In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands out as a...
Over the last five years, we’ve seen significant advancements in CRM systems. Tools now exist to clean your data almost instantly, and there’s a lot more automation available compared to before. The evolution of CRM technology is reshaping the way
businesses operate, and the changes show no signs of slowing down. But what does the future hold? While no one can say for certain, here’s a vision of where we might be heading.
There’s an old saying: “Your CRM is only as good as the users who input the data.” While this remains true to some extent, it’s becoming less relevant. Why? Because automation and AI are fundamentally changing how CRMs function. Today, advanced
CRMs are beginning to not only collect data but also analyse it to provide actionable insights, with some systems starting to automate responses and workflows.
Some advanced systems can detect signals and phrases in transcripts, and AI is making strides toward interpreting the context behind those phrases to deliver more meaningful insights and enable automation. For example, AI tools are being developed to handle human error, such as typos, making reports increasingly accurate and insightful. While these capabilities are still evolving, they represent the direction CRM technology is heading.
Many years ago, I ran a report in Salesforce to track certain keywords used by the sales team. The goal was to determine how often we were "asking for the business." While the report provided some insights, it had its limitations. It couldn’t recognise context,
ignored spelling mistakes, and wasn’t always reliable. It served more as a guide than a tool you could base actionable insights on. Fast-forward to today, and AI has begun to overcome many of those challenges, pointing to a future where CRMs might understand
your business processes and adapt accordingly. This is where I believe we’re heading. In the future, businesses may be able to train
their CRM systems in ways similar to training AI models like ChatGPT, providing prompts and context specific to their processes. These systems could differentiate between human error and genuine data and offer truly adaptive functionality.
A Glimpse into the Future
The more signals your CRM can process, the more automation it can enable. We may one day see CRMs that essentially fill themselves out with minimal input from sales teams. Imagine a world where almost every detail, from client interactions to follow-up
actions, is captured and logged automatically, freeing salespeople to focus on building relationships and closing deals. There’s already technology that evaluates sales calls by analysing vocal tone, sentiment, and some aspects of client engagement, although this technology is still evolving. In the future, CRMs could go a step further by analysing broader trends and behaviours. For example, AI might detect that a prospect’s interest is waning, not just based on one call, but by piecing together a series of interactions. It could then alert the salesperson to re-engage the client by asking specific questions or revisiting the value proposition.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Of course, with any technological leap, there are challenges. Businesses must navigate ethical concerns like data privacy, ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR, and avoiding potential misuse of AI for invasive monitoring or biased decision-making. While CRMs will automate and simplify processes, human oversight will remain critical to maintain accountability and trust.
The Big Picture
While this vision of the future is exciting, it’s important to remember that CRMs already do far more than most people realise. Many businesses aren’t fully leveraging the tools they already have, tools that can streamline processes, automate repetitive tasks, and
deliver actionable insights If you’d like to take full advantage of your CRM and align it with your business processes, now is the time to act. By optimising your current system, you can set your business up for long-term success, no matter what the future of CRM may hold. Get in touch to learn how to unlock your CRM’s full potential. Let’s shape the future of your sales and customer management together.
ignored spelling mistakes, and wasn’t always reliable. It served more as a guide than a tool you could base actionable insights on. Fast-forward to today, and AI has begun to overcome many of those challenges, pointing to a future where CRMs might understand
your business processes and adapt accordingly. This is where I believe we’re heading. In the future, businesses may be able to train
their CRM systems in ways similar to training AI models like ChatGPT, providing prompts and context specific to their processes. These systems could differentiate between human error and genuine data and offer truly adaptive functionality.
A Glimpse into the Future
The more signals your CRM can process, the more automation it can enable. We may one day see CRMs that essentially fill themselves out with minimal input from sales teams. Imagine a world where almost every detail, from client interactions to follow-up
actions, is captured and logged automatically, freeing salespeople to focus on building relationships and closing deals. There’s already technology that evaluates sales calls by analysing vocal tone, sentiment, and some aspects of client engagement, although this technology is still evolving. In the future, CRMs could go a step further by analysing broader trends and behaviours. For example, AI might detect that a prospect’s interest is waning, not just based on one call, but by piecing together a series of interactions. It could then alert the salesperson to re-engage the client by asking specific questions or revisiting the value proposition.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Of course, with any technological leap, there are challenges. Businesses must navigate ethical concerns like data privacy, ensuring compliance with regulations such as GDPR, and avoiding potential misuse of AI for invasive monitoring or biased decision-making. While CRMs will automate and simplify processes, human oversight will remain critical to maintain accountability and trust.
The Big Picture
While this vision of the future is exciting, it’s important to remember that CRMs already do far more than most people realise. Many businesses aren’t fully leveraging the tools they already have, tools that can streamline processes, automate repetitive tasks, and
deliver actionable insights If you’d like to take full advantage of your CRM and align it with your business processes, now is the time to act. By optimising your current system, you can set your business up for long-term success, no matter what the future of CRM may hold. Get in touch to learn how to unlock your CRM’s full potential. Let’s shape the future of your sales and customer management together.
