One of the main reasons a business invests in a CRM system is to gain a competitive advantage over other companies in its market space. Businesses are constantly searching for ways to better manage the data that they have and gain a better view of their customer relationships. Because of this, many businesses find their competitors have deployed some type of CRM system. Most of these deployments have failed, or will fail, and any potential competitive edge is lost. When looking to invest in a CRM system the real question a business should be asking itself is, “How do I stay ahead of my competitors by making better choices about which system I choose and how I implement it?”
A common, and costly, mistake is implementing a CRM system without understanding exactly what the benefits of that system are. This oftentimes leads to out-of-date information, disconnected data locations, and – worst of all – poor user adoption of a potentially expensive system. We routinely see customers that have deployed stand-alone CRM systems that do not properly integrate with the applications currently running in their environment. This can create confusion, data inconsistency, and procedural breakdowns. We also see customers that have deployed their systems without understanding the interface and therefore require excessive training time to barely scratch the surface of what that system can do. Users will quickly abandon such a system. By selecting a CRM system that meets your needs and meshes with the work styles of your employees you are setting up a scenario for success.
Because it is so familiar, accessible, and easily understood by users, Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help differentiate your business from competitors who’ve implemented but not “adopted” other products. Dynamics CRM functionality can be accessed directly within Microsoft Outlook. Changes made to contacts and events in Outlook are automatically reflected in Dynamics CRM and vice versa. This connection helps to eliminate the time spent duplicating information as well as creates a unified platform to update customer data.
Employees can use Dynamics CRM through Outlook to access key customer information, schedule and track activities, generate reports, and manage sales projects and marketing campaigns. This information can then be uploaded to a Microsoft Office SharePoint site to be viewed by other employees in the organization. Existing technology investments are given new life and employee collaboration is maximized by using Dynamics CRM as the centerpiece of a complete information management system.
If employees know how to use email, search contacts, and schedule tasks and appointments in Outlook, they can begin using Microsoft Dynamics CRM right away. This can improve the effectiveness of your employees in attracting and retaining clients while reducing the time spent on administrative tasks.
By using and implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM, a business can avoid the pitfalls and mistakes of their competitor’s CRM and truly maximize the value of their customer data to gain a competitive edge in their market space.
To learn more about how Nexustek can gain a competitive market in your market space, visit our website at www.nexustek.com or call us at 303.773.6464
By , NexusTek Marketing Specialist
