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What are top, inexpensive CRM systems specifically for the automotive industry?
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3 Answers
Sarah,
I'm originally from Detroit and grew up around OEM, Tier-1 and Tier-2 Suppliers. The thing that always stuck out to me is that in the industry, there are far fewer "Accounts" than in other B2B markets. This means that managing relationships at the "Contact" level or even the "Project" level can be the most important thing. Consider a design project for interior trim on the 2014 GMC Yukon. Managing the relationships for such a project is going to require that Contacts from several areas within GM and probably multiple contacts from multiple Suppliers will need to be related to manage separate aspects of the project.
As for CRM solutions, I would recommend taking a look at Salesforce.com as well as Norada's Solve360. Salesforce can be modified however you need it to be and can even be integrated with your internal systems. Solve360 is a little different in that it allows you to manage Projects as well as Opportunities, Contacts, Accounts, etc.
I have spent several years in the Automotive CRM world and have worked with all the European brands around Dealer Marketing and Showroom systems.
While I'm based in the UK the two most prominent solutions are eGoodmanners - used by Volkswagen and Toyota plus others and Contact Advantage - used by Audi and Peuegeot and others.
eGoodmanners takes the simple rollforward approach - i.e. posting a phone call then rolling it forward for follow up. It's web based and fairly inexpensive.
Contact advantage comes at it from the more traditional CRM approach and is more contact centre based.
On top of that I'd also recommend a look at Microsoft CRM online 2011 which launched last week worldwide and is coming in at $35 per user per month for a complete Sales, Marketing and Customer Service solution. All hosted by Microsoft.
@Jonathan Rowley: Great point! I showed some cultural blinders focusing only on Manufacturing - CRM from the Dealer perspective didnt enter my mind! Thanks for jumping in!
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