I just completed an interview with a writer who’s crafting a white paper about open source, cloud computing and CRM. During the conversation, he asked me an interesting question that I didn’t see coming (kudos to him) and one that raises an interesting point. Should a customer’s expectations for CRM ROI (improved sales, call centers … Continue reading »
Posted in May 2009 …
You Want an Example of GREAT CRM in Action?
Check out this. Lauren McKay over at CRM Magazine posted this impressive tale of the Gaylord resort chain’s ability to do two very cool things – link Twitter into its CRM initiative and actually execute on the ability to gather customer information via non-traditional channels. All too often we hear the theoretical promises of CRM … Continue reading »
Second-Guessing the “Twintern” Concept
One of the great things about writing this blog is that the responses I get from readers can make me do a complete about-face in terms of how I feel about an issue or trend. Often my blogging is knee-jerk; and my thoughts are usually extreme and reductive. I distill an issue to a simplified … Continue reading »
Web 2.0 and Social Media: Getting Your Hands Behind the Wheel
Since I first joined this industry some 5 years ago, I’ve always heard stories of CEOs calling into their company’s 1-800 customer service line or spending a few hours at their call center to gain a fuller appreciation of just how bad, or good, their CRM really is. It’s typically a great strategy, and unfortunately … Continue reading »
Social Media as a Ground Floor – The Twintern
Last month I saw an article about the concept of a “Twintern” – basically an intern that sends relentless tweets about a major brand. My first take, in tweet form: “Twinterns” – Innovative use of social media, or exploiting tech geeks for fun and profit?3:37 PM Apr 21st from web Lauren McKay over at CRM … Continue reading »
How Sound SFA Now Equals Solid Field Service
I’ve always had the attitude that solid service is just as good as any sales pitch or deal a company can throw your way. So when I was working with our customer Bright House Networks this week about a case study questionnaire, I found they were doing a nice job of putting that initiative into … Continue reading »
The Pay-As-You-Click Advertising Model
During a down economy, online advertising has taken a hit, with many marketers now questioning their effectiveness. Companies are changing payment models and measurement systems for the ads and commissioning research in a bid to breathe new life into the format. So today, I took note of an announcement by a company called VideoEgg, which … Continue reading »
Why Twitter’s Loyalty Numbers Stink
Thanks to Brent Leary who pointed out – via Twitter of course – that Twitter has a lot of activity but very low loyalty rates versus other social media. Check this chart out: Twitter has an issue, according to these Nielsen numbers, of getting newcomers to keep tweeting after the first month. I think the … Continue reading »
CRM Touchpoints: Internal vs. External
I have long been a “less is more” kinda guy. (Well, maybe not when it comes to motorcycles and guitars, but definitely with corporate cost structures.) And when we learned that our customer Healthscreen was only using Blackberries for its sales teams SugarCRM access, I loved the idea. If your sales team is on the … Continue reading »
How Lead Management Can Result in Improved Segmentation
I just had an interesting conversation with an analyst over at Datamonitor about lead management, or more importantly, how it can lead not just to improved sales, but circle back around and result in improved customer segmentation by marketing. How companies segment their customers for their products and service is one of the most strategic … Continue reading »
