Sales platforms

CRM-systems, online call scheduling services, customer loyalty programs, etc.

 

Why we need services to automate cold mailings

 

The capabilities of popular mailing services differ little, but the needs of businesses differ greatly. There are many solutions for creating mailing lists, and even more are combinations of these solutions. And if you can use an English-language interface, the choice of services for automatic mailings expands.

 

A lot depends on what kind of business you are in - e-commerce, SaaS or B2B - and what you want to do with mass emails. It could be sales, marketing communications, or customer service.

 

An email marketing service is the main tool of an email marketer, his main working environment. Ideally, it should solve business problems in the area of email or direct marketing in a comprehensive way. Moreover, in the context of both functionality and approach to the profession.

 

Because email marketing does not stand still, services evolve with it. 

 

As of today, they can:

 

  • Collect and store data about subscribers.

  • Segment this data in various ways.

  • Create email content in their own html editor and by importing it from external sources.

  • Personalize this content with dynamic content (inserting names and other personal information from the database).

  • Send mass emails (to all subscribers at once and to selected segments).

  • Send automatic letters in case of certain events (subscribing to the newsletter, changing data fields, etc.).

  • Provide split-testing functionality (to test various hypotheses on a selected % of subscribers).

  • Provide newsletter statistics in detailed reports (how many emails are successfully delivered, how many are opened, how many clicks are performed, which links are clicked, etc.).

 

What do company CRM systems do?


CRM software keeps track of a customer's gender, age, purchasing history, and interactions with the company. The system gathers the whole history of the company's connection with its consumers in one location and in a certain manner.

 

A notepad or Excel spreadsheet, for example, might serve as a CRM system for a small coffee shop or shoe repair company. Basic information is stored in these instruments, such as frequent clients' phone numbers. Small businesses seldom utilize or evaluate this information. Checking the list of discount holders and sending SMS-alerts about promotions are the only ways to communicate with the consumer.

 

Large organizations use questionnaires to obtain additional information about their consumers, such as their name, gender, age, marital status, occupation, and interests. This data is used to create a unique offer for each consumer. CRM organizes the data for easy storage, simplifies analytics, and allows for the creation of a customer communication plan.

 

CRM records the history of a seller's and a customer's connection. Brands use this information to enhance staff performance, deploy new marketing strategies, boost service levels, and increase revenue.

 

Why CRM is so important

 

There are hundreds or thousands of companies on the market that have a similar product or service. Competing on the basis of the product itself is now extremely difficult, unless you have an innovative ship to Mars or teleport technology.

 

Brands have long been competing on other criteria:

 

  • Service and approach - speed of service, additional services, attitude to the customer; 

  • Brand values - sympathy, loyalty through involvement, community;

  • Relevance - how well the offer, solution, product fit the situation, the needs of the client. 

 

Guess how you can compete on these aspects? At the expense of what? Yes, your intuition does not fail you. Due to well-designed business processes, automation and CRM-system.

 

Handling every possible contact is just one of many tasks. 

 

CRM also aids in the following areas:

 

1. Retention of customers. When the responsible manager has all of the facts and history of the client relationship in front of him, he can provide exactly what he need. CRM will keep the data if the manager is sacked, and another employee will be able to continue communicating.

 

2. Organize collaborative efforts. In small businesses, there is typically no clear separation of tasks, and everyone does everything. The problem of such "universal warriors" is that it is hard to determine who is accountable for what. Collaborative functions are available in most current CRM systems.

 

3. Create a convenient customer base. Sometimes you need that information about the partner has access not only to the manager who works with him. The CRM has settings for data access.

 

4. Keep track of your finances. CRM feature enables you to build reports and identify significant customers as well as the most lucrative items and services based on them.

 

5. Keep track of how productive your staff are. You can measure how many hours people spend on projects, identify idlers, and properly share the effort with a time tracking application.

 

6. Boost your sales. Managers process all incoming leads and make sure that key meetings, calls, and letters are not forgotten. They have a better understanding of the consumer and can provide what they require.

 

7. You will get more time if you save time. Several mundane operations, such as billing, reporting, and coordinating conversations and mailings, may be handled with CRM.

 

8. Analyze the results and keep track of the data. CRM allows you to sort information by various attributes and generate a report. You'll be ready to see how many clients are at each level of the pipeline, how much time passes between both the first contact and the closing of the deal, at what point the majority of leads are denied and why, or what the budget of the work progress is.

 

9. Bringing deals to a satisfactory completion. Understanding where each leads would be in the sales funnel and what actions to take to move them forward will help your managers close more deals without losing clients in the process.

 

Why is it necessary to use online call scheduling services?


Customers expect service providers in the telecoms, banking, healthcare, and other customer-centric industries to book appointments. Call center owners, on the other hand, generally handle calls as they come in. Perhaps it's also time to consider making phone calls.

 

Why? The same reasons apply to call center appointments as they do to physical visits. This scheduling will allow agents' time to be scheduled more accurately and efficiently. It aids in the reduction of peak-hour congestion, i.e., waiting time, stress on agents dealing with a large amount of work, and potential mistakes.

 

It may also be advantageous to the client. Clients value their time and do not wish to speak with an agent for an extended period of time. While there is pleasant music playing on the phone while you wait, many clients would like to speak with an agent.

 

Imagine a situation where you have the right number of agents at all times! They know the volume of calls in advance and can effectively prepare for the conversation.  Also, imagine happy customers who can talk to an agent and solve their problem at their convenience.

 

What customer loyalty programs are for

 

A loyalty program is a system for rewarding loyal customers: customers receive discounts and bonuses for their brand loyalty. It increases the appeal of your store compared to a neighbouring store that doesn't offer a regular customer a discount.

Why do you need a loyalty program?

 

To form a core of regular customers:

 

  • Increase the consumption of goods and services;

  • Decrease the churn and return the departing customers;

  • To attract new customers;

  • Gather information on customers, store occupancy and assortment requirements.

 

Types of Loyalty program


Where do I start working on my loyalty program? With the choice of mechanics. Give customers a fixed discount or award points for each purchase? Choosing a format depends on the goals and objectives of your business.

 

Discount and savings loyalty programs have become the main and proven effective ones. Closed customer clubs and various co-branding programs are also popular.

 

Discount


A discount loyalty program provides a customer with a fixed discount on goods or services. The store gives the customer a discount card or sells it for money.

 

Savings


Most federal retail chains use accumulation mechanics. It allows them to build long-term relationships with customers. The chain records the purchase history of the participant of the loyalty program and rewards the client for commitment to the company with points and status. Points are a kind of cashback to the client, expressed in the "local currency" of the retail network.

 

Closed Club


In fact, a private club is a type of savings-based loyalty program used mostly by premium brands (cars, alcohol, hotels, luxury cosmetics, and designer clothing). The customer accumulates points and not only increases his or her discount, but also gets access to the brand's "private club privileges" offers: private parties and presentations, tastings, and pre-sales of new collections.