Comments on: The Best Way To Manage Customer Relationships

By: Thomas Trevino

Thomas Trevino — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:56:46 +0000

there are some less expensive crm systems out there too that are web-based. do some research…it’ll be worth it

By: ERPRooney

ERPRooney — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 15:24:33 +0000

The Best Way to manage customers is by implementing a CRM

Customer Relationship Management or CRM is a combination of enterprise strategies, business processes and information technologies used to learn more about customers’ needs and behaviors in order to develop stronger relationships with them. CRM software systems automate many customer-related business tasks.

CRM helps in:

Customer acquisition
Customer relationship enhancements
Customer retention

To know more about CRM,CRM Softwares ,Reviews etc visit
http://erp.com

By: Rick Chamberlain

Rick Chamberlain — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 14:18:32 +0000

Jim – I see both sides of the coin. Too many companies have wasted money on non-functional CRM systems that even mentioning \"CRM\" turns many stomachs.

In the case of Uncle Tim, perhaps his client base is small and manually managing relationships works well. Or, perhaps he doesn\’t want to grow his business because he likes it the way it is.

On the other hand, some sort of system is required for most businesses to maintain relationships, if not grow them. So many distractions out there… so much info. It\’s easy to be forgotten with all the noise out there. A properly implemented CRM system is becoming a necessity rather than a luxury.

For those people who mastered the paper DayTimer, CRM is possibly a 4-letter word (I can\’t tell you the last time I saw a DT in a meeting though…). But there is so much more to CRM than just personal phone call follow-ups that Uncle Tim is so good at. I believe a company is negligent if they do not have a defined customer management strategy along with tactics and processes to support that strategy.

And to me that means a functional CRM system.

By: Deb Kolaras

Deb Kolaras — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 20:54:22 +0000

Thank you for putting this out there, I so agree! So often when I’m working with clients they believe all the hype surrounding massively expensive CRM and contact management programs, as if some how those pieces of software will magically convert unknowns into paying clients. It just doesn’t happen that way. The key is simplicity and manageability. The pricey options are often too complex and geared more toward large sales forces and their management, and bean counters, not the small business entrepreneur.

Having a simple program or even a spreadsheet and a plan of attack is by far the best way to keep contact and marketing control with your customers and potential customers. As you grow, your system can too, but it all boils down to working it.

BTW, the simplest contact management program I ever used, and still use to this day? Harvey Mackay’s “Sharkware”. Now, if only a sharp cookie would swoop in and support it, it’s not longer supported. @bizcoachdeb