One of the most important tools that a credit union marketing or sales team has to manage its members is a robust customer relationship management (CRM) system. They make it easy to craft targeted, personalized campaigns that appeal to both current and prospective members. However, even the best CRM system can become outdated or inefficient over time. After you completed an audit of your CRM, you may be wondering now what? After you've thoroughly gone through your portal, it's time for the fun part: optimizing.
After spending time completing your audit, you'll want to be sure that all your updates are done in good graces. You'll want to avoid any situation where your changes actually cause more harm than good. Well, we've got you covered! In this blog post, we'll provide you with a comprehensive guide to the dos and don'ts of optimizing your credit union's CRM post-audit. We'll cover everything from identifying areas for improvement to effectively implementing new functionalities. By following our tips, you'll be able to enhance your CRM system and take your credit union marketing efforts to the next level.
Steps to Optimize Your CRM After an Audit
After conducting an audit of your CRM system, there are several must-do steps you should incorporate into your optimization.
1. Do Identify & Prioritize Your Pain Points
During a CRM audit, you should look for common pain points such as duplicate records, incomplete data, outdated information, and poor data quality. These issues can lead to wasted time and effort for sales and marketing teams, as well as missed opportunities to engage with members and close deals. If you choose to have an agency conduct an audit for you, they will provide you with a scorecard or report that documents these pain points for you.
Once you've identified the pain points in your CRM, it's important to prioritize them based on their impact on your credit union. For example, if you have a large number of duplicate records, this may be a high-priority issue that needs to be addressed immediately. On the other hand, if you have outdated information in your CRM, this may be a lower-priority issue that can be addressed over time.
2. Do Automate Your Processes
Automating your processes can help improve efficiency across your team and reduce errors. After your CRM audit, look at what tasks can be automated to streamline your operations. For example, by automating lead capture and qualification, you can ensure that all leads are properly tracked and assigned to the appropriate sales representative. This can help prevent leads from falling through the cracks and ensure that each lead receives timely follow-up.
Another area where automation can be helpful is in member communication. By automating email campaigns and other forms of communication, you can ensure that members—and potential members—receive consistent messaging and that important information is delivered in a timely manner. This can help improve member satisfaction and retention.
You can also automate your reporting and analytics processes. By automating data collection and analysis, you can gain insights into your CRM processes and identify areas for improvement. This can help you make data-driven decisions and optimize your CRM processes over time.
AI is another great tool to take advantage of for your process automation. With technology rapidly evolving, so many functions can be completed by using these prompts. Not only that, there are many awesome AI programs available at your disposal. Just be wary about the accuracy of some of these programs. Do some research about the type of AI tools that are available and see how you can incorporate them to help you streamline your credit union's marketing and sales functions.
3. Do Keep Your Data Clean
After completing a CRM audit, it is important to keep your data clean in order to maintain its accuracy and effectiveness. One way to do this is by regularly reviewing and updating your data. This includes removing duplicate entries, correcting any errors or inconsistencies, and ensuring that all information is up-to-date and relevant.
Another important step in keeping your data clean is by implementing strict data entry standards and guidelines. This can include requiring certain fields to be filled out, using standardized naming conventions, and enforcing consistent formatting across all entries. By doing so, you can ensure that your data remains organized and easy to manage.
It is also important to regularly back up your data and implement security measures to protect against data loss or breaches. This can include using secure servers, limiting access to sensitive information, and regularly testing your system for vulnerabilities.
4. Do Train Your Team
Training your credit union marketing and sales team on how to use your CRM effectively is going to ensure that your system stays organized. The training should be tailored to the specific needs of your team and should cover topics such as data entry, lead management, and reporting.
One effective way to train your team is through hands-on workshops. These workshops can be led by someone within your organization who has extensive knowledge of the system or by a partner agency that provides CRM support. During the workshop, team members can practice using the CRM system and ask questions about any areas they are unsure of.
Another important aspect of training is providing ongoing support. This can include regular check-ins with team members to ensure they are using the system correctly and addressing any issues that arise. It may also involve providing additional resources such as user manuals or online tutorials, or working with a partner agency for ongoing CRM support.
What to Avoid After Your CRM Audit
Just as there are several must-dos after a CRM audit, there are a few things you should avoid to ensure that your system remains effective and provides the best value to your credit union.
1. Don’t Try to Do Too Much at Once
After auditing your CRM, it may be tempting to try and tackle all of the issues at once. However, trying to do too much at once can actually be counterproductive and lead to more problems in the long run. Juggling multiple tasks makes it easy to overlook important details or make mistakes that could have been avoided if you had taken the time to focus on each task individually.
Additionally, trying to do too much at once can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. It's important to remember that you and your team have a limited amount of energy and resources. If you spread yourself too thin, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, which can ultimately lead to a decrease in productivity and quality of work.
Instead of rushing into things, take a step back and prioritize your tasks. By focusing on one issue at a time and giving it your full attention, you can ensure that you are addressing each problem effectively and efficiently. That's why we provide a roadmap to success to all of the credit unions who use our Portal Optimization Audit – to help you best realistically prioritize your action steps for maximum efficiency.
2. Don’t Ignore Member Feedback
Member feedback is essential to any process optimization efforts. It provides valuable insights into what members like and dislikes about the system, the features they find useful or frustrating, and what improvements they would like to see. By taking this feedback into account, credit union can tailor their CRM system to meet the needs of their members, which ultimately leads to increased member satisfaction and loyalty.
In addition, member feedback can also help identify areas where the CRM system may be falling short. For example, if they consistently report difficulty navigating the self-help service desk or finding the information they need, this could indicate a problem with the system's design or functionality. By addressing these issues, credit unions can improve the overall user experience and make it easier for members to engage.
Overall, considering member feedback after a CRM audit is crucial for ensuring that the system is meeting the needs of both the organization and its members. By prioritizing changes based on member feedback, credit unions can improve member retention, increase efficiency, and ultimately drive growth.
3. Don't Leave Your Team Out of the Process
It's essential to involve your team in the process of analyzing the results of your CRM audit and implementing changes. This can help ensure that everyone is on the same page and working towards the same goals.
One way to involve your team is to hold dedicated meetings to discuss the findings of the audit. This can be an opportunity for team members to share their thoughts and ideas about what worked well and what needs improvement. It can also be a chance to brainstorm CRM solutions and strategies for addressing any issues that were identified.
Another way to involve your team is to assign specific tasks or responsibilities related to the audit findings. For example, if the audit revealed that there are gaps in member data, you could assign someone to research and implement a new data management system. By giving team members ownership over specific tasks, they will feel more invested in the process and motivated to see it through to completion.
Finally, it is important to provide ongoing support and training to your team as you make changes based on the audit results. This can include regular check-ins to ensure that everyone is on track and addressing any challenges that arise along the way. By involving your team in the process and providing them with the resources they need to succeed, you can help ensure that your CRM is optimized for success.
Optimizing your CRM post-audit is vital for keeping your credit union's marketing and sales operations running smoothly. By following the dos and don’ts outlined above, you can improve your efficiency, reduce errors, and ultimately provide better service to your members, driving long-term retention and growth.
But before you can optimize your CRM, you need to tackle the auditing process itself. At GreenHouse Agency, we offer a HubSpot Portal Optimization Audit designed for marketing, sales, and service teams in the financial industry. We’ll dive into your portal, provide expert insight, and help your team get back on track to stay competitive and provide exceptional member experiences. Click here to learn more and take your portal to its maximum potential!
August 18, 2023
