In the vast world of customer relationship management software solutions filled with more options than one could possibly need, Salesforce stands out as one of the premier and most widely used CRMs right now. There is a whole list of reasons why Salesforce managed to gain the spotlight that it has today, which range from the software’s easy to navigate interface and customization options, right up to the depth of the CRM’s functionality for those that need advanced features.
While SalesforceBen has enough resources to help anyone get started with the basics, we will concentrate on a few of the key methods which any company can use to significantly improve their customer retention rates with the help of Salesforce and better supply chain management.
Integration and Creation of a Unified Customer Database with 360° View
Perhaps the most important and main reason why CRMs in general are used is because they allow for easy integration of all customer data into a single interface which is easy to interact with from all ends of the service team. However, it is not in function, but actual application that Salesforce has stood out from most of them.
Utilize the embedded features of Salesforce’s powerful SaaS integration and wide support to connect the marketing, sales and customer service departments onto a single platform, that allows a 360° view of each and every customer.
Not only does this allow your entire team to get a clear view of where each customer is in the sales funnel, but it also allows all teams to see exactly what a particular customer’s history with the company or even associated products/services/needs are.
In terms of customer retention, this is a huge advantage to have of course, because it allows your marketing team to know exactly when the time is here for sending an old customer strategic emails, posts, targeted ads, or messages which pertain to their needs or demands. Once the customer shows an interest, which will also be transparent to all teams involved, the sales team can swoop in for a conversion of the lead.
Utilizing the Relationship between Customer Retention and Personalization of Marketing and Sales Efforts
As already mentioned, the CRM is an excellent source for constant inflow of relevant customer data with complete transparency, offering a comprehensive view for everyone associated with the company’s sales and post sales service.
What it means for the marketing team is that it allows them to personalize each and every one of the strategic messages, so that they don’t just fit the immediate requirements of the old customer that your team is monitoring, but it also has certain elements to it that set it apart from generic customer-centric marketing material.
This holds true for both the B2C and the B2B sector, but when you are catering to businesses and not just individuals, the personalization potentials are tremendous for customer retention.
The reason is quite simple; B2B manufacturers, suppliers and retailers do not generally have a huge list of clients, but rather work with a few of them at a time. Not that in some industries the number can’t get stretched, but in most cases, it is possible to boost customer retention by making that extra effort, which is relevant due to the constant inflow of applicable data supplied by Salesforce to give credibility to the marketing content’s customization.
In the B2C sector however, personalizing and customizing each of those multiple marketing materials cannot possibly have a sufficient ROI to justify the need to do so. Even B2C marketing content is personalized to an extent of course, but automation does play a role there, which is better than generic marketing content of the old days, but still not on a par with what is possible with human intervention for adding the personal touches necessary for truly customized content.
How Salesforce Impacts Supply Chain Management
The digitization of supply chain management means that Salesforce has the potential to have tremendous impacts on it too. Now, it should be noted that depending on the product’s nature, the impact of Salesforce can be more or less, but it cannot be absent if implemented with knowledge about the CRM’s core functionalities and how to utilize them for streamlining your supply chain.
If the product is a software solution, a tool or any other digital product, Salesforce can have a more direct influence on its deliverability. Even if the supply chain in question involves manufacturing a physical product, the customer data should enable the supply chain manager to approximately estimate when and if they should start the preparations for an upcoming order.
Due to the aforementioned, transparent view that Salesforce offers to everyone in the company that needs it or can benefit from it, the supply chain manager can seamlessly work with the marketing and sales team as well, to get that accurate estimation regarding what to expect and when.
Advanced education with a more updated course is advised for supply chain managers to be able to not just use Salesforce or any other CRM to their advantage, but also in order to understand the more updated and enhanced aspects of modern supply chain management methods used.
This particularly involves the various software solutions which are being used to increase efficiency and productivity rates at a superb pace. Consider completing a Masters in Supply Chain Management online to retain your current job, gather experience, improve performance on the job, reduce costs, and learn more advanced concepts simultaneously. Just make sure that certification by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs is there before joining any online programs.
Salesforce is, in many ways, as powerful as it needs to be as a CRM, which is why it is so widely used and applicable. The scalability, diversity and addable features make the CRM almost an unbeatable, basic software solution for most businesses, irrespective of their size. Not that the same can’t be said about a few others in the market as well though!
Feature image by mohamed_hassan