Search:

Would you like to contribute to this site? CRM Menu Submit an Article Submit a Tip Place your Ad Add URL CRM Questions? Contact Us  CRM Software   CRM Software Products   CRM Solutions   Outsourcing CRM   CRM Reviews   Small Business CRM   Microsoft CRM   Online CRM   CRM By Industry   CRM Case Studies   CRM Resources   CRM Technologies   CRM Career   About CRM   BPO   Contact Centers   Inbound Call Center   Types Of Call Centers   Call Center Software   Call Center Services   Call Center Outsourcing   Call Center Outsource Offshore   Call Center Management   Call Center Productivity   Call Center Operations   Call Center Information   Call Center Career   Help Desk   Help Desk Software   Web Based Help Desk   Answering Service   Customer Support   Customer Retention   Customer Service Training   Enterprise Resource Planning

Return To CRM Article Archive   Search the Article Archives What Is CRM? By Sayed Ally CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. This is an integrated system of managing data which is used to schedule, plan, and control both the post-sale and the pre-sale activities engaged in by a marketing agent or an organization. CRM's objective is to improve long-term profits and growth of a company. Call center activity, field support, indirect and direct sales, and marketing efforts are all covered by CRM. It is believed that CRM systems provide more accurate feedback and better-focused data concerning the aforementioned areas. The first component of CRM that was ever made available was SFA, or 'sales force automation'. Automated field service, call center activity, and SFA were all running down parallel tracks during most of the 1990s and late in that decade all of those began to merge with marketing plans to finally coalesce into CRM. So. CRM is actually not a technology and not something tangible at all. During the dot-com era, many people began to think of CRM as a technology in its own right. There are those who have implemented CRM technology just because they are technophiles or think that any new technology can in and of itself increase their business profits. But CRM technology is not about that. Too many businesses start using CRM technology without the slightest idea of how it is supposed to be used, or what the true CRM principles are. This is nothing other than putting the cart before the horse. CRM is supposed to reflect your methodology of doing sales and marketing and customer service, supported by data and by the interpersonal relationship that you have with each individual customer that does business with you. CRM technology enables a front line person, a sales or marketing agent or a customer service rep, to instantly access all of the most relevant and important data about a client when that client contacts you, and use that data to give a personalized, relevant, and up-to-date response to the client. CRM technology implementation lets you have smooth transitions between stages of a clients relationship with you both in terms of projects and in terms of the clients own activity. At the same time, you keep very detailed and accurate notes about every contact with a client. About the Author: Sayed Ally, is the lead CRM Analyst. His company provides, Microsoft CRM 3.0. Sayed can be reached at Tel : (905) 815- 1995 ext 22, email: aSayed@cqsolutions.com. keywords: CRM | Customer Relationship Management | Customer Service Call Center Company

Get your CRM questions answered... Subscribe to our CRM Newsletter FREE! Your First Name: Your Email Address: Enter above security code

Home  |   CRM Blog  |   Ask the CRM Expert  |   CRM Archive  |   CRM RSS Feeds  |   Advertise  |   Sitemap