CRM Manager
What Is a CRM Manager?
A customer relationship management (CRM) manager is a person that oversees all customer and client relations within a business. They specialize in customer interactions within an enterprise and are focused on a company’s CRM strategy. This professional role bridges the gap between customers and businesses, creating various systems and processes that enhance the relationship between the organization and its customers.
What Does a CRM Manager Do?
A CRM manager is responsible for growing and retaining a company’s customer base. They lead their team to ensure the organization’s CRM program is successful. The CRM manager is also responsible for implementing new products or services that will help drive revenue.
The job involves managing all aspects of the company’s CRM implementation, from strategy development to training new staff members on using it effectively. A CRM manager will manage relationships between customers and employees as part of this role.
The role of a CRM manager in enterprises
The primary role of a CRM manager in enterprises is to grow and maintain the consumer base for the company and the platform where this consumer data resides. Many CRM managers are tasked with defining an enterprise’s customer base; building and sustaining ongoing relationships with customers; organizing and maintaining consumer information within a CRM platform; and planning, implementing, and tracking consumer-driven marketing initiatives and campaigns.
A CRM manager’s job also involves analyzing data from internal systems, such as accounting software or enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. This data can be used to identify trends in revenue generation or identify areas of weakness within sales processes. Often, the CRM Manager will use this information to create a strategic plan that addresses areas where improvements need to be made for the company’s CRM strategy.
What Are Key Responsibilities of a CRM Manager?
CRM managers work closely with sales, marketing, and customer service teams to help them use CRM software and customer relationship management best practices effectively. Below is a list of the critical responsibilities of a CRM manager:
Manage CRM software
The CRM manager is responsible for managing the software used in marketing campaigns and strategic planning. This includes defining how it will be used to achieve goals, setting up the software, and training employees on how to use it.
Define CRM goals on a company scale
A significant part of the job will be defining the company’s specific goals and objectives in terms of customer or client data collection and analysis. CRM managers should also work with other departments, such as sales or support teams, to understand what they need from customer datasets.
Define CRM processes across departments
A CRM manager defines the CRM process for each department within a company’s overall strategic plan. For example, the business goal for the CRM manager could be a task like “define my KPIs.” They can then create an internal knowledge document outlining all relevant process information about what type of data is needed, when it’s needed, and who will use it.
Fundamental Skills Needed For CRM Managers
CRM managers need to be able to work under pressure with tight deadlines. The best CRM managers exhibit these fundamental skills in their work:
- Communication: They need to effectively communicate with and listen to their team members and clients to understand their wants and needs.
- Collaboration skills: They must have good teamwork skills to coordinate tasks between all parties involved in the project without interfering with progress.
- Record management: CRM managers need experience managing customer data, such as contact information and account history records.
- Problem-solving: This individual is responsible for providing strategic solutions to problems for both customers and the business as a whole.
CRM Manager vs Customer Service Representative (CSR)
Customer service representatives (CSRs) and CRM managers share some overlapping skill sets and are often compared to each other. However, these two roles handle different responsibilities for enterprise customer engagement. Here are a couple of key differences between these two roles:
- Different interactions with customers: A CSR answers calls or emails from customers directly regarding requests, orders, and inquiries. The CRM department tracks every interaction with customers and analyzes how well they’re performing.
- General vs specific customer work: A CSR typically works on a specific product or service line and will likely handle tasks related to one type of customer. In contrast, a CRM manager and their department might be responsible for keeping track of all customer interactions and providing support across multiple product lines, industries, or verticals within the company.
Read next: Best CRM Software and Tools
