I’m a big fan of the Olympics so I’m feeling a little tired these days. After a week+ of staying up late to catch all of the skiing, snowboarding and other activities, I’m a little bleary eyed in the morning, but it’s been worth it. As I watch the events and the crowds on television, I think about the logistics of managing such an event and wonder what kind of CRM system they’re using.
Think about it. For example, you would have to manage the following audiences:
- Athletes
- Coaches
- Medical personnel (athletic trainers, doctors, massage therapists, nutrition experts)
- Families of the athletes
- Press (on camera personalities, camera and sound people, directors, editors, gophers)
- Spectators
- Olympic committee personnel and their families and guests
- Political figures and other VIPs
- Past Olympic athletes
- Volunteers
- Event staff (ticket staffers, greeters, people that stand in the hallway and point to the bathrooms or check your badge)
- Transportation (bus drivers, shuttle drivers)
- Let’s not forget food! Think of the amount of food – and the people who serve it – served in the Olympic Village, the venues, the hotels, etc.
Most of us don’t have to worry about such a massive number of customers. But we should worry about better serving our customers in terms of anticipating their needs, offerings them products and services they can use (upsell/cross-sell), ensuring your staff knows which are your best customers and which are your worst, and how to drive repeat sales. For many of us, that equates to “inventory turnover.” High turnover is good – it means our products are entering and leaving the store or warehouse quickly. Low turnover is bad – it means our products deteriorate while they sit on the shelf. CRM can help you turn those products faster by knowing which products sell quickly (in the case of the Olympics, those very popular red mittens) and which don’t, or which products your best customers want on the first of each month. It may not be the Olympics (I’d hate to use my CRM system only once every 4 years) but can help you manage every type of customer you have, as well as their orders, their anticipated orders, and much more.
If you are considering how CRM might help your organization, contact us for a look. emphasis on superior customer service and rare customer-centric approach set us apart from the masses. Discover more via our . Download “CRM, The Winning Strategy in a Challenging Economy.” Email info@sherwood.com or contact Ed at 602-943-9696 or edb@sherwood.com.
by Sherwood, an
