Certainly, the combination of CRM and consultancy is never straightforward.
Business consultancy is a crucial activity for companies looking to embark on a journey of change and improvement. Being observed from an external perspective is essential to identifying a sustainable path and achieving the desired results.
Business consultants are professionals with expertise in specific areas of business, such as human resources management, finance, innovation, or CRM. They help companies identify their strengths and weaknesses and develop an action plan to reach their goals.
A particularly useful tool to support this process of change is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. A CRM allows companies to collect, manage, and analyze customer data – and potential customers – to better understand their needs and preferences. Additionally, it enables the automation and optimization of sales, marketing, and customer service processes, improving business efficiency and productivity.
The combination of business consultancy and CRM can be especially powerful for companies looking to initiate change. The business consultant identifies areas needing improvement and proposes an action plan to achieve the objectives. The CRM provides concrete and procedural support for implementing the plan, automating processes and allowing progress to be monitored.
Both business consultancy and CRM adoption are essential tools to bring true change within a company. The key question is: which CRM and which consultant should you choose to embark on this journey?
The options are truly numerous! When it comes to the consultant, it is ideal to choose one with CRM expertise, perhaps with skills certified by official certifications. As for selecting the CRM, it’s optimal to choose a product that recommends and supports its adoption through a consultancy path. Two parts, CRM and consultancy, that come together and harmonise for the benefit of the business.
Salesforce, for example, the world’s most widely used CRM, is not just a highly scalable and powerful cloud software but a system that combines software with methodology and consultancy. Some of the certification paths offered by the platform are specifically designed for consultants, analysts, and project leaders. In this way, Salesforce ensures the provision of CRM software, of course, but also guarantees that the expected change can be delivered to management.
In all cases, it’s advisable to avoid investing in a system only to end up with piles of documentation written by the consultant that is unlikely to find practical application within the company, or facing a new software system seen as another burden by the people who need to use it. The solution lies in the right mix of CRM product and business consultancy.
Studioware has been providing consultancy in the CRM world for over 17 years and offers its expertise to companies seeking change.