With global data creation projected to grow to 180 zettabytes by 2025, data is multiplying like never before. But luckily, with a 360 degree customer view, so too have the means of navigating it, understanding it, and harnessing its power.
Why’s this important? Because when it comes to customer data, understanding your customer base is pivotal for building opportunities and sales pipelines.
Historically, building a genuine 360 degree customer view has been hard, time-consuming, and prone to errors.
Yet, building a complete view of customers doesn’t have to be so challenging.
In this article, we walk you through what a 360 degree customer view is, its benefits, and how to easily build one – starting with a quick definition.
A quick recap: What is a 360 degree customer view
A 360 degree customer view (also known as a single customer view) creates a complete picture of every customer by integrating and consolidating all the data you hold on them in a single place – creating a rich view of your customers’ profiles and interactions.
By the same token, a complete customer view gives you the ability to:
- Detangle overwhelming information flows into a single focused stream of data
- Uncover deep insight into customers and their behaviors
- Apply this understanding to targeted engagement that translates into demonstrable bottom-line returns
Above all, a complete view of customers allows you to provide a better customer experience.
Let’s get into exactly why you need one.
Why you need a 360 degree customer view
Customer data is one of the most valuable assets for businesses. Understanding who the customer is, what their interests are, and how best to connect with them is central to sales and marketing strategies.
Read more about customer data analysis here.
But how can you fully understand your customers? The answer: with a 360 degree customer view.
Think about it. Customers don’t interact in silos. Dispersing data into silos means making decisions based on pockets of information in different parts of the business – often leading to a poor customer experience.
On the other hand, a single view of all customer data – all in one place – provides boundless benefits.
This is where a CRM platform comes in. A CRM platform is the best place to house your single customer view. Let’s explore why in the next section.
The role of a 360 degree customer view for CRM
In order for your CRM to be effective you need to build a 360 degree customer view.
Here are a few of the reasons why building a 360 degree customer view in your CRM platform is so important.
1. Enhanced customer intelligence
When it comes to customer data, most businesses have plenty of it (sometimes too much). But managing and understanding it is where things get difficult.
A CRM system can compile all your customer data into one easy-to-use view, so you can extract better insights and customer intelligence.
2. Eliminate data silos
The next best advantage of having a 360 degree customer view in your CRM is that it eliminates data silos and duplicated data.
Because let’s be honest, information that is stored in separate departments is nearly impossible to share across teams.
3. Improved cross-department collaboration
A key benefit of eliminating data silos is that it allows better cross-departmental collaboration – especially between sales, marketing, and customer services.
Getting the same customer perspective via a shared CRM allows these departments to access crucial information effortlessly. It also means everyone is on the same page and up-to-date.
4. Personalized messages
With all your data in one place and everybody aligned, you can put your data to work to create personalized communications with your customers.
As an interesting side note, to get personalization right, the data behind the experience has to be accurate and up-to-date. Make sure your data is as clean as possible before creating your 360 degree view in your chosen CRM platform.
Build a complete customer view with monday.com
To ensure your customer is the heart of everything, monday.com offers you a 360-degree view of your customer from their pre-sale to post-sale journey.
You can manage all your contacts on a shared board, update it easily, and centralize all interactions in one hub.
Great CRM software should be a base that acts as the entry and exit points for marketing activities.But aside from having one place to store your data, monday.com has other powerful capabilities so you can make sure any team member can get an accurate picture of your customers. On monday sales CRM, you can easily edit deal stages, add as many columns as you need, manage and view multiple pipelines at once, and more. Filter data to show only what you need and see updates up to the second on customizable dashboards.
If you’re still wondering about the benefits of a 360 degree customer view, let’s explore some of the frequently asked questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 360 degree customer view?
Essentially, it’s a complete view of all the data you have on your customer. It can include everything from basic contact information, through to engagement data and purchase history. With it, you have a much better understanding of who your customer is, how they behave and what they like.
How can you create a 360 degree customer view?
Using CRM software, you can pull together all the customer data that you have into one place to create this 360 degree customer view. These tools often have integrations, such as plug-ins with accounting software, which take the hassle out of data capture.
The result? You can quickly and easily see the data in the CRM. A good CRM software solution will be great at visually sharing customer information, for example in dashboards with charts.
Why do I need a 360 degree customer view?
To deliver the customer experiences that individuals expect, you need a complete view of customers. For instance, if they call in for support, they expect you to know what they’ve purchased and when it arrived, so you can help resolve their issue. And you need a 360 degree view so you can maximize the effectiveness of marketing campaigns or to use the insight to develop your products and services.
Get the right CRM platform
A good 360 degree customer view minimizes friction, maximizes speed and efficiency and maintains a human element.
It leaves consumers feeling heard, seen and appreciated. And it has a tangible impact that can be measured through data-driven attribution and soaring service levels.
How do you achieve this level of customer experience? One key solution for doing this is with a robust software, like monday sales CRM.
To jumpstart your 360 degree customer view, have a browse through our CRM templates and get set up in minutes.
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