Clients, suppliers, contacts, business partners and so on: a company’s relationships with its internal and external environment are multiple, usual and are becoming more accelerated. Some years ago, one of the main functions of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software was to efficiently control and manage the data contained in it to optimise relationships, though from a fairly operational approach. Today, the functions of CRMs go even further, enabling genuine sales strategies to be designed, at the same time as opening up an ongoing communication channel with potential clients which is much more personalised; something that is relevant and extremely valuable.
Each person, each company, has a certain idiosyncrasy, meaning that many sales strategies try to create (through the data compiled regarding each client) content, a message and an experience that are unique to each user, almost “super personalised”. The objective of current CRM software is also that of strengthening the links and relationship with clients, at the same time as seeking to look in greater depth at the data to be provided, including social information, to result in valued sales. On a second level, this link facilitates the development of loyalty-creating strategies through greater knowledge about the client, which allows future sales to be secured.
The strategies of many companies that use advanced CRM software are increasingly focusing on getting to know clients and analysing them better, on their environment and their habitual experiences. The difference between how this was done several years ago and today lies in going slightly further than obtaining the transactional data of the client, by trying to include other unstructured data, such as information given in the social networks. In any case, the control of the greater amount of data for each client and its detailed exploration enable the use of this information to create a more attractive sales process for the client.
Seen from another point of view, the change of chip is in focusing on the client’s needs (on their motivations, expectations, priorities and so on) and starting to construct a strategy from there, and not the other way round; not based on our possibilities in terms of product or service. To this end, we must be able to construct a unique image of each client, to be able to offer them a unique, reliable experience with our company.