Old CRMs from the pre-2000 era were primarily used to keep track of customer records, but they only offered a basic way to communicate with those customers.
As cloud-based CRMs like Salesforce came to the fore, sales and marketing teams began to realize the possibility of using individual customer data to communicate at scale via dynamic content, real-time messages, and more.
Now, as 2020 beckons, companies are still searching for innovative ways to use CRM and other technology to deliver amazing experiences to customers on every channel.
In Is Your CRM Ready for 2020? from Martech Advisor, you can take a deep dive into seven trends and technologies that impact the way your CRM will support your future business. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect to see in the e-book.
1. USE CUSTOMER DATA STRATEGICALLY IN AN OMNI-CHANNEL WORLD.
Customers produce so many data points across channels. Still, many companies struggle to use that data across different functions, such as sales and marketing. To deliver the seamless experiences that customers expect, companies will need to unify data to create single views of customers.
2. INVEST IN AI AND MACHINE LEARNING.
AI is no longer a nice-to-have: it’s a must-have. According to the report from Martech Advisor, “The AI in CRM market is pegged at ~$50B by 2020.” By combining AI with CRM, companies can automate routine tasks to free up salespeople’s time, implement next-best action recommendations to enhance marketing campaigns, and proactively resolve customer service cases.
3. MAKE CRM MOBILE.
On-the-go salespeople need to be able to manage their sales process from anywhere, at any time. Providing them with a way to update leads and opportunities, access intuitive dashboards, and more can speed up customer interactions and make workforces more efficient.
4. GET SOCIAL WITH CRM.
Social CRM is all about engaging with customers on their preferred social media platforms. By taking CRM to social media, companies can more effectively provide real-time feedback, deliver customer support programs, and run brand advocacy programs.
5. USE CRM FOR SPECIFIC VERTICALS.
CRM solutions for specific verticals can be tailored to meet niche needs. According to the Martech Advisor report, “As the use of CRM systems changes from purely people-oriented functions like contact management, marketing or communications to include more of task- or job-oriented functions, like job order tracking, so does the need for verticalization.”
6. DON’T FORGET ABOUT EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES.
Immersive technologies — such as AR, VR, and virtual assistants — have the power to transform the way businesses communicate with customers and each other.
“Marketers should be evaluating campaign performance across growing and evolving digital channels (email, messaging, voice, and video conferencing) and analyzing what channels are providing the best marketing ROI across first-touch, last-touch, and multi-touch attribution. Intelligence and analytics are at the crux of effectively evaluating engagement on digital channels of yesterday, today, and the future.” – Nate Skinner, VP, Product Marketing, Salesforce Pardot
7. FOCUS ON EASE OF USE.
As CRM technology advances, user-friendly interfaces will be a mainstay of successful platforms. This means that data will be easy to access and analyze, CRMs will connect seamlessly with other technology, and interacting with customers will become more streamlined than ever.
Companies that expect to compete and succeed in the realm of customer experience shouldn’t overlook the current — and future — promises of CRM technology. To learn more about how to get your CRM primed for the future, read Is Your CRM Ready for 2020?
Source : Salesforce Pardot Blog
