Putting the ‘R’ back in CRM

I recently had a chat with a client about helping them develop their CRM strategy. During the first meeting, they mentioned that they didn’t want to apply too much ‘best practice’?! After recovering from my initial shock, I asked what that meant?? It turns out, what they wanted, was a series of emails that would sell sell SELL! Of course, ultimately CRM drives sales, but as the acronym suggests, it does so through the development of meaningful relationships and creating strong, emotional, customer connections built on trust, to encourage ongoing business, customer referrals and ultimately, an increase in customer lifetime value.

Some CRM and marketing automation platforms can activate workflows when a person likes, follows, comments, or replies on any of your social networks. This can be a powerful way to not only feed into segmentation but also help to get a deeper understanding of their interests, so that you can share related content.

The conversation started me thinking about non-sales-related, personalised messages that can be woven into a CRM contact strategy to help demonstrate an interest in customers and an understanding of their needs, beyond getting their money. So, what types of non-sales messages can be woven into a contact strategy to keep customers coming back after big promotions, like Black Friday…?

• Educational Content: Share informative articles, videos, or resources related to their interests or industry, helping them stay informed and adding value. Maybe a customer has lingered on a particular product on your page without making a purchase – consider educational content that might help with their decision. Not only does this help the customer but could position you as an expert
  

• Celebrations and Milestones: Acknowledge birthdays, anniversaries, or achievements with personalised messages, recognising their special moments. Gamification works well here. I once (a long time ago) received a message from my gym telling me that I was one of their top 5 members in terms of attendance. I felt a real sense of achievement (and I shamelessly shared it on Instagram).
  

• Customer Appreciation: Thank customers for their loyalty and support and being a part of your community.
  

• News and Updates: Share company news, such as new product launches, improvements, or policy changes, to keep customers informed.
  

• Industry Insights: Provide insights into industry trends, market updates, or expert opinions that may benefit them, especially good for B2B.
  

• Community Involvement: Highlight your company's involvement in charitable causes or community events, showing your commitment to social responsibility.
  

• Customer Surveys and Feedback Requests: Ask for opinions and feedback on their experiences with your brand, to show that you value their input.
  

• Celebrate (relevant) calendar events: Send seasonal greetings, celebrate holidays and highlight awareness days to create a sense of connection or increase relevance of existing communications through mentions/references or theming in comms.
  

• Support and Assistance: Use data from customer services teams to offer help or guidance related to your products or services for any recurring issues. This can be woven into a welcome strategy to guide customers on getting started with your products or services. This not only shows a commitment to customer satisfaction but is also effective in reducing the volume of customer service issues.
  

• Exclusive Invitations: Extend invitations to webinars, events, or focus groups, making them feel like valued members of your community. Another B2B staple.
  

• Lastly, consider a goodbye message for leaving customers – assuming they haven’t left because of a major dispute.

Not all of these will be relevant to all businesses (or all customers), but these non-sales messages can help to connect with customers on an emotional level, strengthening trust and loyalty, and demonstrating that you care about more than getting their money!

Get in touch today for a no obligation chat, if you would like help creating a CRM strategy to engage your customers.

#CRM #customerrelationshipmanagement #CRMstrategy #CLTV #customerlifetimevalue