CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, which translates to "customer relationship management" in Japanese. The term is also used to refer to all the systems and tools used to build and maintain good relationships with customers over the long term. CRM is a tool that can be used for marketing initiatives that start with customer information. In this article, we will provide an overview of CRM marketing (differences from SFA, etc.), the benefits of CRM marketing, and recommended tools. We hope you will find it useful.
Explanation of the main measures and benefits of working on it!
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Table of Contents
What is CRM Marketing?

CRM MARKETING REFERS TO ANALYZING AND UTILIZING CUSTOMER INFORMATION ACCUMULATED IN CRM TO IMPLEMENT MARKETING ACTIVITIES MORE EFFICIENTLY. THIS LEADS TO HIGHER CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND LOYALTY TOWARD YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND ULTIMATELY TO HIGHER SALES. FURTHERMORE, EVEN AFTER MARKETING MEASURES ARE IMPLEMENTED, DATA IS STORED IN CRM, MAKING IT EASIER TO ANALYZE AND REVIEW THE MEASURES THEMSELVES.
DIFFERENCES FROM SFA
One term often confused with CRM is SFA. While both have the same function of managing customer information, CRM aims to build better relationships with customers by centrally managing customer information, analyzing sales forecasts, and distributing promotional e-mails according to customer attributes on the tool. On the other hand, SFA is a tool designed to improve the efficiency of sales activities, with functions such as sales progress management, case management of business negotiations, forecast management, and quotation creation. Therefore, if you want to implement marketing activities starting from customer information, CRM is recommended.
Related Articles>> What is the difference between CRM and SFA? Thorough explanation of the differences in functions and roles, and how to choose the right one!
BACKGROUND OF THE IMPORTANCE OF CRM MARKETING
Times when the market is changing rapidly and things do not sell easily.
DURING THE HIGH-GROWTH PERIOD, WHEN THERE WAS STILL A SHORTAGE OF GOODS AND SERVICES, PRODUCTS WOULD SELL ON THEIR OWN AS LONG AS THEY WERE ADVERTISED TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THROUGH TV COMMERCIALS AND FLYERS. HOWEVER, IN TODAY'S WORLD OF NUMEROUS COMPETITORS AND AN ABUNDANCE OF GOODS AND SERVICES, IT IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT THAN IN THE PAST TO SIMPLY GAIN RECOGNITION AND SELL, NO MATTER HOW HIGH THE FUNCTIONALITY OR LOW THE PRICE. THE CONTINUOUS GROWTH OF A COMPANY MAY BE AT RISK IF IT IS NOT ABLE TO FLEXIBLY RESPOND TO CHANGES IN THE MARKET AND CUSTOMER NEEDS BY SENSING CHANGES IN CUSTOMER INFORMATION, AND MARKETING ACTIVITIES THAT UTILIZE CRM HAVE BEEN ATTRACTING ATTENTION IN RECENT YEARS.
Diversification of customer needs
In recent years, the Internet has made it possible to obtain detailed product and service information not only from real stores but also from mail-order and comparison sites. As a result, comparisons with other companies have become easier, and customer needs have become more diverse and complex. Therefore, in the current business environment, it is necessary to analyze customer information while uncovering users' potential issues and needs, and to implement marketing measures to pinpoint them.
BENEFITS OF CRM MARKETING
Increase in sales
CRM MARKETING ENABLES MARKETING MEASURES TO BE IMPLEMENTED BASED ON CUSTOMER INFORMATION. THEREFORE, UNLIKE TV COMMERCIALS OR HANGING ADVERTISEMENTS THAT APPEAL TO A LARGE NUMBER OF UNSPECIFIED CONSUMERS, CRM MARKETING CAN PINPOINT AND EXECUTE MARKETING MEASURES TO THE TARGET GROUP YOU WISH TO TARGET. THIS ALLOWS YOU TO REACH CUSTOMERS WHO NEED YOUR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES WITH A HIGH DEGREE OF ACCURACY, AND AS A RESULT, IT IS EASIER TO INCREASE SALES.
Improve customer satisfaction
CRM MARKETING CAN ALSO HELP IMPROVE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION. FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO SEND E-MAILS WITH DIFFERENT CONTENT DEPENDING ON THE NUMBER OF PURCHASES AND FREQUENCY OF USE BY CUSTOMERS, AND TO DEVELOP NEW FEATURES AND PRODUCTS BASED ON AN UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR NEEDS. SINCE CORPORATE GROWTH IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT IMPROVING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION, WE RECOMMEND PROACTIVE CRM MARKETING EFFORTS.
Improved business efficiency
INFORMATION STORED IN CRM IS AUTOMATICALLY AGGREGATED TO FACILITATE DATA ANALYSIS. THIS MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO STREAMLINE OPERATIONS SUCH AS DATA AGGREGATION, ANALYSIS WORK, AND REPORT CREATION FOR MEETINGS. IN ADDITION, THE INTRODUCTION OF A CRM WITH ENHANCED VOICE INPUT AND TOOL INTEGRATION WILL GREATLY REDUCE THE BURDEN OF DATA ENTRY. FURTHERMORE, INFORMATION STORED IN CRM CAN BE CENTRALLY MANAGED ON THE PLATFORM AND EASILY ACCESSED, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO SHARE DATA WITH VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COMPANY.
BASIC FLOW OF CRM MARKETING

Collection and accumulation of customer information
TO IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE MARKETING INITIATIVES ON CRM, FIRST COLLECT AND ACCUMULATE CUSTOMER INFORMATION. IN RECENT YEARS, MANY COMPANIES HAVE REALIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF UTILIZING CUSTOMER DATA, AND THE INTRODUCTION OF CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT TOOLS IS BECOMING MORE WIDESPREAD. HOWEVER, MANY COMPANIES HAVE ENCOUNTERED BARRIERS SUCH AS EMPLOYEES NOT LOGCONDUCTING SALES ACTIVITIES, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE INTRODUCED CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT TOOLS.

THE ABOVE DATA IS BASED ON OUR OWN SURVEY OF SALES REPRESENTATIVES ON WHY THEY DO NOT LOGTHEIR SALES ACTIVITIES INTO CRM.
THE SURVEY RESULTS INDICATE THAT THERE ARE NUMEROUS OPINIONS FROM THE FIELD THAT, ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE IMPLEMENTED CRM, "DATA ENTRY IS TOO MUCH WORK" OR "THEY DO NOT FEEL THE NEED FOR DATA ENTRY. IF THE DATA ENTRY ITSELF IS A MAJOR BURDEN FOR THE TOOL, CUSTOMER INFORMATION CANNOT BE STORED, AND THE RELIABILITY OF THE ANALYSIS RESULTS OBTAINED BY THE ORGANIZATION AS A WHOLE MAY BE REDUCED.
THEREFORE, WHEN INTRODUCING CRM, WE RECOMMEND SELECTING A TOOL THAT FOCUSES ON EASE OF DATA ENTRY. IN THE INITIAL STAGE OF CRM IMPLEMENTATION, WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION CONTINUE TO DEVISE WAYS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ITEMS TO BE ENTERED TO THE MINIMUM NECESSARY, AND SO ON, UNTIL THE ENTRY PROCESS BECOMES FIRMLY ESTABLISHED.
Analysis of customer information
ONCE CUSTOMER INFORMATION IS ACCUMULATED, CUSTOMER ANALYSIS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED TO SELECT APPROPRIATE MARKETING MEASURES. DATA ACCUMULATED IN CRM CAN BE ANALYZED FROM VARIOUS ANGLES, FOCUSING ON VARIOUS CRITERIA SUCH AS CUSTOMER ATTRIBUTES, PURCHASE FREQUENCY, AND WEBSITE ACCESS FREQUENCY.
Implement marketing initiatives
Once the customer analysis is complete and the direction of the measures to be taken is clear, it is time to implement them. For example, you may want to distribute limited coupons or useful information to dormant customers who have not been purchasing in order to encourage them to make purchases.
Review & Improvement of Marketing Initiatives
After implementing marketing measures, look back and make improvements. Repeated verification of effectiveness and revision or review of the process of implementing measures will generate new insights and lead to more effective marketing activities.
MAJOR CRM MARKETING INITIATIVES
Mail delivery
ONE OF THE MOST COMMON MEASURES IN CRM MARKETING IS EMAIL DISTRIBUTION. EXAMPLES INCLUDE SENDING OUT E-MAILS TO CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE LOST ORDERS IN THE PAST TO INVITE THEM TO A FREE CONSULTATION, OR SENDING OUT E-MAILS WITH COUPONS TO USERS WHO HAVE BEEN AWAY FROM PURCHASING FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. RATHER THAN SENDING OUT EMAILS TO AN UNSPECIFIED NUMBER OF USERS ALL AT ONCE, SENDING OUT EMAILS WITH SOME DEGREE OF FOCUS TENDS TO HAVE A HIGHER OPEN RATE.
Organizing Seminars
In many cases, customers who attend seminars are already interested in the company's products and services or are facing some issues in their business. Therefore, the value appeal of the company's products and services can be conveyed sufficiently, making it easier for them to make a purchase.
addressable advertising
ADDRESSABLE ADVERTISING IS A TYPE OF ADVERTISING THAT CAN TARGET SPECIFIC USERS BASED ON CUSTOMER DATA ACCUMULATED IN CRM, AND HAS BEEN ATTRACTING ATTENTION IN RECENT YEARS BECAUSE OF ITS TARGETING BASED ON CUSTOMER DATA, SUCH AS CUSTOMER PURCHASE INFORMATION AND BEHAVIORAL HISTORY IN CRM DATA. FOR EXAMPLE, IT IS POSSIBLE TO EXTRACT DATA ON CUSTOMERS WHO ARE HIGHLY LOYAL TO THE COMPANY AND DISTRIBUTE ADVERTISEMENTS TO SIMILAR CUSTOMER SEGMENTS TO ACHIEVE HIGHLY COST-EFFECTIVE ADVERTISEMENT DISTRIBUTION.
questionnaire survey
It is also possible to conduct surveys of customers accumulated in the CRM. By conducting a survey, you can find out the level of satisfaction with your products and services, as well as the issues that your customers are experiencing. When conducting a survey, we recommend choosing a tool that allows you to easily create a survey on the web , such as Google Forms. Not only is it easy to tally the results after the survey has been completed, but it can also be centrally managed in the cloud, allowing anyone in the company to view and analyze the survey results.
When creating a survey, it is recommended to consider the following points
-Clarify the purpose of the survey
-Keep the questions simple
-Don't ask too many questions
-Don't ask too many questions
-Anonymous responses
When creating a survey, allowing anonymous responses makes it easier for customers to respond honestly about your products and services. For this reason, it is a good idea to set the name and e-mail address as optional input.
Related Articles>> What is Customer Satisfaction (CS)? Why You Should Improve It and Six Specific Examples
RECOMMENDED CRM TOOLS

UPWARD(UPWARD CORPORATION)
WE PROVIDE AND DEVELOP UPWARD, A SALES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATIONTOOL THAT HELPS MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF CRM AND SFA FOR OUTSIDE AND DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES.

By utilizing "UPWARD," customer data such as customer profile information, business meeting history, activity reports, and business card information can be semi-automatically stored in CRM with a single smartphone. When the person in charge in the field creates a daily sales report or activity report, not only is a report format automatically created on "UPWARD," but the report can also be easily created in his/her spare time by voice input.
The customer data entered daily is visualized on a map, and the color and size of the markers help the user to intuitively know which customer to visit next. UPWARD" is a sales tool that has been carefully designed for ease of use by visiting salespeople and outside salespeople. digital transformation
For more detailed information, please download the service document from the following URL.
Click here to download the brochure.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 (Microsoft)
Microsoft Dynamics 365 is an AI-powered sales support (CRM/SFA) tool provided by Microsoft. It has all the functions necessary to improve sales and sales efficiency, such as case management, customer management, competition management, and competitive analysis. It also has an AI assistant function and the ability to retrieve relevant information from office products such as Excel and Microsoft Teams. It is an easy-to-use sales support system for companies that use a wide range of Office-related products in their daily business.
Click here for the official Microsoft Dynamics 365 website.
Sales Cloud (Salesforce)
Sales Cloud is a cloud-based sales support system (CRM/SFA) provided by Salesforce, the world's leading CRM company. Sales Cloud is highly customizable and has been adopted by a wide range of companies, from small and medium-sized businesses to large corporations. Sales Cloud is highly customizable and has been adopted by small, medium, and large companies alike. It also supports mobile app, making it easy for outside and in-home salespeople to enter customer information in the field.
Click here for the official Sales Cloud website .
GENIEE SFA/CRM
GENIEE CRM, provided by GENIEE Corporation, offers intuitive operations for "setting," "input," and "analysis. In addition to basic functions required for a sales case management tool, such as customer management and negotiation process management, it also includes an AI assistant function that utilizes OpenAI's "GPT-4" generative AI tool (paid option). It is also equipped with communication tools, a report generation function, and functions to support more efficient sales activities through integration with core systems.
Click here for the official GENIEE SFA/CRM website.
Mazrica Sales (Mazrica Corporation)
Mazrica Sales" is a sales support tool with CRM and SFA functions. It can collectively manage all information obtained through sales activities, including customer information and case progress management, and is equipped with functions that utilize cutting-edge technology, such as an AI-based order forecasting function. It also offers a support plan that provides advice on how to use the tool so that its use will take root.
Click here for the official Mazrica Sales website.
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summary
By storing customer information in CRM, it is possible to implement marketing measures that are tailored to the customer. If you need help selecting a CRM tool, please feel free to contact us.
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