CRM

Service is becoming perhaps the most important leg of CRM. It's not just me saying it -- it's many others, including Paul Greenberg, who literally wrote the book on CRM. With the economy in the state it's in, that makes sense; keeping the customers you already have has never been more important. How...

When it comes to implementing a new CRM system, small companies have several options. If they have enough resources and experience to devote to the task, they can implement the system themselves. If they choose not to go that route, a third party can be brought in to help them implement it, Craig Kl...

There's an adage in the CRM industry that every successful CRM implementation is customized in some way. That may not be as much of an absolute as it once was. But, in order to gain a true competitive advantage from CRM, your business needs to find ways to use it differently than your competitors do...

Software AG has developed a vertical social networking and collaboration platform that for the BPM industry. Now in open beta, ARISalign is built on Amazon's Web Services and equipped with modeling capabilities, as well as virtual versions of tools typically used by process experts, said Matt Durham...

Once a small business finds the perfect CRM solution for its needs, the owner or manager must then negotiate the appropriate legal agreements with the vendor. This can be a daunting task for anyone who is not familiar with the many types of contracts that may come into play with an IT purchase. The ...

As sales organizations endeavor to escape the constricted economy of the 2009 recession, one of their most significant barriers is stagnant progress in terms of bringing their sales cycle under control. Recent Aberdeen research published for "Inside Sales Enablement: Let Them Drink Coffee!" reveals...

Had a meteor hit the Dulles Westin outside of Washington, D.C., two weeks ago, it would have set social CRM back 10 years. That meteor, in addition to melting a lot of snow, would have vaporized in a trice the vast majority of the world's serious thinkers on the topic of social CRM. The journalists,...

In our industry, we live on innovation, and innovation takes capital -- something that has been in short supply over the last couple of years. Venture funding took a massive hit in 2009, but there are signs that the trend might be bottoming out. If it is, we might all learn to exhale again. Accord...

Once a small business decides to invest in a CRM solution to replace the patchwork assortment of tools it has been using to manage its information, the selection process can be daunting. A plethora of CRM vendors offering an assortment of features have appeared on the scene in recent years, said Bre...

CRM solutions have a long history of helping B2B marketers achieve greater ROI from their leads. Yet for companies that sell their products and services direct to consumers, CRM solutions frequently miss the mark. A quick Google search for CRM helps prove this: The search returns plenty of B2B produ...

Although service is gaining in importance as the economy is forcing customer retention to the fore, sales has long been the dominant leg of the CRM stool. Many CRM efforts were spearheaded by sales, and in many organizations, the SFA functions of CRM software remain the only features that actually g...

I almost never attend a webinar unless I am speaking. When I need to know something, I usually get a one-on-one with a CEO or other leader of a company. They're very gracious with their time, and the tutelage helps me as an analyst, though often I don't run out and write something about my experie...

Ken Jones, cofounder and executive director of Maximo Nivel, an executive language center, knew his company needed a CRM tool as early as 2006. His company was growing fast and using a variety of tools to meet CRM needs, including Outlook. Unfortunately, like many small business owners, Jones was un...

Many companies are hesitant to adopt the social media movement because of the uncertainty of negative comments or results. The fact is that negative conversation will happen regardless of whether or not you are engaging in social media, so don't hesitate, just jump on the social media bandwagon and ...

Anyone who has worked in sales or indirectly worked closely with sales has experienced those curious times when deals that seem to be moving along perfectly suddenly go cold. Was it something you did, something you said, something you failed to do? Inevitably, the question always gets asked "What c...