What is the role of the CRM manager?
What does the role of CRM manager involve? What are its main tasks? What software does he use?
An expert in customer relationship management, his or her actions are decisive for long-term customer loyalty.
In this article, we reveal everything you need to know about this important figure, who is increasingly central and relevant within the most advanced organisations.
Who is the CRM manager?
Definition of the role
The CRM manager is a customer relations professional whose main mission is to improve customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.
He/she is a key figure for the commercial success of a company: he/she is responsible for deciding on the operational CRM (Customer Relationship Management) plan.
To do this, he or she must be able to exploit consumer information (behaviour, lifestyles, transactions, demographic data, etc.) to define a marketing strategy capable of satisfying customers and improving conversion rates.
A good CRM manager is able to identify new market trends in good time, so as to seize new opportunities as they arise. In addition, thanks to well-crafted segmentation, he must be able to improve the offer and customise it according to the audience.
The tools he uses are constantly evolving and adapting according to customer needs.
Academic background
In order to become a CRM manager, one first needs to have a university degree (usually in management, business administration or computer science). It is then possible to attend a Master's degree or a higher education course specifically designed for this profession.
Salary in Italy
According to the Glassdoor portal, the average salary in Italy is around €43,000 per year gross. However, as with all professions, the salary varies greatly depending on the size of the company and the experience gained. Depending on success and experience, a Gross Annual Income (RAL) of around 70,000 € can be achieved.
What skills are required?
In order to be effective, a good CRM manager needs to have a variety of skills from different disciplines. In fact, it is a highly collaborative role, where it is necessary to constantly liaise with other company departments.
Let's take a look at the main personal and technical skills needed to succeed in this important role.
Soft skills
First of all, he/she must have great curiosity and a keen sense for analysis. He must have remarkable listening skills and empathy, in order to understand the needs expressed by customers. One must also have an extremely rigorous and meticulous approach. In addition, a certain charisma must be demonstrated in order to be able to convince teams and train them in the use of new software.
Hard skills
First of all, he must be well versed in digital marketing, and must be able to master the Internet and office automation tools perfectly. He must then be comfortable with formula processing and data analysis. Finally, he must demonstrate a certain clarity of presentation in order to present the results to management.
What are his main tasks?
His main tasks
In direct contact with the company management (CEO, Marketing Manager, etc.), his tasks can be summarised in 4 points:
- Analysing customer needs. He must know how to analyse the needs encountered by customers, and translate them so that they can be implemented effectively within the CRM system.
- Provide concrete solutions. To be satisfied, a customer must feel understood and listened to. The CRM manager must be able to group the problems encountered and list them so as to provide a clear, simple and well-argued answer.
- Set up and monitor the customer database. All customer information must be recorded in a database. Active customer monitoring leads to better satisfaction in the medium term and a consequent increase in the retention rate.
- Install, organise and manage CRM software over time. The CRM manager is in charge of choosing and installing customer satisfaction monitoring software. He or she must then define the metrics and set the targets, which are crucial for evaluating performance over time. He must allocate a precise budget and establish a roadmap for software implementation and team training. Here, by points, are the main tasks in this field
- update the database consistently and accurately, etc.
- monitor performance through relevant and specific KPIs,
- train teams for proper use,
- constantly updating on new features available,
💡 Sharing new and emerging best practices in CRM can give your company an edge over competitors in customer acquisition.
Who does it relate to?
The strategic and cross-functional role of the CRM Manager connects him or her directly to the general management of the company, as well as to the IT and marketing departments. This particular positioning leads him to mediate and interact with the different areas of the company, depending on the needs of the moment.
☝ He has to report to management on his analyses and development plans for customer relations.
Depending on the size of the company, he/she may relate to the following company figures:
- Webmarketing manager,
- Technical manager,
- Data manager,
- Growth Hacker,
- System administrator,
- Technical project manager,
- Business Intelligence consultant,
- Data scientist.
What tools do you use?
A good CRM manager is essentially an expert in 2 types of software:
- analytical CRM software. They enable the analysis of customer data through sophisticated business intelligence functions.
- operational CRM software. They allow marketing automation campaigns to be set up.
☝ With the rise of Software as a Service (SaaS), the CRM market has become much more competitive than it used to be. To help you choose the right solution for your needs, take a look at our CRM software comparator.
Increasingly important role for sales and marketing
All actions taken by customers constitute an information capital to be put to good use.
Today, all cutting-edge business strategies agree on placing the customer at the centre of everything. This customer-centred approach means that the CRM manager plays an increasingly important role in business processes.
And do you have this figure within your organisation? If you want to increase the customer lifetime value, i.e. the long-term value of your customers, you just have to hire a CRM manager!
Article translated from Italian