What is CRM?

CRM is the process of developing marketing strategies using insight gained from CRM systems. These systems will show businesses exactly how customers interact with them—for instance, it could show certain people may subscribe to their email list, whilst others encounter their brand through social media.

The role of a CRM Manager is to draw upon this data and use it to segment audiences so that they can tailor their marketing to audience preferences. This automation can be vital in forming and maintaining long term customer relationships. By segmenting an audience, email marketing can be used to effectively reach customers at different points in the buying cycle and tailoring content in a way that will be of must use to them at each stage.

Salary information and career progression

Career progression for those in CRM roles varies depending on the speciality of the candidate. Graduates can begin in entry-level junior roles, before moving into mid-level manager positions. After gaining enough experience, CRM Managers can eventually take up Senior Manager and CRM Director roles.

Opportunity

Being in the top tier of talent requires significant experience and expertise, making the hiring process extremely competitive. However, as more businesses realise how advantageous CRM systems can be, and the development of relationship marketing through email campaigns and automation mean the demand for CRM Specialists has grown hugely in recent times.

• Recent changes in the sector

  CRM became the largest software market in 2017, and was the fastest growing in 2018, meaning the need for CRM experts is growing. Everything in CRM is moving to the cloud, allowing clients easier, remote access to more bespoke systems at a fraction of the cost. In order to get ahead, future candidates should therefore focus on improving their knowledge of cloud-based CRM platforms, such as Oracle and SAP. Multi-channel and direct marketing campaigns have both become more prevalent in recent years, changing how businesses market to the public.

  These changes regarding the development of channels that can now be used to communicate with customers mean it is imperative CRM Specialists keep up-to-date with such changes.

• Future prospects

  CRM skills will be in high demand this year due to a shortage of CRM Specialists, leading to higher salaries going to those with CRM expertise. With more companies harnessing the power of big data and analytics to turn CRM into a fully-realised marketing tool, the demand for skilled CRM Specialists is on the rise.

• Salt’s advice for getting a CRM & Email Marketing job

  Employers’ requirements

  Employers will want to know that a candidate can not only think, but do. Roles typically require someone who is technically minded and can also communicate their ideas effectively. They should have the ability to manage and analyse large amounts of consumer data, as well as successfully manage budgets. No industry certification is required, but past experience is absolutely vital. Employers will, therefore, enquire into whether prospective employees have previously worked in a similar capacity to the role, and if so, how well it went.

  CV requirements

  Your CV will almost certainly require a detailed history of CRM implementations and resolutions, so you will need to demonstrate a solid understanding of CRM techniques and principles. Proving you have experience using different CRM systems (such as Salesforce, Adobe and Mailchimp) is vital. Furthermore, you will need to demonstrate key metrics from past campaigns, such as email open rates or social media engagement, customer retention rates and revenue generated. Finally, you should have good knowledge of complex database materials and the ability to simplify them for the understanding of others.

  Interview preparation

  Employers are likely to ask you about the types of CRM systems you have used in previous roles to gain an understanding of your level of expertise. Answering these kinds of questions not only gives them an insight into your skill set but also displays your personal skills, how well you can communicate with others and explain complex ideas. They will also likely ask applicants about their knowledge of the company, whether you know about the systems they already have in place and how well you would fit within the team you would work with.

  Educational requirements

  The educational requirements for CRM jobs can vary from role to role. CRM Specialists usually have marketing related degrees, but past experience in a similar position is typically more important than the candidate’s educational background.