You understand the importance of a good CRM system – which is why you have one! But are you using it to its full potential? By integrating some core systems with your CRM software, you can take your multi-tasking, lead-generating abilities to a whole new level. Here are three valuable integrations you should consider as add-ons to your CRM:

1. Marketing Automation Integration

This is probably the most important connection you can make. CRM and marketing automation go hand-in-hand when it comes to pain-free selling and customer engagement. Any major CRM provider will offer the option of integration with your marketing automation software. Not all CRM’s are compatible with every marketing automation, so it’s important to make sure yours can link with the CRM you are using. By uniting these two systems you are not only simplifying your processes but optimizing them as well. I’ve listed TAI’s marketing automation solutions and their compatibility with some common CRM’s. If yours is not listed or you are unsure, you can always contact your CRM provider and ask.

- Act-On: compatible with Salesforce, Infor CRM, SugarCRM, & Microsoft Dynamics
- Collabspot: compatible with SugarCRM
- Salesfusion: compatible with Salesforce, Infor CRM, and SugarCRM

2. Email Integration

Every department uses email to communicate with customers and prospects. This preferred communication channel can be used for lead nurturing, sales activities, and services initiatives, making it an extremely valuable CRM integration. Your CRM houses all your important customer data and logged emails help complete the picture of those customers. Integrating email with your CRM simplifies communication and keeps all teams current on customer statuses. Service teams can auto-generate support cases from an email to their CRM for easy follow-through and case management. Marketing teams can view conversations in the feed to understand what interests a prospect, and sales teams can keep more accurate records on the customer by making changes from their email sidebar in a few easy clicks. The CRM information pulled into the email sidebar is editable, so if, for example, you notice a customer’s email signature has a new phone number, you can update it immediately via the sidebar without having to log in to the CRM, too. The benefits of email integration abound, increasing automation, streamlining customer service, and speeding up data entry to give your teams more time to focus on what matters.

3. ERP Integration

Another important integration we recommend is with your Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. While a CRM system is ideal for front-end information like your customer data, the ERP system works on the back-end detailing that customer’s accounting information, purchases, billing, etc. When you combine the two, you are multiplying the advantages of each system. Instead of the sales department having to email the accounting department to manually enter new sale information, the process is automated, which saves everyone time and effort. If that’s not enough to convince you, think about the margin of error. If someone is manually entering information there’s more room for inaccuracies.

So what's the overarching benefit of all of this? Transparency. Transparency is the most valuable outcome of any integration, because it enables teams to work more collaboratively and gain a 360-degree view of their customer data. You're not blindsiding your teams because of lack of information. Sales can see when services is working on an issue or when a customer hasn't paid their bill, services can stay connected to the customer's progress, and marketing can gain a broader perspective of the customer's behaviors. It's a win-win-win that accelerates data potential from all angles. 

TAI’s sister company, StarfishETL, offers seamless, fast integrations for all of the above mentioned integration types, plus many more. It’s rated highest among its competitors for customer satisfaction (G2 Crowd). If you're thinking about integrating your systems, you can find more information about StarfishETL on their website at www.starfishetl.com.