How Data-Driven Communication Enhances CRM for Emerging Startups.

It’s an open secret that customer relationships can make or break any company, and this is especially true when you’re navigating the early stages of growth.

Many startups don’t realize there’s more to building and maintaining connections than a “hope you’re doing well” email. Others don’t even go that far! Unfortunately, too many founders and managers are so focused on building the product that they neglect their most important asset: the customer.

But what if you could blaze past your competition by powering your communication strategy with data? Data-driven communication may sound like a buzzword in marketing, but there’s no doubt about it — it can help you understand your customers on a deeper level, improve your marketing efforts, and help deliver enhanced customer experience.

In this article, we’ll discuss how harnessing data can enhance your CRM and unlock the full potential of your startup’s communication strategy.

---

---

What is Data-Driven Communication?

Simply put, data-driven communication involves using qualitative insights from data to inform how a business interacts with customers. The keyword here, of course, is data, or you’re just interacting based on gut feelings.

There’s no shortage of ways to source the required data. For example, what is an inbound call centre if not the pulse of your customer interactions and a goldmine for customer insights? You can send out surveys, gather details during the order process, and even invest in third party data sets.

By processing all this data appropriately, you can glean valuable insights that allow you to move from generic messaging to highly targeted, personalized interactions.

---

QuickLook: Best CRM for Startups

---

Why Does Infusing Data into Communication Matter for Startups?

Communication with customers lies at the core of marketing and sales for every business, whether they’re startups or market juggernauts. After all, it’s through interaction that you can turn interest into action and build stronger connections that last.

The real challenge is that every customer is unique and what resonates with one customer may not work with another. That’s why a cookie-cutter messaging strategy rarely moves the needle. Add that to the fact that startups are burdened by limited resources and pressure to prove themselves quickly, and it’s clear that you can’t afford guesswork.

Consider the alternative. Implementing a data-driven strategy instead allows startups to approach communication precisely and more effectively.

It can help your startup:

How Data-Driven Communication Enhances CRM for Startups

CRM (Customer Relationship Management) is a process through which you organize, manage, and optimize customer interactions. This abbreviation can also apply to software – CRM tools are used to facilitate these relationships. They’re where you’ll keep all your interesting data and related insights, and what your customer services, marketing, and sales teams will rely on to enhance communication. 

When a startup adopts data-driven communication, it, in turn, generates valuable raw material that feeds back into the CRM. Here are three key ways that this can help startups:

1. Personalizing Customer Experiences

With the help of data-driven communication, every stakeholder with access to a startup’s CRM solution can gain a unified view of the customer – their interests, purchase history, customer feedback, and more.

How does this empower your startup? It all boils down to being able to tailor interactions in a way that actually means something to your leads and buyers alike. Personalization is powerful – 95% of marketers consider their strategies successful.

Think about it. When you know your customers, you can recommend a product they’ve been eyeing or send a “just-for-you” discount right when they’re ready to buy. It’s the kind of move that makes customers feel like they’re more than just another email address on your list. Your personalization efforts are bound to lead to long-term customer loyalty, and it will squeeze more ROI from your marketing spend.

---

Essential CRM Best Practices Every Business Must Know

---

2. Streamlining Communication Across Teams

Every so often, growing startups have to deal with silos, where it can feel like the sales, marketing, customer service, and other teams operate on entirely different planets.

Having a CRM tool helps to eliminate these silos so that various teams can communicate properly with each other and have access to the data they need all in one place. It also means any new data they gather ends up somewhere accessible, rather than siphoned away for their own personal use.

Why does this matter? Short answer: it eliminates the awkward handoffs and missteps. So, your sales team knows what marketing promised. Your support team understands the customer’s history before they even say a word. The result? A smoother, more cohesive customer experience that feels seamless at every touchpoint.

3. Improving Customer Service

Businesses — and startups especially — thrive on happy customers. But there’s more to keeping them happy than resolving issues that pop up; you’re also expected to deliver exceptional service every time.

Supercharging your CRM tool with consumer data can give your customer support team the context it needs to handle concerns with ease, as well as allowing them to be proactive rather than reactive. When answering a call, your team can quickly see: 

• Are they reaching out about a recurring issue already in the system?
• When was their last interaction, and what was their experience like?
• Are there unresolved concerns from previous interactions that haven’t been followed up on?

With the answers to these (and other questions) at their fingertips, you can anticipate their needs and get straight to the matter at hand, rather than making the customer repeat themself. Not only does this save time, it also ensures the caller feels valued – and reduces any frustration they might otherwise be feeling.

---

Different Types of CRM Explained: Which One is Best for You?

---

4 Best Practices for Enhancing CRM With Data-Driven Communication

Here are a few things you should apply to elevate your CRM with your data-driven approach.

• Make data your secret sauce. Don’t just collect data — let it guide you. Spend time cleaning it up, analyzing it, and pulling out vital intel. By doing this, you’ll soon know your audience like the back of your hand, and be able to craft killer communication that hits the mark every time.
• Talk like you know them. Use your consumer insights to understand customers deeply, giving them meaningful experiences that make them feel like you’re talking directly to them. This might be through personalized recommendations, targeted newsletters, or offers on things you know they’ll love.
• Automate the boring stuff. Stop wasting time on repetitive tasks. Let your data trigger automatic emails and reminders, so your team can focus on what really matters.
• Be the first to know. Instead of reacting to problems, anticipate them. Dive into data trends to spot issues before they blow up, and use your CRM to keep things running smoothly. For instance, have you spotted an uptick in reviews mentioning delivery costs in a negative way? Collaborate with new delivery partners, and announce the changes before you start seeing a drop in sales.

Time To Get Talking

With 63% of marketers deeming data-driven communications somewhat successful, and 32% saying they were very successful, it’s clear this is a trend startups should pay attention to. Take the time to gather data on your target audience through feedback, surveys, order information, and from industry-specific data sets.

Once you’ve got it to hand, it’s time to delve deep and figure out exactly what your audience wants – and more importantly, how you can start providing it.

Image from Pexels