CRM Buyer Talkback

Re: Your New CRM System: Do You Want Productivity or Results?
Posted by: Christopher J. Bucholtz 2011-05-29 14:30:08

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I've written several CRM Buyer Guides in the last four years, and the buying process I recommend hasn't really changed much. Unlike people who leap into the technology right at the outset, I always advocate a period of self-assessment for the company -- in other words, a thorough internal examination of how a business works and what the employees in the business do. Without this assessment, it's impossible to define the requirements that should drive the CRM purchasing decision. This self-assessment needs to be honest and unsparing of people's feelings.

Process Retirement Mechanism?
Posted by: Bob_Zabiyaka 2011-05-30 05:25:53 In reply to: Christopher J. Bucholtz

Christopher, thanks for this post! Can you develop your idea about the mechanism for retiring processes that are no longer in use? Are there any practical examples for such a mechanism?
Your idea of providing only the process steps, which generate value for customers, reminds me the “Toyota Push” approach. In a post “The Lean CRM-Toyota Story” (http://bit.ly/iZ94Yh), Graham Hill describes the selling process, which is quite ideal for me :). “As Toyota guides the customer through the purchase process, the auto company uses what it knows about the customer to provide just the right information that Toyota leadership thinks will help him or her make the right choice. In addition to more vehicle information, Toyota might send out a customized offer, maybe even a pre-approved credit offer if the customer's credit record with Toyota is good.”