Retaining an established customer base and continually reaching out to new ones is a top priority for organizations that sell products and services. To achieve these goals, you need to consider hiring customer relations management specialists to continually examine and monitor your company’s practices with existing customers. The right CRM data entry specialist will help ensure the customer retention level is as high as possible. Besides, CRM specialists analyze data that informs the company on key strategies to attract new customers. CRM specialist can work as independent contractors offering quality remote services that complement those of your internal customer relations team.
What is customer relationship management software (CRM)?
Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) is a system that helps businesses to organize and access customer data efficiently. It is a platform that connects you to different departments and organizes their notes, activities, and metrics into one cohesive system that you use to understand your customers better. It also helps you have easy, direct access to the real-time client data that you need to personalize one to one customer journey. Customer needs to keep evolving, and managing your business relationships with customers is becoming a complicated process. That is why you should hire a CRM data specialist to leverage CRM software and foster a lasting relationship with the customers.
Duties of a CRM specialist
The primary duty of a CRM data entry specialist is to help the company maintain a strong relationship with clients while boosting your brand and product in the long run. Some of the specific responsibilities of the CRM data entry specialist include:
- Researching items, writing accurate descriptions, and posting articles on internet platforms, such as Amazon and eBay.
- Accurately inputting of texts and numerical information into ERP and CRM systems.
- Understanding of customer needs and development of plans/ strategies that help address them
- Monitoring and replying to client inquiries online
- Providing timely customer records, inventory, sales, or any other critical reporting metric.
- Building a sustainable customer relationships trust through open and interactive communication.
- Handle complaints and provide appropriate solution alternatives for resolution.
- Identification of essential staff in clients’ companies s that help in cultivation and fostering of profitable relationships.
- Validating data obtained through 3rd-party sources.
- Participating in project and functional group meetings as needed.
- Assisting with the preparation of crucial data reports/analytics as applicable.
- Deriving data from CRM software to create successful email campaigns while paying attention to all details
- Forwarding of upselling and cross-selling opportunities to the company sales team
- Promotion of high-quality sales, supply, and customer service process
What to look for when hiring a CRM data entry specialist
The ideal CRM data specialists should find meaningful patterns in all sorts of data and use it to target customers. The right candidate must be creative, sharp, detailed oriented, and possess analytical approach skills for the job. Some of the specific qualifications to look out for when hiring a CRM data specialist include:
- Experience in managing vast databases and large data sets
- Previous experience working with CRMs and reporting tools
- Ability to identify and adapt to changing customers’ needs and work in a fast-paced environment
- Proven experience as a client relationship manager
- Experience in customer relationship management
- Problem-solving attitude
- Teamwork and leadership skills
- Aptitude for fostering positive relationships
- Customer-oriented mindset
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Knowledge of MS Windows and MS office required
- College education with a focus on IT, or business administration
- Ability to effectively prioritize and handle multiple tasks simultaneously
- Proven customer service experience
- Experience working or implementing commercial database systems
CRM data entry: what data needs to get added
Customer data comes in many shapes and forms. It could be names and titles, email addresses, support ticket records, transaction data, online reviews, or cross-device usage data. To create, clarify, and structure an ideal CRM system, the specialist you hire should group customer data into the following categories:
Primary data
Basic customer data should be added to the CRM system to help understand each relationship. The primary data includes contact name, email address, phone number, job title, gender, revenue, industry.
Interaction/engagement data
These are the touchpoints that customers have with the brand. It includes page views, social shares, email inquiries, ebook downloads, and demo requests.
Behavioral data
Behavioral data offers essential insights into the customer experience with your brand. It includes data on user license additions, downgrades, deactivations, feature utilization, or free trial sign-ups
Attitudinal data
Attitudinal data helps you to figure out what customers think about your company and the solutions you offer. These include online reviews, satisfaction surveys, and support ticket comments.
Where to find VAs to help with CRM data entry
There are several websites and directories that can help you find the right virtual assistant for a CRM data entry job. One of the popular platforms to use is Zirtual, a top-notch recruiting platform that matches up busy professionals with virtual CRM data entry professionals. The software provides employers with alternative convenient and affordable options to hire exceptional talent for a range of data entry projects.
Other marketplaces to consider include: Guru, Mr. outsource, Virtual staff finder, QuickMonday, and Virtual Assistant Assistant.
How to maximize your CRM data
You can maximize your CRM data through the following best practices:
Regularly update customer information
Your CRM system will only benefit your business if the data provided is current and accurate. If the customer’s essential details such as an address, company name, or preferred method of contact changes, your data entry specialist should update the information immediately.
Leverage customer purchasing history for upselling
Ideally, it is much easier to sell a new product to current customers than acquiring new ones. Use CRM data to analyze existing clients’ purchase history and sign promotions or events for such clients. For example, if your clients recently bought a shoe from your store, you can program the CRM system to recommend a related product such as shoe polish.
Automate the process
The workflow automation feature in the CRM software will come in handy to eliminate time-consuming and repetitive functions. A CRM software can be programmed to offer promotions, send follow up emails, and push marketing efforts whenever new leads are added.
Key Takeaway
A competent CRM data specialist should be well versed in the value delivered to customers and the specific problems that the clients are trying to solve. You can leverage on new technologies like those offered by Zirtual, to hire a dedicated CRM data entry specialist that will proactively offer ideas and insights to improve the customer issues and challenges.