CRM first entered the business vocabulary in the early 90’s; initially as a systems driven technical solution. It has since escalated in importance as system providers increased their market penetration of the business market and, in parallel, CRM’s strategic importance gained more traction as it was recognized that CRM was, at its heart, a business model in the pursuit of sustainable profit. This was accentuated by the academic community stepping up their interest in the subject in the early 2000’s. Today, it is a universal business topic which has been re-engineered by the online shopping revolution in which the customer is firmly placed at the center of the business. The current reality, however, is that, for the vast majority of businesses, CRM has not been adopted as a business philosophy and practicing business model. It has not been fully understood and therefore fully embraced and properly implemented. The author addresses this head-on by stripping CRM down into its component parts by delving into and explaining the role and relevance of the C, R, and M in CRM. This is a practical guide but set within a strategic framework. The outage is clear actionable insights and how to convert them into delivery. It is written in an easily digestible, non-jargon style, with case studies to demonstrate how CRM works. This book can be immediately used as the primary practical reference to guide the development and implementation of a CRM strategy.

Once you have bought into the concepts of customer relationship management (and it is hard not to), how do you separate the practically useful from the pie-in-the-sky and then actually implement a project? This handbook addresses implementation, advocating an approach that is based in the real world and stressing the measurable goals and tactical uses of CRM. The areas covered include: building a realistic foundation for CRM; critical success factors; risk factors; full risk analysis; and case studies.

Save time, save money, and grow your business with more effective CRM CRM For Dummies is the small business leader's guide to managing customer interactions. Customer relationship management is a critical part of any business, and it encompasses everything from business strategy and HR to sales, marketing, events, and more. Solutions exist for businesses of any size, but how do you know which one is right for you? What features do you need? Do you have the people and processes in place to get the most out of whichever one you choose? This book is designed to help business leaders better understand effective CRM and identify the right solution for their business—but it's about much more than software; effective CRM requires appropriate team structures, intradepartmental collaboration, and process efficiency. Packed with tactics and strategies that will save your company thousands of dollars and man-hours, these chapters answer the most pressing questions that will make the biggest impact on your sales. Building relationships with current and future customers is the critical point of business. This book helps you bring sales, marketing, and operations together to work toward that common goal, and shows you the tools and techniques that make your efforts more effective. Define your market segments, buyer personas, and voice Build an effective internal structure, and choose the right CRM solution Optimize leads and conduct effective email marketing Streamline processes, automate where possible, and employ analytics Your customers are the lifeblood of your company; you need to reach them, engage them, and retain them—without wasting precious time or money. CRM For Dummies gets you up to speed on the latest, most effective CRM tools and techniques to help your business succeed.

Firms are continually seeking new ways to forge close relationships with their most valuable customers. With recent advances in networking and database management, firms have both the motivation and the means for improving their Customer Relationship Management (CRM) strategies. This book focuses on the actuality of implementing CRM. It is about the organization's ability to provide a seamless and personalized experience to each customer rather than a transactional or product-focused approach where the future of the relationship is not an over-riding consideration. This book connects CRM systems implementation with organizational change for the first time. It looks into the factors that distinguish firms which connect with their customers and gain customer loyalty with firms that are not as successful. It also describes the micro-processes that occur on a daily basis in a company and all the small decisions managers and employees take during the implementation of change and the creation of knowledge. Finnegan and Willcocks note that CRM implementation is not the straightforward process that many of the trade publications would have us believe. They state the failure rate of large CRM projects may be as high at 70%. Through the lens of two detailed case studies, the authors investigate why CRM is no panacea.

CRM Fundamentals is a critical and comprehensive resource for executives and project leaders tasked with managing customer relationship management (CRM) initiatives. It provides an introduction to CRM and how it delivers value to organizations, and describes the process to build and execute a CRM roadmap successfully—including identifying goals, lining up the right people, planning projects, choosing software packages and consultants, managing the initial CRM implementation, and maintaining and evolving the program over time. Written by senior CRM consultants, CRM Fundamentals includes plenty of detailed, useful advice to help you get the most value from your CRM investments and to avoid common pitfalls associated with CRM.

An ETHS graduate of 1962 provides a blueprint for customer relationship management in business and technical organizations.

This book helps managers recognize hidden gems in the workplace and learn how to utilize them for their greatest impact. Think you can spot the leaders in your company? Don’t assume that you can identify them by their positions. What about those employees who consistently step up: the field agent who solves a previously intractable problem; the service rep who thinks outside the box and creates unshakeable customer loyalty. These are more than “good employees”, these are “hidden leaders” and they are critical to an organization’s long-term success. Managers today need to make the most of all their resources—and The Hidden Leader shows them how to identify and cultivate these talented but under utilized employees, who: Demonstrate integrity Lead through authentic relationships Focus on results Work from clear customer purpose Fulfill the value promise of the company Don’t settle for the traditional feedback that tells you these are “good employees” who deserve a pat on the back and a 3 percent increase at the end of the year. These hidden leaders will soon be pulled out by another organization giving them the opportunity they deserve. Supported by real-world examples of hidden leaders in action--and QR codes readers can scan for instant access to online assessments--The Hidden Leader helps managers discover these secret saviors and enable them to deliver even greater value to customers.

Companies and financial institutions are employing operational information systems in an efficient way. While they have consolidated a strong level of knowledge in management information systems, there is still a lack of knowledge on the right way to apply customer relationship management (CRM) systems under a business perspective. Most of the companies are still having problems in evaluating how CRM can meet with the expected results. The level of complexity is perceived both under a technological and organizational point of view. A complete innovation process and heavy change management initiatives should be ensured in order to have effective and successful systems. This book offers a solid theoretical and practical perspective on how to face CRM projects, describing the most appropriate technologies and organizational issues that have to be considered. Some explaining cases have been included as well.

This comprehensive guide to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) draws on Barton Goldenbergs 20 plus years of experience guiding firms to a successful implementation of CRM solutions and techniques. Goldenberg demonstrates how the right mix of people, process, and technology can help firms achieve a superior level of customer satisfaction, loyalty, and new business. Beginning with a primer for executives who need to get quickly up-to-speed on CRM, the book covers a full range of critical issues including integration challenges and security concerns, and illuminates CRMs key role in the 24/7/365 real-time business revolution. CRM in Real Time is an essential guide for any organization seeking to maximize customer relationships, coordinate customer-facing functions, and leverage the power of the Internet as business goes real time.