Customer Relationship Management: It’s Time to Rethink, Retool and Reboot.

Few assets are more valuable than a company’s customer base.  

Yet, most companies are more systematic about managing their office supplies than their customers.  Research continues to show the majority of companies don’t know enough about their customer’s preferences and needs, what products or services they use, if they are satisfied, or if they are thinking about defecting to the competition, and why.

The problem is NOT the lack of customer data. Rather, pockets of customer data exist throughout the company. The problem is that none of it is integrates to create “one version of the truth” about a customer.

The proliferation of messaging channels, systems, and databases have created barriers to delivering personal, relevant and timely information and offers to customers.  According to a recent study conducted by eConsultancy, 98% of marketers use at least three channels to deliver messages to their customers, but more than half still store the data they gather from each channel in separate, siloed locations. And when asked about the challenges of cross-channel marketing, 71% cited maintaining high-quality data as a major challenge.

Cross-Channel Marketing Success Hinges on Real Time Integration of Customer Data

In February 2012, Scribe Software surveyed 300 business leaders and channel partners to uncover opportunities and challenges associated with customer data integration.

The report, The State of Customer Data Integration in 2012, provided insights from C-level executives, business analysts and IT engineers, as well as systems integrators and consultants who design and implement CRM systems for their enterprise clients.

Among the most important findings from the Scribe study were these:     

• Customer data integration is essential to address the operational challenges in sales, marketing and customer service. It increases CRM systems’ adoption and satisfaction.
• Most businesses lack a solid framework for planning and implementing CRM and other systems that can positively impact sales, marketing and customer service performance.
• Third-party vendors and consultants are critical to CRM success. Businesses using them see less risk and experience greater cost savings than those that don’t get outside help.

How to Get Your CRM Strategy Back on Track

If you’re searching for a practical and affordable solution to get your CRM strategy back on track, join me and Peter Chase of Scribe Software for a special webinar on August 14th where we will show you a better way to integrate customer data – in real time – and use it to drive effective interactive marketing campaigns.

Attend this webinar and learn:

• How to develop an automated process that integrates customer data from multiple sources to create one source of the truth
• How to leverage the combined power of Email + CRM to deliver relevant information to buyers that aids decision-making and fuels customer retention
• How to capitalize on Social Media to attract potential customers to your website and build increased awareness of your company

As a special bonus, social media expert Neal Schaffer will start the webinar by addressing the potential of social media marketing for businesses. Neal is a Forbes top 30 Social Media Power Influencer and the creator of the AdAge Top 100 Global Marketing Blog Windmill Networking.