Customer relationship management is the way a business relies on strategies, practices, and technology to track and manage important data and interactions through the customer lifecycle. A CRM consultant can explain this data and implement software solutions to manage it, guiding a business to the resources needed to increase sales growth, strengthen customer retention, and improve customer relationships.
The effectiveness of a CRM system depends heavily on how well the business gathers, organizes, and analyzes data. Customizing CRM software to the company’s operations and goals increases the success of your efforts. Watkyn is a leading consultant and provider of customized applications, so we’ll guide you through everything you need to know.
Key Takeaways:
- Utilizing a CRM system helps a business compile accurate consumer data across a range of channels to support informed decision-making.
- A CRM consultant helps businesses understand what data to collect, how to collect it, and how its use benefits the company.
- A well-executed CRM strategy as advised by an experienced consultant increases retention rates, improves consumer satisfaction, and leads to higher revenue streams.
What Is a CRM Consultant?
Consultants are skilled professionals who provide advice or a range of other services in their area of expertise. Within the CRM domain, these individuals work with their customers to set up a CRM system that best accomplishes the goals of the company.
Since CRM is a multi-faceted sector, a consultant can walk you through the challenges common to businesses starting out with a new system. A consultant also analyzes your business services and customer service needs, developing a system of best practices and supporting it with technology.
Qualifications of a Consultant
If you plan on trusting a consultant with the resources and strategies of your company, this individual should come with stellar qualifications. A crucial factor is industry experience and training. CRM consultants provide in-depth technical support, which means they should hold significant training or experience in this area.
An effective CRM support team has expertise in computer science, software engineering, or information systems. They combine their software knowledge with business process analysis to optimize workflow. This often involves automation and custom applications.
What Are the Types of CRM Consultants?
There are several CRM systems to choose from, and a CRM consultant often works with a particular platform. Your business may find the features of one platform more effective for your operations than others.
If you aren’t sure which one is right for you, the consultant can explain the features you need. These are among the primary CRM software consultants may work with:.
- Dynamics
- Quickbase
- Zoho
- SAP
You always have the option of customizing a platform for your needs. Quickbase solutions are generally easy to format for your operations.
Off-the-Shelf vs Custom Solutions
Off-the-shelf CRM solutions are platforms commercially released with a number of generic features. Many businesses can use these solutions, as they often cover the primary elements of customer relationships. However, while these are often more affordable than custom work, they aren’t always as efficient.
Custom solutions require a significant investment upfront but yield cost-savings over the long term. Rather than working around the inefficiencies of OTS software, a custom CRM application works directly with your company’s needs with the ability to scale as needed over time.
What Are the Roles and Tasks of a CRM Consultant?
As a general definition, the job of a consultant is to take you from start to finish with your CRM journey, from choosing a system to troubleshooting its implementation. There are four basic phases of consultant involvement.
1. Help With the Selection Research
Consultants know the CRM field better than you, and they can quickly target the best system for your business. You will discuss your company’s goals and processes, and they will help identify areas where the CRM system would help.
It’s important to be clear about what your business does so the consultant can determine which features to look for in a program. Consultants have the benefit of working with multiple companies, giving them a better understanding of how certain features could impact your operations.
When you and your consultant are on the same page throughout the research process, you’ll be more assured of getting a system that works for what you need.
2. Configure the Program
You will see the results of the time you spent educating the consultant on what you do during this phase of their work. The CRM consultant will customize the system you select to fit your processes and the data you are collecting.
This step takes time, but with a consultant handling the programming and customization, you and your team can focus on the important activities directly related to operating your business.
During configuration, the consultant may create customizations by designing templates or programming certain functions. They handle importing the data and running reports to check for functionality and efficiency.
3. Train and Implement the Program
After configuring the system the way you need, the CRM consultant starts to get your team members to use the system for its different processes. A consultant can help with training as well as evaluating any bugs in the system that need attention during the implementation phase.
Your consultant may provide incentives for learning the system or share tips unique to the program that you might have missed if you were working on your own. This is especially true if you have a customized solution.
4. Evaluate and Expand Functionality
Your consultant shouldn’t just get your team going and walk away. As your business continues to grow and evolve, your CRM usage will also change. A consultant can evaluate the functionality of the system over time and project additional usage needs or inefficiencies.
You may not need support every week once the system is up and running, but you should periodically review how effectively it’s meeting goals. You may need a complete evaluation once a quarter, or at least conduct one yearly.
Answers to Your CRM Consultant Questions
If you have any more questions about CRM software or what a CRM consultant can do for you, contact the team at Watkyn. We provide consulting services in addition to developing custom applications for your business needs.
