CRM has long been a fundamental pillar of successful business strategies. It’s all about keeping track of and nurturing relationships with your customers – both current and future. But now, we are in a digital era where chatbots have taken over customer service helplines and AI-powered AR lets customers “try before they buy”, simulating a shopping experience so they don’t even have to leave the house.
In 2024, we saw generative AI become the top CRM trend with 83% of businesses exceeding their sales goals. Imagine a world where marketers can craft messages so unique they feel like a personal letter or sales teams predicting whether a deal will close before making the first call. That world is not the future, it’s the now – powered by AI-driven CRM systems.
In just a few years we have seen how easy it is for AI to integrate with existing software, making it a much simpler option than building new services from scratch. When it comes to CRM systems, even a small sales increase (gained from better targeting) can make a big difference. We are seeing CRM users getting AI to handle the boring admin tasks, allowing sales teams to focus on aspects of the sales process which rely on emotional connections and personality.
How Are CRM Systems Using AI?
AI and CRM complement each other and are a dynamic duo, supporting automation, analysis of data and forecasting. The most important element of AI is machine learning (ML) which gets better continuously by studying the past, detecting trends and making sales and marketing forecasts, so life becomes really easy. Because AI learns by experience, as we do, it is capable of revealing insights and making predictions based on historical data, such as a crystal ball assisting companies in making those wiser decisions.
HubSpot‘s recent Agent.ai launch and Frame.ai acquisition are evidence of an obvious trend toward AI-powered CRM solutions that focus on automation, personalisation, and scalability.
- Agent.ai seeks to revolutionise business AI by providing wiser, more intuitive automated tools.
- Frame.ai enhances HubSpot’s ability to scale AI-driven customer support and analytics.
How AI is Transforming CRM
The integration of AI in CRM brings multiple benefits, including:
1. Enhanced Customer Personalisation and Segmentation
So, how do you manage to stay personal with all your customers at different stages of the sales funnel? Imagine writing emails without errors, marketing content tailored to suit the desires of your customers. This is the power of generative AI. Not only can it quickly adjust the tone of your messages, you can even adapt them to different languages. CRM systems such as Salesforce and HubSpot have AI built in so no more jumping from tools, just smooth and meaningful communication.
Not all customers are the same, so why treat them that way? Segmentation helps businesses target the right people with the right message at the right time. Whether it’s tailoring marketing campaigns, fine-tuning sales strategies, or generating insightful reports, AI takes segmentation to the next level.
By analysing patterns in customer behaviour, machine learning and your CRM system can create segments based on:
Demographics – Age, location, industry, and more
Engagement – How leads interact with emails, ads, and campaigns
Website Behaviour – What pages they visit, how long they stay, and what they click on
Purchase Intent – Predicting which leads are most likely to convert
2. Automated Customer Support and Chatbots Answering Phone Calls
The smart abilities of AI have travelled a great distance. Virtual assistants today don‘t provide only canned answers they incorporate natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to decode and answer queries better. For this reason, these bots are getting smarter in dealing with detailed conversations, providing personalised experiences, and even figuring out when to pass on the buck to an actual human being.
One of the major benefits of automated support is 24/7 availability. Customers can reach out for assistance at any time of day or night, without being limited to business hours.
AI-driven chatbots can be integrated across various channels, Google is currently taking the news by storm with their new personalised AI-powered chatbot that will work across all devices and automatically answer calls! This chatbot will automatically pick up calls, understand what’s being asked, and respond to you. it’s a move that could significantly reshape how we handle phone communications and how it can feature on smartwatches and in the car.
3. Predictive Analytics for Better Decision-Making
AI and machine learning can do more than just crunch numbers they can actually help you understand your customers better. By analysing conversations across email, chat, phone calls, and video, AI can assess customer sentiment, giving you valuable insights into how people feel about your products, services, and brand. What about customer data? AI can make sense of your customer data stored in your CRM, you will get to know how many touchpoints a lead needs before they convert and which messaging works best. It’s not replacing sales teams, it’s making them more informed and efficient. There’s no excuse, the data is all there in black and white.
Sephora is a great example of how AI-driven analytics can transform customer feedback into actionable insights, helping them refine products and shopping experiences to enhance customer satisfaction.
“CRM is Dead – and AI Can’t Come to the Rescue Fast Enough”
We came across this article from CIO, “CRM is Dead — and AI Can’t Come to the Rescue Fast Enough.” Is CRM really on its way out? Simple answer, no.
CRM is still the heart of any business, providing that essential single source of truth we all need to manage customer relationships. AI and new tech are changing the game, but they’re not replacing CRM, they are simply making it better.
As AI technology advances, CRM systems will become even more intuitive, predictive, and customer-centric. Businesses that embrace AI-powered CRM will gain a competitive edge. Instead of seeing AI as a threat, we see it as a tool that enhances CRM.
How WeDoCRM Can Help you with AI
We are paving the way for AI-driven CRM innovation, and businesses that adopt these technologies now will have future success. Want to know more about how WeDoCRM help you with AI? Get in touch with us today.
