CRM is a simple concept: it’s the process by which you track all customer, prospect, or lead touches and use that information to make better decisions about how to serve them.
CRM products are also simple: it’s the tool you utilize to meet the above objective and the database with which you centralize your communications and information. With any product these days there is marketing hype, of course. Words like these are added to packaging and tweets, blog posts, and commercials, trying to reel you in:
- optimizing efforts
- real time visibility
- meaningful customer conversations
- collaboration across departments
- driving revenue
- holistic views
- productivity gains
- complete customer insight
- opportunity management
- ROI maximization
I have certainly used these and more buzz words. Regardless of how many buzz words are used, they aren’t what make CRM work. CRM is not about short-term thinking. It’s about long-term thriving and while a tool may seem simple to implement, it is also difficult to achieve success without enterprise support. Make no mistake - CRM is definitely a commitment on all levels.
The real value of CRM comes into focus only after the process is in place. Our walk you through a discovery phase in which your current process is evaluated and improved. Eliminate unnecessary steps and reduce duplicate entry to enable user productivity and adoption.
The rest of the value comes from having an organization that uses the tool. All companies have a product or two that they term “shelved” – something they bought but no one uses. Don’t let that be you. for all of your users because once they start using it, they’ll find ways to do what they need. Invest in certified trainers who can demonstrate the right way to track communications, share the tips and tricks to improve productivity, wow them with the self-service reporting.
Fortunately, Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides the flexibility to fit virtually any business so you have the capability to capture every touch, integrate with the tools you already use to help ensure a speedy adoption, and provides the real time view into the resulting data to make the right decisions. If you are truly committed to a company wide implementation there simply is no better tool than Dynamics CRM to help you track every touch and make better decisions. All buzzwords aside….
By Ledgeview Partners – Wisconsin based Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner serving the Midwest and Heartland regions
hi,
You're right when you say that CRM is a mid/long-term project and not just a one shot thing. So many people in companies tend to forget that when they launch a CRM process.
nice articles by the way.
Anthony.