According to a CRM user survey based on 1,940 salespeople, vital insights are being uncovered about the indispensable features, key benefits, and significant requirements of mobile CRM systems.
The main questions when conducting the survey were:
- What are the benefits and challenges with CRM system?
- What does a good mobile CRM system have to have?
- What about the future? How are the businesses planning to invest in CRM technology?
The answers to these questions and a lot of valuable information about CRM is summarized in this article.
These are the top 10 key findings:
- CRM Benefits: Most participants (74%) agreed that CRM systems improved access to customer data. Another significant proportion (64%) believed it improved relationship management. Other benefits noted include interaction tracking and customer interaction.
- CRM Challenges: Over half of the users (56%) mentioned that system customization and integration with other systems can be challenging. Other challenges like end-user adoption and data import were considered moderate or minor.
- User Satisfaction: Small businesses were most likely to say they were very satisfied (37%) or somewhat satisfied (33%) with their CRM System. The results were similar for big companies.
- Industry Usage: Various industries use CRM, with manufacturing leading (21%).
- Device Usage: Almost half of the users access their CRM system via smartphones (48%) and/or tablets (45%). The majority prefers to use multiple devices (81%).
- Benefits of Mobile CRM Usage: 53% of the salespeople say that thanks to the access to their CRM system on their tablet or smartphone, they noticed a significant improvement of the quality of CRM data. Other benefits mentioned include increased efficiency (50%) and faster, more informed decision-making (42%).
- Top Functions of Mobile CRM: The most used function is sales content management (37%), followed by customer data management (31%).
- Requirements for Mobile CRM: The top requirements are seamless data sync across all devices (38%), an easy-to-use native app, and offline access.
- Future Investment: 47% of the respondents from the Help desk/Customer service area and 42% from Marketing automation plan to increase their spending on CRM in the future.
- Overall Impact of CRM: Businesses that have already implemented CRM have seen improvements in demonstrable returns on their investment, CRM data, user adoption, efficiency, leads data, and more closed deals.
Download infographic CRM Buyer Trends in PDF.
Key Benefits that CRM System delivers
It is no big shock that most of the participants (74%) agreed that CRM System improved Access to customer data. 64% believed in improved Relationship management. Other noticeable improvements are Interaction Tracking or Customer Interaction.
Challenges with CRM System
Like everything else in the business world, CRM can challenge us from time to time. What do the users think can be a little pain in the ass when working with CRM System?
More than half of them (56%) pointed out that System customization and Integration with other systems can give them hard time.
One cannot think of it as a negative thing. Challenges such as End user adoption or Data import are still very moderate or minor according to the survey.
User satisfaction with CRM System
There is no such a thing as a simple satisfaction. Because as a regular user (especially of a CRM System), you can be either very satisfied or very unsatisfied.
Some of you might be just somewhat satisfied or somewhat unsatisfied.
It seems as though respondents representing small businesses were most likely to say they were Very satisfied (37%) or Somewhat satisfied (33%) with their CRM System.
The results didn’t differ much with the big companies.
CRM users by Industry
Yes. Various industries use CRM. Manufacturing is definitely on the top of the “CRM game” and 21% of the companies prove it. No need for deep analysis here.
Everybody can benefit from a good CRM system. End of the story.
Devices used to access CRM System
Did you know that nearly half of the users access their system via Smartphones (48%) and/or tablets (45%)?
Actually the majority prefers to use multiple devices (81%). About 20% are using a combination of three devices and 29% all of the four types.
Benefits and Impact of Mobile CRM Usage
53% of the salespeople say that thanks to the access to their CRM system on their tablet or smartphone, they noticed a great improvement of the quality of CRM data and another 29% says it moderately improves the Quality of their data.
Only 18% of the respondents thought there was minimal or no impact of Mobile CRM.
One of the biggest problems of CRM systems is the lacking mobile friendly interface. Being mobile means being closely connected to data. Most of the time, data just don’t go in.
The contacts are lost and that can have a significant impact on a quality of deals and overall customer relationships.
Another important conclusion of the survey is that those using CRM on both tablets or/and smartphones realize more benefits.
What are they?
Quality of data is one thing. But there is way more to Mobile CRM. 50% of the former group mentioned that it increased their efficiency and 42% say it facilitated faster and more informed decision-making. This is twice as much as it was with the single-device users!
One of the reasons why mobile devices increase efficiency is that we can use them when either traveling or waiting for on-site meetings. They can just simply use the spare time to input the data or send a follow-up.
Top used functions of mobile CRM System
And the winner is…Sales content management.
37% of those, who indicated they used one or more of the listed applications and features, reported regularly using their mobile CRM system to manage sales content, such as slide presentations and reports.
31% regularly use CRM to “play” with Customer data. No wonder. The ability to access the right information at the right time is critical to successful selling.
Every cool and niche mobile feature matters. Especially when it saves time. For instance, 26% of respondents state to be happy to routinely use Business card scanning.
Favorite requirements for mobile CRM
“I would totally get the mobile CRM System with Data synchronization across all devices. Data must be as up to date as possible.” “Well, my system wouldn’t be real mobile CRM without native applications. They are designed specifically to provide an intuitive user experience on smartphones and tablets. That’s a must.”
There you go. Two salespeople talking.
These are the top requirements. 38% of users knows that Seamless data sync should be a part of a great mobile CRM system. An easy-to-use native app and Offline access are necessary too.
Future Investment by CRM Application
Let’s keep an eye on what’s coming next. 47% of the respondents coming from the Help desk/Customer service area plan to increase spending on CRM in the future. Similarly with Marketing automation, 42% will increase their spending.
Way to go CRM!
CRM means Improvement
We showed you the numbers, demonstrated the facts. Just in case, you’ve missed something…
The business that have already implemented CRM show the Improvement of:
- Demonstrable returns on their investment
- CRM data
- User adoption
- Efficiency and leads data
- More closed deals
This article highlights the findings from a comprehensive survey on major CRM buyer trends, conducted by Software Advice, a company specializing in CRM software evaluation.