Being proactive and anticipating customer needs shows how much you value your customers. Not only do your customers appreciate the personalized attention, you can use this insight to make strategic procurement and manufacturing decisions which can optimize profit margins. Get a clear view of customer needs and stay ahead of your competition by implementing an integrated customer relationship management (CRM) solution.
You can manage customer interactions, order history, and other customer-centric data within a CRM solution such as . In addition, since this solution can be seamlessly integrated with an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution, such as , you can have a 360 degree view of your operational and customer needs. You can monitor interactions from the initial contact through the sales and purchase process, and maintain connections during the post-sales process. The more you learn about your customers and their needs, the better you can anticipate their future needs.
Using a powerful CRM solution, you can identify trends with your customer preferences and buying habits. You may discover common replenishment items or notice a steady increase in the need for an item. Armed with this insight, you can contact your customer in advance to see if they are interested in placing their next replenishment order. While discussing the next order, you can also suggest similar or complementary items and improve cross-sales or up-sales. Not only does this highlight superior customer service, it also gives you the opportunity to strengthen your supply chain and manufacturing or distribution operations.
As you get to know your customers better and learn which products are selling well, you can make strategic decisions with procurement and inventory management. You can order inventory in quantities that you are confident will get used, which can lead to bulk pricing and cost savings. Conversely, you can reduce the chance of getting stuck with obsolete inventory or over-buying items that simply aren’t selling well. You can also schedule manufacturing or distribution operations to ensure that you have the products your customers want, when they want them.
Show your customers how important they really are by learning how to anticipate their needs. Contact Sherwood Systems for more information about using CRM to nurture long-term business relationships that keep you ahead of the competition.
By Sherwood Systems,
