Software companies are not only one of the most evolving industries of all, but it is powering the UK economy. Recent figures demonstrate that the UK is Europe’s leading software industry. Software companies contributed a total of over £145 billion of the total UK value-added GDP and supports a staggering 2.7 million jobs. The digital transformation era we live in are bringing opportunities and growth for those in the software industry and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Part of the infrastructure required to handle this growth as a sector is a robust Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system. For a successful CRM implementation you need good alignment between the existing technology stack and the CRM system which is to be implemented. Typically, with software companies a CRM system should have the ability to manage large quantities of new customers. In addition to this, what other capabilities should it also have? Let’s look at some of the additional features below.
Lead Management
Central to a CRM system for software companies is the capability to manage leads. To avoid the duplication of data from various sources such as web forms and email marketing, a unified system is the simple answer. Such systems which enable the alignment between marketing and sales allow for a more controlled and engaging lead management.
Customer Management
Customers may engage with your brand in several ways including support tickets, purchases and email interaction. Before a unified solution became available, piecing together engagement from various sources in order to attain a single customer profile was a timely task. Today, a real-time CRM with a 360-degree overview of your customers is possible, which gives all team members a transparent view of each customer interaction.
Opportunity Management
Success as a software company relies on maximising the output from its opportunities. Within a CRM system, the capability to gain complete visibility of opportunity records enables enhanced communications not only with the customer, but between team members.
Customised Dashboards
Dashboards are a key feature which translates all your real-time and historical data in the form of an overview of your CRM. Real-time dashboards are better to enable quicker decision and daily-processes. Features can include the number of calls resolved, open opportunities and response to email campaigns.
Email Marketing
Email marketing was one of the first marketing tools within the digital age, and it is still a core part of CRM today. A good CRM needs to have the capability to manage personalised and segmented email marketing campaigns. Following on from this, the ability to monitor interactions on the same platforms allows for a better ROI.
Reporting and analytics
The collection of data in real-time can be used to provide better enhanced reporting and analysis. Readily available and personalised reporting options enables an enhanced monitoring of the key performance indicators which are the most important to your business.
Leading the way in CRM solutions for software companies
Software based companies such as Qualys, Scala and Statseeker are just some of the companies who have the option to operate their business through the above features. This is because they are using NetSuite and all of the above capabilities are a part of its CRM solution. NetSuite are a number one choice for software companies because the support from NetSuite is from experts within the software industry itself. This means, those looking after your account, will be people who knows this industry and what works within it.
The Cloud
In addition to the above features, NetSuite is a true cloud solution which means that all of the data can be accessed anywhere, all of the time. This gives you room for flexibility when it comes to working locations for employees.
Being a software company in today’s digital landscape requires that competitive edge, and to do that you need to make sure that the CRM system is a robust part of your system as a whole.
Are you looking for a CRM solution? Contact us to discuss your requirements. What are your thoughts on CRM solutions for software companies? Comment below!
Reference
https://software.org/wp-content/uploads/EU_2018_Economic_Impact_factsheet_UK.pdf
