What Is a CRM? And How Does It Help Businesses?

What is a CRM?

Customer relationship management (CRM) combines strategies and technologies businesses use to optimise customer engagement and make the best use of data. It also combines sales, marketing, and service under one system or strategy so teams can align their efforts to meet their organisation’s goals. 

A robust CRM strategy accounts for all stages of the buyer’s journey, from when a potential customer becomes aware of your brand to after they purchase and become loyal, repeat customers.  

Keep reading to discover how CRM systems work, which are the most common, and how to get started in CRM. 

What is a CRM system, and what can it do? 

The main purpose behind a CRM system, such as Salesforce or HubSpot, is to use data and automation to achieve company revenue goals. Let’s explore some typical CRM system capabilities. 

Customer experience 

Settings and features within CRM systems can improve customer experience in several ways, including automating replies to support requests, signalling when to follow up with cold and warm leads, and customising messages to fit customers’ needs. A good customer experience can help gain customer loyalty.

Sales

CRM systems allow sales teams to monitor the sales pipeline and categorise leads to prioritise their marketing efforts and drive sales.  The sales pipeline helps businesses or marketing teams visually track potential buyers as they progress through the purchasing process.

Marketing

CRM systems can streamline audience targeting to help reach niche audiences during a marketing campaign or message customers at various stages in the buyer’s journey. This way, audiences get the content they need to make empowered buying decisions. 

Collaboration across teams

When data is widely accessible, teams have more opportunities for impactful collaborations and cross-functional work.   

Did you know? Global revenue from CRM systems increased from $13.93 billion to $69 billion between 2010-2020, according to findings from Zippia [1]. 

How to get started with CRM 

Learning CRM can open up various career opportunities in roles such as: 

• CRM consultant. Guides organisations on improving customer experience with new strategies, systems, and training recommendations. 

• CRM administrator. Provides IT support so organisations get the most out of their CRM systems. 

Review your career goals and follow these steps to get started. 

1. Gain relevant experience. 

Experience in sales, marketing, or customer service roles can build skills that transfer to CRM roles and use CRM tools. Here are examples:  

• Starting your own business, building a customer base, and offering an engaging customer experience 

• Working in a customer support or help desk role 

• Taking on a sales rep or sales development rep job 

2. Take a CRM course.

One of the most direct ways to get to know CRM as a career, set of strategies, and fleet of technologies is to take a course. Look for courses covering the conceptual, strategic, and tactical aspects of CRM, including:  

• Articulating business goals

• Designing and delivering content that engages customers at every stage of the buyer’s journey

• Segmenting customers to personalise their experiences 

3. Practice using a CRM tool. 

Once you know CRM and what it can do for your career, learning how to use common CRM software tools is wise.

Popular CRM systems include: 

• Salesforce

• Monday

• HubSpot

• Freshsales CRM

• Zendesk Sales

• Zoho CRM

Choose a CRM tool that matches your career goals, whether to grow your business or seek employment in CRM. Consider the following factors: 

• How a CRM’s features can help you grow your business 

• Pricing options 

• Learning curve 

• The time it will take to import data and set up automation

• The tools companies in your industry most use 

Some of the tasks you’ll want to practice include: 

Import data

Data might include information about customers, sales, and marketing channel activity. For learning purposes, you can use actual data from your business or simulate it with made-up information. 

Set up automation

Automations help ensure essential tasks are completed without having to be executed manually. Practice automating email sequences to prospective and current customers and delivering freemium content to new subscribers. 

Monitor results

Select a few metrics to measure for practice, such as email opens, social media mentions, and conversion rate, and set a date for checking in and deciding how to respond to the results. For example, suppose the email open rate is lower than you anticipated for a given period. What improvements could you make to email subject lines to encourage more clicks from subscribers? 

Discover CRM with Coursera 

Online courses can be great ways to build CRM knowledge and skills and discover career opportunities. Check out these options from industry leaders, Salesforce and HubSpot.