May 2004

Magazine Features

Big Bang Is a Scientific Theory, Not a Training Strategy

Put aside the notion that the flip of a technology switch should herald the start of CRM training. For training to be truly effective it must begin before any CRM technologies are implemented.

CRM Superstars

CRM initiatives need to be driven from the c-level, but it takes the daily efforts of those associates who use the systems to make CRM a success.

Who's Who in CRM

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison tops a list of dynamic CRM leaders driving the industry forward. Tom Siebel is the reigning king of CRM; the Siebel brand is often considered synonymous with the technology. Larry Ellison, however, is the godfather of CRM. The reason? Please read on for the answer, and for the full Who's Who in CRM list.

Is Your Compensation Plan Undermining Your CRM Initiative?

Reward agents not simply for volume, but also for meeting customer-focused goals.

Front Office

People Are the Most Important Part of the CRM Equation

Executives from NetSuite, Onyx, PeopleSoft, and Salesnet all say the same thing: Their recent product upgrades were direct results of having worked closely with customers to uncover their needs and priorities.

Reality Check

Customer Self-Service: Are You Ready?

Analysts predict that by 2007, 70 percent of all contact centers will support Web-based service applications.

Customer Centricity

Customers Are So Emotional

Businesses that build themselves on logic only will be expensive to operate.

Insight

CRM Gets Real

According to a survey of nearly 1,000 CIOs conducted by Gartner Executive Programs (EXP), two in three CIOs consider CRM efforts in 2004 a high priority.

Hot Seat: Will Analytics Remain a Stand-alone Product or Become Yet Another CRM Module?

CRM vendors are increasingly embedding analytics into their offerings to help their customers make that data actionable.

Market Watch: Improving Self-Service Results With Search Capabilities

Search capability in self-service are powerful, but companies need to monitor its effectiveness.

Vertical Focus: Pharmaceutical Firms Find a Spoonful of CRM Helps the Sales Pitch Go Down

When a rep can squeeze in time with physicians it is paramount to bring the right message to the right doctors at the right time.

Required Reading: Bottom-Line Call Center Management

David Butler has conducted extensive research on the call center industry. Bottom-Line Call Center Management: Creating a Culture of Accountability and Excellent Customer Service (Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann) reveals his findings, and more.

Heard and Overheard

Vertical Focus: Telecoms Focus on Services, Not Price, to Reduce Churn

The industry's average customer churn rate at 30 percent annually, but a closer look indicates that the market could contain even more would-be churners.

REAL ROI

Innovative Call Center Design

The company moved its customer service center to another of Bell Canada's multitenant buildings, a 60,000-square-foot facility about four miles away from its headquarters.

Schneider Electric's CRM Success Begins

The primary objectives of this initiative are targeting growth, time efficiency, and the construction of a world-class infrastructure based on heightened standards of performance expectations.

CRM in Action: Amica Prospects Among Its Best Customers

Amica realized the importance of increasing new customer inquiries and revenues, but needed to keep marketing costs down.

How to...ensure CRM data quality

The steps are: Reduce multiple master records; don't abandon eyeballs; reduce overlap whenever possible; and practice continual cleaning.

CRM in Action: Inova Tackles Training to Ensure CRM Success

Inova executives agreed that it was essential to first tackle training.

Samsung's Partner Portal Delivers a 30 Percent Sales Increase

Keeping in touch with a partner network of more than 110,000 resellers was the goal of Samsung Electronics America's Digital Information Technology Division as it launched its partner relationship management initiative.

CRM in Action: Lamps Plus Builds Sales While Cutting Costs

Lamps Plus needed a more efficient way for customers to find what they wanted, while minimizing expensive call center interactions.

How to...select the right people for a CRM strategy team

The a dedicated project team must secure sponsors, not buyers; must consider every impact; must let consultants consult, while you lead; and must include IT and superusers.

Secret of My Success

More Cash in the Bank

One of the key challenges was mapping out how Inortech could best take advantage of the capabilities of ACCPAC CRM versus the company's paper-based approach.