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As crowded as the customer relationship management (CRM) market is, there is always a place for an highly efficient player even in the most over-crowded market. The Bengaluru based Kapture CRM’s success in a very short span of time is a testimony of this fact. Having entered the CRM market as late as 2014, Kapture CRM not only took on some of industry’s big players but also successfully carved a niche for itself.
As a result, today this young company boasts more than 500 customers and has operations in as many as 12 different countries. Today its CRM products and solutions are helping to supercharge small as well as large businesses hailing from wide-range of industries and sectors.
Techpluto caught up with Kapture CRM’s founder & CEO Sheshgiri Kamath in an exclusive interview. Mr Kamath shed light on the company’s future plans, present condition of the industry with regards to competition and many other critical aspects.
Q) Given that today CRM industry is marked with intense competition, how does Kapture CRM make sure that it stands out from all its competitors?
A) With the rising growth of businesses over the past decade, there has also been a steady growth of CRM software providers. Kapture CRM has many capabilities that set us apart from the rest such as our advanced analytic and reporting tools, and intelligent machine learning, to name a few.
Q) Now that most companies demand intuitive CRM’s with shorter implementation cycles, how challenging has it become for CRM companies to fulfill client’s expectations?
A) Customer demand for efficient implementation of end-to-end CRMs is higher than ever before. We listen to our clients’ expectations from us and understand their need to see this in action as soon as possible. Kapture automates the process through configurations, which enables the project to go live in a short span of 15-45 days, depending on customizations. We also offer rapid release cycle, both at the back-end as well as at the customers’ side.
Q) How tough or easy it is competing against some big CRM competitors like SalesForce, HubSpot and Zoho?
A) Due to the rising number of CRM software, competition is constantly abound in the CRM market. While there is sufficient space in the market for players with a good product, our customers value us for our unique approach.. Apart from just typical CRM implementation, Kapture also brings to the table a specialized collection of insights that help you take better business decisions..
Q) Apart from several big companies, startups and small & medium companies also form a good part of your client portfolio. Do you think that startups and SME’s will continue to offer substantial business to Kapture CRM in the coming years?
A) Yes, most definitely! Kapture works with a number of start-ups and small businesses, who had initially joined us with a business automation requirement for less than 10 users. Today, these same clients have around 100 to 500 employees boosting their daily productivity with our smart omni-channel support, which efficiently assembles complaints, issues, and queries, from all channels. We have a separate team that focuses on startups.
Q) What, according to you, are some of the must have features that every CRM software should have?
A) Given the number of CRM users flowing in from various industries, it is important that a CRM software is relevant to each customer’s needs. Be it sales, service, marketing, or any other module, the end user is important. Unfortunately, a lot of crms focus on the super user functionality( equally important!) rather than on the person who works on the platform all day long
Q) Today with so much hype around artificial intelligence, machine learning & IOT, how is Kapture CRM moving ahead in integrating these cutting edge technologies in its software?
A) As I said before, evolution is an integral part of any business. We achieve success by anticipating our customer’s needs and delivering a platform that satisfies them. Our AI /ML features, which are already embedded in the CRM, have had a great response from our customers. With an extensive knowledge database and machine learning tool at their disposal, clients are now able to close an increased number customer queries at the first response! Kapture also applies smart decision tree features which can handle almost all types of customer interactions in a very human-like manner.
Q) Is Kapture CRM currently in talks with any investors to raise external funding?
A) At the moment, we have no plans to raise external funding. Over the course of the past 8 years, Kapture has succeeded in creating a profitable brand with the help of all our existing and new customers. We’d like to continue growing our organization in the same manner, for the time-being – through steady business from our customers.
Q) Kapture CRM recently launched operations in Philippines. Can you shed more light on your company’s international operations?
A) Apart from our previously existing international operations in Singapore and U.S.A , Kapture has now expanded its operations to the Philippines as well. We work with channel partners in 12 countries across the globe.
Q) Any major predictions with regards to foreseeable opportunities and challenges posing the CRM industry?
A) The sheer number of enterprises moving from legacy on premise platforms to the cloud is mindboggling. This is a very exciting time for the CRM industry, especially for players with highly differentiated offerings.
Q) Where do you see Kapture CRM in next 2 or 3 years?
A) Our goal is to become the preferred choice of enterprises looking to acquire and manage customers better. That’s what we work on everyday.
Q) Are you in any way concerned about the ongoing talks about the economic slowdown and its possible impact on your business?
A) Economic ups and downs are part of every business cycle. There’s a consistent demand for CRM platforms during every period as they can improve business bottom lines even during tough times. We’ve noticed that customers are always looking for better automation tools and processes, especially during a downturn.
Q) Any role model entrepreneurs that you personally look up to for seeking inspiration?
A) I have always admired Jack Ma for his tenacity in building alibaba, despite coming from such a humble background. It is probably one of the most inspiring stories of all time. Outside of entrepreneurship, Pep Guardiola is my favorite personality. His passion for the game, team management skills and winning attitude is unparalleled.
