There are 4 common issues with CRM software and this company is fixing them
Back in 1986, tech pioneers, Mike Muhney and Pat Sullivan unveiled a software solution called ACT! that kept electronic records and contact details on a company’s customers. Many would later consider this the first official development of a CRM (customer relationship management) system. Today, with the world becoming more digital than ever, the enormous influence CRM software has on the success or failure of a business is undeniable. From categorizing leads to improving close rates for sales reps to directly bolstering a company’s bottom line, a CRM system can help personalize customer experiences and address pain points in ways that simply weren’t possible in previous years—leading to more referrals and higher retention rates.
Solid CRM software can help your sales department stay on the same page, your marketing department become more familiar with customer needs, and your customer success department to thrive as well. The numbers also reflect the pull this category of software has in today’s marketplace. In fact, Gartner predicts that by 2021, CRM will be the single largest revenue area of spending when it comes to enterprise software.
Despite the rise of unicorn CRM companies in the tech world and companies that use the software to help their business run smoother, a number of distinct drawbacks to the majority of CRM systems on the market still exist. Here is a bit more on those particular issues, and details about one CRM company tackling those problems, head on.
Common Issues With CRM Software
#1. Not completely customizable
From internal processes to the makeup of clientele to company culture, every business is different. Without a completely customizable CRM system, a company is unlikely to reap all the benefits the software could bring to their business. Yet, much of the software on the market provide users with one-size-fits-all solutions that might be sophisticated in their functionality, but are limited in their overall value.
It’s extremely tough for the engineering team at a software company to be aware of every unique issue a business faces, which is why the ability to customize is so integral to the successful implementation of a customer relationship management system. You know your business better than anyone, and your CRM software should be a reflection of all the insight you’ve gained over the years from operating your business.
#2. Technically complex
One of the biggest barriers to onboarding any piece of software across an organization is making sure employees are actually using it. If a low number of individuals use your CRM system, its capabilities and the money you’re investing into it will go to waste. Getting employees to use a solution becomes even more difficult when the software is technically complex—whether that’s due to lacking an intuitive interface or not having effective tutorials. If learning and mastering a software program is laborious, employee usage rates will likely decline. Remember, hard working employees already have enough on their plate as it is. They have processes they need to follow, relationships they need to manage, and deals they need to close. Any additional obstacle to an employee’s workflow will likely be viewed more as an impediment than it is a helpful tool.
The beauty of a CRM system is the time it saves for sales reps and other team members that would otherwise be spent toggling between Google Docs, scribbling on sticky notes and struggling to remember important details on certain customers. The more intuitive a CRM system, the more likely it is to be fully adopted and embraced at a company. Because CRM software has been around for a while (relative to Silicon Valley technology, that is), the functionality and design skews toward technically complex as opposed to user-friendly.
#3. Impersonal correspondence with customers
Many CRM solutions, even industry-leading ones, rely on cookie-cutter templates and automations that often result in impersonal interactions with customers. Avoiding this trap is especially important in today’s cutthroat business landscape, where companies of all sizes can now create personalized, customer experiences thanks to advances in enterprise software. In fact, according to research conducted by Epsilon (a leading marketing automation platform), 80% of customers are more likely to make a purchase with a company that provides them with a personalized experience over those that do not.
CRM software gives you the ability to accurately catalog customer history, buying tendencies, preferences and more. However, this accessibility becomes irrelevant if sales reps aren’t leveraging it to provide customers with tailor-made experiences and support, or are bypassing this information entirely and relying on impersonal templates to correspond with customers.
#4. Questionable security
Another issue many CRM systems deal with is questionable security. To be fair, this problem certainly isn’t unique to CRMs—it’s something every online platform continually needs to strive to improve. With cybercriminals on pace to hack an estimated 33 billion online records, according to Norton, ensuring the safe keeping of personal data for consumers is more pressing than ever.
On top of that, because CRM databases contain so much sensitive information on customers, they make for a particularly inviting target for cybercriminals. The data breach at CRM company, Redtail, is one of the more recent attacks on the industry. A customer having their personal data compromised is something that could tarnish the relationship between a company using the CRM and its customers—illustrating the importance of partnering only with trusted CRM platforms that deem bulletproof cybersecurity a high priority.
Enter Creatio
One platform actively fighting against these issues with CRM software is Creatio (formerly known as bpm’online), an industry-leading company providing customers with low-code, process automation and CRM software solutions. With an impressive client list ranging from small businesses to some of the world’s most well-known brands, along with years of experience in the industry, Creatio uses its proven product suite to help businesses automate mundane processes, improve customer retention and boost their bottom line.
Creatio provides enterprise grade software that is also user-friendly and fully customizable. This is perhaps their biggest advantage, as it results in high adoption rates. Using their innovative, low-code approach to CRM, their clients are able to seamlessly create automated workflows—as opposed to the long, drawn out processes common in competing systems. Creatio’s low-code platform helps facilitate an entrepreneurial work environment for employees, who can build custom apps and solutions to solve specific problems their company faces, and enhance their infrastructure at large. This ‘customer-first’ approach to business is reflected in Creatio’s customer satisfaction scores, which are one of the highest in both the CRM and BPM industries.
The final attribute helping Creatio push the CRM landscape forward is the company being prepared for the road ahead. The team is made up of 600+ visionaries who are dedicated to helping businesses accelerate, and who know the value of speed and adaptability in today’s business climate. “Moving fast matters,” said CEO, Katherine Kostereva, “If you can’t move and innovate fast enough, you can get disrupted. Solving this challenge is our mission.”
By providing their clients with the tools they need to innovate, streamline business processes and create custom solutions for their business needs in minutes, Creatio enables companies of any size and from any industry to accelerate.
Despite the strides businesses have been able to make thanks to CRM systems, there’s always room for improvement and thoughtful iteration. As it stands, Creatio seems to be in a particularly great position to patch up the holes that exist in the CRM space across the board. To see if Creatio is a good fit for your business, or just to learn more, visit their website at www.creatio.com.