While working with customers, it is important that you know the basic details about them, like their name, contact details and accounts. But when you work in a large-scale global enterprise, managing such details of every customer can be tough and time-consuming. For managing such issues, the modern business sector has come up with the concept of customer relationship management software. This software is typically designed to minimise the efforts and burden of professionals working in the CRM department. In this blog, you will get to know how, with the help of using effective CRM software in India, you can keep a regular eye on the contacts and accounts of your customers, resulting in a higher professional relationship with them. Along with this, it will also include best practices, things to avoid and features to consider while choosing the perfect CRM software for your company.
What Are Customer Contacts and Accounts in CRM?
Before diving into strategy, let’s get the basics right:
- Customer Contacts refer to the individuals, decision-makers, influencers, or users you engage with at an organisation.
- Customer Accounts are the companies, businesses, or entities that these contacts belong to.
Think of contacts as the people and accounts as the organisations. In CRM, managing them efficiently means knowing who you’re talking to, what they need, and how to serve them better.
Why Proper Contact and Account Management Matters
You might wonder, why is CRM contact and account organisation such a big deal? Here’s why:
- Centralised information for every team (sales, marketing, support).
- Faster sales cycles with complete contact history at your fingertips.
- Targeted communication using detailed segmentation.
- Reduced duplication and errors by linking contacts with the right accounts.
- Smarter insights and reporting when your data is clean and structured.
Well-maintained contacts and accounts turn your CRM from a digital Rolodex into a business intelligence powerhouse.
Step-by-Step: How to Manage Contacts and Accounts Like a Pro
Ready to get organised? Here’s a CRM contact & account management guide broken down into actionable steps:
Step 1. Define Naming Conventions and Data Standards
Ensure consistency from the start. Define how names, job titles, and account names are to be entered (e.g., “Inc.” vs “Incorporated”).
- Use consistent capitalisation and formatting.
- Avoid duplicate entries by setting data validation rules.
- Use dropdowns for common fields like industry or location.
Step 2. Segment Contacts Based on Roles and Activities
Not all contacts are equal. A CEO and an operations manager require different approaches. Segmenting helps with personalisation.
- Decision-maker, buyer, end-user, influencer.
- Based on purchase history, engagement level, or region.
- Tag contacts with custom labels for fast filtering.
Step 3. Link Contacts to Accounts
Always associate contacts with their parent company. This helps you:
- Track account-level activity and interactions.
- Avoid multiple reps contacting the same account.
- Consolidate communication history and documents.
Step 4. Use Custom Fields Wisely
Beyond the basics (name, email, phone), tailor your CRM with custom fields relevant to your business.
Examples:
- Product interest
- Contract start date
- Lead source
- Account manager
Step 5. Automate Data Enrichment
Use CRM integrations or AI-powered tools to auto-fill missing data.
- Pull company details from LinkedIn or business directories.
- Use AI to predict lead scoring or job roles.
- Auto-validate email addresses and phone numbers.
This saves time and ensures you’re not chasing outdated or incomplete information.
Best Practices for Ongoing Contact and Account Management
Good data management is not a one-time setup—it’s a continuous process. Here’s how to maintain long-term CRM hygiene:
- Regularly clean your CRM by merging duplicates.
- Set alerts for inactive or cold accounts.
- Encourage your team to log every interaction (calls, emails, meetings).
- Schedule quarterly reviews of key accounts.
- Set role-based access to protect sensitive client data.
Supercharge Sales and Marketing with Contact Intelligence
Once your CRM contact data is structured, use it to fuel smarter strategies:
- Segment email campaigns based on contact role or region.
- Trigger automated follow-ups after certain interactions.
- Prioritize high-value contacts using lead scoring models.
- Retarget contacts who haven’t engaged in 90+ days.
Personalized engagement becomes easy when you know exactly who you’re talking to.
Connect CRM to Other Platforms for Deeper Sync
Want to amplify CRM effectiveness? Integrate with platforms like:
- Email marketing tools (Mailchimp, Sendinblue)
- Social platforms (LinkedIn, WhatsApp)
- Invoice and billing software
- Customer support or ticketing systems
This creates a single source of truth and ensures contact info stays consistent across all departments.
Analysing Contact & Account Data for Smarter Decisions
Use CRM analytics to track:
- How often do you engage with top clients
- Sales cycle duration by account
- Which industries or roles respond best
- Which contacts influence deal closures
This allows you to refine your strategies, reallocate resources, and double down on what’s working.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Managing customer contacts and accounts in CRM isn’t hard, but there are pitfalls. Avoid these:
- Entering multiple contacts for the same person (with slight spelling variations)
- Forgetting to associate contacts with an account
- Not updating job changes or contact details
- Using free-text fields where dropdowns would work better
- Keeping inactive or irrelevant contacts in your active pipelines
Final Checklist for Efficient Contact and Account Management
- Have clear naming conventions
- Use consistent segmentation
- Link every contact to an account
- Automate and enrich data where possible
- Regularly clean and update records
- Use analytics to drive insights
- Integrate CRM with your marketing and support stack
Following this checklist helps build trust, improve team productivity, and drive consistent customer experiences across the board.
Elevate Your CRM Game with DoInsights
Looking for a CRM that doesn’t just handle contacts and accounts, but also integrates HRM, project management, sales automation, and support ticketing? DoInsights is the all-in-one CRM built for modern, growth-focused businesses. It helps you manage customer data intelligently, automate tasks, and create seamless experiences—from first contact to long-term loyalty.
