APRIL - JUNECONSTRUCTIONTECHREVIEW.COM9called "Customer Relationship Management" (CRM). At its core, a good CRM system will help a business to identify, attract, and retain the best set of customers. Notice that we haven't talked about CRM packages, but just the concept of a good CRM system. Software isn't necessary to have a good CRM system, but today it certainly makes it much easier.So if the CRM system is about identifying, attracting, and retaining the best set of customers, what are some of the things that an effective CRM needs to do? Here is a general list:· Gather and organize potential leads· Identify all potential customer targets· Track campaigns, interactions, and information learned about the lead, including their responses, needs, wants, and potential· Manage the information and contacts related to all opportunities in an organized and easy way· Generate communication and quotations · Business information and contact information · Orders, Invoices, Shipments· Complaints and service history· Project and task management with automated and manual reminder managementHaving a place to easily store and retrieve this information is critical, but the most important part to being effective is to actually use the system. Successful CRM starts with full support of the senior management or ownership. Support isn't a statement to the organization that you have a CRM system and it has your full support. Support is obvious when the senior management is actively using the CRM system to identify opportunities, forecast business, and evaluate performance of sales, customer service, and customers. Employees need to be trained and immediately put to work and held accountable for using the CRM system. If the company hasn't been exposed or required to handle the customer relationship as an integrated unit, the initial reaction may be confusion and perceiving the CRM as a burden. However, with solid management support and time, employees begin to see the value of CRM and the CRM system itself becomes more effective.Construction projects and business involve interaction with a multitude of parties. Using CRM, companies can effectively and easily link architects, contractors, material suppliers, inspection agencies, together while continuing to maintain the information related to each party. A history of whom, when, and where you've dealt with these firms and the people at those firms brings a level of understanding and professionalism to dealing with customer and the information needed to identify the best method for securing good business.What does an effective CRM look like? When you no longer have paper files on your customers, partners, leads, and business and you can go to one place to understand the historical activity, current activity, and projected activity for a customer along with the history of interactions including visits, quotes, and outcomes. When you can quickly access all of the plans, documents, and communication related to particular opportunities and be as knowledgeable as those that are intimately involved with a five minute review of the history. When you can quickly add or change information related to the customers, the contacts at the customer, or manage the business opportunity from your phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop. Also when you can make decisions about deals and customers from the information; when you can say you are doing these things, then you'll recognize the power of an effective CRM system.
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