5 Important CRM Management Tips

When you regularly talk about a topic like this, you begin to write certain pieces based on what people ask you directly about and what trend in discussions in the field. You want to talk about what people want to hear about, and given the recent boom of questions about CRM management, I guess I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the topic.

The problem is, I’ll be frank, I don’t know what anyone actually expects any of us to say about CRM management. I mean, most of the aspects to management of the actual framework are completely technical things, and they are more than documented by the designers of given CRM solutions.

There’s not much in the way of advice above that to really give. Now, in an ideal world, I could just stop there, and leave you to go and research those technical management topics based on the CRM you have chosen to use.

However, some of you may not have chosen your CRM yet, or are unsure about CRM in general, and hoped to gain some insight by learning about what goes into managing the concept and the technology. So you feel a little stuck, once you realize everyone who talks about this is saying exactly what I have.

Well, as a consolation prize, I will give you five general CRM tips, though I can’t say they’re exclusive to management, they definitely are a part of it in some way.

#1 – Choose Wisely

Choose your CRM wisely. We recently went over the things to bear in mind when choosing your CRM, and talked about examples of popular solutions that follow the different basic types they were.

Choosing your CRM will shape the rest of your SaaS choices and your procedures and mentality, since it is such a core part. The first step in managing this is getting the right one running.

#2 – Document Additions

All additions to a CRM system, especially if you choose something like Salesforce, SugarCRM or Dynamics, should be documented. It makes users aware of new functionality.

This makes support easier since it changes the nature of CRM, prevents redundant creation of things, and makes sure everyone makes avail of problem solving changes given to them.

#3 – Regulate Access

Make sure users only have access to what’s pertinent to them. This not only keeps them from messing with things they shouldn’t, but it also keeps it from overwhelming them by showing them too much crap they don’t need.

Most CRM is easy to do this with, so make sure you do.

#4 – Backup Regularly

I shouldn’t have to say this, or most things on this list for that matter. But, backups are important, because this data is the lifeblood of your company. Disasters happen, be ready for them.

If you don’t, you’ll be sorry.

#5 – Integrate

Most CRM has some integration with other services of some sort. Salesforce does this more than others, but most do it to some level. Integrating services gives them and their data solidarity.

Really, beyond this, I don’t know what else to say about CRM management that’s not just the technical aspects of maintaining whatever software you’ve chosen.