How IT consultants can use CRM to gain a competitive edge

Are you looking to gain a competitive edge? In this blog post, we discuss how CRM software can help set you apart from your competitors by better understanding your customers' buyer journey.

Managing an IT firm or consulting practice involves working with massive amounts of data on a daily basis, with this data usually spread across multiple platforms, tools, and local machines. Safe-keeping data and building and maintaining customer relationships should be the most important goal for your business. This is only possible at scale when your data is securely stored on a single source, that’s where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software comes in. Serving as a single source, CRM software is rapidly growing in popularity to help IT firms efficiently manage their data and improve client relationships.

In 2020, the IT industry saw an overall CRM usage increase from 56% to 74% highlighting the industry's rapid growth with the help of CRM software. To help you understand how CRM software can help you, we’ve drawn up a list of challenges your firm is likely facing and how CRM can solve them.

The challenges faced by non-CRM users

Challenges, like poor system integration, lack of data visibility and being unable to keep up with demand are all common problems faced by those who don’t have CRM software. Using CRM software can help you maximise customer lifetime value by understanding your marketing strategy and help you map and manage your customers' buyer journeys.

For example, as the IT industry grows, your firm may stick with the same sales and messaging tactics as the rest of the competition — choosing to rather fit in than stand out. By not investing in the correct marketing expertise or technology, you are doing a disservice to your brand. Marketing can help you create and understand your demand. With CRM software and the right partner, you can learn the marketing ropes that will help you grow and reach more potential customers.

With the IT services market growing 8% annually, competition is steadily increasing. Using CRM software can help you stand out.

How CRM software can set you apart from your competition

Data enrichment

Many IT firms work with vast amounts of data that is often stored across multiple platforms. If your data is not centralised, you cannot conduct market analyses to continuously improve your firm. Not only does distributed data cause inefficiency, but it also poses a data security risk.

By migrating all of your data onto one central system, your firm will be able to make proactive decisions to improve your campaigns. A strong CRM software offers in-depth reporting and forecasting within one platform.

Scalable system integration

Multiple platforms and disconnected systems complicate customer relationships. Moving between platforms wastes employees’ time and gives a disjointed view to the customer. When changing between multiple platforms and teams, communication can often get lost, creating room for a negative customer experience. Unorganised platforms can lead to customer losses in an industry where loyal customers are one of the biggest driving forces.

CRM software can centralise your data to help you save time and provide better customer service. By avoiding multiple platforms, all of your data can be used to create an essential single customer view. CRM software helps you understand the customer experience that your potential customers will go through on their journey. This attracts higher quality leads and ensures long term customer retention by providing a better customer experience.

Accurate demand generation

If your competitors are using similar sales tactics to you, it can be hard for your messaging to stand out of the crowd. Further, a lack of marketing expertise and the ability to create enticing content can lead to reduced demand generation.

CRM software can help you to understand how your customers buy, optimise your sales process, and maximise your customer lifetime value. A comprehensive marketing strategy and execution plan can help you map and manage your customers' purchasing journey. From running campaigns to content creation, building workflows and automation — CRM software can help bring your marketing campaigns to life, thereby creating more demand.

How Huble Digital can help

As said by one of our valued clients, Dicker Data: “Huble Digital’s ability to turn your project around with minimal updates required is very convenient, especially for a business with tight go-to-market timeframes.”

At Huble Digital, we’ve helped many companies within the IT industry transform with CRM software. From CRM migration to inbound and outbound sales support, to customer journey mapping, marketing strategy and execution, and much more. With so much competition in the industry, don’t be left behind. Discuss your needs with our team to see how we can help you.