How social listening is Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s latest advancement

Today, companies are doing their best to use social-related content produced from websites such as Facebook and Twitter to improve their customer management capabilities both inside and outside of sales channels. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is one of the premier customer relationship management suites, delivering a broad range of functions to help businesses manage their sales pipelines and interactions with clientele. The solution has undergone its fair share of updates over the years and its social listening upgrade is perhaps one of the more significant in recent memory. A CIO report recently detailed the weight of the social listening aspect of Microsoft’s latest Dynamics CRM Spring update.

The news source noted the social listening tool allows service professionals, marketing and sales teams to view real-time social media conversations to receive feedback on their campaigns, products, brands and competition.

The uses of the solutions go even much deeper. Businesses such as Sealord, a global sustainable fishing company, rely on Microsoft Social Listening to gain insight into corporate stakeholders and their views on industry trends and issues impacting its marketplace, CIO reported.

Timeliness is a critical component of any social-related campaign. If a major issue is not addressed by a company, the opportunity to take action and communicate with concerned parties is lost. Sealord leveraged Microsoft Social Listening to react to a shark-finning incident and converse effectively with customers.

“Without Microsoft Social Listening, we would not have had the opportunity to hear what was top-of-mind for our stakeholders and the community we serve, and ensure Sealord’s work to be sustainable in these areas was understood,” said Alison Sykora, public affairs and communications manager at Sealord, CIO reported.

How the cloud fits in
Cloud computing is another IT development greatly reshaping the CRM space and Microsoft Dynamics CRM in general. The cloud allows staff members, regardless of their physical location, to access data anywhere at any time. For example, sales representatives can view important customer information right before a meeting to provide up-to-date service not possible without this level of connectivity to content.

Charles King, principal analyst at PundIT – an IT industry publications firm – told the news provider that cloud computing will be key for Microsoft Dynamics CRM in the future. King said Microsoft cannot simply rely on its operating system and productivity applications to remain successful over the long run.

“[Microsoft has] to continue expanding into new markets – and CRM offers a critical piece of that path ahead. In essence, Microsoft wants to be a full-service business applications provider. So continuing to develop and provide new applications on the Dynamics CRM platform is critical going forward,” King told CIO.

How wholesale distributors can benefit
The age of Facebook and Twitter are too important for companies, especially wholesale distributors, to ignore any longer. These channels allow businesses to listen to customers using their products to make improvements to their goods to reflect this feedback. Another key aspect of social listening is gaining insight into how an entire organization – not just a single department – is viewed. A product may be flawless, but perhaps sales representatives are not providing the best service, or an item may be flawed and the sales staff deliver superb support. Social media allows firms to find out what is working and what needs more attention.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM and CRM for Distribution suites are the perfect opportunity for wholesale distributors to use social listening capabilities to discover what customers are saying about them and use this information to respond accordingly. Otherwise, these businesses may miss out on data and deals that let the competition succeed for years to come, instead of themselves.

Adopt Microsoft Dynamics CRM with confidence
Companies interested in adopting Microsoft Dynamics CRM not only must possess a strong understanding of how these tools function on their own, but how other technologies and trends impact their uses as well. Cloud computing and social information are key trends that will define the future IT space for years to come. Organizations need to understand how to leverage the unprecedented data access now available to employees, especially concerning CRM software.

At Beringer Associates, we understand Microsoft solutions inside and out, as well as other influential technologies such as cloud computing. We have helped clients maximize their investments and use of IT tools for decades by providing customer support before, during and after every product implementation. We are a Microsoft Certified Partner, so we fully comprehend how the latest advancements to both Microsoft offerings and the IT industry in general impact your company’s operations.

To learn more about how we can help your business adopt Microsoft Dynamics CRM, other Microsoft products such as Office 365 and any other technologies, click here for more details.