The purpose of CRM is to be able to track a customer’s lifecycle; from the initial lead (or source of contact) through to the sale and thereafter for support and services.
An integrated CRM system eliminates the need for keeping information about a customer in several places. Tracking a customer’s lifecycle in a potentially haphazard or disorganised way may lead to poor sales results because leads are not follow up promptly, up-selling can be difficult, and customer loyalty can decrease if support requests are not dealt with in a satisfactory way. A good example is when a sales person speaks with or meets a potential client, the information gained and the actions agreed upon are entered into the CRM system and remind individuals when specific dates or milestones have been reached.
As a result, it is possible to achieve greater revenues and margins through improved processes.