If you are a business leader, an integration between your cloud PBX and CRM systems can save both time and money by cutting down on administration and doing away with so-called “information silos”. Telavox, a cloud PBX and IP telephony specialist, shares five reasons why integrating could be a beneficial move.
CRM systems make life easier by gathering all the business and customer information held by firms in one place, allowing business leaders and their staff to focus on the customer instead of administration. However, integration between a CRM system with a business’ cloud PBX could boost efficiency even further. In this respect, Telavox can offer integrations with CRM systems such as Hubspot, leading to a variety of benefits.
Below are five reasons, according to Telavox, for business leaders to consider integrating cloud PBX with CRM systems:
1. Higher productivity and efficiency
Without a PBX-CRM integration, it becomes difficult for salespeople to track their interactions with customers over the phone. Data will have to be entered manually into the CRM, wasting valuable time and effort. According to HubSpot Research, salespeople spend 17 per cent of their time on data entry, and just one-third of their time on actually selling.
By integrating PBX and CRM, salespeople have easier access to the information they need to do their jobs well, making them more productive and efficient. For example, call history, call recordings, and voicemails can all be automatically sent from the PBX system to the CRM software.
In addition, by integrating PBX and CRM systems, sales agents have access to real-time information about the person at the other end of the line. This can help salespeople make more convincing and compelling arguments, and ultimately close more deals.
2. Improved internal communication
The explosion in big data means that organisations have more information than ever before. According to a survey by IDG, the average company now manages 163 terabytes [163,000 gigabytes] of data. That's a lot of information.
Unfortunately, far too much of this data remains inaccessible to the people who truly need it. Business experts have coined the term “data silo” for the phenomenon in which a repository of information is restricted for the use of only one team or department, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
Data silos are a serious impediment to effective business operations and obtaining valuable data-driven insights. In an Adobe survey, 37 per cent of respondents said that data silos are one of the main challenges in creating a single view of a company’s customers.
PBX-CRM integration is an essential tactic for breaking down data silos within any organisation. By ensuring the free flow of data between these two systems, it can help every employee gain access to the information they need to excel at their jobs.
3. Improved BI and analytics
Without a keen understanding of customers and business processes, business leaders will find themselves struggling to keep up with data-driven competitors. The good news is that by breaking down data silos via PBX and CRM integration, you organisation can enjoy access to better business intelligence and analytics.
For example, sales managers need to see how their employees are performing to handle each customer relationship with the care that it deserves.
If a specific sales agent has phone calls with a particular customer that are longer than average, managers can investigate and take the appropriate action. This could be sending the customer relevant resources or assigning a second agent to help out with the account.
What’s more, by tracking the most important sales and customer metrics and KPIs over time, business leaders can better judge the efficacy of their business practices. Having more information about customer relationships and the way the sales team works is always a positive, making this one of the most significant advantages of PBX-CRM integration.
4. Happier customers
The primary goal of any CRM software should be to improve business relationships with customers. Integrating PBX and CRM systems ensures that your customers and prospects will always be treated with the care and respect they deserve:
PBX-CRM integration makes people on both sides of the call happier. Your business has access to real-time calling data about the customer and your previous interactions. In turn, you can use this data to tailor your sales pitches or better anticipate the customer’s questions and demands.
When a customer calls the support department, agents can automatically view their personal information and profile, including any previous interactions. Customers who are calling to follow up about a technical support issue, for example, can be directed to the agent who previously handled their call.
Ultimately, integrating PBX and CRM systems leads to shorter wait times, shorter calls, and more satisfied customers.
5. Easier ticket management
If you do get a barrage of customer calls each day, it can be hard to keep track of what was said. By integrating, you'll get access to contact cards and call history during the conversation. That allows you to take useful notes about who spoke to the customer last, and what the matter was about, for example.
Conclusion: the benefits of integrating
Integrations are a hot IT topic these days, as organisations of all sizes and industries seek to bring the separate parts of their business closer together. A PBX-CRM integration is a powerful and effective tool for improving sales productivity, getting smarter data-driven insights, and delivering a superior customer experience.
1. Improve productivity with smart tools.
2. Enable easier access to information throughout the company.
3. Useful stats for analysis and insights.
4. The ability to communicate with customers in a more professional way.
5. It gets easier to handle tickets.
Telavox offers its own cloud PBX platform as a solution that can easily integrate with a variety of third-party business software.
The Telavox team can be contacted here for any readers requiring further information.
Photo by Berkeley Communications on Unsplash
