What is CRM?

Whilst there have been many and various definitions of CRM over the last 20 years, the articulation from IT research firm Gartner Group is the one that best reflects our approach at Touchstone CRM:

“A business strategy with outcomes that optimise profitability, revenue and customer satisfaction by organising around customer segments, fostering customer-satisfying behaviours and implementing customer-centric processes.”

For us, this is what CRM is all about. What matters most are the business benefits it brings to organisations of all sizes – whether your ‘customers’ are business clients, citizens, consumers, supporters, patients, donors or other stakeholders. Crucially, the definition doesn’t mention software, doesn’t mention technology and doesn’t mention the Cloud. What it does reference is a focus on business outcomes and processes, with a clear implication of organisational change.

CRM business outcomes

The following points demonstrate how wide-ranging the business outcomes of a successful CRM programme can be.

Improved sales productivity

• more insightful customer understanding
• improved sales qualification
• increased sales success
• shortened sales cycle
• improved win rates
• more informed customers

Impactful marketing communications

• more effective planning and execution of marketing campaigns
• sharpened marketing mix
• strengthened customer loyalty
• improved business performance monitoring

Improved customer experience

• faster, more precise resolution of customer issues
• 24×7 customer self-service

Bringing Gartner’s definition of CRM to life, everything we do is focused on helping you optimise profitability, revenue and customer satisfaction by fostering customer-satisfying behaviours and implementing efficient customer-centric processes.