THE LATEST 14 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP (CRM)! THOROUGH EXPLANATION OF FREE VERSION, SELECTION POINTS, ETC.

WHAT IS CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM)

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM) IS A TOOL EQUIPPED WITH APPICATION TO BUILD AND MAINTAIN GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS OVER THE LONG TERM. IT ALSO FUNCTIONS AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL CENTERED ON CUSTOMERS TO EXPAND THE COMPANY'S BUSINESS PERFORMANCE BY CENTRALLY MANAGING CUSTOMERS ON A DATABASE AND CONNECTING THEM TO RESULTS SUCH AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS AND REPEAT PURCHASES FROM EXISTING CUSTOMERS.

General customer management appimplements the following functions.
A function that manages business negotiations and account information related to an ever-increasing number of customers
- A function that accumulates qualitative data such as purchasing needs and preferences as customer attributes
- Individual relationship management that visualizes the relationship with target customers created by sales staff in terms of phases (degrees)
- History management including responses to each customer's purchase
- A function that visualizes the purchase/frequency/performance/unit price/accumulated amount for each customer Function to visualize the purchase/frequency/performance/unit price/accumulated amount of each customer
・Function to forecast the next purchase prospect and expansion potential based on the transaction results
・Internal SNS/alert function to share the history of customer inquiries and the company's response
・Accumulation and management function of email distribution history and phone call history to customers
Related articles>> Why is "CRM" in the sales digital transformation Why is "CRM" attracting attention? What is the "secret" that only companies that have already implemented CRM can see?

Differences from Customer Management Tools

The main difference with customer management tools is their availability on mobile devices. Both the customer management tool and the customer management apphave almost the same functions. However, customer management app, which is designed for use on mobile devices, has the advantage that after a business meeting with a customer, the customer can input activities on a mobile device without having to return to the office and input customer information and activities logon a PC, and can easily view customer information on a mobile device before the meeting. For companies that have a door-to-door or outside sales organization, the introduction of a customer management tool that is also compatible with the appversion will dramatically improve sales efficiency.

DIFFERENCES FROM SFA TOOLS

ONE TOOL THAT IS OFTEN CONFUSED WITH CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APPIS SFA. WHILE BOTH ARE THE SAME IN THAT THEY ARE SYSTEMS FOR MANAGING CUSTOMER INFORMATION, CRM PROVIDES MANAGEMENT-RELATED FUNCTIONS SUCH AS CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT, CUSTOMER SUPPORT, SALES MANAGEMENT, AND SALES FORECAST ANALYSIS. THEREFORE, CRM IS USED NOT ONLY BY SALES REPRESENTATIVES, BUT ALSO BY INSIDE SALES, CUSTOMER SUCCESS (CUSTOMER SERVICE), AND MARKETING DEPARTMENTS. SFA, ON THE OTHER HAND, FOCUSES ON SUPPORTING SALES ACTIVITIES, WITH FUNCTIONS SUCH AS SALES PROGRESS MANAGEMENT, CASE MANAGEMENT OF BUSINESS NEGOTIATIONS, FORECAST MANAGEMENT, AND QUOTATION GENERATION.

More information on the differences between CRM and SFA can be found in the article below.
Related Articles>> What is the difference between CRM and SFA? A thorough explanation of the differences in functions, roles, and how to choose the right one!

THREE RECOMMENDED FREE CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT APP(CRM)

1. Excel

It is possible to use Excel to manage customers. If Excel is already in use in your company, you can start managing customers without incurring new costs. This is a great advantage, especially for companies with budget constraints. On the other hand, Excel cannot be updated by more than one person at the same time, so customer information may not be entered when it needs to be entered. This can easily cause problems such as reduced operational efficiency or forgetting to enter customer information.

Another disadvantage is that the input speed varies from employee to employee because of the need for knowledge of functions and formulas used for tabulation and analysis. Viewing and inputting information from a smartphone is also inconvenient, making it difficult to quickly extract the customer information you want to know.
Related article>> How to Manage Customers with Excel! 6 Useful Functions and How to Create a Database

2.Notion

Notion is a cloud-based all-purpose appthat can be used centrally for a variety of functions, including memos, task management, document management, and databases. However, because it is not a appspecialized for customer management, it does not have aggregate or analysis functions for customer information. Therefore, it is recommended if you are considering using it only for storing customer information.

3. HubSpot CRM (HubSpot Japan K.K.)

HubSpot CRM is a free CRM tool used by over 184,000 companies worldwide. It offers a full range of features, including customer management, performance reporting, email tracking, transaction tracking, and company insights. HubSpot CRM itself is free, which is useful for small businesses that want to keep costs down or just want to try it out for the time being.

11 PAID CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM) RECOMMENDATIONS

1. UPWARD (UPWARD CO., LTD.)

UPWARD IS A MOBILE CRM SPECIALIZED FOR DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES AND OUTSIDE SALES ACTIVITIES, AND ALLOWS USERS TO ACCUMULATE AND UTILIZE CUSTOMER DATA SUCH AS CUSTOMER INFORMATION, NEGOTIATION HISTORY, AND SALES ACTIVITY REPORTS WITH A SINGLE SMARTPHONE.

The data entered on a daily basis is visualized on a map, allowing users to intuitively know which customers to visit next. Anyone can make strategic visits to the places they really "need to go," not just the usual "easy-to-get-to" destinations. The usage fee differs depending on whether CRM has not been implemented or has been implemented. For example, the most affordable Essential Plan for those without CRM is ￥3,800 per user per month.
For more detailed information, please download the service brochure at the following URL.
Click here to download the brochure.

2.Mazrica Sales (Mazrica Corporation)

Mazrica Sales is a CRM/SFA tool. It is an easy-to-use tool that allows for the integrated management of all information necessary for sales management, including customer information, business cards, and project progress management. It also features an automatic transcription function that reduces the burden of entering customer information and a case board function that facilitates remote work by allowing users to intuitively grasp the progress of each person in charge of a case.

3. e-Sales Manager Remix Cloud (Softbrain Co., Ltd.)

e-Sales Manager Remix Cloud is a purely domestic CRM/SFA tool provided by Softbrain Co. It is equipped with many intuitive and convenient functions such as customer information management, case management, daily report management, and schedule management. The dashboard allows users to check items such as the number and size of business meetings, closing rate, and duration in real time to improve productivity.

4. Knowledge Suite (BlueTec Corporation)

Knowledge Suite" is a sales digital transformationtool that links all functions such as groupware, CRM, SFA, and smartphones app. It has functions designed to ensure that teleworking does not interfere with the productivity of sales activities. The business card management function allows users to quickly digitize business card information and manage it as a company asset through the CRM function, as well as an online business card exchange function.

5.Zoho CRM (Zoho Japan Co., Ltd.)

Zoho CRM is an affordable CRM tool. It is suitable for sole proprietors and small and medium-sized businesses that want to start small and keep costs low, as it requires no initial costs and is easy to start using, simple to use, and highly scalable. The support system is also well-developed, including assistance at the time of introduction, skill training, and trouble-shooting by professional staff.

6.GENIEE SFA/CRM (GENIE CORPORATION)

GENIEE CRM, PROVIDED BY GENIEE CORPORATION, ALLOWS FOR INTUITIVE "SETTING," "INPUT," AND "ANALYSIS" OPERATIONS. IT CAN IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY OF SALES ACTIVITIES THROUGH ITS COMMUNICATION TOOLS, FORM CREATION FUNCTION, AND LINKAGE WITH MISSION-CRITICAL SYSTEMS. IT IS ALSO HIGHLY CUSTOMIZABLE AND SUPPORTS ADDITIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO SUIT YOUR TOOLS AND BUSINESS FLOW.

7. kintone (Cybozu, Inc.)

Kintone, provided by Cybozu K.K., is a tool that allows users to create customer management appwith no code and no programming knowledge. Kintone CRM is a cloud-based CRM service provided by Cybozu, Inc. With no-code and low-code development, you can easily create and operate the appyou need without any programming knowledge.

8: Hot Profile (Hammock Corporation)

HOT PROFILE" IS A CLOUD-BASED BUSINESS CARD MANAGEMENT AND SFA TOOL. IT UNIFIES NEW BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, BUSINESS CARD MANAGEMENT, AND SALES SUPPORT AS A BUSINESS PROCESS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY OF SALES ACTIVITIES AND IMPROVE SALES. IT IS LOADED WITH USEFUL FUNCTIONS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF SALES ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS BUSINESS CARD DATABASING, VISUALIZATION OF HUMAN CONNECTIONS, AND AUTOMATIC ASSIGNMENT OF CORPORATE ATTRIBUTE INFORMATION. SALES CAN BE VISUALIZED IN MULTIFACETED SEGMENTS, MAKING SALES FORECASTING EASIER. NECESSARY INFORMATION SUCH AS COMPANY INFORMATION, COMPANY NEWS, AND E-MAIL HISTORY CAN ALSO BE INSTANTLY GRASPED.

9: Sansan (Sansan Corporation)

Sansan is a cloud-based business card management tool for corporations. With more than 1 million corporate information pre-registered, it is not only a business card management tool, but also has a wide range of functions as a CRM, such as an e-mail distribution function. It can centrally manage and utilize all customer information necessary for sales activities, and can also be integrated with Salesforce, a CRM.

10: Sales Cloud (Salesforce)

SalesCloud is a cloud-based sales support system provided by Salesforce, the world's leading CRM company. SalesCloud provides functions such as customer management, deal management, and sales activity analysis. SalesCloud is also characterized by its high degree of customization flexibility, which allows it to be used by a wide range of companies, from small and medium enterprises to large corporations.

11: "Dynamics 365" (Microsoft)

Dynamics 365" is a sales support tool provided by Microsoft Corporation. This tool has all the functions necessary for customer management, such as customer management, negotiation management, competition management, and competition analysis. It also has an AI assistant function, a function to reply to emails, and a function to retrieve relevant information from office products such as SharePoint, Outlook, and Microsoft Teams.

ADVANTAGES OF IMPLEMENTING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM)

Centralized management of customer information

Customer Management By implementing app, you will be able to manage customer information in one place. A vast amount of information can be managed in one place, including the progress of negotiations with customers, the status of responses at the call center, and the process of making sales calls. Sales representatives will be able to check the history of their assigned customers and consider appropriate actions.

Improve customer satisfaction

By accumulating customer information in the customer management app, it is possible to implement different approaches to e-mail marketing based on the number of purchases and frequency of use by customers, or to extract customers who seem to be defection or dormant and implement retention measures. In addition, customer satisfaction can be further improved by providing measures in accordance with the customer's condition, with "content" and "timing" appropriate for that customer.

Streamlining field sales activities

As mentioned above, the convenience of sales representatives working in the field will be greatly enhanced by the customer management tool's support of the appversion. For example, sales representatives used to return to the office after the end of an outbound sales trip and enter daily sales reports and customer information through their PCs, but with the introduction of the customer management app, they will be able to report during the skimming time of sales visits. Therefore, the sales representative will be able to go directly home from the sales site.

FACILITATE SALES DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

By implementing customer management app, the digital transformationtool will become more widespread among the managers in the company as well as the frontline personnel. This will help promote sales digital transformationthroughout the company.
Related Articles>> What is Sales digital transformation? A Thorough Explanation of the Difference from Digitization, Necessity, and Introduction Process

Elimination of gerrymandering

As mentioned above, Customer Management appis a system that consolidates, manages, and utilizes all sales information scattered throughout the company on the "customer axis. Daily sales reports can tell you whether you are doing well and what kind of deals you have, but they do not accumulate information that can be utilized in the future, and end up in the form of information stored in the brain of individual salespeople.
However, if you introduce customer management app, customer and sales information will be tied to the "company" rather than to an "individual" in the sales person's brain, and it will be reborn as a company asset that can be utilized by everyone in the company.
This will drastically reduce the risk of information loss and handover costs due to changes in assignments, retirements, and acceptance of new employees, and will enable appropriate personnel allocation.
Related article>> In-depth explanation of causes of sales gerrymandering and 7 solutions

DISADVANTAGES OF IMPLEMENTING CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM)

Costly to install and operate

Although appis a convenient way to centrally manage customer information, it is costly to use. If the system is implemented from scratch, there are initial costs for implementation and monthly license fees (usage fees), which vary depending on the product. Another cost that is often overlooked is the human resource costs associated with day-to-day operations.
Time and resources will be required to ensure that everyone in charge learns to use the new appand is proficient in its use.

It takes time to realize the effect.

Customer Management appis a "vessel" for storing and analyzing data.
Therefore, until sufficient data is collected through actual sales and marketing activities, it is difficult to see easy-to-understand results such as "Sales increased by X% from the following month after introducing customer management app! It is difficult to achieve such easy-to-understand results. It often takes time to realize the effects of customer management appbecause it is based on the premise of accumulating daily data without fail and continuously improving activities based on that data.

HOW TO CHOOSE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM)

Ease of data entry

The most important point in selecting a customer management appis the ease of data entry. In recent years, many companies have realized the importance of utilizing customer data, and the introduction of customer management appis becoming more widespread. However, many companies have implemented customer management appbut run into obstacles such as employees not logconducting sales activities.

The above data is based on our own survey of "Reasons for not logconducting sales activities".
From the survey results, we found that there are many opinions from the field that although CRM has been implemented, "the time and effort required for data entry is too much" and "they do not feel the need for data entry. If appis not easy to use, the degree of use and utilization skills are likely to vary among sales members, which may lead to variations in the quality of information and reduce the reliability of analysis results.  

When selecting a customer management app, choose one that is easy to use for personnel who will be entering customer information in the field. Especially for customer management appused on mobile devices, it is recommended to select a customer management appwith features that do not impose a burden on the field, such as automatic entry of customer information or voice input.

Generous support system

The vendor's support system is another point that greatly affects the usability of app. appIf the vendor does not understand how to use the system, or if it is difficult to operate, and if the behavior of the sales force does not change, it will seem pointless to have gone to the trouble of introducing the system. Make sure to check the level of support system before introducing app.

High security  

AS LONG AS YOU HANDLE YOUR CUSTOMERS' PERSONAL INFORMATION, BE SURE TO SELECT A APPTHAT IS FULLY SECURE. LEAKAGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION CAN CAUSE SIGNIFICANT LOSSES IN TERMS OF COMPANY CREDIBILITY AND SALES. THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU ARE A PUBLICLY LISTED COMPANY OR IN THE FINANCIAL OR INSURANCE INDUSTRY, WHERE SECURITY IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR IN THE SELECTION PROCESS. WHEN SELECTING A CUSTOMER MANAGEMENT APP, BE SURE TO SELECT A PRODUCT WITH HIGH INFORMATION SECURITY, SUCH AS ISMS CERTIFICATION (ISO27001), WHICH IS AN INTERNATIONAL STANDARD.

Whether data linkage is possible

Another point to consider is the ability to link data with other systems already in use at the company. If applacks the ability to link data, it may increase the time and effort required to manage information for each individual system, which in turn may make operations inefficient. The advantage of data federation is that business processes can be efficiently integrated and information consistency can be ensured. When considering customer management app, identify appthat you use on a daily basis, such as business card management, accounting, and groupware, and ask the provider in detail whether data integration with these systems is possible.

CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT APP(CRM)

Not for the purpose of introduction.

Be careful not to make implementation the objective. Tool implementation is only a means to solve problems and achieve business goals. If the goal of implementing customer management appis not specified, the cost-effectiveness may be low, or the workload may increase.

Consider on-site usability

Decide on implementation based on ease of use in the field. One of the reasons why customer management appdoes not take root is that appis not easy to use. It is important to pick up the voices of the field and confirm their needs before implementing the system. Even if the functions seem attractive, if the actual usability is poor, appwill not take root in the field.

summary

Customer Relationship Management appnot only improves the productivity of sales representatives who are in contact with customers on a daily basis, but also enables them to derive a variety of insights from the accumulated customer information that can lead to increased sales. We offer a mobile CRM app"UPWARD" that is tailored to outside salespeople and door-to-door salespeople. Please feel free to contact us if you are considering to introduce appto your customers.
Click here to contact us.