标题: The cost of doing nothing [打印本页] 作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:53 标题: The cost of doing nothing
The cost of doing nothing作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:53 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
Navigating through turbulent times is never easy, but today’s economic conditions are more challenging than most of us have ever faced. Our instinctive reaction is to switch to defensive mode: cut all strategic projects and then wait until things improve. But retreating could prove to be more detrimental in the long-term. These turbulent times could actually present new opportunities for companies that invest wisely in information technologies. Through the use of customer relationship management (CRM) software, companies can consistently deliver an exceptional and personalised service to their customers, achieve significant cost savings and ongoing productivity improvements, and even increase revenue share through focused selling.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:53 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
The challenge for small and mid-sized companies The global downturn has brought about a dramatic increase in business failures over the last six months and nowhere has this been more apparent than among small and mid-sized businesses (SMB s). For larger companies, more cash on the balance sheet provides some degree of insulation, while smaller businesses have seen a rapid decline in cashflow as a result of slowing customer demand and evaporating lines of credit.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:54 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
There has been a sudden rush to cut spending as companies use every means possible to restrict or eliminate activities that are not seen to improve sales or add value to the bottom line in the short-term. However, cost reduction on its own will not steer a business safely through the economic downturn. Businesses also need to examine how they can safeguard revenues and profitability, and look particularly within their own customer base. Otherwise, they are just delaying the inevitable: more painful cost reductions and the very real possibility of sliding into an irrevocable decline.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:54 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
What can you do? Cutting costs while maintaining growth is a formidable challenge at the best of times. During a downturn, it can seem almost impossible. To meet these goals, businesses need to look for practical solutions that will help them to maximise productivity and increase effectiveness across their operations. Increasingly, companies are turning to business software, and CRM applications in particular, to drive through the kind of operational improvements they need to survive and accelerate out of the downturn. By optimising revenuegenerating activities at a lower cost to your company, CRM is uniquely positioned to assist you during the most challenging market conditions.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:55 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
Why CRM? First and foremost, CRM helps you to protect revenue from your current customers. It ensures that you are delivering the exceptional service necessary to safeguard their loyalty, notwithstanding increasing cost pressures. What’s more, by providing deeper insight into customer behaviour, CRM helps you to unearth latent revenue opportunities within your customer base for complementary products and services. Selling more to existing customers may be the first priority during a downturn, but the important task of acquiring new customers cannot be overlooked. Without growth in customer numbers, any business runs the risk of exhausting its revenue base over the medium-term. Selling to new prospects, however, is generally regarded as being 5–10 times more costly than selling to an existing customer, so improving sales and marketing efficiency will be vital for growing your customer numbers during the downturn. In times of recession, CRM solutions can allow you to extend the reach and effectiveness of your new business programmes. They can help you refine your ongoing processes, increase your productivity and introduce significant cost savings.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:55 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
Why invest now? Your customers and potential customers are facing identical cost pressures, and they have changed their purchasing patterns accordingly. In many cases, they will be spending less than before. But in all cases, they are looking for even greater value for money, and are far more discerning about potential purchases and potential suppliers. The ‘cost of doing nothing’, in respect of addressing your internal activities, is significant. Table 1 highlights the potential cost of inaction with a series of practical examples. It also examines some of the underlying issues that may be affecting a company like yours and discusses how CRM can help to address them.作者: Rex 时间: 2009-5-25 19:56 标题: Re:The cost of doing nothing
How CRM can help your organisation CRM is a business strategy, not simply a technology. In this slowing economy, CRM is an enabler; it is now an operational and financial imperative for all SMBs. CRM provides management teams with enhanced central control over operations and budgets, helping them to manage these areas more effectively – key during challenging times. With powerful reporting tools and dashboards, managers can get instant insight into business performance across multiple criteria. With real-time visibility on revenue and budget variance, their decisions are based on accurate information and they can validate forecast data with full drill-down to the underlying opportunities. All of this means that they can take any necessary corrective action earlier in the cycle when it has maximum impact. Integrated with your back office applications, CRM provides a complete view of the business and streamlined end-to-end business management capabilities. n
