A customer relationship management (CRM) platform manages all the interactions a company has with each customer. The system captures important information from those interactions to help you develop deeper customer relationships.
What Is a CRM Platform Going to Track?
CRM platforms aren’t just for big business, according to CRM Magazine. A CRM for small business operations can help you better target your customers by keeping track of their characteristics, such as:
- Gender
- Age
- Geographic location
- Order history
- Marital status
Many small business owners keep track of their customer relationships and interactions through a simple database. But implementing a CRM platform can take small business customer interactions and marketing communications to a whole new level — with minimal effort from the business owner.
For instance, a bakery may want to send coupons for a free cupcake on each customer’s birthday, but keeping track of birthdays and sending out the coupon can require a lot of time and effort. A CRM can automate many of the time-consuming tasks needed to stay in touch with customers.
Features of a CRM Platform
A CRM platform can also track and use customer data in a number of other ways, such as:
- Conducting surveys to gauge customer satisfaction
- Breaking customers into sub-groups for better-targeted outreach
- Sending personalized offers
- Tracking customer purchases to offer loyalty points or rewards
- Managing communications for customer follow-up, support or product announcements
Implementing a CRM for your small business may seem like a great idea, but purchasing the platform may not be in the budget. In many cases, a small business loan can be an ideal way to access the benefits of such technology.
What is a CRM going to add to your small business? It’s the best way to automate and simplify the process of staying in touch with customers. And stronger customer relationships translate into a stronger business.
