Maximizer CRM – it’s not just technology, it’s a culture
By Andrew Heriot, Head of Service, Maximizer Software EMEA
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) should be Customer led. Having worked in the CRM software industry for more than a few years, it is my experience that the most common reason for CRM failure occurs when companies fail to realise that CRM is about people first and foremost. In short, CRM is not purely about the software, but how willing an organisation is to commit to an approved customer–centric philosophy.
It is vital that companies really listen to customers’ needs, concerns and challenges – and then align products or services to give customers what they want. Implementation of CRM software on its own is not a magic bullet that will revitalise sales and boost profitability. Companies need to engage effectively with customers and put the ‘relationship’ back into CRM, and for many, this will require a culture shift in the way they do business.
There are numerous means of seeking and encouraging customer feedback: blogging, online live chat, posting comments or even a simple suggestion box. It is what companies do with the feedback, how it is logged and how responses are co-ordinated that is all important, whether in good times or during the current economic downturn, it is those companies which focus effectively on their customers that flourish in competitive markets.
At Maximizer, we established an online Suggestions Portal for our client community: customers are able to make suggestions about the product, review and comment on other peoples’ ideas and vote for them. Using this method, we can see where we need to put effort into our product, as well as discuss the best approaches to developing the Maximizer CRM product roadmap.
We recently released Maximizer CRM 12 Winter 2012 software across EMEA, and many of the great new features and enhancements are a result of listening to the ideas of our customers. By drawing on community feedback, our product development team decided to optimise the system’s mobile capabilities for smartphones such as Android and iOS based devices. In particular, we noted that enhancing our web access platform for the iPad & Samsung Galaxy Note was a desired requirement amongst our users.
In addition, after undertaking a poll with our current users globally and taking into account the current business concerns, we noted ‘productivity’ was a key issue, hence in our current release we also introduced a new streamlined workflow and performance enhancements designed to increase efficiency.
I am sure, however, that many management executives will question whether realigning company culture and placing customers at the centre of all operations will really generate or increase business opportunities.
Well, I cannot offer the sought-after guarantee. However, at Maximizer, as detailed above, we strive to put the customer in the driving seat and at the centre of product development and service. And using this method, judging by the number of customer upgrade requests we have received for our latest solution, Maximizer CRM 12 Winter 2012 has proven to be our most successful release to date.
In conclusion, if you are looking to implement a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, take my advice: first, complete a detailed review & audit of how you interact with customers and all customer facing processes, and then improve them if necessary to drive top line and bottom line success.
