Customer Relationship Management (CRM) entails all aspects of interaction a company has with its customer, whether it be sales or service related. It is important to remember that CRM is more than just technology. CRM is a business strategy that places your customers and prospects, at the centre of the business. This in itself is not a new idea. Business people have known for hundreds of years that maintaining happy customers is a key ingredient of long term, sustainable profitability.

CRM is a customer centric philosophy that touches the entire company. In order to successfully leverage the maximum benefit from a CRM strategy every person in the organisation, from the service desk staff to the CEO must buy in to the strategy and live and breathe customer focus.

CRM continues to make headlines around the world as vendor after vendor brings new tools to the market. It is important to remember however that a CRM strategy begins with people, not technology. The true value of CRM lies in the power of the customer experience your organisation can build. While technology has changed the way companies approach their CRM strategies it is important to remember that the technology, although a critical part of a CRM strategy, remains an enabler providing the tools to get the job done.