Blog
The Importance of CRM Integration with Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams
March 14, 2024
Business is constantly changing.
New methods, new practices, and new standards.
One of the biggest disruptions has been the rise of Microsoft Teams.
In July 2023, Microsoft announced, 17 million PSTN users, a 45% growth year on year. And this number will continue to grow, as more and more of the 320 million Microsoft Teams users abandon their legacy PBXs in favor of the giant that is Teams.
This is causing real problems.
With a Teams calling license around 100% cheaper than a traditional PBX seat, service providers need to come up with new revenue streams to make up for their otherwise loss in revenue.
Plus, with fewer native bundles and packages available on Teams, service providers are struggling to differentiate themselves from their competitors.
As a result, many services providers look to adopt various products and solutions to their portfolio, creating their own product bundles and expanding their customer reach.
One of the most popular products service providers look to add to their portfolio is CRM Integration. Why?
Well, despite all the changes the industry has faced over the past few years, businesses continue to invest thousands each month in improving their customer service experience. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems have proven to be indispensable assets for businesses seeking growth and customer satisfaction.
It is almost impossible for a business to function without some form of CRM, in fact, 91% of companies with 11 employees or more now use CRM.
What started as a (not-so-simple) rolodex has evolved into this enormous, AI-driven, multi-function, customer relationship management product suite that businesses use hundreds or thousands of times a day.
The Role of Telephony Integration in CRM
With businesses recognizing the importance of seamless communication, and with staff efficiency getting more focus and attention, the integration of Microsoft Teams with CRM systems proves to be a transformative strategy.
Designed to elevate customer engagement, CRM Integration makes for a much more personalized experience for both customer and call-handler. Integration ensures that customer interactions are streamlined, reducing response times, and enhancing overall satisfaction.
By unifying communication channels, teams can collaborate more effectively, leading to improved coordination and faster decision-making processes. This streamlining of internal communication enhances overall operational efficiency and contributes to a more responsive and agile business environment.
In this blog, we will endeavor to explore further:
- The purpose of CRM Integration with Microsoft Teams
- How it can help Service Providers compete in a difficult market
- How Akixi’s CRM integration is designed exclusively for Service Provider value-added services (VAS)
Understanding CRM Integration
At the core of CRM Integration are features designed to streamline business practices and improve customer engagement.
- Click-to-dial
Enables call-handlers/agents to initiate calls directly from their CRM, an interface they are used to, reducing manual effort and errors, and improving response times. - Contact popping
Ensures all relevant customer information is presented to the call-handler when it is needed, fostering more personalized interactions. - Automatic activity logging
Ensures that call-related activities are recorded within the CRM system automatically. This reduces manual effort while providing a clear and accurate record of customer interactions.
CRM Integration facilitates a seamless exchange of information between CRM systems and platforms like Microsoft Teams. This integration typically leverages APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and connectors to establish enable real-time data synchronization and communication flow, ensuring a cohesive user experience.
What challenges exist?
While CRM Integration offers significant benefits, its implementation is not without its challenges for service providers and telephony providers.
The complexity of Microsoft Teams protocols and APIs, combined with the hundreds of CRM systems in the market, can pose integration challenges for service providers and can distract them from what they are good at.
Even then, once the integration has been written, user adoption can be challenging. Introducing new features and a new workflow, no matter how beneficial, may face resistance from users used to their former workflow.
That is where Akixi comes in. As leaders in CRM Integration, we’ve done the hard work already. We’ve written integrations into Microsoft Teams with over 200 CRM applications, including the most popular applications like Salesforce and HubSpot.
Our solution is fully productized and built with service providers in mind, meaning our white-labelled software can be adopted and implemented very quickly.
Why should Service Providers care?
Adding CRM Integration to a service provider’s product portfolio allows them to diversify their offerings beyond traditional services. Service providers can monetize the integration by charging for implementation and ongoing support, as well as the recurring license cost of the CRM Integration solution.
In a competitive market, service providers that offer CRM Integration gain a distinct competitive advantage. The ability to provide a comprehensive suite of services, including CRM Integration, sets them apart from competitors. This differentiation not only attracts new clients, but also positions providers as industry leaders with a forward-thinking approach.
Conclusion
The features and benefits CRM Integration brings has become increasingly more important and popular for businesses, making the the addition of CRM Integration to your value-added service portfolio a fantastic opportunity to not only meet but exceed the needs of your clients.
By introducing such differentiation, you can become the provider that goes beyond conventional services and delivers transformative value, positioning your business as a leader in the highly competitive Microsoft Teams telephony space.