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NASHVILLE, TN – Recently, Emma Email Marketing, a leading provider of email marketing services, announced that it was integrating with Salesforce.com, the world’s #1 CRM platform. To communicate what that alliance means to Salesforce.com clients, Virsys12, Emma and Salesforce.com hosted a panel discussion calledCustomer Loyalty: How Better Data Builds Better Relationships.
Technology, sales and marketing professionals from a wide variety of industries gathered in Nashville to hear from panelists Grey Garner, Marketing Strategist for Emma, Joseph Curtis, a Regional Manager for Salesforce.com, Troy Crabtree, CTO at LetterLogic, Jennifer Martin, Vice President of Alday Communications, and Virsys12’s CEO Tammy Hawes, as they discussed the latest trends and issues surrounding data and its impact on the customer experience.
Moderator Bryan Huddleston, President and CEO of the Nashville Technology Council, led the discussion as panelists shared insights about acquiring, maintaining and leveraging good data. At a high level, one of the biggest issues they told us organizations are facing is a lack of strategy driving how they collect data. Three other chief areas of concern across all industries emerged: (1) big data, (2) transition to the cloud and (3) social.
Here are a few of the key takeaways we heard:
1. Having no data is better than having bad data. No amount of analysis can compensate for incomplete, incorrect or outdated information. If your data are not regularly purged, cleaned and verified, the conclusions you draw and actions you take will be off the mark. One of the biggest sources of bad data is at the point of registration for a service or product.
2. Data silos limit the value of your data. Separate buckets of data from different departments, locations or products are commonplace—and problematic. When marketing, customer service, sales and finance/credit/billing have their own silo-ed data sets, it means key data aren’t being shared and inconsistencies are likely, with potentially serious bottom-line consequences. Data needs to be centrally stored and accessed.
3. Opportunity lies in the analysis of the data, not its collection. Companies are struggling with how to turn big data into small, actionable data. Collecting the data is only a first step. You unlock its value through smart analysis to make it actionable. Use features like Dashboards to follow your KPI’s and prioritize your actions.
4. Segmentation and automation work hand in hand. Using automation improves reach and saves time, but only if proper segmentation ensures that the right messages get to the right eyes and ears.
5. Mobile can no longer take a back seat. The world of business is constantly in motion, and we have to be able to reach people where they are in the way they want to communicate. Tools that are accessible and designed to be viewed on all devices, from laptops to tablets to smartphones, have to be part of the strategy. With their ability to improve the team’s tracking, interaction, response time and output, they are key to driving greater efficiency and results.
6. Integrated platforms are essential. Platforms for data collection, like Salesforce.com, and customer interfaces, such as Emma, are important investments that can add value and provide robust ROI. The better your integration and implementation of these tools, the greater your benefit. If you need support to leverage the key point above, seek out certified Salesforce partners who can deliver the full potential of your investment.
Interested in working with a certified Salesforce partner to get the full value of your CRM investment? Contact us.
