YOU AND CRM

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CRM ...
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is on the tip of a lotof tongues these days, of those hoping to break through into anew and better way of doing ... But the real strength ofthis idea isn't CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is on the tip of a lotof tongues these days, of those hoping to break through into anew and better way of doing business.
But the real strength ofthis idea isn't new at all. In plain English it simply meansputting your customers first.
Many successful merchants haveutilized this approach for years. They even know it's far betterto refer a customer to a competitor who can provide what theyneed, than to seek to sell something in stock that isn't going to make it in the long run.
This is not fancy theory. It works.
Likely the best hardware store in your neighborhood is run withcustomer support as a primary, interwoven throughout all aspectsof the business.Who Will Run The Show? Systems Or People? What is new about CRM as the term is being used today is thehope of implementing a technology on a website that emulates theinteractivity a visitor feels in an offline shop. I'm a bitskeptical about the outcome of current efforts.
As aprofessional programmer for many years, I've seen first hand howseldom usability is considered in developing software. Anythingthe theorist or techie types get a hold of tends to be systemdriven, as opposed to people directed.
To catch a glimpse of what I mean, think of a computerprogram you use often. Chances are there are some things it doesnot do in the way you want it done.
For example, one of myprograms uses a spell checker. But every time I start it up, itjumps into the middle of the text window.
This means I can't seethe misspelled word or the context within which it is used. So I have to move the window.
Every time I run the program. This is nonsense, for the consensus is windows moved oradjusted should reopen as they were left.
Or at least thereshould be an option to request this behavior. What do yousuppose my chances are of getting a change in this program? Zip.
And that's fact. We are all invited to accept what is offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis.Will CRM Work? This is my concern with increased interest in thetechnological side of CRM.
My hunch is much of it will beimplemented with a similar attitude: We hope you like it becausethat's it, if you want to play in our sandbox. To the extent technology is implemented in such fashion, itis doomed to fail.
How many sites have you abandoned because youcouldn't remember some password? Or even worse, how many siteshave you encountered that won't let you set up a new one so youcan get on with business? Nuts.Can We Afford It? Even if all works out nicely, this technology won't be cheap. The underlying structure depends upon a comprehensive database,and nobody is giving this kind of software away.
My hunch isthat prices will be out of reach for small one-person businesses,at least until they are able to produce strong profits. Forthose just getting started, forget it.
We're talking of dollarsin the thousands at least.So What's One To Do? You don't have to wait on technology to implement CRM. As suggested earlier, it's a way of doing business that works.
Simply be sure customer support and satisfaction is thefundamental goal of your company. Sure you want to sell, but not at the expense of this core aspect of your business.
Here's a partial list of things you can do right now todemonstrate that for your company, your customer comes first. > Be sure site content is complete and easy to read.
> Make certain navigation is a dead cinch. > Keep order forms as simple as possible.
> Throughout your site, encourage feedback in every possibleway. > Respond quickly to email.
Be sure you have answered thequestion completely. And as possible, anticipate and respond to other possible concerns as related to the question.
> Provide complete contact info at the bottom of every pageon your site. And yes, you must include a street address and aphone number, preferably an 800 number that is answered 24 hoursa day, 7 days a week, by someone who knows what they are about.
> Provide a fax number as well; some people love paper. > Follow up on all queries and sales.
Make certain a highlevel of satisfaction has been generated. > Be sure your product or service delivers more thanexpected.
> Offer an unbeatable guarantee. 12 months has merit in that customers will not feel hurried into making a decision.
And later they may not feel comfortable making a request.CRM Technology I'm looking forward to seeing such systems in action. And I hope they are as effective as those designing them claim theywill be.
To achieve this goal, designs must be customer directedand controlled. But with or without such tools, there is a lot we can doright now to demonstrate our concern for our customers.
Ourbottom line reflects how well we are doing in this matter. Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com .