CHAPTER 3 - STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION OF CRM

Strategic Communication is a process of delivering messages designed to achieve desired outcomes (specific goals
and objectives).

It is built on the principles of effective communication and incorporates strategic planning, an understanding of
audience needs, and the ability to develop clear, concise messaging with measurable goals. It involves aligning
communication with values and mission and overcoming any resistance to achieve desired outcomes.

Strategic communication plays a vital role in the success of Customer Relationship Management (CRM).

By using effective communication strategies, organisations can create and maintain strong customer relationships,
increase customer satisfaction and loyalty, build trust, and ensure customer retention.

Strategic communication with CRM enables teams to collaborate effectively, leading to improved productivity and
performance.

How to Implement Strategic Communication in CRM

1. Understanding Your Audience

Understanding your audience is crucial for effective communication. By understanding your audience’s needs,
preferences, and expectations, businesses can tailor their communication strategies to meet those needs better and
achieve desired outcomes.

Best Practices for Audience Analysis:

 Identify your target audience: Understand who your customers are and their needs.
 Gather and analyse customer data: Use your CRM system to gather and analyse customer data to gain a
better understanding of your audience.
 Create customer personas: Use the data to create customer personas that represent your target audience.
 Continuously monitor and update customer data: Regularly monitor and update customer data to ensure
your understanding of your audience is current and accurate.

2. Aligning Your Communication with Your Values and Mission

Aligning communication with a company’s values and mission helps to ensure that the message is consistent, credible,
and authentic. It also helps to build trust with customers and stakeholders.

Best Practices for Aligning Communication with Values and Mission:

 Clearly define your values and mission: Clearly define your company’s values and mission, and ensure that
all employees know them.
 Store Customer Information, Values, and Mission in CRM system: Even if you are a small business, it’s
essential to have your ideal customer and buyer personas stored within your CRM Process. It helps your sales
process to identify potential customers quickly.
 Use your values and mission to guide communication: Use your values and mission to conduct all
communication, including messaging, content, and tone.
 Encourage employee buy-in: Encourage employees to align their communication with the company’s values
and mission.
 Measure communication effectiveness: Regularly measure the effectiveness of your communication
concerning your values and mission.

3. Overcoming Resistance

Resistance can occur when the audience is not fully engaged, the message is not well-received, or the audience does
not trust the message’s source. Resistance can also occur when the audience perceives the message as irrelevant or not
valuable to them.

Best Practices for Overcoming Resistance:

 Understand Audience: Understand your audience’s needs, preferences, and expectations to tailor your
communication strategies and message.
 Identify potential sources of resistance: Use your CRM Customer Journey to identify patterns and trends
contributing to resistance.
 Use storytelling and emotional appeals: Use storytelling and emotional appeals to connect with your
audience and create a sense of relevance and value.
 Build trust: Building trust and customer loyalty are crucial in overcoming resistance, and it’s best to include
them while creating a CRM strategy.
 Continuously monitor and evaluate: Monitor and assess your communication strategies to identify areas
where resistance may occur and make adjustments accordingly.

4. Enhancing Team Collaboration and Productivity

Effective team collaboration and productivity with CRM are crucial for the success of a business. It helps to ensure
that communication is consistent and that everyone is working towards the same goals.

Best Practices for Enhancing Team Collaboration and Productivity:

 Use CRM system to improve communication and collaboration: CRM systems can improve
communication and cooperation among team members by providing a centralised platform for them to access and
share customer base information.
 Encourage team members to share information: Encourage team members to share information and
provide feedback on new customer interactions.
 Automate repetitive tasks: Use a CRM system to automate repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up
emails and scheduling appointments, to free up time for team members to focus on more business growth tasks.
 Track and measure team performance: Use CRM system to track and measure team performance, such as
customer engagement and response time, to identify areas where improvements can be made.
 Encourage team members to set goals and work towards them: Encourage team members to set goals and
work towards them by tracking progress and providing feedback.