CRM, abbreviated form of Customer Relationship Management and almost 75% of the companies are already using it as a marketing automation tool., is integral for any business to flourish. It serves as a database to store all the relevant information about the customer while also acting as a decision-making tool.

The data and analysis done by the various algorithms in the CRM, helps individuals to make their sales pitch more relevant and emphatic. It helps to analyze consumer behavior and buying pattern to ensure that a high degree of customization and database management is achieved.

In this regard, by adding automation features to CRM software, the power of CRM can be enhanced exponentially with its revenue till 2013 which is currently $6.1 billion, thus reaping windfall benefits for business. Some of how automation feature in CRM benefits business are as follows:

Data validation

One of the common problems which slow down the performance of CRM is the lack of proper data collection. Since most consumers don’t discreetly give data, human knowledge and prowess are used to fill in the gaps. These manual inputs lead to massive differences in processing and sometimes derail the entire process.

Issues like mapping the journey of customers, figuring out the decision-making unit, gauging the purchasing power of the customer, etc., should be highly objective, and data have driven. Hence automation would help in data validation and reduce the scope for manual intervention.

Real-time update

One of the key benefits of the automation feature is that it provides a real-time update to the sales team. Hence any customer issues regarding any product or service can be resolved on a real-time basis leading to better consumer engagement.

Moreover, using automation, information and status of the product delivery and service can be flashed to the customers on a real-time basis. This would ultimately lead to better customer management leading to an increase in revenues as 63% of marketeers are enhancing their budget for automation and CRM.

Leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning 

More than 48,000 active websites are using marketing feature in CRM automation strategies. By using automation features as a building block, companies can later add other elements like artificial intelligence, machine learning etc. which would not only increase the processing and analytical capabilities of the CRM but also make the CRM more predictive and responsive.

Hence by using AI-powered chatbots, several of the CRM services like sending reminders to the customers, designing the sales pitch, pushing new products and services can be automated leading.

This higher degree of automation would lead to better and personalized communication with the customers. In the long run, this would lead to higher customer loyalty giving the power of premium pricing to the customers.

Personalized and channelized communication

Today consumers are evolving in their taste, preference and purchasing behavior. Hence one size fits all approach won’t suffice any more. Using automation in CRM software, businesses can develop marketing strategies based on customer segment and consumer behavior.

Using automation businesses can better surf through the data store in the CRM and find out patterns regarding consumer behavior. Hence using automation companies can predict whether website visitors are interested in purchasing something or just surfing the website. This would then help them to make a better-informed decision.

Driving collaboration and developing a cohesive strategy

Using automation features in CRM, companies can drive better collaboration among various stakeholders. Given the benefits of automation, multiple departments like finance, sales, marketing can find their shortcomings and hence comprehensively work on them.

Such a scenario will have a two-pronged benefit. Firstly, it will ensure that all the department’s areas are in sync with the more prominent features and are aligned with the goals of the company.

Secondly, it will provide more considerable attention to basics and details, thus ironing out any small issues which might crop up.This would lead to the implementation of a uniform, cohesive strategy across the entire business, thus leading to greater synergy and flawless execution.

Enhance lead quality  

In the modern world driven by falling data prices and cheaper mobile phones, a vast majority of the population spends a considerable amount of time online. Therefore, the strategic goal of marketing features in CRM automation is driving up to 61% for lead generation.

However, most of them are just curious onlookers indulging in window shopping. The customer database so developed has lots of discrepancies which leads to wastage of time and labor.

In technical terms, automation can ensure better lead quality by filtering out the non-customers. This would lead to better utilization of resources and time, thus enabling increased focus on genuine customers.

These are some of the benefits of using the automation feature in customer relationship management. In essence, automation leads to better filtering and predictive analytics, thus helping businesses in figuring out what their customers want.

By integrating the automation feature into CRM, the companies can expand their business exponentially on a shoestring budget by reaching out to a broader audience in a short period. Given such vast benefits of integrating automation features in CRM, companies should fastback the whole exercise.