CRM

Definition

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) refers to tools, processes, and strategies businesses use to track and manage interactions with customers and potential clients. Its goal is to improve relationships, organise contacts, and drive sales growth by centralising information and streamlining communications throughout the sales cycle.

Why Use

• Improves customer satisfaction and loyalty over time.
• Enables better tracking of sales leads and opportunities.
• Increases efficiency by centralising contact data.
• Supports data-informed decision making for teams.
• Helps personalise marketing and follow-ups.

Core Concepts

• Contact and lead management for sales tracking.
• Communication logs and activity tracking.
• Analytics and reporting dashboards for visibility.
• Workflow automation to reduce manual tasks.
• Integration with marketing or support tools.

Examples

A sales team uses a CRM to record that Sarah, a new lead, was contacted via email on 3 June. Follow-up tasks and notes are logged automatically, creating a complete timeline of interactions without needing separate spreadsheets or calendars.

A support agent reviews previous ticket history in the company's CRM before calling a customer, ensuring personalised and informed service.

Common Pitfalls

• Incomplete or outdated customer data undermines CRM value.
• Overcustomisation can complicate workflows unnecessarily.
• Lack of team adoption reduces data accuracy and insight.

See Also

Related concepts include lead scoring, sales pipeline, marketing automation, and data enrichment.