Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

What is a CRM?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a strategy, process, and technology used by businesses to manage and analyse customer interactions throughout the entire customer lifecycle. The purpose of a CRM is to strengthen customer relationships, increase retention, and drive sales growth.

How CRMs Work

‍A CRM system centralises all customer data, including contact details, communication history, sales activity, support cases, and marketing engagement, into a single platform. This shared access helps sales, marketing, and customer service teams work together efficiently and deliver consistent, personalised experiences.

Digital Automation in CRMs

‍Modern CRMs connect with marketing automation tools, email campaigns, chatbots, and analytics systems to streamline workflows. Automated triggers can send follow-up messages, assign leads, or update deal stages without manual effort. This allows teams to focus on building relationships rather than managing repetitive tasks.

Benefits of a CRM

• Better customer segmentation and targeting
• Stronger alignment between sales and marketing
• Improved retention through personalised communication
• Real-time visibility into sales pipelines and performance metrics
• Increased efficiency through automation of routine processes

Examples of CRMs

Popular CRM platforms include Zoho CRM, HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and Microsoft Dynamics 365.