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Does Your Business Need a Toll-Free 800 Number?
Should your business have a toll free number for customers to make sales, service and billing inquirers? The industry began in the early 1970’s and today most customers expect you to have it. Providing a toll free line can bring in a number of...
Domain Name and Web Hosting Hell
Does GoDaddy really suck?
I am in the process of registering more and more domain names so it seems natural to look for the best pricing deal.
Registering multiple domain names can add up quickly, especially if you register both the ...
The Ins and Outs of Article Submissions
Congratulations! You’ve written your first article (or possibly your 10th or 100th!) As you no doubt already know, writing articles is probably the most effective way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and increase the traffic to...
What's a Professional Sales Manager?
I was in the depths of a major depression. As a third year salesperson with a good company, I was doing well, and was on my way to becoming the top salesperson in the nation for that company. But business had slowed down a little, and I didn't...
Yesterday's Hero
Wonder Woman makes it looks so easy. She gets up every morning, fights the good fight, calls it a day, and starts the whole process all over again. This is the way most of us begin our workday. We work hard, accomplish lots, and get up in the...
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CRM For Beginners – Customer Relationship Management Basics
In order to maintain a successful business, the business must understand and maintain a positive relationship with its customers. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is the process of bringing the customer and the company closer together. There are many different areas in which Customer Relationship Management can be implemented. The goal of CRM is to help a company maintain current customers, as well as gain new customers.
Targeted Marketing
Targeted marketing is accomplished through collecting information about the customer. This information can be buying habits or simply demographics. The idea behind this is that a business analyzes what a customer buys and then markets specific products to that customer based on his or her buying habits. Businesses track buying habits using discount cards, and special store credit cards. Targeted marketing can also be implemented on the Internet. Amazon.com has product recommendations based on buying habits, and product ratings. Customers can also be sent e-mails that market targeted products. Marketing the right products to the right customers can significantly increase a business' sales with minimal associated costs.
Call Centers and Customer Service
Have you ever called a business to complain or ordered a product and encountered an automated call response (I.E. “please press 1 for questions, 2 for comments” etc.)? That’s CRM. Call centers that take calls and monitor customer/business interactions are often running on hosted CRM programs. CRM managers want to make call centers as efficient and customer-friendly as possible. A customer who can easily navigate through an automated system is more likely to do business with the same company
in the future. In the case of a complaint, a customer whose problems are responded to immediately is more likely to forgive and forget a company’s transgressions. Customer service is the backbone of all CRM processes and strategies.
CRM Vendors
Not surprisingly, in order to successfully collect data, manage call centers, analyze data, and make changes, businesses need CRM software. There are many CRM vendors in the world. The most widely-recognized vendors are Siebel, Salesforce.com, and Microsoft. Each of these vendors has contributed to CRM in its own way.
CRM Applications
There are many different types of CRM applications. Some CRM applications are Web-based so they can be accessed via a browser. Other CRM applications have programs built in for integrating data entries and data management across several applications. CRM vendors also have specific strategies that are unique to every client. The goal of a CRM vendor is to not only upgrade a company with the latest CRM technology, but also to design the companies infrastructure in such a way that the customer/company relationship can flourish.
Conclusion
Knowing the customer is the key to a successful business. Customer Relationship Management is the process through which a business analyzes their customers and makes changes accordingly. CRM vendors provide applications and advice on the best CRM methods. Most observers believe that CRM practices will continue to flourish as new CRM strategies and technologies are developed. For any business, a successful CRM approach is a must-have.
About the Author
Matt Hogansworth writes about CRM software and other CRM topics.
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SellingPower.com | Solutions For Sales Management |
Targeted to sales managers and upper tier sales professionals, this magazine helps you train, educate, and motivate your sales team. |
www.sellingpower.com |
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Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management |
The official web site of the Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management has moved to the University of Missouri, Columbia, which is the home of the ... |
mkt.cba.cmich.edu |
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Management Articles |
Sales Management. Unleash Your Brand Ambassadors. A recent GlaxoSmithKline decision took the advertising industry by storm: The pharmaceutical giant ... |
gmj.gallup.com |
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Manage Smarter - Performance Gateway |
Manage Smarter is the online home of sales & marketing management, incentive, potential, presentations and training magazine. |
www.salesandmarketing.com |
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The 5 Biggest Sales Management Blunders |
Learn the biggest sales management blunders and how you can avoid them. Spending the necessary time wearing your sales manager hat will help foster a ... |
sbinformation.about.com |
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DEI Sales Management |
Stephan Schiffman's DEI- Management Group, offers sales training tools and educational forums designed to teach: Cold Calling and Closing Techniques, ... |
www.dei-sales.com |
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Sales Management Training - Selling Seminars - Reinforcement & ROI ... |
Offers sales and sales management training. Sign up to receive the monthly newsletter. |
www.brooksgroup.com |
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Sales Management Resource International |
Sales Management services, sales training, sales solutions, sales people. We provide a systematic approach to providing immediate sales results ... |
www.salesmanagement.com.au |
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Reconnect Sales Management to Profitability - HBS Working Knowledge |
"Work your pay plan" is one of the central tenets of sales management. ... In a similar way, top managers can reconnect their sales management to ... |
hbswk.hbs.edu |
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Amazon.com: Sales Management: Books: Robert J. Calvin |
Amazon.com: Sales Management: Books: Robert J. Calvin by Robert J. Calvin. |
www.amazon.com |
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Amazon.com: Seven Secrets to Successful Sales Management: The ... |
Amazon.com: Seven Secrets to Successful Sales Management: The Sales Manager's Manual: Books: Jack D. Wilner by Jack D. Wilner. |
www.amazon.com |
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Personal Selling and Sales Management: KnowThis.com |
KnowThis,com offers information, resources, reference and links for sales people, sales managers and other involved in managing a sales force including ... |
www.knowthis.com |
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Sales Training and Sales Management: KnowThis.com |
KnowThis.com offers information, resources, reference and links for anyone involved in sales training or sales management or other managing issues involving ... |
www.knowthis.com |
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SMR Career Services |
Sales Management Resources is a professional executive search company, dedicated to providing consumer products companies the recruitment of exceptional ... |
www.smrcareer.com |
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SalesVantage.com: B2B Advertising, Marketing and Sales Management ... |
B2B Advertising, Marketing and Sales Management Directory, Newsfeed & Business Referral Service designed for sales, marketing & advertising executives. |
www.salesvantage.com |
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Contact Management Software, Contact Manager & Sales Software for ... |
PC World Gives Prophet Contact & Sales Manager 4 Stars · eWeek praises Prophet for building a sales management solution into Outlook for a reasonable price ... |
www.avidian.com |
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Sales Management- 7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management, the ... |
7 Secrets to Successful Sales Management, written by, Jack Wilner, one of today's leading sales management trainers, coaches and consultants, ... |
www.7salessecrets.com |
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Sales Management Training |
Sales management training for the complex sale includes business development programs and sales training seminars. |
www.primesalesmanagement.com |
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Contact Management Software (SFA) price quotes - Free sales ... |
Contact management software buying advice and free sales management software quotes from leading suppliers. |
www.buyerzone.com |
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Waterhouse Group - Sales Training Programs: Consultative, Value ... |
With over 20 years of experience in sales, sales management and sales training, ... Selling Success: The Journal of Sales & Sales Management ... |
www.waterhousegroup.com |
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