CRM definition: Customer Relationship Management integrates all business processes, communication channels and company departments that have direct contact with customers. This primarily includes the marketing, sales and service departments. Customer contact has thehighest priority throughout the entire duration of the cooperation with the customer.
However, the CRM definitions of individual companies always differ slightly from one another, depending on the respective corporate concept: because CRM is not an isolated instrument and must be incorporated into the processes as part of the company's philosophy, the respective structure of the company also determines its own CRM definition.
With the CRM strategy, the company management and the internal CRM team develop the guidelines and objectives based on customer and market requirements.
The strategic objectives must then be translated into concrete, operational measures and CRM processes, e.g:
In addition to the four familiar forms of CRM, a new form of CRM definition has emerged in the last two years: Empathic CRM. As a person-centered approach to unrestricted customer management, it is playing an increasingly important role. Individual decision-making and action motives are the basis for the development of new or existing customers. The aim of empathic CRM is to take into account all touchpoints between the company and the customer (customer journey) as well as all relevant information about the customer and make it usable for the development of a sustainable customer relationship.
Retention marketing is a strategic marketing approach with the aim of increasing customer loyalty. For this purpose, important customer groups are segmented in the company in order to bind them to the company in the long term with targeted measures (example: payback cards).
To this end, data from the CRM software and systematic market research is collated and evaluated as the basis for database marketing. Subsequent activities are designed to increase customer value, extend the customer life cycle and thus increase revenue per customer for the company.
Social CRM is a relatively new trend that extends operational CRM. The main focus is on potential and existing customers, who are more strategically involved in a collaborative dialog via the Internet and social media platforms (such as Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter or Instagram). The aim is to find out what customers want, but also to disseminate quick responses and reactions to customer satisfaction.
Mobile CRM enables the sales force to access customer data from anywhere. To this end, modern technologies are used that enable work via the browser (CRM in the cloud) or in a native CRM app.allow. As the availability of mobile data cannot yet be guaranteed across the board, mobile CRM is viewed critically in some companies. However, there are already CRM apps that are offline-capable.
CRM systems are tools for optimizing customer relationship management. They improve this according to one of the CRM definitions mentioned above by recording customer data and processes that are relevant to the company's success.
The CRM software supports all areas of the company that are in contact with customers. CRM is used particularly frequently in sales, but also in marketing or for service & IT. To decide which program best suits your company, get a CRM software function overview in advance.
The introduction of a CRM system offers great potential for intensifying existing or developing business relationships. However, the prerequisite for this is, on the one hand, the analysis of buying and decision-making motives and, on the other hand, the use of these findings in customer care and acquisition for individual communication through adapted strategies, processes and technical solutions on the part of the company.
Data is collected and analyzed on an ongoing basis and produces data for the evaluation and consideration of future developments. This data and the associated decisions in turn form the basis for further analyses and new decisions.