Optimizing CRM for Small Business Success: A Case Study

Running Head: QSO-455 MODULE THREE CASE STUDY 1 QSO 455 Module Three Case Study Geoffrey Bailey 22 May 2022 Southern New Hampshire University

QSO 455 Module Three Case Study 2 1. You are Cindy’s friend, and you have recently studied customer relationship management, so she has asked you if there is anything that CRM could do to help her small business. Specifically, are there systems that could better manage her e-mail, appointment scheduling, accounting, and even general customer relationships (e.g., corresponding with customers, getting new product announcements out to the correct customers)? She even wondered if something like Facebook or Twitter could help her business. I would tell Cindy that what is holding back her business as well as creating additional work for her is the fact she is not currently using a well-designed CRM. “Customer relationship management (CRM) software has become a near-vital tool for businesses of all sizes. CRM software can provide several benefits to any business, from organizing contacts to automating key tasks. It can also be a centralized, organized hub that enables consistent communication both with customers and within the organization. This is especially important as more organizations shift to remote work” (Kuligowski, 2021) . A CRM system, such as Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, or HubSpot, can be directly integrated into almost every aspect of her business, and that there are literally 1000’s of off the shelves API’s (Application Programing Interface) that can be bolted on that deal with order taking, customer feedback, ordering, shipping and the like. 2. You plan to meet Cindy this coming weekend for pizza and a movie, and she hopes that you will have some recommendations for her. She also knows that there is no perfect customer relationship management system, so she will probably ask you about any downside to the recommendations you make. What advice will you give her? Implementing a CRM system is a sizable commitment of time and resources. What happens if the system can’t keep up with organic growth or changes in technology? How will the CRM

QSO 455 Module Three Case Study 3 Cindy picks be relevant when the sales landscape shifts? The best advice when searching for a potential CRM, or any business software, is scalability. “Despite being thrown around like a buzzword, scalability is quite important. For a business, it means that an application is able to change quickly according to the business' needs and requirements. Whether you need the core features or the full set, and whether you have 10 or 500 users, the CRM can adapt within moments and with a few clicks. A CRM that's scalable can easily be used by a two-person startup and a Fortune 500 company with thousands of employees, offering the same functionalities and ease of use” (Akhrin, 2021) . Scalability is best achieved when selecting a product like Salesforce that allows customers to bolt API’s as needed in order to adapt to changing market conditions. The biggest downside would be picking a system that was not scalable in the hopes of saving money on the front end. A scalable system allows the company to disseminate the most accurate information to its customers in whatever technological method they are using. 3. How does CRM in a start-up differ from CRM in an established organization? One of the biggest areas of difference between starts-ups and established businesses is specialization. When a business is just staring out with one employee, or just a few, everyone has to wear multiple hats. As an organization grows and revenues increase, the need for specialization becomes more apparent. As this specialization starts to occur, it is critical the CRM system, such as Salesforce, work diligently to make sure that everyone is focused on the most important bit of the equation, the customer relationship. “Empowering teams with a single, unified view of the customer is one of the biggest benefits of a CRM system, and it trickles down to other advantages that become available once you have this usable data. You can also run reports to see where your opportunities are, how well you’re interacting with leads and

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QSO 455 Module Three Case Study 4 customers, trends in your sales and customer service efforts, and more. This informs every experience you deliver to your customers from email marketing to what online features you make available to them” (Salesforce, 2022) . In addition, social CRM software such as Monday.com or Click up allow organizations to scour social media and then engage in lead generating functions with little to no input after the initial parameters have been set. However, these applications are only as good as the information they are given to work with and are most effective when using them for broad-based campaigns.

QSO 455 Module Three Case Study 5 Works Cited Akhrin, D. (2021, June 15). The Importance Of Finding A Scalable CRM For Your Business . Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/06/15/the-importance-of- finding-a-scalable-crm-for-your-business/?sh=1f0fec647c1a Kuligowski, K. (2021, November 19). 11 Benefits of CRM Systems . Retrieved from Business News Daily: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/15963-benefits-of-crm.html Salesforce. (2022). The 6 Greatest Benefits of CRM Platforms to Know . Retrieved from Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/crm/benefits-of-crm/

QSO 455 Module Three Case Study-Bailey

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