CRM tools and strategy
Customer relationship management combines various tools -- like marketing and sales force automation software -- and strategies to help organizations maintain, manage and learn from customer interactions. Find out the latest news and expert advice for your CRM approach.
Top Stories
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Video
06 Nov 2024
An explanation of customer relationship management (CRM)
CRM software enhances customer relationships and drives sales growth by consolidating customer data into a single database, enabling effective marketing and improved service. Continue Reading
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Feature
05 Nov 2024
Salesforce Agentforce: An answer in search of a question?
They used to be named Einstein Copilots. Now they're Agentforce autonomous agents. Salesforce's latest upgrade might be more than words. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Jul 2016
Why does AWS as a cloud infrastructure provider matter for Salesforce?
After experiencing a data outage in May, Salesforce turned to Amazon Web Services. It was a huge move, but probably a necessary one, expert Brent Leary explains. Continue Reading
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Feature
14 Jul 2016
Mobile location-based services teeter on ethical line
Mobile location-based services can yield information about customers, but companies need to travel a careful line with the information they gather. Continue Reading
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Tip
14 Jun 2016
Understanding Salesforce App Cloud licensing
Salesforce App Cloud opens important doors to building new functionality into Salesforce. But it's important to read the fine print on licensing options. Continue Reading
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News
25 May 2016
Maximize growth through sales collaboration
OHL, a global supply chain management company, grew sales with successful collaboration between sales teams and marketers. Continue Reading
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News
19 May 2016
Salesforce Government Cloud, app sharing ease agency collaboration
Salesforce Government Cloud Lightning eases government agencies' security concerns, allows for app sharing and improves communication among agencies and citizens. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2016
Can Salesforce Wave answer data integration challenges?
Like other products, Salesforce Wave promises to make it easy to stitch together data silos. Is data integration as easy as it sounds? An expert offers some insight. Continue Reading
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Tip
27 Apr 2016
Mobile marketing strategy isn't a bolt-on to existing strategy
Too often, companies falter in their marketing strategies by tacking mobility onto what they already do. Instead, you should create 'mobile moments.' Continue Reading
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Guide
09 Mar 2016
Inside the Salesforce platform: The Salesforce clouds
Salesforce began as a cloud-based CRM provider but has stretched its tentacles into several new areas of operation with the Salesforce clouds. Is it truly a platform provider? Continue Reading
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Definition
26 Feb 2016
Salesforce Data.com
Data.com is the sales and lead generation component of Salesforce.com's Sales Cloud customer relationship management (CRM) platform. Continue Reading
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News
25 Jan 2016
Salesforce IoT Cloud still on road to maturity
Offerings such as Salesforce IoT Cloud are open for business. But are IoT-connected devices ready to generate meaningful data? Continue Reading
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Definition
18 Jan 2016
Salesforce Community Cloud (Community Cloud)
Community Cloud is a social platform from Salesforce.com that is designed to connect and facilitate communication among an organization's employees, partners and customers. Continue Reading
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Podcast
17 Dec 2015
Marketing automation adoption takes off: 2016 technology trends
As we look ahead to the 2016 IT trends to watch, one key CRM theme is marketing automation adoption, which is poised to grow, says an expert. Continue Reading
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Feature
04 Dec 2015
Customer communities aren't credible without legwork
Customer communities can't be credible sources of customer support if companies don't do the up-front work to make the information authoritative. Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Nov 2015
Despite spruce-up, is the Salesforce Lightning UI fully baked?
Salesforce Lightning UI was updated this fall, enabling even greater ease of use, but pain points still exist in the platform. Continue Reading
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Feature
08 Oct 2015
LBS powers personalized intranet design
Frustrated by its needle-in-a-haystack approach to locating pertinent corporate info, Citrix geared its intranet to specific employee needs worldwide. Continue Reading
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News
01 Sep 2015
FinancialForce project management tool boosts Lexmark's ECM services
When Lexmark took on FinancialForce to manage its technology services projects, its ability to provide services blossomed Continue Reading
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Tip
01 Sep 2015
Wearable technologies still need to hit their enterprise stride
Wearable technologies represent a $7 billion industry, but they haven’t yet made their stake in the ground for knowledge workers. Continue Reading
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Feature
19 Aug 2015
Cloud-based CRM enters new territory for Salesforce partners
Channel partners are pursuing increasingly sophisticated Salesforce implementation projects, helping customers integrate and optimize complex systems. Continue Reading
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Feature
18 Aug 2015
Zoho CRM platform overview
Zoho's cloud-based CRM platform helps businesses manage the key aspects of their customer engagement strategies. Continue Reading
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News
24 Jul 2015
Oracle Sales Cloud update aims to boost sales, efficiency
Oracle updates its Sales Cloud to increase sales; Infer announces new lead gen product; and Xactly Strategic Services aims to drive workforce management. Continue Reading
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Podcast
23 Jul 2015
Location-based service apps yield trove of information
When customers come into a store with offers from location-based service apps, like mobile wallets, it indicates a new level of buying intention greater than just window shopping. Continue Reading
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Feature
07 Jul 2015
Improving customer engagement strategies with CRM tools
There are several different types of CRM tools that can be used to improve your customer engagement strategies. Continue Reading
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Tip
20 May 2015
Enhancing customer engagement strategy through a mobile experience
Consumers use mobile devices constantly. Marketers can capitalize on this by developing a rich, engaging mobile experience to drive sales. Continue Reading
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News
30 Apr 2015
Could Oracle, Microsoft, or IBM buy Salesforce?
Only a few companies could afford to buy Salesforce.com. Is a buyout on the horizon, though? Continue Reading
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Answer
15 Apr 2015
Are Microsoft customers cooling on cloud concerns?
As cloud platforms mature and become more mainstream, on-the-fence Microsoft users are taking another look at adopting them. Continue Reading
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Podcast
13 Apr 2015
Microsoft Convergence focuses on analytics, cloud
Microsoft Convergence attendees explored the new cloud-based Power BI analytics tool at the conference. Continue Reading
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Tip
24 Mar 2015
Has Microsoft cloud strategy evolved?
Microsoft is trying to lead customers to the cloud with hybrid offerings, such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM. But will that succeed? Continue Reading
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Tip
06 Feb 2015
Salesforce vs. Microsoft Dynamics: Why I choose Salesforce
While Salesforce can be more costly than Microsoft Dynamics, ease of use and a healthy ecosystem of support can make it a persuasive choice. Continue Reading
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Tip
02 Jan 2015
Customer data integration needs strategy to derive meaning
Your approach to customer data integration needs to be guided by another strategy to determine which information is relevant. Continue Reading
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Definition
11 Oct 2012
Salesforce AppExchange
Salesforce AppExchange is Salesforce.com's cloud computing marketplace, through which end users can access, download and install custom software applications. Continue Reading
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Report
05 Jan 2012
CRM user interface guide
This guide provides an at-a-glance look at Oracle, SAP, Microsoft and Salesforce.com’s user interfaces for their mobile client, Outlook integration and sales dashboards. Continue Reading
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News
14 May 2009
New SAP CRM ordering system helps Coke roll out new dispenser
A new beverage dispenser designed to revolutionize Coke's distribution system demanded a new way for the soda giant to service customers. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2008
Creating positive customer retention strategies
Is your organization deploying positive customer retention strategies or negative ones? In this chapter excerpt, learn about a number of positive customer retention strategies, including how to add customer-perceived value, create social and structural bonds and build engagement to delight your customers. Continue Reading
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Feature
11 Nov 2008
Understanding customer commitment
Research shows that there are three forms of customer commitment: relational commitment, instrumental commitment and value-based commitment. In this chapter, learn about all three types of customer commitments and get key performance indicators (KPIs) for customer retention programs. Continue Reading
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Feature
03 Nov 2008
SIP in the call center: Top 10 buzzwords
In many of today's call centers, session initiation protocol (SIP) allows customers and call center agents to connect through various forms of multimedia communications. We've gathered these terms and definitions to help you better understand SIP in the call center. Continue Reading
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Answer
05 Nov 2007
What's the difference between speech recognition software and voice tags?
Wondering about how voice recognition or speech recognition and voice tags differ? Read definitions from Donna Fluss in this tip. Continue Reading
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Quiz
21 Sep 2007
Web 2.0 and CRM quiz
This quiz on Web 2.0 and CRM was designed to test your knowledge of Web 2.0 technology and social networking and open your eyes to how this technology can help advance CRM initiatives. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Aug 2007
Conducting a CRM system and process audit
Expert Paul Greenberg offers advice on conducting an audit of CRM systems and processes. Continue Reading
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Answer
24 Jul 2007
Calculating the call center agent seat utilization ratio
Lori Bocklund explains how to calculate the seat utilization ratio for a call center with a formula using call center agents and number of call center seats. Continue Reading
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Quiz
28 Jun 2007
Call center interactive voice response (IVR) system quiz answers
Find out how you did on SearchCRM.com's call center IVR system quiz with these answers. Continue Reading
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Answer
27 Apr 2007
How can understanding customer value lead to successful marketing?
According to Lior Arussy, understanding customer value can lead to successful marketing if you target those customers with the highest potential value, not just those with the highest actual value. Continue Reading
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Answer
14 Feb 2007
New call center agents -- top 10 pitfalls
Common areas of call center agent weakness are largely due to inexperience in handling live (and sometimes frustrated and nasty) customers, and a lack of in-depth knowledge of systems, products, policies and procedures. Most of these areas can be improved over time. Learn best practices from Donna Fluss here. Continue Reading