The basic concepts behind managing customer relationships are nothing new. Companies have been trying to accomplish that for as long as there have been customers. As technology and consumer demands have evolved over the years, companies have been forced to alter their approaches to CRM, such as moving their CRMs to the cloud.
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Soon, however, businesses began to realize thatĀ cloud-computing was a true game-changerĀ that had the potential to impact every facet of their ābusiness as usualā model. They also soon realized that moving CRM to the cloud was only part of the solution if their organizations were to thrive.
Enter the concept of the digital business. Organizations rushed to put everything in the cloud that could be accessed remotely or from a mobile device. The result, in many cases, was a potpourri of apps that did little to enhance the benefits that the Salesforce CRM provided.
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Competition has been fierce across all industries for years, and 2015 is showing nothing to indicate that it will be a kinder, gentler year. Historically, the organizations faring the best during periods of intense competition have been thoseĀ most capable of adaptingĀ to change, whether the change involves new technology, altering business rules or improving day-to-day operations.
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Certainly, digital initiatives can help a company remain or become competitive. However, despite the lessons learned over the last decade, there ae still some enterprises who are not leveraging Salesforce CRM to its maximum potential. The following tips can help get more out of Salesforce during and after the transition to a digital business.
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- People matter the most.Ā Whether the goal is to enhance the customer experience, generate revenue or increase efficiency, never lose sight of the people for whom the benefits are intended. Too often, companies treat Salesforce CRM as if it is only intended to make sense of the big data collected and generate reports for management.
- Simplify whenever possible.Ā It really does not matter whether the database contains 100,000 gigs of data or 10,000 gigs. What matters is that users can access the information they need, when they need it and without outside assistance. There are many tools that can be added to the Salesforce CRM. Choose the ones needed to give the maximum benefits with the least complexity.
- Salesforce CRM is easy to integrate with social media, back-end systems andĀ Salesforce Analytics Cloud.Ā Evaluate all the ways that a Salesforce CRM can be integrated to offer users the seamless cross-channel experience they demand.
- Use Salesforce CRM to achieve the right balance between too much customer contact and too little.Ā You can automate your marketing efforts to reach out to customers who are in danger of fading away without annoying others, such as customers who have already placed three orders this month.
- Encourage customers to give feedback.Ā Salesforce can help you ālistenā to what customers are saying about you on other sites or create customized surveys. Invite them to leave comments or reviews on your site through automated emails. Use their feedback to strip out any unnecessary apps or cancel proposed digital initiatives that are unlikely to provide benefits.
- Do not overwhelm your employees with too many changes in too short a period.Ā Once you start exploring the many options available to use Salesforce CRM to further the goals of your digital business, you will find that they are quite numerous. Sometimes, the tendency is to add features that your employees do not want or need, but they may not know that until they take the time to learn what these features can do. When they find them unnecessary, they may form a negative option of all your digital initiatives, hampering adoption and potentially undermining even your most important projects.
In Conclusion
Moving to a digital business presents its own sets of challenges, but it is the wave of the future. When moving forward, it is important to ensure that the Salesforce CRM is leveraged to enhance digital initiatives.
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