CRM integration – what is it?
The CRM integration process involves integrating third-party applications and tools with CRM software so that their functionality can be combined into a single platform.
CRM can be compared to the smartphone of your business. As a CRM platform, Salesforce or HubSpot acts as a phone call. Data is stored and categorized in this system. Do you have anything simpler or older? Manages only contact information. CRM features are available in newer smartphones and applications to help you use your CRM more dynamically.
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Numerous software applications are used by businesses. Email clients are one example. A separation of these tools creates data silos. Some teams can’t access certain data. By isolating customer profiles, your CRM cannot accurately track customer journeys. You can still adapt your CRM system when you use it as an integrated hub for all of these systems. Thousands of existing applications can be installed and removed from your CRM software system at any time. The options are endless.
CRM Integration Types Your Business Should Consider
Decision-makers can easily be enticed to install integrations they believe are useless. A lot of attractive features claim to provide advanced analytics or improve core practices. Those can be traps.
You should focus on what’s important when it comes to integrations.
Trying to focus on high-level tools such as reporting and analytics is the biggest mistake. It doesn’t emphasize or focus enough on practical, day-to-day use cases. Don’t let perfection envy good people.
Here are the CRM integrations every business must have according to that advice.
A platform for email and calendaring
In most task management applications, such as Gmail and Microsoft Outlook, appointments and conversations within the network are coordinated by internal calendars. More than 70 percent of people use a digital calendar as a primary planner. Many people use digital calendars because of the scheduling and reminders it offers. Trying to remember which meetings were updated on which platform can become a timeout in itself.
A unified calendar can be created by integrating task management clients with the CRM platform. A task management client is launched every time an appointment is scheduled in the main CRM hub. In addition, the main calendar is automatically updated.
Messaging within an organization
For businesses, instant messaging services have become a primary method of internal communication. Instant messaging must be synchronized with the same schedule and contacts across all major systems, just like e-mail and calendar invitations. When they are linked, the company directory is unified and communication between members of the team is improved.
There is a possibility that external access will soon be preferred through these messaging options. In a $27.7 billion mega-deal, Salesforce acquired the Slack messaging service, and it plans to transform its messaging software into native communication interfaces.
Settlement and accounting
All accounting operations must be performed by hand with software that runs independently of CRM. Combining accounting software with CRM can make this process easier.
Whenever a transaction occurs through an integrated platform, the accounts are updated in real-time. Balances continue, and if multiple transactions close at the same time, you will not have the time to approve all of the financial records.
Using the phone and video
Sales teams spend most of their time on the phone, and any time spent recording call data or handling logistics is devoted to closing deals or finding prospects. Each call is automatically recorded by the integrated telephone network. This information is already stored in the CRM, so the seller can pick up the phone, dial, take notes, and move quickly to the next contact. Customer IDs are always associated with the collected data.
Suggestions & Documentation
To close a deal with a customer, the last thing you want to do is waste time looking for paperwork. Keep related files linked to customer profiles by connecting document and file-sharing services like Dropbox.
Customer service
To ensure customers’ problems are resolved quickly, customer service is very important. Although your help desk system increases success rates, if your agents are constantly switching between platforms to resolve their websites, there will be a long wait time.
By integrating all tickets and contacts into a single platform, the integrated help desk solution simplifies the process. These tickets are immediately available and linked to the originating website, which is linked to the issuer’s customer profile, indicating that they have previously visited or purchased from the website.
A live chat is available
Live chat is the fastest growing and most preferred communication channel for customers. A CRM platform with integrated live chat makes it easier to assist customers, and it automatically records new interactions. This information can be used by sales teams to target these customers more effectively.
Sending outgoing emails
Marketing campaigns can be hampered by disjointed data due to poor translation between email generators and CRM platforms. Adding target segments directly from email creation tools to your email marketing software will save you time and energy.
Facebook, Twitter, etc
You’ll need to link your company’s social media dashboard to your overall calendar. It is possible to install full social management platforms or separate social integrations for each network. These provide additional customer data by tracking how users interact with your channels, as well as saving time by eliminating the need to research which recipients of your email newsletter would be most receptive to a shared discount via social media. They already have that information on their profiles.
Using CRM applications to integrate
Application Programming Interface (API) control is the simplest and most popular way to integrate. Many major CRM platforms require you to click a second download button to accomplish this.
Easy downloads are enabled by the API. Applications your business uses to collect data in their own language and act as API translators. They merge data when they connect services. Examples of this include YouTube videos playing in a small box on other websites or connecting with Facebook Spotify to share an embedded playlist on that user’s profile. The majority of CRM platforms adhere to this modular approach, and the larger ones provide a catalog of integrations for third-party applications.
A web developer can create code for your system if you need more customized integration or can’t find one for a particular program. It may require extensive maintenance, even though it is a viable way to merge smaller devices. This code will be invalidated by any CRM update, preventing it from working with newly installed applications.
