CRM Courses

Customer Relationship Management Essentials

In a nutshell, CRM is an approach to managing relationships with a company's clients. In a highly digitalised world, it now primarily refers to technology, or software-based strategies for handling customer queries, maintaining customer databases, collecting feedback and assessing the company's service performance. It involves many service-based features such as customer input, online communication, Q&A portals and over-the-counter customer services.

CRM courses teach delegates how to solve some important issues in corporate processes such as:

• Sales force automation: CRM is used for sales analysis and performance feedbacks
• Database structuring: CRM has important features that help in collecting customer transaction information
• Opportunity management: CRM software contains functions that project customer transaction graphs
• Managing the company's client relationships and business development activities
• Integrated Marketing Campaign strategy planning: CRM software is used in the formulation of the IMC plan

CRM courses and training

Customer Relationship Management - CRM courses are offered as open or scheduled formats, online or as part of some graduate and postgraduate programmes in Marketing, Business Development and related areas. Online CRM courses give professionals the flexibility to study at any time including the ability to revisit course materials at their convenience.

Some important concepts covered in typical CRM courses include:

• Forming connections with customers
• Product and service segregation and definition of important characteristics
• Strategies for customer acquisition and retention
• Building and maintaining service provider relationships
• Evaluation of IMC planning and advertising campaigns

In addition to the above, professionals in CRM need to have important skills and abilities in soft skills areas such as communication, leadership and decision-making. Language skills and strategic planning skills can also be highly valuable.

CRM career prospects

Career prospects in CRM vary and can be found across sales, digital marketing, content marketing, service marketing, business analysis and IT consulting. A customer relations specialisation can also be applied across in banking, finance, accounting, real estate, research and development, manufacturing and business consulting. The purpose of most CRM roles is to develop friendly systems that help enhance the company’s interactions with its customers, managing old and acquired customers with a view to increasing loyalty and profits.

CRM is a relatively new innovation in the field of sales and marketing, which means it requires professionals with suitable expertise and qualifications. Professionals who have undertaken a CRM course will thus be in possession of key skills t that will help them to carve out their careers in a competitive job environment.