One of the most significant advantages that has seen from a customer relationship management software platform offers is the ability to enhance communications across a company. Without discounting the importance of features that focus on or are limited to a specific department or the general ability to increase revenue that CRM provides, the improvement of information sharing needs to be highlighted. A successful CRM system will break down the silos that exist between sales and marketing departments, for example, creating a more dynamic and agile workforce. These customer-tracking aspects of CRM help staff members better understand how their actions and decisions influence clients, leading to better outcomes and a greater understanding of business activities as a whole.
CRM's end-to-end coverage of the customer experience, from the first interaction to post-sales service and retention, is one aspect that helps deconstruct the informational silos so often encountered at businesses. Marketers can gain additional insight into how their campaigns impact customers, while members of the sales team can also review that information and contribute to a cross-departmental conversation about marketing. The increased ability to analyze customer information gathered by CRM helps different teams to work together to interpret data and make changes to current processes, creating a more unified group of staff regardless of department.
Making collaboration a focus
Increased communication is a specific focus for the newest version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 will emphasize bringing , creating a more complete picture of the customers being served and the effectiveness of various business activities, according to Microsoft. While the coding used to bring Dynamics CRM 2015 to life is complicated, many of the advantages are based around relatively simple concepts. Dynamics CRM 2015 will provide the basic visibility needed for sales people to understand how and where marketers are focusing their efforts, allowing for a deeper understanding of customers based on how they react.
"This means that marketers and sellers can work more closely together to engage customers, bridging the chasm between marketing, sales and service to truly deliver end-to-end experiences that customers will love," said Bob Stutz, corporate vice president of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in a release from the company.
Sales Collaboration Panel makes sharing easier
The addition of the Sales Collaboration Panel to Dynamics 2015 is one way that sales staff will be able to not only improve their visibility into marketing operations, but also provide feedback. Through the use of the panel, sales staff can contribute to marketing campaigns as well as customer targeting efforts. For marketers directly, the ability to manage programs and campaigns from start to finish is made easier with an Interactive Marketing Calendar. Other abilities provided in the new version of Microsoft Dynamics CRM include A/B testing for various marketing components, graphical email editing and integrated offers as well as approval workflows.
One major direct sales benefit is the automated up-sell and cross-sell capabilities. The suggestions provided by the CRM system make it easier for salespeople to recommend relevant and useful additions for customers while also bringing in more revenue.
Better outcomes, more knowledge
In the end, the many additions made to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2015 are focused around helping businesses become more efficient through better access to knowledge. In one aspect, sales and marketing teams can now more effectively draw on their combined knowledge to craft the beginning-to-end customer experience that keeps clients engaged and satisfied. Having the tools in place to increase collaboration, better predict customer actions and respond to new developments helps organizations succeed.
by The TM Group
