CRM is not a tool; software is only a small part of the equation when it comes to collecting and using data about your customers. CRM is more of a philosophy, a mindset; it is the understanding, anticipating and responding to customer needs. Customer relationship management is about better providing for your customers while building a relationship with each customer to improve satisfaction and maximise profits. To do this businesses need to collect the right information about their customers and organise it for proper analysis and action. A good computer based CRM system; provided it has the correct information, can increase sales by as much as 40% - 50%. It is a business strategy with the goal of maximising profit, revenue and customer satisfaction.

The technology to support CRM must be integrated as part of an overall customer strategy and the technology requirements of a CRM strategy must be guided by an overall view of who the customer is and good CRM implementation provides a 360degree view of the customer, which is sometimes called end-to-end customer management. Every place in your organisation that touches your customer should be integrated. The needs of your customer must be translated into a plan of how you intend on improving your business to better fit what your customer wants. By improving your business to fit the needs and ideas of your customer you are potentially increasing your profit as customers will have more desire to use your business if you have more of what the customer wants. As a business however you do need to tread carefully when it comes to collecting information and data about your customers as some people may feel that the collection of personal data such as opinions and preferences is an invasion of their privacy. This is why it may be a good idea to make your customers aware of what you are doing.

Many people will be more than happy to share their view on how your business could hold a better relationship with its customers and people will do so if it means that this information will provide them with a better service and business that fits their needs. Many CRM strategies sadly fail as a vast majority of people seem to be under the impression that by simply installing the software they are bettering their customer relationship management. This is however not the case. The software on its own will not help you to improve the relationship with your customers; it needs to be used with research into your customer's habits as only together will you be able to build up a CRM strategy that benefits yours customers. In order to increase sales and improve your customer relationship; CRM is the way to go.

It is the best and easiest way of building up a relationship between your business and your customers. It will help you to improve your business in a way that will bring more customers to use your business as well as keeping your current customers satisfied.

Helen is the web master of Synergy Technology, specialist in all your CRM needs. Please feel free to republish this article providing this resource box remains intact with a working hyperlink to our site.