Sales success is a two-way street, and to make this possible, you need to nurture your relationships with customers and ensure a pleasant shopping experience for them from start to end. This is why having CRM software as part of your operations comes in handy.
Generally, CRM systems simplify this challenging endeavor by giving sales representatives a comprehensive view of client records so they can send personalized responses and reply with context. Think about it. Will you answer a person who can’t remember your name, or converse with one who does? CRM tech solves this problem effortlessly and does so much more if you use it correctly.
One way to do so is by being apprised of the different changes in the customer relationship industry and how you can leverage these to improve your business. To help you out, we have compiled the key CRM trends that you should look out for in 2021. From general facts to CRM charts on implementation challenges, this article should give you all the data you require to understand the ins and outs of CRM and what it all means for you as a business owner.
Converting new leads is important, but customer retention is really where the money is. The process of customer acquisition costs five times more (ElasticPath, 2015) than simply focusing on your existing customers. Meanwhile, investing in customer loyalty by 5% can actually increase your profits by up to 95%. This is why the CRM market share has enjoyed steady growth over the past years. What’s more, is that there are still plenty of sales teams who have yet to utilize this technology.
By 2027, the CRM market is expected to reach $113.46 billion. (Fortune Business Insights, 2020)
During the same period, it is projected to grow at a CAGR of 14.2%. (Grand View Research, 2020)
While the concrete effects of COVID-19 are yet to be determined, the CRM market is already seeing changes. 87% of CRM are expected to be deployed in the cloud in 2021 compared to 12% in 2020. (Market Research Future, 2020)
As many businesses shift their operations to the Cloud, so are their tools. Small and medium-sized businesses are the key drivers of digital CRM solutions. 44% of the latter and 33% of the former use some form of cloud-based CRM. (Accenture, 2020)
13% of companies say that investing in CRM is one of their top sales priorities. (Hubspot, 2020)
Moreover, during the pandemic, the CRM deployment over the cloud increased to 87%. (Market Research Future, 2020)
A properly implemented CRM solution can yield an ROI of 45% per dollar invested. (ReadWrite, 2020)
92% of businesses said that CRM is a crucial tool in achieving their revenue goals. (SuperOffice, 2021)
Sales teams that utilize advanced CRM features such as automation see as much as 10% sales uplift potential. (McKinsey & Company, 2020)
77% of sales experts report that they have experienced a rapid digital transformation since 2019. (ZDNet, 2020)
Salespeople spend 17% of their day entering data into tools such as CRM. (Hubspot, 2021)
CRM is considered as one of the most important aspects of business operations as it integrates sales, marketing, customer support, and customer feedback in one system. (SuperOffice, 2021)
Do note, however, that while CRM is recognized as one of the best methods to boost revenue, this doesn’t mean that all CRM solutions are created equal. This is why companies often assess a wide variety of factors before purchasing a particular software.
Ease of use is the most important feature of CRM software according to 55% of sales experts. (SuperOffice, 2021)
63% of businesses prefer cloud-hosted CRM systems over on-premise applications. (SelectHub, 2020)
Mobile CRM Statistics
Mobile CRM is by no means a new technology. It started back in 1999 with Sibel Sales Handheld. Companies like PeopleSoft, SAP, and Oracle followed suit by creating their own mobile CRMs, but these did not gain traction due to a lack of devices.
Fortunately, we now have a plethora of sophisticated, internet-enabled mobile devices available on the market. With that said, it is much easier to reap the benefits that mobile CRM software solutions have to offer.
Users of mobile business applications experienced a 74% increase in customer satisfaction, an 87% improvement in sales, and a 73% improvement in business process efficiency. (SuperOffice, 2020)
A study by Atlanta-based company, Innoppl reported that 65% of sales experts who use mobile CRM met their quota. (CRM.org, 2019)
On the other hand, only 22% of those not using mobile CRM met their sales goals. (CRM.org, 2019)
61% of companies believe that mobile CRM is now a mainstream method for tapping into their customer base. (SuperOffice, 2020)
65% of sales representatives who adopted mobile CRM were able to reach their sales quotas. (SuperOffice, 2021)
On Cyber Monday 2020, 54% of shoppers used their mobile devices to explore and purchase products. (OuterBox, 2021)
In Europe, only 34% of businesses take advantage of mobile CRM. (SuperOffice, 2021)
50% of sales teams increased their productivity through the use of mobile CRM. (Martech Zone, 2020)
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Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Not in Use: 39.9%
Not in Use
39.9%
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Limited storage: 18.7%
Limited storage
18.7%
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Excessive advertising: 16.2%
Excessive advertising
16.2%
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Excessive notifications: 12.6%
Excessive notifications
12.6%
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Confusion: 5.4%
Confusion
5.4%
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Technical issues: 5.4%
Technical issues
5.4%
Reason Why Users Uninstall Mobile Apps Other: 1.6%
Other
1.6%
Source: CleverTap, 2020
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Social CRM Statistics
There are different types of CRM that you can use to improve your sales efficiency, one of which is social CRM.
The role of social media in business is becoming more and more important, especially because 7 in 10 Americans use social media regularly (Pew Research Center, 2019). According to the Pew Research Center, a large chunk of these consumers log on to Facebook (76%), Instagram (51%), Twitter (42%), and Pinterest (25%) on a daily basis.
This just goes to show that it would be more helpful to implement social CRM platforms if you want to improve your interactions with leads and existing clients.
There are more than 4.14 billion social media users in the world. (DataReportal, 2021)
68% of customers are more likely to use online communities such as chat rooms or forums. (Walker, 2020)
78% of salespeople who engage in social selling are outperforming their peers. (Optinmonster, 2021)
Around 92% of companies tweet at least once a day. (SocialPilot, 2021)
21% of customers follow brands on social media to interact with them. (Marketing Charts, 2020)
Social CRM can improve customer retention by up to 27%. (YokelLocal, 2020)
The productivity of sales reps increased by 26.4% since they added mobile and social media access to their CRM apps. (SuperOffice, 2021)
The increase in productivity associated with social CRM capabilities is 8%. (SuperOffice, 2021)
64% of Twitter users expect a response from companies within an hour. (Hubspot, 2021)
The increase in Twitter service interaction in the last two years is 250%. (SocialPilot, 2021)
Moreover, during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, digital sales grew by 18% and 14% of shoppers now rely on social media for purchases. (Deloitte, 2020)
CRM Benefits Statistics
The main reason developers create CRM, and similar programs is to make work easier for business owners and their staff. In fact, when used properly, these software solutions can increase sales and team productivity, among other things. Not only will the right software benefit your business by lowering labor costs and time spent on customer service work, but these can also make your company look even better to their prospective and current customers.
CRM solutions can help your business in many ways. However, keep in mind that there are different types of platforms available. For instance, there are some CRM solutions for small businesses, while there are also those created specifically for large enterprises. There are also platforms offering industry-specific functionalities like CRM for retail.
If you truly want to maximize CRM for your company, you first need to zero in on what benefits you are expecting to reap so that you may plan on how to use your CRM system to achieve them.
Customers are likely to spend 20% to 40% more when they engage with the company using CRM. (VARStreet, 2020)
Conversation rates may increase up to 300% using a CRM. (VARStreet, 2020)
Additionally, 80% of consumers are more likely to support brands with personalized support. (VARStreet, 2020)
CRM systems improve customer retention rates, which leads to a profit increase of 25% to 85%. (Tech Times, 2020)
CRM applications can increase revenue by up to 29%. (Hubspot, 2019)
CRM systems can enhance sales team productivity by 34%. (Hubspot, 2019)
CRM can boost conversion rates by 300%. (Hubspot, 2019)
Big brands use CRM to provide a personalized customer experience, increase engagement with existing customers, and resolve customer issues before they escalate into a more serious problem. (Expert Market, 2021)
39% of business leaders say that a high-quality customer experience provides an advantage over the competition, which can be accomplished through CRM seamlessly. (Impact, 2020)
CRM helps companies retain customers as 65% of most companies’ revenue comes from loyal consumers. (Fundera, 2019)
With regard to work performance, mobile CRM enhances employees’ productivity by 15%. (ForceManager, 2019)
Companies with CRM have increased their sales forecast by 42%. (VARStreet, 2020)
CRM solutions are now being integrated and consolidated into bigger product ecosystems for a seamless workflow. (PCMag, 2020)
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Most Requested CRM Software Features
Most Requested CRM Software Features Contact management: 94%
Contact management
94%
Most Requested CRM Software Features Track interactions: 88%
Track interactions
88%
Most Requested CRM Software Features Scheduling: 85%
Scheduling
85%
Most Requested CRM Software Features Pipeline monitoring: 26%
Pipeline monitoring
26%
Most Requested CRM Software Features Sales automation: 22%
Sales automation
22%
Most Requested CRM Software Features Central database: 20%
Central database
20%
Source: Nimble, 2020
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Most Popular CRM Software
HubSpot CRM. HubSpot CRM is ideal for users who want to get started as quickly as possible without deviating from their routine processes. Our HubSpot CRM review covers its capabilities.
Salesforce CRM. Part of the Salesforce family, Salesforce CRM helps you interface with customers in one platform, track leads, and more. For details, read our Salesforce CRM review.
Freshsales. Built with user-friendliness in mind, Freshsales offers an all-in-one solution paired with an intuitive UI. Our Freshsales review offers a deeper dive into its benefits.
Pipedrive. This CRM is often the choice of smaller teams, but it can scale well to whatever the size of your organization. Read our Pipedrive review to get a better idea of what it can do.
Nimble. Nimble integrates into your contacts in the online and social media space and makes it easy to nurture and create leads. We walk you through Nimble’s key aspects in our Nimble review.
CRM Challenges Statistics
With every means of improving business operations come different benefits and challenges, with the latter being inevitable yet surmountable. For starters, not all companies have professionals who understand how to use CRM applications, let alone how to create a mobile CRM strategy. Thus, they either fail to use the platform to its fullest extent or opt not to use it at all.
With the chance to improve your company’s overall performance hanging in the balance, it’s easy to imagine the consequences of using certain CRMs. However, these challenges shouldn’t discourage you from taking advantage of this technology. All you have to do is get to know these hindrances and come up with ways to overcome them as you implement your CRM system.
Sales professionals from small companies want CRM solutions that offer flexibility and speed. (SuperOffice, 2021)
Only 28% of marketers are happy with the tools that they have to create a shared, centralized view of customers across business units in their organizations. (Salesforce, 2020)
CRM research shows that the number one challenge to CRM adoption is manual data entry. (Hubspot, 2020)
Almost 1 in 10 purchases happen within channels that are outside the company’s assets. (Salesforce, 2020)
Uses of AI in CRM are expected to rise more than 250% within the next few years. (SelectHub, 2021)
Customers will increasingly expect hyper-personalized interactions with brands. (Forrester, 2020)
It takes about one to six months before a traditional CRM can be implemented. It takes another three to five years before a company gets a good ROI. (ForceManager, 2019)
32% of sales representatives spend more than an hour each day on manual data entry. It’s also the primary reason for the lack of CRM adoption. (Hubspot, 2020)
Multiple industries experience CRM failure, with 47% to 63% of them suffering some form of problem. (Faye Business Systems Group, 2020)
CRM innovations over-complicate the sales process, especially for small and medium businesses. (Business.com, 2020)
Overcrowded databases also contribute to difficulties in using CRM systems. (Business.com, 2020)
What Do These CRM Statistics Mean for Your Business?
The CRM market has certainly come a long way. Starting out as a means to store customer information, it has become an end-to-end solution that lets you engage clients.
However, this does not mean that it can no longer evolve to keep up with the times. The age of digital transformation is rapidly changing what customers expect from businesses and how these businesses stay on top of their game.
Nowadays, it is not enough to simply have the best CRM software solutions. You should also try to discover how you can use them in line with prevailing industry trends. This way, it will be easier for you to stay ahead of the competition as you know how you can make the most out of it.
So, to sum up, our compilation of CRM statistics, here are some key takeaways:
CRM software undoubtedly offers a wide variety of benefits to your business. However, it is up to you to maximize it by fully understanding how CRM works.
Mobility has grown increasingly important to all aspects of today’s business landscape. Be sure to find a CRM solution that is accessible across your devices so you can easily use your system wherever you may be.
Going social will do wonders for your business. Consumers spend a lot of their time on platforms like Facebook and Twitter, so you should do the same to make yourself more accessible to your target audience.
Don’t make the mistake of spending too much time on CRM software management that you are no longer talking to your customers. Remember, these are only meant to automate backend sales processes and help you organize customer data. At the end of the day, nothing beats human interaction when it comes to customer retention and engagement.
Aside from analyzing the CRM facts we’ve compiled and keeping yourself up-to-date on different industry trends, you can also apply these CRM best practices to maximize your use of CRM software further.
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Jenny Chang is a senior writer specializing in SaaS and B2B software solutions. Her decision to focus on these two industries was spurred by their explosive growth in the last decade, much of it she attributes to the emergence of disruptive technologies and the quick adoption by businesses that were quick to recognize their values to their organizations. She has covered all the major developments in SaaS and B2B software solutions, from the introduction of massive ERPs to small business platforms to help startups on their way to success.
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