Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the company through two-way communication, understanding and influence customer behavior in order to attract customers and maintain customer and ultimately the process of achieving business goals. Although the CRM's business philosophy and operation of the system 90 years since the 20th century, where business has been rapidly accepted Pi and in the Tai Qi Ye widely used, however, Zhan 95% of the total number of enterprises Zhongxiaoqiye how to effectively apply CRM but is a very important research topic. Not only because of the large number of SMEs, have a significant impact on the national economy; it is the inherent existence and development of small and medium enterprises need, CRM is used for many SMEs to upgrade its enterprise competitiveness in a strong choice.
However, relative to large enterprises, SMEs generally lack strong financial, business information is low, the lack of highly qualified professionals, a situation that enables small and medium enterprises is very cautious in the application of CRM. In particular, some examples of the implementation of CRM failure, leaving many SMEs prohibitive. Therefore, how to identify the characteristics of SMEs to meet the actual situation of SMEs in the application model is to promote SMEs, the key to the implementation of CRM.
From the start of SMEs in different stages of growth, according to the characteristics of SMEs in different stages of growth for SMEs to conduct a detailed analysis of CRM applications, and on this basis, the different applications made for the corresponding CRM Application Mode.
First, the growth of SMEs in the application stage and on demand CRM
Business growth is a dynamic process of development, Keio University, Japan Shimizu Dr. Long Ying enterprises by firm size to be divided into 4 categories: small-scale enterprises, SMEs, major companies and large enterprises. Shimizu Dr. Long Ying of that small-scale enterprises to large enterprises to go through the process of growing three stages: initial growth, growth and safety on a regular basis @ re-growth period. As SMEs are at different growth periods with different characteristics, also determine the needs of SMEs on the application of CRM focus is different.
1. The initial growth stage
After the initial growth stage is just starting that business for some time now companies are often small and inadequate resources, poor ability to resist risks; while a small number of customers, those few customers as the basis of survival. Therefore, SMEs need to let a limited understanding of their own sales force to customers, providing customers with sincere service, training and customer feelings and enhance relationships with customers. Therefore, in this period, the SME CRM applications focus on the CRM business management concepts into practice. CRM through the application of new management theory to guide their daily behavior, to encourage enterprises to establish strong relationships with our customers and to develop effective customer management strategy.
2. Growth Period
Growth stage is determined in the initial growth stage based on a degree of business continue to grow after the period. This phase of the business enterprise has a certain basis, been setting up marketing, sales, service and other marketing functions. With the growth of enterprises, not only to retain existing customers, but keeps on digging new customers. However, at this stage, many SMEs will face some new difficulties. For example, many complex and difficult to track the long sales cycle clients; a large number repetitive daily work a man-made the mistake; lose some important customer and sales information; are not completely on the clients product or service evaluation. Therefore, in this period, small and medium enterprises focused on CRM applications will be applied to the core CRM functionality business. CRM business through internal and external resources to achieve re-integration of the enterprise's business processes into flexible "customer-centric" business processes, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of enterprises.
3. On a regular basis & re-growth period
This period is through growth stage companies, the goal of the new development, or continue to maintain corporate status quo, or to enter the ranks of the stage of large enterprises. At this point companies have a certain scale and strength, internal management systems and processes are more standardized. However, the stage is also prone to small and medium capacity weak operators, business organizations, non-efficient, enterprise non-balanced development. If we can effectively solve these problems, companies can run and re-growth and stability. SMEs are in the stage already has considerable strength to the full implementation of CRM. But the successful implementation of the CRM is not a simple process that involves all aspects of business, including corporate strategy, business process, organizational structure and information technology aspects. If you have not done enough of a vision, then it will be an effective obstacle to the implementation of CRM on the road. Therefore, in this period, the SME CRM applications focus on the perspective from the system in the enterprise-wide implementation of CRM.
In short, at different period of development of SMEs, on demand CRM applications have different focuses, as the business grew, on demand CRM applications gradually deepened. Therefore, the SMEs should be based on their stage of development, to select the corresponding application of these models need CRM.
Second, different stages of development of SMEs CRM Application Mode
We follow the different stages of the CRM business applications, CRM applications to small and medium model is divided into 3 types: one concept-oriented model - business strategy through the development of customer relationship management, CRM management concept will be integrated into the actual business activities of enterprises to; second business application model - real customer business needs through the establishment of core business processes to provide customers with unique, high value-added products and services; Third, implementation of the system model - enterprise by establishing a system to effectively customer relationship management model to achieve sustained competitive advantage. With the growing small and medium enterprise CRM applications on the deepening of its CRM application model from the CRM concept to the concept of class-oriented application - development of business applications as its core business-class applications - until the overall enterprise-wide roll out the system-level applications.
1. Concept-oriented model
Concept-oriented model is the company under the guidance of the CRM concept and draw up the corporate identity of the customer relationship management strategy, so that each employee to fully understand the application of CRM objectives and be flexible to the company's daily business activities. The customer relationship management strategies include:
① special concern. As the small number of customers, the SMEs should be careful to distinguish between treat every customer, so that they can get more attention.
② sincere relationship. The small number of small and medium management levels, the operators are often directly involved in the enterprise business activities, efforts should be to create a sincere, friendly, comfortable atmosphere, so that customers feel good attention.
③ full confidence. SMEs to create an atmosphere which encourages customers to have trouble or want to learn in some cases, the directly reflected to the enterprise and to ensure that the problem can be solved in order to establish a relationship of trust between customers and enterprises.
④ quick response. SMEs without complex institutions, their internal decision-making process is relatively fast, should be timely decision-making, enabling enterprises to track and focus on market trends and customer needs.
⑤ concerned about long-term interests. SME operators more flexible attitude towards risk, and sometimes more than managers of large enterprises seem more tolerable. Be more willing to maintain a friendly relationship with customers, more focus on customer service in order to achieve long-term returns.
2. Business Application Mode
SMEs in the growth stage of the application of CRM in an attempt to create efficient, standardized business processes, and resources to focus on their core business, in order to enhance the core business capability. We follow the functional properties of CRM, combined with the characteristics of SMEs in general the four kinds of key CRM business application model: customer behavior oriented, market information-led, led the sales process as well as repair and maintenance oriented. Specifically:
① customer behavior oriented. Customer behavior is dominated by enterprises to establish a customer-centric behavior of business processes. Found from the key customer groups, valuable customers, and the demand for these critical customer to take appropriate marketing measures. For these enterprises, mainly to build customer databases, scientific analysis of customer data in order to facilitate customers to buy long-term purchase and cross. Shopping malls, hotels and other related industries in the growth stage of the SMEs that are appropriate for this model.
② market information oriented. Market information that led enterprises to establish a sales representative to manage the collection and disposal market information-centric business processes. They are mainly scattered across the country to rely on sales representatives to obtain market information and complete the sales task. For such enterprises, the main application of CRM is to enhance the management of sales representatives, sales representatives to spread the information into the company's resources, while sales representatives can help performance appraisal. System integration, medicine and other related industries in the growth stage of the SMEs for using this model.
③ sales process oriented. Sales process is oriented enterprise established to manage sales opportunities and sales process-centric business processes. Through a direct sales approach, to achieve high technical content, the sales process complex, diverse product sales tasks, and achieve customer's repeat purchase. For such enterprises, so orders can expect rapid adoption of CRM implementation, sales staff can change for the company resources, customer resources, to provide resources to support the sales staff (such as the knowledge base), and complete service management system. Equipment manufacturing, industrial products and other related industries in the growth stage of the SMEs for using this model.
④ repair and maintenance oriented. Maintenance Maintenance is the company led the establishment of end-user service, repair and maintenance for the center's business processes to quickly access customer service information, respond quickly to customer service requests, effectively monitoring management and maintenance process, to do maintenance tasks resources ( personnel, materials) and smooth deployment. For this type of CRM applications with the enterprise model, the main application of CRM is to build low-cost "call center", and make the implementation of system maintenance and business coordination. Household appliances, automobiles, general machinery and equipment, industry-specific machinery and equipment industry in a growth stage is appropriate to use this model for SMEs.
3. Implementation Mode
On a regular basis & for further growth of SMEs during the application of CRM's purpose is through the systematic implementation of the CRM, actively seek new customers, maintain existing customers and increase profitability of each customer. System implementation model is from a system point of view, in the context of full implementation of the CRM business process. The model includes four key steps:
① develop CRM strategy. CRM is not a simple concept or program, it is a business strategy, throughout the enterprise and business links in each sector. Therefore, the development of customer-centric CRM strategy is the first step towards implementation of the system. CRM strategy is to small and medium enterprises according to their internal and external environment and resources, customers and businesses to achieve a win-win long-term planning and have taken action strategies, including communication with customers, customer acquisition, customer retention and customer profitability four strategies.
Customer communication strategy is the core of CRM strategy, which is the key to maintaining long-term customer relationships. Enterprise network by establishing communication with customers, customer implementation of personalized marketing communication, and ultimately build customer alliances.
Customer acquisition strategy is based on CRM strategy, business customers by collecting relevant information from a number of scattered data to identify potential customers and the development of a new customer.
Customer retention strategy is the focus of CRM strategy, business customers to take some of the real value of the measures, such as high-quality products, quality service, reduce customer's total cost to train customer loyalty, the purpose of maintaining customers.
Customer profitability strategy is the strategic goal of CRM, enterprise resource services focused on the advantages of high value customers through data mining, data warehouse technology to analyze the real needs of high-value customers, and a variety of ways to meet these needs, so customers have a high satisfaction, to achieve maximum customer value.
② Construction CRM processes. Construction CRM process is intended to put customers at the center of enterprises, by changing the business functions and responsibilities of various departments, set up a new workflow. CRM process structure is guided by the strategy in the CRM, the CRM process will be divided into small and medium enterprises to collect customer information, customer segments, and customer communication, and customer transactions, customer service and customer demand forecast of six stages:
Collect customer information phase. This phase is the starting point of CRM processes. Its main task is to ensure the accuracy of customer information, reduce the frequency and quantity of data error.
Customer segmentation stage. Customer segments that will have the same needs for unified management of customers, both for enterprise customer relationship management, but also enable customers to produce a respectable, to be fair to good feelings.
Customer communication phase. With good communication, summarizes the evaluation of enterprise products customer service satisfaction and help companies better meet the customer needs to provide products or services.
Stage of customer transactions. This stage is the most customer-oriented period. SMEs must be honest and trustworthy in dealing with the most sincere services to achieve customer loyalty culture.
Customer Service stage. Quality customer service is an important way to enhance customer value, small and medium enterprises through high-quality customer service can facilitate customers repeat purchase, and with enterprises to establish permanent, solid relationship.
Customer demand forecast period. This is a connecting link between stage. In the above stages based on customer demand, to develop new business for the company to further meet customer demand for high-level.
③ deployment of personnel. CRM itself from the implementation of CRM personnel mainly two categories: First, internal staff, that company all employees, is the leading CRM implementation, the system of real users and beneficiaries; Second, people outside the company, is help enterprises to implement CRM as a management consultant, including the CRM vendors, consulting firms and customers voice.
Internal staff of SMEs, first need to set up a high-level managers within the enterprise, business, technical backbone together constitute the CRM implementation team, who will bear the implementation plan, analysis of business needs, select information systems, process control and other matters. And motivate staff to enable them to accept change, and sets out a detailed CRM implementation plan, clearly the specific tasks of each employee, to strengthen communication and cooperation among employees.
For companies outside of the CRM from the management consultant, as an important component CRM implementation team members, in addition to possess the necessary expertise to implement standardized, professional operation, but also must bear the conduction, the role of teaching, to be good at communication and guide enterprises. In addition, for end customers, enterprises should not ignore their positive role, because they are the final test system who seek their support and help the smooth implementation of enterprise CRM has helped.
④ Development of CRM software. Through technical means, CRM software development is the difficulty to implement CRM. Currently, SMEs can take advantage of new technologies to help them manage customer relationships, such as the use of advanced software, databases, the establishment of local area network or wide area net. Unfortunately, many businesses in this area into a large, effective low. Crux of the matter: Many small and medium enterprises is the technology as a utility, depending on the technology, reduce cost and improve the efficiency of the means, but do not realize that technology is the new enterprises to improve customer value carrier.
CRM software for SME development is to create a convenient and efficient application platform, the platform used to support CRM processes. On this basis, then planning a corporate integrity, harmony, unity of CRM software systems. This system can meet the needs of SME management customers, customer information dispersed to change the past, customer management complicated situation; but also to realize internal management of small and medium enterprises so that enterprises both in the customer data, product information, or staff data, the reunification.
Be noted that the proposed three types of CRM applications are not isolated between modes, but with the continuous development of SMEs, the deepening of the CRM application needs, from the inside out, and gradually extended, and from simple to complex and evolving process. Then, the CRM application mode of choice, on the one hand, SMEs must have a clear understanding of required stage of development of their own, according to their specific needs choose the right CRM application mode; the other hand, SMEs should have asked perspective of development, according to the dynamic growth of enterprises to adjust their CRM application mode.