Is CRM Getting Easier to Use?
Laura Patterson, CEO of Vision Edge Marketing, shared some interesting insights about the evolution of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software over the last fifteen years. CRM software hit the market in the 1980’s, but most sales teams fought with the difficult interface, low data entry and long ramp-up times. Over time, things have changed. Laura shares four innovations that have transformed CRM into a sales rep’s best friend.
- Software as a Service, or SaaS, made implementation easier and faster.
We completely agree with this assertion. Patterson notes, “Traditional client/server CRM systems had a very high total cost of ownership (TCO) and a long, sometimes unsuccessful deployment process that required a high degree of involvement and investment by internal IT departments.” Virtually all CRM systems can now be deployed in a hosted environment that requires very little up front involvement. There are no servers or other hardware to install, the software is all managed off-site. We have seen Sage SalesLogix systems up and running in fewer than 24 hours within a hosted environment.
- The Cloud made CRM more accessible.
Salespeople are in the field each and every day. Now, more than ever, they are telecommuting and need an easy way to access information. “Today, cloud-based CRM systems are accessible from anywhere, on any device - including smartphones and tablets - and high-speed internet has become commonplace,” says Patterson. This is a major shift from the days of VPN tunnels and bulky laptops using a dial-up connection. Most salespeople are already outfitted with some type of mobile device with internet access. The CRM application simply becomes one more app accessible to them daily.
- Analytics and Marketing Automation turned CRM data into Gold.
“It wasn’t that long ago that sales force automation was primarily a glorified contact management system with some extra data tracking capabilities,” says Patterson. Now CRM systems are outfitted with advanced analytics that make the decision making process simpler. CRMPlus recently worked with a client, Unique Vacations Inc. (owner of Sandals Resorts and Beaches Resorts), who uses reporting to make sales projections. “In terms of forecasting, Sage SalesLogix has been able to provide us with good information to make good decisions,” shares Gary Sadler, VP of Sales Sandals Resorts. CRM provides companies with the power to leverage the data and find out how to best move forward.
- Process Improvement Compressed Sales Cycles.
CRM has always had the attractive feature of sales cycle tracking. This feature ensures that salespeople follow the processes defined by management. “This promise was rarely delivered on due to sales rep resistance and the trouble it took to modify the processes that were essentially hardcoded into early CRM applications,” says Patterson. While most CRM systems still come packaged with sales processes, companies can now easily manipulate and change the processes as the company evolves.
These four improvements have not only changed the face of CRM, they are also making it an invaluable tool to sales, marketing and management teams.
The CRMPlus Consulting team has also seen a significant change in the amount of collaboration that CRM systems promote. Rather than being only a “sales tool”, it has become a company tool that links with ERP, Business Intelligence and marketing. The entire organization can use CRM to view a customer or prospect’s status at any given moment, view sales projections and see pending marketing efforts. CRM’s evolution proves to be exciting and dynamic. How do you think CRM will progress in the next 15 years?
Click here to read Laura Carlson’s original article, “SFA 15 Years Later: Now Every Rep’s Best Friend”.