CRM: Your #1 Tool for RevOps

Your customer relationship management (CRM) system is your #1 tool for Revenue Operations. RevOps is the alignment of all revenue-generating teams (sales, marketing, and customer service). I describe RevOps in my previous blog – Revenue Operations: A Growth Driver. Companies that embrace RevOps see higher growth, lower costs, and increased employee retention over companies that don’t embrace RevOps.

Your CRM is your most important tool because it is the platform that ties all the commercial functions together with a common dataset about your customers and prospects. It can also be used to display your common success metrics and how you are performing against them.

Zendesk has described three types of CRMs:

1. Collaborative CRM systems
2. Operational CRM systems
3. Analytical CRM systems

Collaborative CRM systems ensure that all teams have access to the same customer data.

Operational CRM systems streamline a company’s processes for building valuable relationships. They focus on the customer journey and all the touchpoints along the way. This type of CRM must be fully integrated with a digital marketing automation solution to be effective.

Analytical CRM systems are all about collecting and analyzing customer data to gain important insights.

I submit that you don’t have to choose between these types of CRM platforms; some platforms can do all three, so you can have the best of all worlds. Likewise, some are better at one or more of these functions, so selecting a CRM is not trivial. You probably want to:

1. Determine which of the three types of CRM is most important to you. If all three are important, that is a key input for your decision-making.
2. Solicit some expert advice, so that you are focusing on the types of CRMs that will meet your needs best.
3. Think about your users and how they will embrace (or not!) a CRM. Make sure your selection includes some user input.
4. Consider how many of the out-of-the-box capabilities you can use and how much configuration will be required to fine-tune the CRM for your users to wholeheartedly embrace the new platform.
5. Think about the costs, which include:
   1. Ongoing costs for your software subscriptions
   2. Implementation, training, and support costs from a team with expertise in your chosen platform
   3. Costs for any add-ons or integrations that may help your system maximize its effectiveness.

Lastly, before jumping into a CRM investment, it is ideal to have a highly committed executive champion. We have found that a senior leader who embraces CRM and routinely uses the data in meetings and dialogue with team members, is an important factor in the success of your implementation. Your CRM can only be your #1 tool if it is used consistently by all team members who help drive revenue.

If you need assistance in selecting or enhancing your CRM, we are at your service! You can start with a free consultation, so we can understand your needs, wants, and wishes. Then we can guide you through your options. Unlike other consultants, we offer a wide range of CRM platforms – Dynamics 365, Salesforce, Zoho CRM, HubSpot Sales Hub, and Act! – so we can help point you toward the solution that best fits your criteria. Give us a call at 1-800-880-1960 or email info@toplineresults.com. With over 100 years of CRM experience, we are happy to assist!