Managing the relationship with a customer is one of the most important concerns of any business, no matter its size. The better the relationship with the customer, the more they buy. Today, many businesses manage their customer relationships through the use of software designed specifically to track the contact between customer, business teams, and brand itself.
These platforms are called, appropriately, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and the talented people who manage the technology to improve marketing within a company are called CRM Marketing Specialists.
What Does a CRM Marketing Specialist Do?
To put it bluntly, a CRM Marketing Specialist is expert in the CRM. There are a dozen or more CRMs on the market today; so they may be skilled in one or a dozen.
The CRM Specialist serves a vital function in any organization, acting as a resource to any department. Their job is to maximize the efficiency of the CRM, the data inside it, and how a company uses the software to improve customer care. They act as the liaison between employees and the CRM software, making sure your investment in these complicated and expensive platforms is maximized. Their ROI cannot be discounted – this role can be tied directly to sales, customer service, and the brand image in the marketplace.
This role is well-named, because not only are CRM Specialists expert at figuring out how to optimize complex CRM software programs to market effectively to current and potential customers, they can use the tool to analyze buying trends or customer activity to improve sales.
Who Does a CRM Specialist Report To?
The role of CRM Marketing Specialist may fall under IT or marketing on the corporate organizational chart. The truth is that the CRM Marketing Specialist should be skilled in both disciplines.
The CRM Marketing Specialist must be a technologist that understands the software. But they must also be analysts that can run complicated data sets and discern meaning from patterns of behavior. Finally, they must also be skilled in marketing because they use this data to help marketing teams tweak and hone multifaceted communications programs designed to drive sales. They also work directly with sales to make sure these teams have the information they need to close more deals.
Some of the specific tasks of a CRM Marketing Specialist could include:
- Establishing workflows and standards or entering data in the CRM
- Spotting ways to improve usage of the CRM through automating basic everyday tasks
- Customizing and pulling marketing reports from the CRM
- Analyzing the marketing reports to determine what kind of customer trends the business should respond to
- Writing training manuals and teaching staff on how to use the CRM
- Troubleshooting user or software errors that inhibit the efficiency of the interaction between people and technology
- Meeting with teams to help them analyze business trends
The goal of the CRM Marketing Specialist is to facilitate the use of CRM software to improve the efforts of the sales, customer service, and marketing teams. Their job is to ensure that whoever needs to use the software interacts smoothly with the technology. While their role is ultimately the “CRM evangelist,” they also help companies use the software to their advantage to create better customer relationships by building the brand’s reputation.
Skills All CRM Marketing Specialists Should Have
The CRM Marketing Specialist must have the following skills:
- Expertise in the CRM software
- Ability to help figure out how to better integrate the CRM with internal legacy platforms
- The skill to resolve technical CRM issues, including responding to customization requests
- Organizational skills, which help the CRM Marketing Specialist juggle competing demands from marketing, sales, customers, and management
- Collaboration and patience to serve as the bridge between marketing and sales
- Strong writing skills to communicate with internal partners or even to write technical training manuals for end users
- Public speaking skills that allow them to train others on CRM software
- Attention to detail, to manage the integrity of the CRM data
- Ability to discern meaning from patterns and spot trends from data
- Good problem-solving abilities and excellent communication
Suggested Software Proficiency
First and foremost, the CRM Marketing Specialist must be proficient in the CRM software their company uses. While there are a number of platforms on the market, here are some commonly used ones:
- Act! Essentials
- Google Contacts
- HubSpot CRM
- Infusionsoft
- Microsoft 365 Dynamics
- Salesforce
- Marketo
- SugarCRM
- TrackVia
- Zoho
In addition to being expert in the CRM software, the CRM Marketing Specialist should have proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, especially Word and Excel. If there are remote teams in an organization, the CRM Marketing Specialist should also be able to use communications technology to share information with these teams. For example, they may need to conduct training remotely, so the ability to use GoToMeeting or Skype for Business may be important.
Finally, they may need expertise in project management software like Basecamp, or other tracking tools that help them manage internal customer requests.
Find Your CRM Marketing Specialist Here
If your organization is considering CRM software, talk with our talent-team about engaging a CRM Marketing Specialist to help maximize your investment. Contact Artisan Talent to discuss how our creative employment agency can help find you the perfect matches for any role you’re seeking! (click here to find talent) Are you a CRM Marketing Specialist looking for a new home? View our creative employment agency’s list of available opportunities or submit your resume! (click here to find jobs)
