Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

Investing in customer relationship management (CRM) is certainly worth doing. Not only can you improve your customer’s experiences, but you can also understand them better – and deliver personalised and targeted campaigns accordingly.

But what changes should you consider making? The below resources detail the best CRM tools and systems, as well as useful insights to help you identify the platform that aligns best with your business needs.

Books:

1. Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara – Written by the former co-owner of legendary restaurant Eleven Madison Park, this book details the essential lessons in hospitality that can apply to any business.
2. What Your Customer Wants and Can’t Tell You: Unlocking Consumer Decisions with the Science of Behavioral Economics by Melina Palmer – In this book, Melina Palmer explains the neuroscience of consumer behaviour. Learn exactly why people buy – and how to use that knowledge to improve pricing, increase sales, create better “brain-friendly” brand messaging and be a more effective leader.
3. The Customer Centricity Playbook: Implement a Winning Strategy Driven by Customer Lifetime Value by Peter Fader and Sarah E. Toms – This book is a practical guide that helps businesses shift their focus from product-centric to customer-centric strategies.

Guides:

1. Best CRM Software For Small Business Of 2024 by Forbes – There are many CRM platforms on the market, each with its own set of features and benefits. Forbes breaks down some of the top options for small businesses.
2. Choosing CRM Software: A Buyer’s Guide by Business News Daily – This guide breaks down how to choose the right CRM software for your business, such as what features or budget options you will need to consider.
3. 7 Best CRM systems for small businesses in 2024 by Startups.co.uk – Startups.co.uk undertook their own research to find the top CRM software options for small businesses. This guide highlights their findings.

Reports:

1. The State of CRM by Salesforce – What do executives and employees across 15 countries have to say about the strategic role of CRM technology today? Read The State of CRM to discover the secrets to future CRM success.

Podcasts:

1. Salesforce Admins Podcast – The Salesforce Admins Podcast features real-life Salesforce Admins, product managers and community leaders who transform businesses, careers and community with clicks, not code.
2. CRM Talk Podcast – This podcast brings you the latest in CRM and CRM-related news and information.
3. The Zoho CRM Podcast – Tune in for business insights, productivity hacks, SaaS industry innovations and trends, but most of all, powerful stories from our very own customers and industry experts.

Tools:

1. monday sales CRM – monday sales CRM is a fully customizable, dedicated sales platform, and offers features including activity tracking, team goals, lead capturing and no-code automations. The Kanban style view of your tasks is also great for those who work better with visual cues.
2. Hubspot – A very popular CRM tool, Hubspot is a great all-in-one platform that offers free tools to connect your data, teams and customers.
3. Salesforce – Self-proclaimed as the number one AI CRM, Salesforce is a complete CRM across sales, service, marketing, commerce and more.
4. Workbooks – Workbooks is a CRM platform targeted specifically to midsize businesses, and declares itself as a ‘affordable CRM alternative’ to Salesforce and Hubspot.
5. Pipedrive – Pipedrive is the easy and effective CRM for closing deals. It’s also a popular option amongst small businesses who only need basic CRM features.
6. Zoho CRM – Zoho CRM is a great option for a business who is currently scaling. While some find the user interface difficult to use, Zoho’s impressive features make up for it.

The above listed tools are just some of the many CRM options available. With so many options out there, it’s worth taking your time to do some research, try out a few options with free trials and ask your community for their insight. That way, you can avoid any unwanted CRM switches down the line.

The above resources highlight all you need to know about customer relationship management and CRM tools. Utilise the resources above, and founders will find the best CRM tool for their needs – helping you turn leads into loyal customers.