CRM tools are capable of much more than just managing contacts and serving as a virtual rolodex. By monitoring customers, from nurturing leads to closing the deal and preserving client loyalty, CRM software can also help you increase sales. Through automation of the sales force, you can also save a ton of time and money.

What are the Features of CRM?

1. Automation of Workflow

CRM software can streamline your operations and improve your quality of life. To make you and your team more productive, look for software that enables you to create custom rules and includes sales force automation.

You may program your CRM software to take the following actions automatically based on certain triggers or events by utilizing rules:

• The CRM software automatically sends a message to the appropriate sales representative or department when a potential customer fills out a contact form on your website.
• The CRM software automatically delivers a pre-written response to acknowledge messages when a sales agent gets them.
• After a predetermined period of time, such as 48 hours or two business days, if a lead, prospect, or opportunity doesn't reply to your message or proposal, the CRM software automatically sends a follow-up message.
• The CRM software automatically tracks hours and keeps track of all communications when a sales professional calls or texts a contact.
• The CRM software automatically submits tasks to supervisors and top management for performance reports as sales reps accomplish them.

Workflow automation tools can also speed up and simplify time-consuming sales tasks like order processing, order tracking, and inventory management.

2. Customization

The greatest CRM software can meet your company's specific demands because no two firms are alike. Others CRM solutions let you pick the features you want to include in your package, and some also let you modify the most fundamental functionality, like the ability to add contact fields, pick the data that appears on your dashboard, and design unique reports. Additionally, you can install plugins, extensions, and other add-ons to your software to increase its functionality.

Many CRM software companies offer more sophisticated alternatives via APIs if you require even more customization to really personalize the product to your business. This allows programmers access to all technical specifications and coding for complete software customisation. The program can be integrated with other business solutions that your firm already uses to streamline procedures thanks to the API.

3. Integration of outside parties

You can save a ton of time and money by integrating your CRM software with other programs you already use. The trick is finding one that is simple to apply and compatible with the software you employ. Most CRM solutions offer third-party software interfaces. Salesforce, a well-known CRM program, for instance, has its own app store called AppExchange where customers can easily link Salesforce to products like QuickBooks accounting software, Mailchimp email marketing software, and DocuSign digital signatures.

You can accomplish the following things with the appropriate third-party integrations to simplify your life:

• You can avoid switching between apps by running CRM software directly from Outlook, Gmail, or another email client.
• To avoid human data entry, automatically sync your POS system and accounting software with sales and order information.
• You can initiate email marketing campaigns and automatically create email lists from either your CRM software or email marketing software, saving you time from having to open both.
• Use Dropbox, Box.com, and other well-known cloud backup storage providers to backup and sync your data.

Some software integrations might need IT administration, depending on your software.

4. Consumer assistance

By offering top-notch customer service, CRM software may assist you in attracting and keeping consumers. To ensure that your sales representatives and customer support team can deliver their best work, look for the following capabilities:

• Provides you with a 360-degree perspective of your customers that includes every detail about them starting with your initial point of contact.
• Automatically keeps track of all communication points, from lead generation to finalized deals and past sales
• Record any occurrences, internet visits, purchase histories, and other activities to serve as a record for future use and to keep all representatives informed.
• Personalizes all correspondence with the customers' first names.
• Possesses distinct reference numbers for each account, client, and support issue.
• Sends automated responses to consumer questions and messages so they don't feel unheard.
• Provides assistance with predefined email templates and call scripts that address the most typical inquiries

5. Employee tracking

A wonderful way to monitor employee activity and performance is through CRM software. Select software that enables users to maintain individual records of their hours, tasks, meetings, sales figures, goals, and other stuff. Additionally, the software ought to offer supervisors and top management access to dashboards where they can see the objectives of specific employees, activities that have been done, and other productivity indicators. This can assist managers identify struggling employees and address areas for improvement, compose employee performance reports, develop incentives, and praise strong employees.

6. Social networking

Your marketing team can save time by using a CRM that includes social media monitoring features because they won't have to transfer platforms to carry out this crucial activity.

You can complete these social media duties using the tools provided by Salesforce, for instance:

• Utilize social listening to stay informed about what consumers are saying about your company.
• Learn how many social media interactions, such as shares, comments, and mentions, your brand receives.
• To adjust your social media approach, check every social media platform (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.).
• Discover more about your customers.
• Identify your brand and use it.
• Take care of the daily responsibilities involved in updating your social media profiles.

7. Lead management

You may identify your leads and the steps they have taken in the sales cycle with the use of a lead management function. You can score your prospects through the lead management process and, if necessary, filter them off to another member of your team to convert some leads into customers.

Dead leads can occasionally remain in a CRM for weeks or months. A savvy sales manager keeps track of leads and reassigns quiet or seemingly dormant leads to various team members for reengagement.

8. Real-time data

According to CMSWire, real-time data took over as the primary motivator for CRM systems in 2017. CRMs may extract real-time data from gadgets, programs, and even appliances, as mentioned in the article.

Getting real-time data has a number of advantages, including the following:

• It enables you to choose the bid price and the location of internet advertising with greater marketing knowledge.
• You receive a quick glimpse of market demand, allowing you to adjust your marketing strategy to produce better outcomes.
• You can determine which of your goods and services bring in the most money and which ones would benefit from more exposure.

9. CRM analytics 

CRM analytics, also referred to as customer analytics, CRM analytics provide insight into customer data. This information is crucial since it can aid in your decision-making regarding the kinds of goods and services, marketing campaigns, and general communications you offer to your clients.

In a CRM, look for the following specialized analytics:

• Simple to read and comprehend customer segmentation
• Transparent profit and loss information to help you calculate your ROI
• Web analytics that show how customers use and behave on websites

10. Reporting

All of the CRMs we looked into provide reporting as a standard feature, which combines the results of your marketing and sales efforts. It's best if you have access to more of these report types:

• The quantity of leads received over a specific period of time
• The volume of sales produced over a specific period of time
• What leads each of your sales representatives closed, how many they closed in a specific period of time.
• The quantity of incoming calls The efficiency of your emails
• The point at when your leads converted, which can be used to find opportunities to close leads more quickly.

11. Prediction of sales

Based on information from your present pipeline, a CRM with this function forecasts your future sales. Based on the sales projection, you might need to change your marketing strategy. For instance, you can tailor your campaigns if you anticipated that your toy business would sell a lot of girls' dolls during the Christmas season but discovered through sales forecasting that building blocks are more popular. To reduce your company's risks, sales forecasting can also predict changes in the market.

12. Email

Keeping track of emails with a conventional inbox can become frustrating and confusing. According to Lifewire, the typical office worker receives 121 emails as of 2015. To enhance the likelihood of making sales, it's critical to receive and respond to every sales email promptly.

A CRM's email capability aids in the organization and productivity of your sales representatives. In order to arrange appointments and interact with prospects and customers appropriately, they can integrate their calendars. The capability to automatically pull in email templates saves reps time by reducing the need for them to create unique email content. Several email templates, like these, can be made using this feature:

• Industry-specific summaries of the company's fundamental information
• After a phone conversation, follow up
• After sending one email, follow up
• Follow-up on a suggestion that representatives are waiting for clients to get back

CRM software can be a helpful tool for companies of all kinds, but it's crucial to choose a platform that is really productive and can grow with your organization.