CRM Consulting Blog at Effective CRM Consulting

The Social Components of CRM And Their Impact on How Customers Will Do Business - Part I

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:28:47 GMT

I asked the expert panel about how they felt the social components of CRM would impact they way customers do business in the future, and how. Here's the question exactly as I put it...

Small Business CRM - What's the Problem?

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:09:22 GMT

Even though contact management may have been the pre-cursor to the CRM wave, small business CRM seems to have gotten the short end of the stick in a number of ways. First, the whole idea of encapsulating a solution in a box, I contend, set small businesses back decades. Contact management? Come on!

Effective Social CRM

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:51:24 GMT

My journey from Effective CRM to Effective Social CRM is is a bumpy one, and the destination is unknown. As a believer in a customer-centric business approach, I don't feel a compelling urge to adopt a new term to describe something many of my colleagues feel has always been a part of business. In fact, maybe Social CRM is on a journey to CRM.

CRM Sales Professional Needed

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:57:01 GMT

We are the # 1 Sage Business Partner in North America and are looking for an experienced CRM Sales professional to operate in our Southeastern US market. Atlanta preferable, but we have offices in Tampa and South Carolina as well. Please fill out the contact form and we will contact you as soon as possible

Are CRM Consultants Leaving Value on the Table?

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:46:05 GMT

CRM consultants leaving value on the table is one of my favorite topics to think about because I truly believe, after many years in the "so-called" CRM consulting world, that sometimes CRM consultants are being robbed of the value they create for clients; and other times, they are the ones doing the robbing.

Social CRM should span both sides of the membrane

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:24:43 GMT

In my opinion it should be a cross between Enterprise 2.0 consulting (getting people to collaborate effectively), Change Management (the rules are

Jill Dyche Laughs Back

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:11:53 GMT

Wow, thanks for mentioning my blog post in yours! I'm fantastically glad I made you laugh, since I'm sure we've both seen CRM strategy and planning

Social CRM Consulting is same as CRM Consulting, right?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 11:08:32 GMT

Great post. CRM Implementations will always fail with the technology-first approach, well said. We must all look past the hype and focus on

The Face of Social CRM Consulting?

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:42:42 GMT

With all the hype going on lately, I began wondering what Social CRM consulting might look like. Will it simply be an added service performed by CRM consultants (booooooorrrrring!) Or will it be a revolutionary new market just like Social CRM software?

The Social Employee and CRM Incentive Plans

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:10:28 GMT

The Social Employee and CRM Incentive Plans....one of the many things I've struggled to wrap my mind around over the past few years. The "customer-centric" way of business really poses a number of challenges related to employee incentives. How is loyalty measured and can that be translated into something that fits in a "quota"? Quota's are generally placed into the business calendar as monthly or quarterly goals that need to be met by an employee.

A Few Question That I Would Ask SRCM Paradigm Supporters

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:40:30 GMT

The access to Compuserve may have been limited, but we've continued to have this vehicle ever since. And it's the same concept. The volume is growing

Thought provoking post

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:52:33 GMT

First off, this is a great post and goes to the heart of my largest concern with Social CRM, that we are choosing hype over real value. Everywhere we

Nice, but you are missing data

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:21:28 GMT

Mike, to me it is just another channel - and i have been saying that forever. and i don't have consulting or software to sell (ok, maybe some

Social CRM a Myriad of Channels

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:18:14 GMT

If Social CRM is implemented as just a bidirectional conversation between the customer and the company then you would be correct. It would then be

The Social CRM Channel, Or A New Paradigm?

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:57:49 GMT

There are a number of very intelligent people out there who are calling the Social CRM channel a paradigm shift, and not really a channel. The basis for this argument is simple....

CRM Software Saves the Day

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:05:06 GMT

Let's just destroy the myth right off the bat. CRM Software cannot solve your problems for you. It's simply the vehicle we use to make CRM strategies and tactics more effective and efficient.

Do CRM Software Companies Deliver What the Customer Wants?

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:04:21 GMT

CRM software companies are not all the same. They target different markets. Sometimes it's based on size of the business and other times it's based on the types of customers they sell to; like Business to Business (B2B) versus Business to Consumer (B2C). There are also vendors that sell directly to their ultimate customer and others the sell indirectly through a business partner channel.

Social Media and CRM Or Quite The Reverse

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:00:28 GMT

I like new ideas, and the marriage between Social Media and CRM makes a lot of sense. And there are a lot of Social Media experts on Twitter (social media) implying that CRM is dead and that "Social Media" is the new foundation of all customer relationships.

Effective CRM Articles

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:24:17 GMT

If you are looking for some edgy CRM articles on the past and future of CRM, or would like to contribute some, this is the place to stop by on a regular basis

Will Google Wave Change the CRM Landscape

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 19:23:45 GMT

Learn how Google Wave could be used to engage customers and prospects in a way that makes sense to the human mind

Selling CRM Correctly in all Market Conditions

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:55:16 GMT

Selling CRM isn't about pushing what you need to sell (software). That won't get the job done for you or your prospect.

Engaging Customers With Social Media Ideas and Technology

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:03:34 GMT

Engaging customers with social media is becoming more than just a buzz. People are tweetering and twattering and twipping all over the place. And these twitterers are obviously in the business.

Keep Your CRM Strategy Simple

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:20:41 GMT

Without a CRM strategy, there is no guiding corporate wide vision for how you will interface with customers. This is a key component which works in conjuntion with your functional CRM initiative (the technology). It takes both to succeed.

The CRM Strategic Planning Process

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:42:01 GMT

Whenever I think of the Strategic Planning Process I remember when I was part of enterprise corporate America. Oh boy, those were the days. Every change was preceded by an army of consultants and/or internal due diligence teams. Imagine how that would go over in a middle market company.

Effective Business Intelligence And Reaching Goals

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:42:00 GMT

Effective Business intelligence is a topic that I've only gotten involved with in the past few years. Before that, the middle market companies I've worked with couldn't afford the entry price. Expensive software with hefty consulting engagements for building data warehouses and business metrics simply made it impossible.

Customer Accounting For CRM

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 17:41:30 GMT

Customer Accounting is one of those things that seems to be glossed over in CRM discussions. It seems like such a high level discussion that I am amazed that the best discussion on it that I can recall is in Jim Novo's book "Drilling Down - Turning Customer Data into Profits with a Spreadsheet ".

CRM 2.0

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 16:27:49 GMT

CRM 2.0 has been sporadically discussed for the past 18 months. And CRM Vendors are building components that sound like CRM 2.0. But it appears that it will become whatever we make of it. So, what are your ideas for it?

The Great Social CRM Ponzi Scheme?

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:49:40 GMT

OK, I'm taking a little bit of liberty with regard to Social CRM, but history just keeps repeating itself. I'm not finding anything new about Customer Relationship Management just because an elite group has decided to add a prefix to an already hijacked term...CRM

A CRM Definition That Your Competition Doesn't Know

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 19:56:17 GMT

I believe a good CRM definition is as follows: CRM is the application of a well developed customer strategy, based on a high level of customer awareness, to a properly matched set of CRM technologies and services. In other words there are two components, both of which are required, that make a successful CRM solution.

Change Management Failure and Where to Look For It

Tue, 07 Apr 2009 11:22:11 GMT

With all this CRM talk, we sometimes forget what a change management failure looks like so we can head it off at the pass. I must say, I'm one of the less fortunate consultants who has seen the process performed backwards over and over again, resulting in the same failed outcomes.

An Interview with Bob Thompson of CustomerThink

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:19:38 GMT

I was lucky enough to get an interview with Bob Thompson who founded CustomerThink.com (formerly CRMGuru.com). I'm still going through my evolution, so if I've missed opportunities to ask the right questions, I learn from the responses of experts like Bob.

Business Process Guru Dick Lee of High Yield Methods

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:22:05 GMT

I recently had the extreme pleasure to conduct an interview with business process guru Dick Lee. If you follow my site, his name will sound familiar since his writings have shaped much of my current view of the CRM World.

The Change Management Process

Sat, 14 Mar 2009 15:01:09 GMT

The change management process must start with an understand of the hurdles you will face. And there will be hurdles, because the natural tendency for people is to resist change.

Select CRM Software First And Throw Good Money After Bad

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:25:29 GMT

So many companies select CRM software first, before they do any other planning at all. The only plan is to get CRM software in house, and to make sure it costs as little as possible, and has as many "features" as possible.

Genesis Communications acquires Increase CRM to create the UKs leading provider of hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM services

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 16:27:24 GMT

5 th March 2009, Manchester Genesis Communications is pleased to announce that it has acquired Increase CRM, for an undisclosed sum, to

SaaS The key to success

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 11:54:36 GMT

Historically, businesses looking to implement IT solutions had no alternative than to invest in costly servers and software, which also required a

What do Effective Saleslogix Consultants look like?

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:19:41 GMT

I've been involved with this product since it's inception and I've worked with effective Saleslogix consultants, and not so effective. In fact, I've worked with some extremely ineffective and extremely unproductive Saleslogix consultants!

Why CRM Fails

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 10:56:34 GMT

Why CRM Fails By: Steve Snapp, Sr. CRM Consultant, ISM and Swain Scheps, IT Project Manager/Technology Writer Between the decision to implement an

Customer Service Software - Will Your Customer Service Headaches Be Solved By A CRM Application?

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 19:19:57 GMT

Another probing look at Customer Service Software, or any software, should be used in conjunction with an overall plan for improving customer satisfaction, ther customer experience and customer loyalty.

CRM by Enterprise Wizard

Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:27:16 GMT

I live my life by that wonderful quote from Ben Franklin, thank you for putting it into your post! Its really shocking how many people think that a

Link to Effective CRM

Sun, 28 Dec 2008 19:27:41 GMT

Link to Effective CRM and help spread the word.

Employee Insight Survey

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:16:06 GMT

The Employee Insight Survey uses a unique and comprehensive solution for uncovering realistic opportunities to exceed customer expectations and build customer loyalty.

Customer Insight Survey

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:13:51 GMT

The Customer Insight Survey uses a unique and comprehensive solution for uncovering realistic opportunities to exceed customer expectations and build customer loyalty.

Customer Lifecycle Management Assessment

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:12:30 GMT

The Customer Lifecycle Management Assessment recognizes that before you can maximize your company's revenue and profitability you need to identify the business issues that prevent you from doing this.

Customer Focus Assessment

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 23:06:09 GMT

The Customer Focus Assessment recongnizes that every customer interaction at every touch-point is an opportunity to improve or destroy customer loyalty. So it's crucial that all customer-facing personnel meet or exceed customers' requirements, expectations and preferences.

Infusionsoft CRM Software

Sat, 29 Nov 2008 15:05:28 GMT

Well, Infusionsoft CRM software really turned my head the other day. I'm not kidding when I say that software isn't the solution, but this company is so similar to my web hosting company (Sitesell) that I felt compelled to share what I know of them.

Sales and CRM

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:22:11 GMT

How come everywhere else I go on the Internet CRM is talked about like it is for salespeople? If that's not the case, what is it for?

More Effective CRM

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:18:12 GMT

If you'd like to see a more effective CRM site, please let me know what I can do to improve it.

Email Marketing Solutions

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 13:05:51 GMT

The thing that scares me about email marketing solutions, or any other component of a CRM solution, is how easy it is for an excited VP of Sales to begin pumping out the wrong message.

CRM Consultant

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:32:06 GMT

I'm a CRM consultant and here's a little bit of background on how I got here.