A customer management system, also known as customer relationship management (CRM), is a software system that helps businesses manage their interactions with customers and potential customers. It typically involves the use of data analysis to study large amounts of information and the integration and automation of sales, marketing, and customer support. The primary goal of a CRM system is to provide an overall view of the three functions on a single customer view, a single page for each customer that a company may have. The system may provide client information, past sales, previous marketing efforts, and more, summarizing all of the relationships between the customer and the firm. CRM systems can help companies stay connected to customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability. Some of the benefits of a CRM system include:
- Consolidation of customer information into a single database for easy access and management.
- Automation of sales funnel and customer support tasks.
- Identification of trends and insights about customers through reporting and visualization features.
- Improved customer service by finding small problems which can be solved, perhaps by marketing to different parts of a consumer audience differently.
- Streamlining customer interaction across multiple touchpoints and tracking leads and deals from start to closure.
CRM systems can be used by different departments, including sales, customer service, and marketing, to store customer and prospect information, identify and manage sales opportunities, make accurate forecasts, simplify customer service operations, manage marketing campaigns, and harness in-depth CRM analytics to help make smarter business decisions.
