Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to the technologies, strategies and practices employed by organizations to help evaluate and manage customer related information and interactions. Customer relationship management contributes to improved business-client relationships, customer retention, and sales, as seen on this website https://www.salesforce.com/crm/what-is-crm/.

CRM systems consolidate customer information into one database, making it a lot easier for business proprietors and managers to access and manage the data. These systems serve by compiling data relating to customers, which includes the points of contact between companies and clients. Websites, live chat, telephone, social media, direct mail and marketing materials are the most common points of contact. CRM solutions can, therefore, allow easy access to detailed customer information including their contacts, purchasing preferences, concerns and buying history. 

In addition to the functions mentioned above, CRM systems serve other important purposes. These include the automation of workflow processes like calendars and email alerts, and making it possible for users to track performance and productivity.

By designing and developing heavily automated CRM solutions for every aspect of the customer journey, today's CRM providers have taken customer relationship management to another level. Investing in an advanced CRM system helps to improve the customer experience, which is why almost every business that took this step has seen extremely positive results. 


However, finding the best fit for your business can be a daunting task since the market is already crowded. Arming yourself with relevant, up to date information is the first step to making the best buying decision. To help you achieve this, here are the most important features of a CRM system. 

Marketing automation

Thanks to marketing automation, CRM solutions can automate repetitive tasks. As a result, a CRM tool can boost your company’s marketing efforts at different points in the customer lifecycle. For instance, as leads come into the system, this tool can automatically send marketing materials to the prospects via social media or email. The aim is to convert as many leads as possible into sales customers. 

Sales force automation

In addition to providing a comprehensive product knowledge base, sales force automation also includes elements like sales forecasting, order management, and lead tracking.


Properly implemented sales force automation usually means effective sales force management. This informative feature serves to boost the efficiency of sales teams by making automation of common tasks within the sales process possible, particularly the tasks that are repetitive and time-consuming. 


Apart from preventing duplicates, sales force automation is designed to track every contact and follow-up between a salesperson and a client automatically. Sales force automation can, therefore, improve the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales efforts. 

Contact center automation

By design, this feature serves to reduce the tedious and time-consuming aspects of the work involved. Contact center automation usually includes pre-recorded audio files that can help solve customer related problems and disseminate information. This feature offers various tools that can handle customer requests when integrated with desktop applications, which helps to simplify customer service processes and reduce call times. 

Geolocation technology

CRM systems that include geolocation technology, also known as location-based services, can be used to create marketing campaigns based on the physical or geographic location of the target audience. However, integration with location-based GPS apps might be required. Additionally, businesses can use geolocation technology as a contact management or networking tool when they need to find prospects based on location.