What are the most used types of CRM, what are they for and benefits

Nowadays, with the increasing influence of new technologies on the corporate world, it is clear that any business that proposes to correctly implement the best digital marketing strategies must invest in the adoption of management software. In that regard, highlights include one of the best types of CRM in these processes.

This is because the tool is an important means for relationships between the brand and customers (or potential customers) to be correctly managed. Furthermore, a system needs to be CRM is capable of centralizing all data relating to the company's customers and leads in a single place, so that the service process occurs in an optimized and fluid way.

However, it is commonly observed that many managers still face serious doubts before choosing which type of CRM to adopt in their sales process. sales management – which is natural, considering the wide variety of options available on the market.

For this reason, we prepared this content in order to respond to this and other questions common on the subject. After reading this article, you will be ready to learn about the main types of CRM and prepared to choose the one that will best suit your business needs.

After all, what is a CRM?

CRM is the acronym for Customer Relationship Management, or, in Portuguese, Customer Relationship Management. Therefore, its brief definition can be software focused on managing the processes related to business operations that a company has with its customers. 

However, CRM encompasses much more than that when it comes to marketing and sales strategy with the proposal to transform the focus of the business. 

In the past, the entire marketing process was excessively focused on the operational aspect, focusing too much on cost reduction, product attributes and the quality of its services. 

Now, with the right CRM practices, both large and Small business understand that it is also extremely necessary to prioritize a relationship strategy that meets the needs and desires of their consumer audience.

In this way, it becomes capable of solving its problems effectively and transmitting to the customer all the value contained in the solutions offered by the company, at the same time that it favors the results of the business.

The importance of CRM in customer relationship management

The importance of implementing CRM in a company's business routines is both in the centralization of customer and lead information, such as reminders for the company to contact leads.

In addition, the CRM also allows the brand to know the purchase preferences and the particular needs of its consumer.

From the CRM perspective, it is understood that such knowledge is vital for the improvement of the most diverse results obtained by the company, including the realization of a differentiated service and support, which makes the customer feel close to the brand, strengthening the relationship between them and generating loyalty.

In line with these factors, we also highlight that CRM tools represent valuable instruments in automation and improving the sales process, since the most efficient marketing campaigns are conducted based on the analysis and interpretation of contact information from customers and potential consumers, towards a process of sales standardized and personalized.

It is also relevant to highlight here its importance in detecting sales opportunities and in assertive contact with customers: CRM is widely used to identify the stage of the purchasing journey in which a given lead is located, so that the right content is offered to them at the appropriate time.

However, the use of CRM is also very useful in collecting information about the main problems faced by customers during the post-purchase stage, which is a determining factor in terms of improving customer service and support. .

Finally, the importance of using a good CRM in your company's business practices is also reflected in the internal routine of your own team, since, by using the tool, the manager can regularly evaluate the performance of the marketing and sales team. , checking the achievement of goals, the individual performance of each employee and if the leads were, in fact, hot for the sales team.

In the same way, CRM makes it possible to identify each bottleneck that occurred along the process and, from there, propose the necessary improvements in order to evolve the service and the relationship between the customer and the brand.

Thus, the implementation of a CRM system in your company can promote a complete transformation in several levels of your most diverse business processes, offering significant improvements in several aspects, such as:

• customer retention;
• increase in revenue;
• brand perception;
• competitiveness analysis;
• scalable growth;
• sustainable development.

Today, the importance of implementing a CRM among the elementary tools of a company is as recognized as the use of a good ERP system.

It is precisely because a well-implemented CRM system is capable of meeting the most diverse business needs of the company, that there are so many different types of CRM available. 

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What are the different types of CRM?

Now that you understand their concept and importance, it's time to talk about each of these different types. 

When choosing a CRM for your company, it is extremely important to think carefully about which one you will choose, as this choice will be vital for personalizing, segmenting and tracking your contacts and guiding them through the stages of the sales funnel. 

Below, we introduce you to the different types of CRM.

CRM types sorted by industry

Companies that have specific sectors can have their tasks managed in a CRM, they are: marketing, sales and support.

Marketing CRM

Ideal for companies whose marketing strategies are based on the end-to-end customer journey, CRM, as a marketing tool, allows the creation of well-targeted, personalized, segmented and very assertive campaigns.

Typically, this strategy reveals good conversion rates, in addition to improving and retaining the relationship between customer and brand – since lead management, market segmentation and results evaluation are strongly favored when connecting your marketing campaigns to yours. CRM system.

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Sales CRM

The most used strategy in the use of CRMs, aims to facilitate the direction of prospects through the stages of the sales funnel. Here, CRM is used as a fundamental tool for carrying out numerous processes, such as: 

• contact registration; 
• follow-up of prospects; 
• follow-up; 
• directing prospects to the next stages of the funnel; 
• establishment and monitoring of goals; 
• planning; and reports.

It is safe to say, therefore, that sales CRM should favor data analysis, operationalization of business processes, integration between company sectors and process automation.

Support CRM

Using CRM as a support tool is synonymous with personalizing communication and managing waiting and service times towards results that reveal speed and efficiency. 

It is essential that, through CRM, the team gains access to all information more relevant. It is also vital that the CRM is able to connect with other tools in order to receive important data from the customer service system and anticipate useful information for the consumer. 

That's what guarantees a problem-solving system that optimizes the time taken – both for your customers and your team members.

CRM types according to their functionalities

CRM can also be chosen based on the functions performed within the company.

Operational CRM

The most common type of CRM optimizes and automates the various business processes, marketing, sales and services. 

It focuses on generating leads and converting them into customers, in addition to building loyalty through improving after-sales, converting them into customers and improving after-sales service to ensure their loyalty.

Analytical CRM

Analytical CRM primarily lends itself to the analysis and interpretation of consumer data obtained from various touchpoints, as well as reporting. Its focus is to support management and teams in order to provide perfect customer service.

Collaborative CRM

Collaborative CRM is a system that understands that different internal teams can end up operating independently, and, therefore, allows the sharing of customer information among all employees who have permission to do so. 

This type of system is especially important to ensure good integration between teams.

strategic CRM

Finally, we have the strategic CRM: nothing more than a system that combines the functionalities of the previous three, providing a complete view of each process operating within the company. We can define strategic CRM, therefore, as the most complete option among the four.

While we're on the subject of CRM, we invite you to learn about the integration of HubSpot's CRM platform (one of the largest in the world) with ZapSign. To find out how the two tools together can benefit different sectors of your company, check here!