| Today's customer is not someone who merely | | | | large customer base and you wish to undertake |
| decides to buy or not to buy. He is educated, | | | | preventive measures to retain their loyalties and you |
| well-informed, widely traveled, discerning and knows | | | | feel that you have the adequate product lineup even |
| that he can always get it elsewhere at a price which | | | | for any product or service upgrade. Come to think of |
| he is more comfortable with. Gone are the days | | | | it, in most interactions, both the customer and the |
| when a company rested happy if it sold a product or | | | | company are faceless. The customer representative |
| service to a customer. | | | | is probably the only person who has seen his face |
| Advertising and promotion were the only tools to | | | | and knows his preferences. If only the product |
| inform, educate and attract new customers. | | | | development, marketing and sales personnel of your |
| Customization, break-neck competition amongst | | | | organization knew what he is like and could give a |
| multiple-players, price wars and globalization - all this | | | | face to this unknown entity, how meaningful the |
| and more have made marketing companies wary of | | | | interaction it would be! Similarly, if only the young |
| not only wooing the new and potential customers | | | | man who bought your laptop knew that within the |
| but to retain them on a long term basis. Companies | | | | next year, this company is coming up with a far |
| are spending significant amount of resources to track | | | | improved version of the laptop, how convenient it |
| customer interactions and adding more value to the | | | | would be for the customer! |
| next. | | | | CRM integration with your existing ERP systems |
| CRM, or Customer Relationship Management, is also | | | | would focus on building a loyal customer base |
| referred to as customer management or relationship | | | | through the creation and development of individual |
| marketing. Some people associate CRM specifically | | | | customer relationships. It lends a face to your |
| with those software applications that are installed to | | | | company. Likewise, it makes the customer appear |
| support CRM within a business, but CRM is more than | | | | more 'human'. When all staff in an organization can |
| a mere software, it is a way some leading companies | | | | access a customer's history, it allows them to deliver |
| are conducting their business. If you have an | | | | better personalized service to the customer. This |
| opportunity to integrate the tools of the CRM | | | | opens up a meaningful communication channel, |
| software with that of ERP, you have in your hands, | | | | between the two, which can be utilized profitably to |
| a magnificent and powerful tool to handle a large | | | | educate, inform and court a customer for product |
| database of customers, the interactions, their | | | | upgrade, cross-sell, addressing grievances - otherwise |
| present and future choices and vital data on | | | | maintain a personalized contact. |
| customer preferences and trends. It is no wonder | | | | CRM integration most importantly can add |
| then that many leading companies are busy in CRM | | | | tremendous competitive advantage in an otherwise |
| integration within their business processes. | | | | fiercely competitive market environment. It can open |
| When do you know that your company is ready for | | | | up a Direct Marketing channel of communication |
| CRM integration? To put it simply, when you have a | | | | which has been found effective the world over. |