Clever software and excellent client relationships: the ‘sweet spot’ combination in an effective CRM system
Mark Annett
Camsoft Head of Sales and Consulting
There is an ongoing debate within the psychology arena that asks whether ‘nature’ – understood to be a person’s genetic ‘wiring’ within their brain – or ‘nurture’, presented as acquired environmental and familial experiences – plays the greater part in the development of an individual’s personality. Most psychologists are happy to agree that a combination of the two inevitably comes into play when forming the way that the individual’s behavioural aspects present over time1.
I would suggest that in a similar manner, a worthwhile customer relationship management (CRM) system is built on the effective combination of clever software, combined with the flow of understanding that results from excellent client relationships and astute client profiling.
Just as is generally accepted with the nature/nurture debate, one element requires the presence of the other in a combined and complementary manner. In a good CRM system, the combination of clever software and excellent client relationships facilitates a better understanding of the client’s requirements; while an excellent understanding of the client, in turn, feeds into better application of the CRM system as a whole. As with the nature/nurture debate, the interplay of both is what helps to create the end result.
Maximizer: the ‘sweet spot’ on the CRM spectrum
Effective CRM software consolidates your clients’ information and documents it into a single database, allowing you to collect the necessary strategic and operational information and work with it. As a South African CRM expert with over 30 years’ experience, Camsoft Solutions has partnered with global OEM software supplier, Maximizer, to proudly offer international expertise through local people – a strategy which offers our clients the best possible technologies and service.
I like to maintain that Maximizer lies in the ‘sweet spot’ of a spectrum whereby it is not overtly simplistic – with insufficient in-built functionality – but at the same time is not so complicated that users are unable to work out the tasks they need to carry out using the tools provided. The latter scenario leads to frustrated users – because they find themselves trapped in a scenario in which the software is too difficult for them to manipulate quickly and efficiently. At such times, one is in danger of spending more time trying to manipulate the product than actually getting on with sales and client service: in other words, the job at hand.
At the other end of the scale, we find potential CRM systems that are not sophisticated or clever enough, causing frustration because they cannot give the user the information they need for the opposite reason: namely, the system is just not capable of the functionality.
Begin with an overview
When looking at the interplay between your software and your customers, a good place to begin is with Maximizer’s business analysis overview, which is a reporting and analytics tool.
Better visibility, as offered by the tool, brings better insight, which in turn drives better performance. Maximizer includes powerful reporting and dashboard capabilities to give accurate, detailed and up-to-date reports, while the dashboarding solution provides highlights through a series of easy-to-understand visualisations.
Add people skills
At Camsoft, we pride ourselves on being able to ‘think global, act local’. Our customers know that the excellence of the Maximizer CRM software solution is further supported by service providers who share their heritage – both in South Africa and the UK – and understand their specific business challenges. Our team members have built up their experience for over 30 years, and their individual experience at Camsoft Solutions ranges from around 5 years, to almost 25.
As such, we understand our clients’ needs and offer a supportive partnership to assist with growing any business, no matter what its size might be. Our collective knowledge of Maximizer itself, together with our local business knowledge, means we have indisputably moved into the realm of providing a really effective customer relationship management solution.
In summary, at Camsoft Solutions we offer you the nurture of our relationship management experience and skills, combined with the nature of a CRM software solution which truly ‘hits the sweet spot’!