Abacus CRM study: Part 3 – Strategizing CRM
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By John Tan, Manager, CRM Training, Abacus International Pte Ltd
Implementing a total CRM system is not an overnight effort. It requires deliberate and meticulous overall planning. Several factors must be borne in mind.
1) CRM needs to be woven into the business strategy. Take for example XYZ agency which helps customers plan their travels to Asia and United States. It intends to have a CRM system in place to learn more about them, hence cater to their requirements more effectively. After gathering the information on its customers, it needs to revisit its business strategy. What is the data saying? Should the strategy be about product differentiation – like packaging its tours with some ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ offerings? Or should it be a niche-market strategy? Or it should be about pricing?
2) Implementing a CRM system is not solely down to the top echelon. It is the concern of everyone in XYZ agency. Mindsets must be changed. The usual practices may no longer be workable. Workflows may have to be changed as a result. One way to implement the change could be for top management could coerce everyone to flow along, which would result in employer-employee strained relationship.
On the other hand, a series of education and training could be initiated to prepare all for the change. These could focus on the customer-service orientation and benefits, values and know-how of the CRM system. A further boost to a successful CRM system for XYZ may also be drawing on quick-wins. In other words, it could plan for short-term (let’s say, within the next six months) achievable objectives which the entire staff could look forward to celebrating, besides the long-term goals.
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