"I ask myself almost every day, am I doing the most important thing I can do right now?" (Mark Zuckerberg)
In this article we deal with the question, what are the peculiarities of the modern CRM Managers.
What is a CRM Manager and what are his tasks?
The term #CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. It is a system that allows companies to manage and optimize their customer relationships.
Often the terminology - especially with Job postings - of the CRM Manager is used in the context of campaign management and evaluation in the area of #Marketing. However, this is not correct, because the position of CRM Manager does not primarily include campaign management.
The CRM Manager is a key position in any company. His primary tasks include the development and implementation of the CRM strategy. In this context, he is responsible for the Implementation and the operation of the CRM systems and leads the CRM team. His tasks include the planning, implementation and control of CRM projects, the selection and introduction of new CRM solutions, the training of CRM users, the preparation of CRM reports and the analysis of CRM data.
In addition, the CRM Manager is responsible for ensuring that the CRM system in the company functions properly and that customer relationships are optimized. This requires a deep understanding of IT and CRM technologies as well as customer relationship processes. A CRM Manager must be able to ask the right questions and find the right solutions in order to implement and operate the system properly.
The CRM manager must be a good communicator to lead and motivate his team, and he must also be a good project manager to successfully implement CRM projects. He should also have a good understanding of CRM systems and data to make the right decisions.
The position of CRM manager is often placed in #Marketing or 1TP5Sales. However, this is not the optimal classification within the company organization. Ideally, the CRM Manager is defined as a staff position to the # management.
How has the role of the CRM manager changed in recent years?
What are the specifics of the modern CRM Manager? CRM Managers are responsible for planning, implementing and managing CRM systems. However, the role of the CRM Manager has changed significantly in recent years.
In the past, CRM managers were mainly used in large companies where there were many customers and a complex CRM system was necessary to manage all customer data. However, a real change has been taking place here for some time, which not only affects large companies, but also more and more medium-sized companies.
One of the most important factors that have changed the role of the CRM manager is the increasing shift in focus from technical tasks to strategic tasks. This is due to the increasing complexity and functionality of CRM systems. CRM managers must now be able to align their organization's strategic goals with CRM systems.
In particular, the increasing shift of business processes to the cloud and the growing demand for personalized customer experiences have contributed to the growing importance of the role of the CRM manager.
Another point that is unfortunately often not taken into account is the integration of the CRM system into the existing IT service management processes. As the person responsible for the CRM system, it is also incumbent on the CRM manager to ensure that the system is integrated into the existing IT service management processes. This is the only way to ensure high availability of the system and to achieve the targeted "Customer Experience" are made possible.
What knowledge and skills does the CRM manager need?
The CRM Manager (Customer Relationship Manager) is a key player in any customer-facing organization. He is responsible for the planning, implementation and monitoring of the CRM strategy responsible and thus helps to improve customer relationships and increase sales.
But what knowledge and skills does the CRM manager need?
As an essential member of a company's sales team, the CRM Manager is responsible for maintaining the customer database and organizing customer data. The CRM Manager uses the customer data to plan and implement the company's sales strategy.
He is responsible for the implementation, further development and optimization of the CRM system. He must constantly keep abreast of the latest trends and developments in the CRM market and adapt the CRM system accordingly. To be successful, the CRM manager needs knowledge in the areas of CRM strategy, sales, CRM and IT processes, business intelligence, data analysis and Project Management. In addition, the most important skills include sales methods, customer care and support, data analysis and evaluation. However, he must also be able to closely manage the CRM manufacturer as well as implementation partners (keyword: provider management).
The CRM manager's skills are just as important as his or her knowledge. The most important skills include strong communication skills, organizational talent, analytical skills, structured working methods, active listening, consulting strength and solution orientation.
The CRM Manager must be an absolute specialist on the one hand and a generalist on the other. Ideally, the CRM Manager speaks the languages of CRM, sales and IT equally well and thus forms the perfect interface between business, IT and CRM.
What challenges does the CRM manager face in the coming years?
The distinctive feature of the modern CRM Manager is his central position within the company, which aims to build and maintain customer relationships and a #customerexperience. In the coming years, however, the role of the CRM Manager will evolve to meet the increasing demands of customers.
These changes are caused by the increasing digitalization, the rising customer requirements as well as expectations and the more and more complex CRM systems (technology development) and the responsible persons within the companies have to prepare for the following challenges:
- Creation of a comprehensive customer strategy
- Design and implementation of "Customer journeys"
- Development of customer loyalty and retention
- Increase customer satisfaction and #customerexperience
- Integration of social media into the CRM process
- Improving customer data analysis and processing of the insights gained from it
Conclusion
The CRM Manager has become a key position in any company. He is responsible for the implementation and operation of the CRM system and leads the CRM team. His tasks include the (further) development of the CRM strategy, planning, implementation and control of CRM projects, selection and introduction of new CRM solutions, training of CRM users, preparation of CRM reports and analysis of CRM data.
The CRM manager must be a good communicator to lead and motivate his team, and he must also be a good project manager to successfully implement CRM projects. He should also have a good understanding of CRM systems and data to make the right decisions.
This task is by no means comparable to conventional campaign management and requires special attention on the part of # management. For this and other reasons, the CRM manager must always be defined and organized as a staff position to the management. He must not be within the chain of command of marketing, sales and/or IT, but ensure that the interdisciplinary cooperation is successful for the company.
If you are facing the challenge of creating and not being able to fill the CRM Manager position, take now Contact with us. Make an appointment right away for a free initial consultation.
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