Many companies need both. We build them on the same platform, so they work as a single program. Read the ERP applications page too.
How to choose the right CRM software for your business
Take into account:
- what your industry needs (real estate, distribution, services, manufacturing);
- how people will use it: in the office, in the field, on the phone;
- which programs it has to connect to: website, e-mail, WhatsApp, invoicing, accounting;
- the budget and the maintenance cost after launch.
Compare several options and ask to see applications in daily use. You can find ours on our projects. If you want to see a CRM on a case close to yours, write to us.