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How can a CRM be useful for B2B/B2C?

B2B-B2C
Customer Relationship Management for B2B & B2C

Customer Relationship Management – CRM is a term that refers to the management of customer relationships. CRM is a process of managing customer relationships and the entire sales process over one platform. Every sector uses the CRM tool to keep track of their sales and marketing, support, and project activities. CRM software aids in the organization of activities like sales, client and team communications, daily client visits, daily-monthly tasks, public relations, documentation, and email records – getting stored into the CRM, and so on. CRM helps you to keep a track of your current customers and future prospects in the sales pipeline. CRM tools are adopted by B2B/B2C companies to streamline their entire sales and support process. Use of the CRM tool which benefits the companies in the tracking of the salespeople and their day to day activities, tracking of the sales pipeline, sales orders status tracking, tracking of the project milestone status, and movement of the inventories from the store or branch or warehouse. 

Steps to be followed for implementing an appropriate CRM tool:  

Step 1: Figure out which CRM best suits your company’s requirements. 

Step 2: Find an appropriate partner to help you with the CRM you’ve chosen. 

Step 3: Explain your company’s operations team to follow the process and get implemented systematically. 

Step 4: Frequent review to be done with the team on the usage of a CRM is in practise or not. CRM tool to be customized to match your the companies requirements and easy to use by employees. 

Step 5: Having the flexibility of a CRM system getting integrated with the 3rd party business tools and if required necessary Apps as per the company’s demands. Integration is happening through the use of APIs. 

Step 6: CRM provider is having the expertise in implementing such tools and with the experienced team who are experienced in testing, running, and providing the training to the staff and management on the said tool.  

The nature of B2B and B2C – business to business and business to consumer business is different. Both have their own flow and needs, which varies depending on the industry. When comparing B2B and B2C sales cycles, we discover that B2B sales cycles are unpredictable. The sales cycle in B2C sales is rather short or spontaneous. The business-to-business sales cycle, on the other hand, is time-consuming and approach is scattered and reaching the right person takes time. Deal closing requires the consent of top to bottom staff. It entails a process for demonstrating a product or solution’s capabilities being reviewed, as well as technical discussion happening with various departments, ongoing commercial evaluation, and, if applicable, integration with third-party solutions discussions are done. Once the process is completed by getting an approval of the final authorities, the entire process from the lead to the closure of a deal takes a huge long time – depending on the products and its value.  

The order will be placed once the preceding steps have been completed. To capture the entire process of the sales cycle is possible in the CRM software and tracking of each stage and having the real time update. With the help of online CRM software, the complete sales cycle process is regulated and optimized.   

Highlighting few characteristics of CRM Tool in B2B and B2C are as follows

Automation: CRM may send automated reminder emails to clients on anything, such as a progress report, a reminder to sign a document, or follow-ups that need to be completed. 

Quotation: Companies must keep quotes that contain items in bulk and many products in B2B companies, and CRM assists them in creating a template in such a manner that they can manage everything under one file. 

Sales: It’s critical to maintain tabs on how sales are doing in the business. All records of completed sales, ongoing sales, and closed sales are kept in CRM. 

Documentation: One item that demands a proper track and record is documentation. CRM allows you to keep all of your files in one place and specify the case in great detail. 

Inventory: The stock track is defined by inventory. Because the number of units in B2B is higher than in B2C, keeping a track record is critical. 

Forecasting: Because sales cycles in B2B are more predictable, growth forecasting based on prior performance is much easier. The goal is to predict customer behaviour and financial outcomes with great accuracy. 

Client List: Client lists can be difficult to keep on paper at times, especially in B2B businesses when each order is distinct from the prior batch. 

Project: The project aids in the continuation of the client’s progress. The project might be a service or a product that has to be delivered. 

Customer List: CRM keeps track of all of a customer’s paperwork, products given, items to be given, phone records, emails, and so on. There is a large database of customers in B2C, since there are current clients, potential prospects, and so on. 

  1. Prospect: Prospects are clients that require frequent follow-up; because the client list is so large, reminders for follow-ups are required; CRM assists with this.  

  2. Opportunity: At this point, everything has been finalised, quotations have been provided and accepted, but the customer still needs to make a decision. CRM allows the Sales Executive to maintain all of these clients in one place so that they may be contacted as needed. 

  3. Contact in the Future: CRM keeps track of clients who don’t require services right now but could in the future; in B2C, these clients are also highly significant. 

Quotation: Different templates are available in CRM for creating and sending quotations to clients. Because there are so many permissions required in B2C, CRM makes it possible to complete them all in one click. It can also be automated depending on the needs of the company. 

Sales: The most vital aspect of every business is sales. CRM aids in keeping track of every progress made by the team, as well as providing a report on the biggest sales made. 

Forecast: All of CRM’s modules work together to provide a report that allows businesses to forecast their future growth and plan appropriately. 

Call Records: In a B2C firm, there is a large client database, and salespeople make calls and send emails on a frequent basis. CRM helps salespeople keep track of each customer, so they can note their needs and prepare appropriately. 

Email Marketing: Email marketing is becoming increasingly important for B2C companies. In CRM, email marketing may be automated with simply a template and the appropriate time and data. 

A sales CRM is a solution for tracking all touchpoints with prospects or customers during the sales process. Any encounter between sales agents and their leads, both direct and indirect, is a touchpoint. The programme keeps track of prospect communication, organises customer data automatically, provides reminders to follow up with leads, and more.

Sales CRM software tools, in essence, make the lead nurturing process easier. Administrative chores and data management are both automated, allowing you to spend less time entering data and more time cultivating meaningful interactions with prospects.

A mobile CRM, by definition, is a version of your CRM system that can be accessed via a mobile device (e.g. a smartphone or a tablet). 

Your sales force may work smarter and faster by using mobile CRM software to access real-time information about current and potential customers. 

Salespeople need to know all price information in real time in order to function properly. When visiting a prospect, being able to issue a quote on the spot can be the difference between signing a deal and walking away.

Today’s salespeople are held to a high standard. They are expected to manage and update an ever-increasing amount of data: the number of products and services is growing every year; marketing departments are launching more and more social media campaigns aimed at mobile customers; the legal department is making frequent regulatory changes; and so on.

Faced with these continual obstacles on a daily basis, sales team members want an effective and robust mobile CRM app to assist them in their responsibilities and provide them with a competitive advantage. This is especially true now since salespeople work on the fly and the sales process has gotten more complicated.

They may update, synchronise, and share information with all of the company’s divisions using a mobile CRM. They’re just as productive on the go using a tablet or smartphone as they are at work.

CRM on Premise 

On-premise CRM is software that has its infrastructure, hardware, operating system, and supplementary applications on the client’s premises. 

This implies that your IT personnel must do all maintenance, repairs, updates, and upgrades. 

The key advantage of CRM is that it is generally completely customised for a business. 

Another benefit of this system is that the firm has complete control over the system’s administration, including when it is updated and what modifications are made. 

  1. The most significant advantage of on-premise CRM is that it is owned by the firm once acquired. Larger organisations with Support IT teams benefit since they can not only install it, but also upgrade, fix, and run it. 
  2. Because the CRM is on-premise, it may interact with existing systems. This is especially useful if businesses have their own unique rules or processes; cloud CRMs force businesses to conform to a standard system, whereas on-premise CRM allows for complete customization and integration.
  3. Another benefit that cannot be overlooked with the implementation of CRM is the increased security. There is no need for data to be shared with a third party because both corporate and client information is kept secret by signing NDA.
  4. Businesses may utilise their on-premise CRM and modify it to fit every part of the customer experience thanks to a high level of autonomy.
  5. An on-premise CRM’s total cost of ownership is nearly always lower than the cloud version. This is a godsend for companies who intend to expand quickly and steadily while also being able to afford the substantial up-front investment.
  6. Enterprise-scale firms will undoubtedly profit from an on-premise CRM because:
  • The ability to work with a variety of currencies and languages.
  • Full synchronisation, allowing workers to update dates off-line and then make changes once connected to the system.
  • Intuitive tools to help the IT support staff set up and maintain the system. 

Cloud-Based CRM

1. Budget-Friendly

Traditionally, the most significant investment in CRM systems was upfront capital costs, but that is no longer the case. Cloud-based CRMs, like other cloud systems, work on a pay-as-you-go subscription approach. Cloud-based CRMs decrease risk and enable smaller businesses to attain economies of scale sooner with a low initial investment. Because small firms are unlikely to commit large quantities of money to an enterprise system, these smaller, more frequent payments enable them to take use of the various possibilities offered while also boosting their bottom line.

2. Simple to Install

Most businesses believe that installing a CRM is a lengthy and complicated procedure, however this is no longer the case when using a cloud-based CRM. In a matter of minutes, a contemporary cloud-based CRM may be up and operating. All you really need is access to the internet. After logging in online, you may instantly begin using the software and taking use of its features. You won’t have to bother about setting up hardware, paying for server and software maintenance, having an IT person on site 24 hours a day, or worrying about difficult instals, data migrations, or even updates because your cloud-CRM service provider will handle everything.

3. Straightforward Integration

Traditional, stand-alone products frequently fail to provide the flexibility and integration that most teams want. This is especially true in the context of a small organisation, when information transmission across accessible technologies is critical. A cloud-based CRM may be readily linked with other apps and software, like email clients and productivity tools, allowing you to carry out activities more efficiently and gain end-to-end insight across the sales process.

4. Maintain a safe environment

Companies who offer a cloud-based CRM take security extremely seriously, contrary to the notion that cloud systems are insecure. Cloud-based CRMs take cybersecurity to a whole new level with powerful automated backup procedures and robust data recovery strategies. Furthermore, you may strengthen data security and safety by using two-factor authentication and strong passwords, which is a key criterion for GDPR compliance.

5. Access from anywhere and at any time

Unlike traditional on-premises CRM systems, which are only accessible from the office during business hours, a cloud-based CRM provides unquestionably the most benefits. A cloud-based CRM enables diverse teams to acquire the information they need from anywhere – in the office or on the way home – and on any device – a desktop, a laptop, a smartphone, or a tablet – eventually enhancing business process efficiency. A cloud-based CRM allows you to do anything from making urgent sales calls on the road to updating a sales proposal, rapidly locating a prospect’s phone number, and sending an email to the manager when you’re out of the office.

6. Adaptable

Because various businesses have varied CRM requirements, a cloud-based CRM provides a system that can be adjusted to your specific requirements. Small companies may start with basic features to assist them with their present tasks, and as they develop, they can add additional capacity, new features, and sophisticated modules. Cloud-based CRMs may be updated in real time to meet changing demands. A cloud-based CRM also gives employees the flexibility and freedom to accomplish what they need to do when they need to do it by providing access to the system 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

CONCLUSION 

Customer centricity entails enhancing a company’s efficiency and streamlining corporate procedures such as sales, support, and marketing. CRM for B2B and B2C sales processes aids businesses in developing strong client relationships, increasing loyalty, and focusing on maintaining existing and new customers. A company’s growth is determined by customer loyalty and sales income. CRM, be it on premises or cloud base or mobile CRM app aids in the systematic improvement and organisation of corporate data. It promotes greater team communication, automates everyday sales chores, and increases team productivity. Providing analytical data and Management reports to assist management in making better and more accurate essential decisions for the business’s improvement.