Make The Most Of Your CRM System and How To Secure It

The world of technology is changing, and so are consumer demands. Therefore, businesses are doing all they can to adapt to these changes and remain competitive in the market. Whether you are a company trying to meet the current demands or a Salesforce admin trying to enhance business operations, you must have used a customer relationship management system at some point. So, how exactly can one make the most of this innovation?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this subject, let’s first define a CRM system. It’s basically a combination of business strategies and respective technologies to boost company-consumer relationships. This system is geared towards developing goals, acquiring customers, and retaining them for as long as possible. 

Now that you know the benefits of CRM, what can you do to ensure that you get the best out of it? 


  • Keep customer information up to date

An effective system is one that provides up-to-date information to its users. Therefore, to make the most out of your CRM system, you’ll need to make sure that every detail stored in the database is current. Whenever a customer changes their address, the preferred method of contact, or company name, the same should reflect in your system. (1)

The advantage of doing so is the fact that the marketing staff will be equipped with the right Salesforce call list and any other relevant information. Your employees, therefore, will know how to respond to consumer demands and questions accordingly. This is beneficial to your business because it’ll get rid of any confusion and ensure that your contact center agents connect with the customers quickly.

Furthermore, understanding what is CCaaS can help you integrate customer communication more effectively into your CRM strategy, ensuring seamless interactions across various platforms. This holistic approach will not only streamline operations but also enhance customer satisfaction significantly.

 

  • Automate your process

To err is human. That’s a very familiar saying, and it applies to all fronts of life, with the world of business being the most affected. Employees are prone to mistakes, especially when they are working under pressure. The good thing is that most tasks related to CRM systems can be automated. As such, you’ll reduce human errors and increase productivity across all departments.

In a manual setup, an agent is required to add new leads, send follow-up emails for promotional purposes, and push any other marketing efforts, all while engaging the customers. 

This makes it difficult for your agents to accomplish their duties with the accuracy needed. With an automated CRM system, however, all you need to do is add the new leads to the database, and the rest will be done automatically. In the long run, you will save on time, ensure the security of consumer data, and build your brand’s reputation. 

 

  • Combine CRM with other business software

To further optimize operations, integrating comprehensive business software like Flatlogic can enhance CRM functionality, ensuring seamless workflow and data synergy across different business departments.

CRM on its own is a very powerful system, but you can make it even more effective by integrating it into other business applications. For instance, your accounting software has a mixture of the customer’s personal information and financial data. Transferring this data to the CRM system manually can lead to a lot of errors and is also a time-consuming activity. 

Apart from getting rid of errors, this move will also ensure that you get insightful reports. For instance, when you combine CRM with VoIP, call center agents will be able to see a customer’s information collected from different databases and displayed on one screen. (2)

 

How to secure your CRM system

The biggest threat to any modern technology, especially those that rely on networking, is a data breach. CRM contains crucial information about your customers, and that’s a sufficient reason for any hacker to steal this data. So, how can you avoid such frustrations? 

 

  • Work with trusted service providers

Hackers always look for the slightest weaknesses in your system when they are determined to steal your data. A reliable CRM provider can spot these vulnerabilities and strengthen them before they’re exposed. As such, you’ll always be one step ahead of the hackers. A good CRM provider will also advise you and your team on how to securely use some of the complex features of CRM. 

 

  • Train your employees

Even with the best CRM provider working with you, the systems will still be vulnerable if your team members aren’t up to the task. A significant percentage of data breaches are due to employees’ carelessness. 

To avoid such fate, you need to regularly train your workers, especially when there are any changes to the system operation. Educate them about the necessary security protocols and take them through simulated real-life scenarios.

 

  • Monitor CRM activity

Despite your security measures, there is a chance that hackers might still succeed in breaking through the firewall. The earlier you notice this data breach, the higher your chances of securing the system before things get worse. Tracking the key security metrics of your CRM will give you the upper hand you need in such scenarios. 

An unprecedented increase in activity signals an abnormality in your system operation. As soon as you notice this change, contact your CRM provider or any other expert within your team who can prevent any further data breaches. (3)

 

Conclusion

The CRM system is designed to boost the business-customer relationship. However, many businesses fail to meet their goals because they don’t maximize the benefits of this technology. As a business owner, you need to update your database frequently, automate various tasks, and work with reputable service providers to make the most of your CRM system without compromising security.

 

References:                                                                                            

  1. “12 Features To Look For In A CRM Solution,” Source: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10090-crm-software-features.html
  2. “Why Is Customer Relationship Management So Important?” Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/10/24/why-is-customer-relationship-management-so-important/?sh=53bc78827dac
  3. “Top CRM Features To Look For Data Security,” Source: https://medium.com/@cynoteck291/top-crm-features-to-look-for-data-security-2ae07426a2fa