4 CRM Data Types & How To Use Them – Forbes Advisor

How data is structured in your CRM will impact how much value you can glean from that data. The best CRM software structures your data via built-in parameters. In a more sophisticated sales operation, though, CRM data structure can get more complicated.

Data accuracy, uniqueness, completeness, uniformity and security are all critical considerations. CRM folders, records and fields must be well-defined and organized to promote usability and support CRM data integrity.

Appropriate data setup, maintenance, cleansing, formatting and data appending/enrichment processes must be established. Quality assurance measures need to be in place to detect and eliminate duplicates and errors and prevent data from being corrupted.

If your organization has a chief information or technology officer, they should be in charge of CRM setup, data structure and integrity. If you don’t have access to an IT pro and your CRM needs are relatively advanced, you may want to hire a data consultant who can help ensure your data is structured and maintained appropriately.

You need to be able to trust the data in your CRM, which is why data integrity is vital. Effective data structure leads to consistent data accessibility, more effective data analytics, seamless CRM integrations and an overall better customer experience.

Bottom Line

Marketers, sales professionals and customer service staff rely on CRM data to make crucial business decisions as well as to serve prospects and customers effectively. There are four types of CRM data, and this data must be collected, stored and managed in a way that preserves data accuracy and integrity while allowing for timely access for CRM users.