Corie

Though CRM is not the answer for everything, it definitely plays a crucial role in managing and optimizing customer relationships. Moreover, the more advanced the features and functionality of CRM solutions become, the more tools companies acquire to create the best customer experience.

Though some business people have mastered the art of being proactive, others require tools that can help to stay on top of the things that matter most. In my opinion, one of the best tools on the market that can enhance our ability to be more proactive is CRM.

Originally, a website was like a company's front desk receptionist. It served as the face of the company, welcoming new visitors and creating an instant first impression. With the introduction of Web 2.0, websites have evolved to become a company's sales, marketing and customer support departments all wrapped into one. In fact, a company's website now serves as their most powerful lead generation and conversion tool accessible.

Businesses of all types and sizes are approaching the New Year as an opportunity to make more money while spending less. Though budgets have been replenished, companies have become more cost-conscious than ever. The goal is to be strategic about implementing new business ideas, yet pragmatic about what these ideas cost.

With 2011 well underway, businesses of all sizes are working in overtime in attempt to achieve their New Year's resolutions. Whether a business is striving to increase revenue, inbound leads or response time, their ability to achieve any one of these goals depends on one crucial element-their customers.

Though created with the utmost advanced technology and packaged with the promise of making your business one smooth-sailing dream, CRM should be viewed as a tool that creates magic and NOT as magic itself.

There is a misguided belief that selecting the best CRM solution is what makes or breaks a CRM project. The truth is that CRM success depends just as much on the selected vendor as it does on the solution's features suite.

Like most things, CRM comes in all shapes and sizes and searching for the best solution for your company can become quite overwhelming. In attempt to make things easier, I've decided to provide a quick and comprehensive list of the Do's and Don'ts of Shopping CRM.

I propose that before pulling out your wallet, pin-point your pain points, create a ‘plan of attack' and then assess whether CRM is the answer.

In this blog, I will explore the value of educating one's self on CRM so to help those actively seeking a solution, with how to select the right vendor. Though learning something new is never a fun task, adding education into the CRM equation will be your company's best lesson yet.