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CRM has come a long way since the use of Rolodexes and handwritten thank you notes.
Since the 1990’s, tech giants like Salesforce and SAP have been revolutionising the industry and leading it from strength to strength.
According to Investopedia, the global market value of CRM currently exceeds £32bn and is anticipated to keep growing higher. By 2021, it’s possible that CRM will be the largest revenue driver of enterprise software spending, but what changes must the industry embrace in order to get there from where it currently is now?
Our consultants, who have plentiful experience in working with and adapting Salesforce solutions, have shared their predictions on how they believe the market will change in 2019.
1. Firstly, a stronger AI influence
It was only ever a matter of time before artificial intelligence met CRM.
AI uses sophisticated algorithms to make predictions based on previous activity and essentially act as your helpful assistant.
Although a lot of CRM systems already have an AI tool, like the Salesforce Einstein platform, we believe the combination of the two will rise to prominence in 2019 . Combining CRM with AI will lessen the demand on sales staff to manually qualify leads, consequently freeing up lots of their time to spend on other tasks – safe in the knowledge that these functions are still being carried out accurately.
2. Universal mobile access
Organisations who have already enabled mobile access to their CRM systems have seen first-hand the benefits of doing so.
For example, sales teams and customer service reps are capable of dealing with queries as soon as they arise, instead of waiting until the next working day. This is something customers will notice, appreciate and remember, ultimately making companies with the best response rate stand out amongst competitors.
3. A more prevalent use of social CRM
Social CRM is the integration of a business’s social media channels with their customer relationship management system.
With social media only becoming more powerful, it’s no surprise that so many businesses are now clamouring for CRM systems to incorporate analytics taken from their social media channels. Social CRM deserves to be taken seriously, as it allows businesses to learn who their clients and site users are, what they think of the brand and their location – all with the click of a few buttons.
4. Cloud-based CRM to take over
On-premise CRM used to be the leading deployment method favoured by businesses.
In fact, back in 2008, 88% of businesses used an on-premise CRM system and a meagre 12% used one that was cloud-based. Fast forward ten years and the percentage of cloud-based CRM users now stands at 87%, with the remaining 13% expected to follow suit in the near future.
Cloud technology is becoming more advanced as time passes, which means cloud-based CRM systems are only going to become more secure, efficient and flexible. Such innovative software would save any business a great deal of time and money.
5. Finally, an influx of unique providers
As the demand for CRM grows, niche areas will undoubtedly arise.
CRM systems are already designed to be flexible and easily tailored, but we believe that vendors will take this one step further in 2019 and design systems to suit specific industries from the outset.
For example, an animal charity will not need software to carry out the same tasks as a law firm. CRM vendors know this, so now they are rushing to deliver bespoke solutions that will entice different industries and meet all of their individual needs exactly.
Why would a business look elsewhere if they have found a provider who knows their requirements inside and out?
Ensure your business doesn't get left behind
If you didn’t think CRM was a business priority last year, then it absolutely must become a priority in 2019.
With CRM systems due to become more savvy, helpful and accessible for all industries, there’s a real risk that your organisation will be overshadowed if you fail to embrace new trends.
On the other hand, adapting your CRM system to meet these trends could mean that 2019 is the most advantageous year yet for your business.
Prepare for 2019 with the help of Sandyx
Our consultants have been enhancing Salesforce-based systems, apps and software for years.
We have helped countless organisations unlock the full potential of their Salesforce products and you could easily be our next project – just give us a call or send us an email today and see how we can help you.