Zoho is a great CRM system for businesses.

Well, at least, I think so, and here is why…‍

Much has been said about the importance of customer-centricity in today’s business landscape. And with good reason: A company that fails to heed this wisdom will eventually be replaced by one that does. It is as simple as that. In sales and marketing speak, a CRM tool is anything but a tool. It’s an extension of your business mind and heart. In other words, it should be part of the DNA of your organization — not something you add on when the time comes for you to finally get serious about improving your customer experience. Fortunately, there are plenty of businesses out there that take things to heart when it comes to CRM. These organizations understand that their customers are (almost) everything — and they have the desire and resources necessary to prove it at every given opportunity. This is why most companies choose to focus more on their target market than on themselves instead.

What is CRM, in the first place?

If you think that CRM is only a piece of software, you might be mistaken.
Customer Relationship Management is essentially a concept that has existed for decades now, perhaps ever since the barter system (The Nuts and Bolts of CRM, 2005). It is the way good businesses manage their customers, and to do so, you need to perform various activities right from identifying prospects and following up with them, to closing deals and establishing long-lasting customer relationships. To execute these tasks, businesses in the past have used tools such as spreadsheets and notes, but when a business scales up these manual tools can be inefficient or even get in the way.

Why building a customer-centric business is so important

Customers are the lifeblood of any business — and when they are treated right, they can literally turn a profit. Just look at what Southwest Airlines has done to show us how it’s done. Southwest Airlines is a profitable, debt-free airline that has thrived since the early days of commercial aviation. What has enabled this airline to earn such amazing results? In part, it is because it treats its customers with such amazing respect. That’s why Southwest is a customer-centric business. This means that it understands the importance of building close, meaningful relationships with its clients. And when it comes to CRM software, Zoho is a great choice for businesses in South Africa. It’s a cloud CRM that is built for the modern era — not to mention that it’s extremely affordable and easy to use. But you do not have to take my word for it, you can give it a try by clicking here.

Zoho’s strengths in building a customer-centric business

Zoho’s CRM platform is great for a number of reasons. Top of the list is its affordability. You don’t have to pay a fortune to use Zoho. In fact, you can access some of its applications completely free, try out the limited full versions or sign up with a new customer account and pay for the full thing. With Zoho, you can set up a fully functional CRM with little effort. You can import contacts from email, Gmail, Google Apps, Microsoft Office, and other sources. You can also import contact information from Excel spreadsheets. Zoho’s features make it a great choice for many businesses. For example, you can manage your contacts easily. You can add notes, assign tasks, create sub-accounts, and create email reminders. You can also create sales pipelines, set up marketing campaigns, integrate it with virtually any other third-party software, and more.

Zoho CRM not only helps you to maintain a database of your customers and their requirements but also enables you to reach out to them via multiple communication channels, build and streamline business processes, automate routine actions, integrate with several third-party applications, and allow extensive customization, among many other benefits.

Why businesses need a CRM strategy

A CRM strategy is one of the most important investments you can make as a business owner. It’s the single most effective way to create a connection between your company and your customers. That’s because a CRM system is used to analyze customer information. It’s useful for collecting and organizing data. As you know by now, you can use this data to learn plenty about your clients. This can help you better serve your customers. Additionally, a CRM system is designed to help you track your sales and close more deals. You want to be able to identify which prospects are interested in buying from you. Once you have this information, you can set up sales campaigns and follow up on a regular basis. This can lead to more sales and more revenue for your company.

Zoho’s integrations for building your CRM strategy

There are many ways to build a customer-centric business. And one of the best ways is to integrate your CRM system with other software. As we’ve seen, this can help you reach your target market and collect information. It can also help you manage customers more efficiently. Zoho is integrated with a large number of other third-party software products. This makes it an ideal choice for building your CRM strategy. You can integrate it with your email marketing tools, sales tools, calendaring tools, and more. You can also integrate Zoho with your Google Docs or Gmail. This makes it easy to create and manage your spreadsheet data. You can also create and manage your email communications.

Some ways to build your own customer-centric business

First and foremost, be genuine towards your clients.
Be yourself, no matter how weird and/or awkward that may sound. Customers want to do business with someone who seems like they’d be happy to see them.

Secondly, show your customers that they matter.
This means doing everything you can to make sure that your clients are treated well and have everything they need. You can do this by knowing your customers and by collecting as much data as possible about them.

Third, offer a great product or service.
This will help you differentiate yourself from your competitors and earn loyalty from your clients.

Fourth, offer excellent customer service.
This is crucial if you want your customers to come back and buy from you again.

Fifth, offer value for money.
This means giving your clients something more than what they bargained for.

Summing up

Thanks to all of the new technology we’re seeing, the world of business is becoming a much more digital environment. This is great news for anyone in search of a cutting-edge CRM tool. Zoho CRM is a great option for businesses in South Africa. It’s affordable, easy to use, and packed with features for managing your business contacts.

Give it a try and tell us what your experience was like…

Cover Image Source: FreeImages‍