Customer Relationship Management: The 360˚ customer relationship with a CRM

By Roberta Salzano

Published: May 1, 2025

Would you be able to give a definition of the meaning of CRM? It is a term that is often misused. However, it plays a key role in the business strategy of companies, regardless of the size of the organization: from very small businesses to large corporations.

In fact, according to Provide Support's study, not only are 87 percent of "happy" consumers likely to return, but 71 percent are also more likely to forgive a mistake.

Customer relationships must centralize all of your company's efforts to put the customer at the center of your strategy and thus build a relationship based on trust.

Appvizer explains the key points of customer relations and offers a few key tools.

See all software Customer relationship management

Definition: what is (CRM) customer relationship management?

The purpose of CRM is to attract and retain a company's consumers. Its mission is carried out in two stages:

gaining leads by converting them
meeting expectations to build loyalty by establishing a healthy and stable relationship

Without buyers, a company is not profitable. Establishing a relationship is essential.

It can be defined as the set of processes for managing customer relationships based on the analysis of information about them; information, which plays a key role in the construction of ongoing, stable and durable relationship strategies...

Glossario marketing

What appears clear to us:

It encompasses all actions concerning customer relationship management
It is strategic if integrated into all business functions
It costs less to retain than to acquire so in the long run it is the winning strategy

What is remarkable about CRM is that it provides what is perhaps one of the most valuable assets to date: data. Every possible kind of data: from simple contact to purchasing preferences (yes, you can even tell if you prefer to shop online when it's raining). Thus, companies find themselves in the position of holding an extreme amount of information with which to understand strengths and weaknesses and become increasingly precise in competing in the marketplace.

CRM challenges.

More and more companies are focusing their strategies on the user. They are moving from a product-centric vision to an end-consumer-centric vision.

They are putting the human being at the center of their strategies. In fact, your leads' decisions are based on factual elements, but also on their emotions. The human dimension must not be neglected to build a lasting relationship.

Humanization of business relationships is a need that is especially felt in industries where interactions are based on digital channels. We therefore seek to promote the customer experience and promote the brand in a competitive environment.

You need to drive the consumer relationship across all channels, with, of course, a focus on all things mobile. In fact, it allows your users to benefit from anytime, anywhere service.

Today's users not only have more needs and information, but they can also switch from one service to another more quickly and easily. The example of ISPs (Internet service providers) or telephone operators is significant. If dissatisfied, they can cancel their contract with a few clicks and enter into a new one with a competitor.

In the current environment where GDPR encourages consumer freedom, be careful!

To avoid being in a difficult situation, it is important to increase loyalty actions.

How to implement a CRM system

Given the constant influx of data, business strategy can constantly evolve by adapting to the stimuli it continues to receive. It is,therefore, a matter of being able to have the tools to take advantage of a lean approach and continue to improve so as to become more and more accurate.

One model that remarkably describes the implementation of a CRM system is Deming's wheel, which is the basis of lean management theory, and which has 4 stages:

source Wikipedia

Plan: plan based on current data
Do: put the plan into practice
Check: check the results
Act: take action

This is a circular model whereby the results of one phase for a campaign or project will influence the next phase.The idea is that the company learns from itself continuously.

The principles of customer relationships

Customer relationship management (CRM) is based on three basic principles. Let's look at them together in detail.

Listening to the consumer

You will sell something because the customer exists, indeed because his needs exist. By actively listening to him:

you will show him your interest
you will be able to accurately identify his needs
you will better prepare your sales proposal
you will sell better
you will establish a strong and lasting relationship between your customer and the company

The relational strategy

To implement this strategy, you need to go through the qualification of your potential customers and then segment your contact base. This allows you to tailor your approach to each customer's profile.

Second, the frequency of relationships with a particular customer is induced by the segmentation of your database: you do not need to spend time with every customer, each relationship requires different rhythms.

The multichannel approach

The multichannel approach in a marketing campaign is a technique that allows you to reach the customer through different means. Multiply the opportunities to contact your customers and perform different functions: remember them, make them aware that you are listening to them, that you are there to help them find solutions to their problems. There are many ways to achieve this goal:

e-mail
phone
mail
SMS
website
social media, etc.

Multichanneling increases interactions with your customers. This facilitates the establishment of a sustainable relationship with customers.

Why is it important to deal with customer relationship management (CRM)?

Because your customers are the lifeblood of your company

When we talk about customers, we mean sales, and therefore revenue. Without a customer, a business is not profitable. Nurturing customer relationships is essential to keeping your organization financially sustainable.

Because it allows you to stand out from your competitors

Managing customer relationships well can be a competitive advantage in a difficult market. While customers may sometimes find similar offers, a successful customer relationship is reflected in a positive brand image and can make a difference with undecided customers. It helps win customers, or convince potential customers more easily because of a solid sales argument.

On the other hand, an ineffective or nonexistent customer relationship will have two kinds of consequences: not only will it prevent you from finding new customers, but it may also cause you to lose existing customers.

Why it builds customer loyalty

A satisfied customer is a loyal customer. Think about it: it's a cat biting its own tail. You take care of your customers by offering them appropriate solutions to their problems, carefully.

Your customers know that they can count on you and that you know how to respond to their requests under the best conditions. They are loyal to your brand and your products or services: they will turn to you even when new needs arise.

To nurture your relationship with customers, pay attention to the following points:

customer service available through multiple channels
efficient after-sales or support service
clear communication
personalized messages and offers
involvement of your customers in the life of your company, such as taking into account their opinions or requests

The 4 facets of CRM

The CRM system can be analyzed in light of its 4 core parts. In brief we will try to define them to shed light on the usefulness of each of them

Strategic CRM

The strategic CRM mindset on which the company relies? its customers at the center. Business strategy from the sales force to marketing activities focus on the customer, projects and choices all follow this dogma. It is what in fact underlies customer centricity, an orientation that deviates greatly from the more traditional (product, sales and market). Its main use is in seeking possible new customers and retaining current ones.

Operational CRM

Operational CRM is an implementation, through automation tools in the customer relationship, of the idea of customer centricity. It seeks to use the best tools for customer service, and technology here is obviously key, to significantly improve the customer journey and the resulting relationship with the company.

Analytical CRM.

Data. Everything is about data. Analytical CRM enables constant analysis to attract customers and retain current ones. A detailed study of every possible piece of data to minimize error.

Collaborative CRM.

It is a strategy that through tools such as collaborative CRM makes it possible to get to know the customer thoroughly and move from mass marketing to one-to-one so as to build a lasting relationship of value. In its broader application, it also opens up collaboration with partners

10 interesting CRM tools

The tools that can be found within a CRM software can be varied; Below is a short list of those that might be interesting as a point of contact with the customer or advanced and sophisticated tools for data analysis:

Chat: Quick and easy communication with the customer and through to chatbots 24/7
Community connect consumers to create a community, exchange opinions or even find collaboration between company and customers to find new ideas
FAQ: to solve the most common problems with one click
Social media: not just for advertising but for interacting with the customer, joking around with them and making the brand start to mean something
Browsing data analysis and customer profiling: to focus resources so you get more targeted results
Marketing campaigns and offers on geolocation
Tracking customer communications
Social sentiment analysis
Automatic sending of communications
Monitoring of sales activities and satisfaction level

What are the best CRM software?

To manage and improve your customer relationship, a CRM (customer relationship management) software is the essential tool for your business. Why?

It targets contacts in a given market
It centralizes customer data
It refers to customer needs
Personalizes business offerings
Facilitates segmentation
Allows you to respond better and faster to customers, etc.

So let's look at some interesting CRM software solutions.

CRMsales

CRMsales is a software developed by Eurobusiness tries to balance state-of-the-art tools for sales and marketing and ease of use to be as intuitive as possible. Again, the structure is modular so it is highly customizable as needed. It is also available in a mobile version "CRMsales." Integratable with countless software, including Microsoft's own, it stands as a customer management solution starting from market analysis to after-sales support.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM

This is a Microsoft home cloud application that is complementary to the Dynamics line ERP module. It is highly customizable and works well on IOS, Android and Windows phone. Prices vary widely depending on needs from about 34€ per month to about 143€ (depending on the number of users there may be surcharges) making it suitable for a wide range of companies. A free trial period is available.

Main features:

consumer analysis
integration with Microsoft suite
AI tools
financial data management
lead creation and training

Salesforce customer success platform

Salesforce a CRM platform spread globally. It consists of various tools that can facilitate everything related to the customer relationship. Among the strengths it leverages are analytics tools, full functionality even from mobile, and the integration of artificial intelligence tools within the product. Pricing is flexible and ranges from €25 to €150 per user per month.

Key features:
Lead management
Marketing campaigns
24/7 support
Comprehensive profiling
Advanced data analytics

Teamleader

Teamelader features an intuitive interface and is intended as a tool designed for SMEs. It is designed to be easy to use and quick to learn and is intended to offer the most comprehensive experience possible on customer relationship management, data collection, quotes and invoices. It can also be integrated with the main software used by companies. If you are curious to try it out but are afraid to invest blindly it offers a 14-day free trial so that you can take your time choosing and afterwards you can enjoy a product that is on the market at a truly competitive price.

Main functions:

Database for all contacts
Segmentation and profiling
Reports
Integration with social networks
Leads management
Invoice and quote management