From Handshake, to pen and paper, to database entry

So we talked about keeping the human touch in the computer-era business relationships. How can we achieve that?

First off, definitions:

Customer Relationship Management is a system to manage a company’s interaction with current and potential customers.

Once upon a time business deals were sealed with handshakes, a promise upon one’s honor and reputation (followed by payment, obviously). As trade scope and reach, for all sizes businesses, grew and regulations requirements evolved, paper contracts became the standard. The “Customer Relationship” is still centered upon the individual. Fast forward to current days, in the “connected” world of global commerce. Establishing a direct, 1-to-1 relationship with the customers may not be a viable option.

That’s where CRM comes into play. In one place the business owner (and/or their agents) can find a repository of all customer interactions and transactions.

Is that it? What makes Salesforce special then?

No, that’s not all. If that was the case, good records keeping might be just enough. There’s much more than meets the eye. What makes a CRM an indispensable tool is the fact that, in the same place, one click away, you can monitor and manage everything from marketing campaigns, leads generation, sale cycle and customer support.

In other words, a good CRM is a one-stop-shop to create, maintain and improve present and prospect customers’ relations. Even in the digital, across-the-globe age.

Out of many, why Salesforce? Let’s look at their core values:

In our Salesforce culture of trust, we inspire each other and the industry through our values – trust, customer success, innovation, and equality. In other words, tools and practices that have been proven successful, are accessible to all users. Just one click away. And you can create your own tools with the user-friendly “point and click” design. Let Salesforce infrastructure take care of the mechanics behind the curtains. So you can focus on your customers, your business and your success.