Something that you surely hear over and over again when talking about your CRM is the importance of data. However, something that not everyone mentions is that data is not everything, at least if it is not well structured.
For a CRM to work optimally, one of the most important things you must do before defining any type of strategy, integrating systems, or starting to feed data into the system is to have a good data structure. Otherwise, it would be like filling a car's antifreeze tank with gasoline. Not only would it not stop the car from moving forward, but it would also probably break it.
With a CRM containing such a diverse set of information, having a structure will ensure order and consistency, allowing your strategy to be more efficient.
Finding important information when your data is not well structured can be like finding a needle in a haystack, which makes it difficult for your team to be efficient. However, having the correct data in the right place gives the team and the CRM all the necessary information needed for segmentation, dashboards, and lists, as well as a much clearer map for when integrating with other systems. By having all the data well organized and structured, you are building the foundations of a well-managed CRM that will allow you to make the most of the information you already have about your customers and prospects. From creating a specific campaign for a particular type of prospect to taking advantage of CRM ai, everything depends on your data.
Having your data well structured is crucial to be able to give the correct attribution to the channels you are using to capture prospects. For example, having a field/filter illustrating the source of a lead helps you know which of your acquisition channels are more profitable and which are not. For example, you are receiving a lot of leads from Facebook and very few from LinkedIn. However, there is a chance that those from LinkedIn are more likely to close a deal with your company, making them much more profitable. Quality, not quantity.
In addition, having the lead source assigned correctly allows you to trigger automation based on origin, giving each user a more personalized experience depending on how they found you.
Another key point of why data structure is important is how it creates better measures of your strategies and helps you have a better understanding of the data. At the end of the day, that is what you are getting a CRM for right? Based on real data and intelligence, you will be able to make more informed decisions and better understand the health of your business. With well-constructed and structured data, you can find the correct information and the indicated KPIs for a better understanding of prospects and clients, as well as the performance of your team, giving you the possibility of making data-driven decisions.
A solid data structure opens the door to improved information analysis and filtering reports, making it easier to understand your data, providing an overview of your most profitable campaigns, most effective sales crew, and which customer segments have better potential (by type of client or industry).
By having everything in the right order and structure, your sales and marketing teams can create hyper-personalized campaigns and prioritize a certain type of prospect depending on different factors, such as the industry they belong to, the size of the company, the region, or any other identifier you have chosen.
One of the reasons why you have a CRM is to give your clients and leads a much more personalized experience; the goal is to have them receive extraordinary treatment during all stages. If the data is not well structured and becomes inaccessible to everyone in the company, creating new obstacles in the operation, making this goal impossible to achieve.
A CRM is only as powerful as the Tech Stack which it is integrated with, but one of the main problems when integrating different tools to the CRM is the lack of structure in the data. As mentioned above, structure is vital. Not having each of the objects or data points well established means the systems do not recognize or feed them correctly, creating friction between them, preventing good communication between external tools and the CRM (which should be the last source of truth when we talk about data).
Information management must be seen as one of the main ways to generate income within the company. Therefore, any discrepancy between the data can become a block to the company's processes and operations. If the data does not have the correct structure, discrepancies between areas begin and this generates a snowball effect that can be difficult to stop. Creating friction where there was none before and alienating the different departments of the company, achieves a result opposite to what was desired. In addition, it would increase operating costs because instead of dedicating themselves to doing their job, collaborators of each area would have to dedicate valuable time searching through and fixing the data structure.
This is one of the questions that we most often receive at CRM Toolbox, and the reality is that there is no one answer that suits all clients, since each one has specific requirements and indifferent needs. However, one thing we can say is that having good planning is key which is why we always emphasize organization before any implementation process with our clients.
If your CRM does not have the correct structure and the objects (both standard and custom) are not being used properly, then the information you pour into the CRM will be of little use. In the end, it is a customer relationship tool, but if the information is not well identified, you could be filling in blank fields.
This is why, within our strategy, we consider the data structure as essential and we dedicate several sessions to it with our clients, even delivering a workbook that serves as a guide for the future.
If you are going through a problem with the data structure in your company and you are looking for help to solve it, schedule a call with me and we can talk more in depth about the importance of data structure, as well as how you have the data in your CRM today. I would love to listen to you and help you shape your data because, once it is organized and well defined, you will see that it is something beautiful.