What is CRM?

I wrote this on our blogging platform at MyTypes.com, as I think it's interesting for online businesses to be aware of CRM software. We are obviously creating a b2b and business social networking site, the objective is that for these businesses who join our business social network will increase their exposure and gain customers from our community. If you have more than 2 or three customers, nothing is more important than having an online CRM system to help you communicate and manage those relationships. And, as you will read I do have a lot of knowledge in this space that should help all businesses, enjoy:

What is CRM?

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A friend of mine recently became the Director of Product marketing at a local CRM Software provider in Seattle. I had a meeting with him and his Director of Marketing on Friday, and it went well enough that I decided to write this blog on the latest CRM trends, directions, and analysis. Before, we start I want to mention that this is probably my most knowledgeable area of expertise. I invested in Clarify one of the original CRM Software companies, which got sold to Nortel back in 1999. I also have had investors and friends who co-founded large CRM software companies that went public with stock prices over $100/share. I have also wanted to start my own CRM software as a services, Internet company, and actually had someone develop the software for us, needless to say it did not work out. And, we never fully developed the business plan, though we had a great URL called RealClients.com, which I don’t even know if we still own. We have given up so many URL’s in the last year, just due to budgetary concerns. Believe me, there are still good one’s to have. So getting back to the world of CRM software and CRM with Internet and mass emailing functions is what I wanted to create.

It seems as my friends company had created probably the best system in the world. They are super well funded, and we might do some work for the, from an SEO and lead generation perspective. So I thought I would start this blog on CRM. Before we get further, I wanted to define in simple terms what is CRM? Not just the acronym definition, but what it really helps businesses accomplish, and how it’s coming down stream to contact management and email functionality. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, and it is the software that helps to manage interactions with customers, it came from the customer service perspective in large companies, but is now focused towards sales force automation.

Large companies needed CRM software to help them manage their contacts with existing customers and keep track of customer services issues, and client records. On the other end sales people needed account information on companies and clients. In the middle were product and inventory management systems, that really didn’t have anything to do with CRM, but if integrated with customer databases would be a great tool. Well focus that is where CRM software has come today, any information about a customer, the companies interactions with prospects and clients, even which products were shipped to them, and when. To be able to access this information from a login account on the internet from any where any computer or cell phone, that is where CRM software is going today, and is already.

So you can imagine, as technology sales executive as my first career, an SEO Consultant now days, and a marketing expert with over 16+ years of technology experience I have learned a few things about sales and marketing management. I am excited to see an amazing CRM software company in Seattle, until we sign a contract with them, I am going to keep the name elusive to you all, but i do love the company offices and people that I met there on Friday. So stay tuned for great CRM advice, Information and insights to help you make a great CRM software decision.