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CRM allows businesses to keep organized customer data that can be accessed throughout the company in an effort to better serve their clientele. But as technology becomes more and more mobile, businesses are discovering that perhaps the best way to maintain a positive relationship with customers is by making CRM accessible while on the go.
The end result is that mobile CRM is changing the face of business, often in ways that you may not have considered.
It isn’t the 1990s anymore; there’s no reason why your business should have to be centered around a stationary, office-based computer system.
With the rise of mobile computing, smart devices, and cloud-based data networks, businesses are discovering that anything that can be done digitally in the office, can also be accomplished just as easily while on the go. And while these new advances may make it easier for everyone in a company—from the CEO all the way down to the unpaid intern—to do their jobs more efficiently, there’s no one who will be as greatly affected as outside sales reps.
Think about it. Currently, outside sales reps spend over 50% of their workday selling remotely. That means that as those reps have need of sales information, specialized tools, contact data, etc., they have to either retreat back to the home base, or they need to rely on mobile computing. This becomes especially important when those reps are dealing with customer data.
Customer relationship management (CRM) makes it possible for businesses to keep track of any and all useful information associated with any particular customer, while also providing a company-wide, cloud-based network that can be accessed by anyone who has permission, from anywhere in the world.
So, given that mobile computing is becoming so prevalent (Americans now use mobile smart devices more than they use personal desktop computers), and that CRM has become an integral part of business (CRM has been shown to increase sales by up to 29%, improve productivity by up to 34%, and boost forecast accuracy by 40%), it only makes sense that the two should be combined.
Mobile CRM allows sales reps to to take advantage of the organization, efficiency, and accessibility of a viable CRM tool while on the go, and as a result, it’s changing the face of business. How? Well, let’s take a look:
Researchers have found that companies that embrace a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) work environment end up gaining an average $350 per BYOD employee per year in increased productivity. Why is this? Well, part of it has to do with the familiarity that comes from employees being able to use devices of their own choosing. Mobile CRM is cloud-based, and is designed to operate across multiple platforms, so reps in the field won’t have to worry about using an unfamiliar operating system while they’re trying to generate leads and close a sale. Instead, they’ll have the advantage of being able to use their own favorite devices, which means that they’ll be able to better focus their attention on the task at hand. Productivity increases by 15% on average when sales reps have mobile access to CRM applications.
Speaking of productivity, how effective are sales reps who are absolutely miserable? Employee-satisfaction is a big determiner of company success. Gallup-Healthways estimates that worker-dissatisfaction costs approximately $300 billion per year in lost productivity. But what is it that American workers are so unhappy about? Well, for one thing, many workers feel as though their jobs are repetitive, unchallenging, and boring. Inputting data, contacting clients, checking messages, etc., all are necessary factors when it comes to sales. Unfortunately these factors also take time and energy, while not being particularly stimulating. Mobile CRM helps streamline the time spent on these monotonous tasks by automating certain aspects of the sales process. Now, sales reps can focus more of their attention on the things that make the job great, while mobile CRM takes care of the other stuff.
When caught in a river current, it’s just not possible to remain still. Businesses find themselves in similar circumstances: they can either grow and move forward, or they can get swept away—there is no third direction. Mobile CRM is an adaptive solution in that it provides businesses with a tool that is totally customizable to fit the changing needs of any company. In short, it enables companies to grow and move forward, rather than being dragged down by the current.
In this age of instantaneous global communication, businesses are finding that every second counts when it comes to dealing with customers. As a result, the sales rep who is forced to return to the office in order to complete and submit orders is at a significant disadvantage to the rep who can take care of the entire process via a mobile device.
Mobile CRM allows the outside sales rep to do his or her job effectively from start to finish, without the annoyance of having to remain tethered to any specific central location. This leads to reduced purchase times for the customer, which in turn results in increased profits for the business. In fact, profits increase by approximately 9.9% when invoices are sent out three days earlier.
As more tasks are made possible through mobile CRM, and as sales reps are able to provide better overall customer service, customers’ expectations begin to rise. No longer will buyers be satisfied with long turnaround times, delayed responses to inquiries, or disorganization. Customers now know what is possible, and they are beginning to see these new possibilities as the norm when it comes to customer service.
This could end up becoming a major problem for many companies that are unable to adapt, as 42% of service agents are unable to efficiently resolve customer issues due to disconnected systems, archaic user interfaces, and multiple applications.
With every new contact, every sale, and indeed with every minute of every day, businesses are gathering data. The hope is that they will be able to organize that raw data into clear and actionable results; however, with as much information as is being collected on a daily basis, it can be difficult to distill it all down into something actionable. Mobile CRM enables everyone involved in the sales process to access the information that they need, updated in real time as it is collected. Additionally, CRM can automatically organize and present that data in a clear and comprehensible way, so that businesses won’t have to worry about misinterpreting it.
CRM has already changed the world of business; According to Nucleus Research, CRM offers an average return of $5.60 for every $1 spent. And as customers see the the improved service and reduced turnaround times that come as a result of mobile CRM, as employee productivity and engagement improve, and as information becomes more accurate and practical, the end result is that sales reps will see a definite increase in sales opportunities.
This will result from a reduction in the sales cycle duration, meaning that sales reps will be able to spend less time working with each individual client, freeing up more time for prospecting new leads. In this way, mobile CRM becomes more than just a valued tool; it becomes a partner working hand in hand with the sales rep to make his or her job easier and more efficient—taking care of the important details and providing access to vital data at the right time, while the rep focuses what really matters: the customer.
Learn more about mobile CRM by visiting our website or downloading the free e-book below.
