Caroline from sales just made a two hour call with a customer, going through an extensive introduction to the products she thinks the customer will want. Ten minutes after she hangs up, John from marketing sends an eDM to the same customer, offering a whole different list of products. This not only undoes the work Caroline did earlier, but the customer is now feeling pressured by the business, and decides against purchasing the product package. The opportunity has been lost.
Ward, the manager, now asks why the customer has declined to do business with Caroline despite the promising call. Caroline points at John, accusing him of subjecting clients to useless emails. John points back a finger at Caroline, arguing that a two hour phone call was plenty of time to win over a customer, or to lose one. A minor marketing eDM shouldn't be a make or break reason behind a lost opportunity. Ward has had enough. This isn't the first time, and he doubt it would be the last. With business lagging, he can't afford to lose anymore customers. So he decides that his business would have to invest in a CRM system.
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The purpose of CRM is to reorganize and streamline the way we view our customer. Salesforce, for example, allows team members from different departments to see what emails have recently been sent, or meetings made, or phone calls completed. Or to go even further, you can use CRM to collect payments and create up-selling opportunities.
The common phrase you hear to describe this streamlining is "breaking down siloes," which suggests a move away from isolated interactions with the customer towards a concerted effort across the board. Regardless of what we call it, the value is clear: a stronger relationship with the customer.
But how would even begin creating a CRM system? The intricate workflows, the unknown customer quantities, the potential up-scaling -- there are so any different variables that have to be taken into account. One misstep can mess up the whole system, ruining the investment and potentially causing harm to your existing customer base. That's why most businesses leave the architecture and the engineering of CRM systems to system integrators like Laputa Technologies. Whether that be SMEs or large conglomerates, Laputa has achieved success with every project it has embarked on, ensuring customer satisfaction for years to come.