In 2025, having a customer relationship management (CRM) system is the norm — but making it work for your business? That’s where the real value lies. Uploading your contacts, leads and past customers into a CRM is just the beginning of the implementation process. What matters next is how you use that data to drive results across your sales and marketing teams.
That’s where CRM best practices come in.
A well-maintained CRM database can help you personalise customer interactions, reduce admin, and even automate parts of your sales process. But if you’re still staring at rows of names and wondering what to do next, this guide is here to help.
We’ll walk you through the next steps to take — from personalising your communication to using CRM sales automation — so you can turn that database into a smarter, more strategic part of your business.
RELATED: What is a CRM system and how can you use it?
Personalise with purpose.
One of the biggest benefits of a customer relationship management system is its ability to help you personalise communication at scale through effective contact management. Rather than sending the same generic message to everyone, you can use your CRM database to segment customers based on what they’ve bought, how they’ve interacted with your business or even how long they’ve been with you.
This kind of personalisation goes a long way — especially when customers are expecting more tailored experiences in 2025.
With the right filters and tags in place, you can:
- Send birthday offers or loyalty discounts to repeat customers
- Follow up with first-time buyers and introduce related services
- Target high-value clients with exclusive updates or early access promotions.
These are the types of CRM best practices that build trust, boost engagement and help you stand out in a competitive market.
💡 Pro tip: Think of your CRM not just as a record-keeping tool, but as a live customer insights hub. The more you update and use it, the smarter your marketing can be — and the more aligned your marketing and sales teams become in delivering consistent experiences.
RELATED : 5 ways a CRM system can improve your business.
Automate your sales process.
If you’re still manually sending follow-up emails or juggling reminders in your calendar, it’s time to let your CRM take the wheel. CRM sales automation allows you to create smart, repeatable workflows that keep leads warm, clients informed and your team focused on higher-value tasks.
With the right setup, your CRM can:
- Automatically follow up with new leads within minutes of an enquiry
- Trigger appointment reminders via SMS or email
- Send quote or invoice follow-ups without needing to chase anyone manually.
And that’s just the beginning. You can build entire sales sequences that respond to customer behaviour — like sending a thank you email after a purchase or checking in if someone hasn’t rebooked in a while.
These automated flows don’t just save you time — they also make your business look more responsive, reliable, and professional.
💡 Pro tip: Start small. Automate your most repetitive task first — like booking confirmations — then build from there. Most modern CRM platforms (like Thryv) make this easy with drag-and-drop workflow builders. Even a free CRM can offer basic automation features to get you started.
RELATED: The benefits of automation for small business.
Track performance and adapt.
Once your CRM is up and running, the real magic happens when you start analysing your results. Modern CRMs come with built-in dashboards and reporting tools that give you a clear picture of what’s working — and what isn’t.
By analysing your CRM data, you can also develop strategies to enhance customer satisfaction through targeted marketing and proactive customer service.
Tracking performance helps you answer questions like:
- Which email campaigns are driving the most engagement?
- Are your follow-ups converting leads into sales?
- Which sales reps or services are bringing in the highest revenue?
By regularly reviewing your CRM data, you can adjust your strategies in real time. Maybe a campaign needs tweaking, or your timing could improve — either way, you’ll have the insights to make smarter decisions.
This kind of adaptability is one of the core CRM best practices. It ensures you’re not just storing data, but actually using it to grow your business.
💡 Pro tip: Don’t just look at reports — act on them. If a lead source is underperforming, change your approach. If a campaign is thriving, double down — and keep your sales and marketing teams informed so everyone stays aligned.
Keep your CRM database and customer data clean and current.
A cluttered CRM can be just as bad as no CRM at all. As your database grows, keeping it accurate and up to date becomes essential. One of the most overlooked CRM best practices is simple: maintain good data hygiene. That starts with a clean data migration project — ensuring that when you first imported contacts into your CRM, the information was accurate, well-tagged and free of duplicates.
Here’s what that looks like:
- Removing duplicate contacts
- Updating incorrect or outdated details
- Tagging leads and customers correctly
- Archiving inactive or disengaged contacts.
A clean CRM database not only improves your targeting — it also keeps your automations and reports running smoothly. Poor-quality data leads to mistargeted emails, missed follow-ups and skewed analytics.
💡 Pro tip: Set a recurring task every quarter to review and tidy your CRM records. Even five minutes a week can make a big difference over time.
Use CRM software that supports best practice, not just storage.
Getting your customer data into a CRM system is a great start — but to really grow your business, it’s what you do next that counts.
By focusing on CRM best practices like personalisation, automation, performance tracking and data hygiene, you’ll turn that database into a powerful engine for customer satisfaction, sales and long-term loyalty.
And the best part? You don’t have to do it all manually.
Bring your CRM to life with Thryv for better customer relationships.
If you’re looking for a customer relationship management platform that makes these best practices easier, Thryv is designed for Aussie small businesses just like yours.
With built-in tools for CRM sales automation, customer communication, quoting, invoicing, and online booking, Thryv helps you get the most out of your CRM investment — without the overwhelm.
Ready to make your CRM data work harder? Book a demo and discover how Thryv can support your next step.
