September 2022

Magazine Features

The Best CRM Software, Solutions, and Innovators: The 2022 CRM Industry Awards

Our 21st annual awards recognize the vendors and innovators that stood out from the crowd during the past year.

The Best CRM Software and Solutions: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

Our top five picks in 11 categories point the way forward with the best products and capabilities hitting the market in customer service, marketing, and sales.

Five Top Innovating CRM Companies for 2022: The CRM Conversation Starters

These vendors kept the industry abuzz with products, services, and integrations that add up to innovation in sales, marketing, and customer service.

The Best Enterprise CRM Software and Solutions: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best CRM for Midsize and Small Businesses: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Contact Center Infrastructure: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Contact Center Interaction Analytics: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Workforce Optimization/Engagement Management (WFO/WEM): The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Contact Center Outsourcing: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Business Intelligence and Analytics: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Customer Data Platforms (CDPs): The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Marketing Automation Software and Solutions: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best Sales Force Automation (SFA) Software and Solutions: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

The Best E-commerce Platforms: The 2022 CRM Industry Leader Awards

LivePerson Blazes New Trails with Conversational AI: The 2022 CRM Conversation Starters

LivePerson moves deeper into the marketing, sales, and commerce domains.

Medallia Wins New Markets and Geographies: The 2022 CRM Conversation Starters

The CX management company's acquisitions and partnerships are turning it into a customer experience powerhouse.

Neustar Gives Marketing a New Identity: The 2022 CRM Conversation Starters

Long a leader in protecting against fraud, Neustar is now also responsibly connecting data to marketing activity.

NielsenIQ Deepens Its Retail Intelligence: The 2022 CRM Conversation Starters

The global information services company is bringing to market advanced technologies, including predictive analytics, to give its retail clients a more complete understanding of their customers.

CXM with a Sprinkling of Simplicity: The 2022 CRM Conversation Starters

Its cloud-based unified CXM platform has more than 30 unique products, covering social media marketing and advertising, content management, collaboration, customer care, and analytics.

The 2022 CRM Industry Hall of Fame: Harley Manning

The CX pioneer is stepping down after 24 years leading Forrester Research's team of customer service analysts. He founded the firm's CX practice.

Front Office

The Industry Outlook Is Rosy, and We Have the Numbers to Prove It

Across each CRM technology sector, the worldwide market valuation is rising, and the upsurge is expected to continue.

Reality Check

The Case for Technology-Enabled Sales Coaching

The edge it provides is quite tangible.

The Tipping Point

Why B2B Buyers Choose the Safest, Rather than the Best, Solution

Sellers need to understand the risk-reward (and very human) calculations their customers make all the time.

Scouting Report

IVAs: Self-Service Solutions that Work

It's time to give the customers what they want.

The Last Line

Are Robots Turning into Us, or Us into Them?

Automation technologies seem intent on turning reps and agents more and more robotic.

Customer Experience

How Should Metaverse Pioneers Organize Their Efforts?

Don't be late to the party or, worse, end up missing the opportunity altogether.

Insight

B2B Buyers Need to See the Value Today

Sellers need to know what's valuable to each individual buyer, Forrester finds.

CMOs Should Work Closely with Procurement

CMO Council research finds opportunity for marketing to optimize sourcing through procurement.

Content Is Key to Conversational AI Success

As marketing and sales adopt AI, the focus should be on building the right messaging.

Different B2B Buyers Show Different Signals

Being able to recognize buyer intent signals is key to success, Forrester finds.

First-Contact Resolution Should Be a Higher Priority

ContactBabel says companies see the need to reduce the number of contacts but aren't following through.

Required Reading: Education Isn’t Just for Kids Going Back to School

Informed consumers are key to company and customer success.