| Having spent almost 50 years involved in direct | | | | management responsibility. I fear today's top |
| marketing, I have always thought CRM was the | | | | management have come up through the ranks as |
| acronym for... Customer Retention Marketing. | | | | a specialist. They never learned their craft by |
| Today it has evolved into meaning... Customer | | | | being the "chief cook" as well as "the bottle |
| Retention Management. | | | | washer". |
| So, changing "marketing" to "management" | | | | Years ago we built a creative retention marketing |
| doesn't sound like that much of a change. | | | | plan... then applied the technology of the day to |
| But, in truth, it's enormous. | | | | that plan. Today's top management must take a |
| Today's definition of the "management" part of | | | | step back and look at the big picture they are |
| the acronym seems to center around the | | | | trying to accomplish. It boils down to one thing... |
| software and technical structure on maintaining | | | | increasing sales from your customer database. It's |
| the database for a company's "customer | | | | not just having software with all the bells and |
| retention" program. In the company's conference | | | | whistles. If top management did their job |
| room a lively discussions ensue on why the | | | | properly, they'd become horrified on how their |
| technical aspects of ACT is better than Right | | | | "technocrats" have become the "tail that wags |
| Now or eCometry... or visa versa. | | | | the company dog". Yes, proper technical software |
| Forgotten is the "art" to customer retention in the | | | | management is a vital part of CRM, but it's one of |
| first place. This is a symptom of today's | | | | many parts to ensure more sales from a |
| corporate America. Just as in the practice of | | | | company's database. |
| medicine, everyone has a "specialty". This creates | | | | Here's a good case in point. One of my associates |
| marketing managed by committee. The result is | | | | asked me to contact his nephew, an owner of a |
| very ordinary customer retention creativity with a | | | | candy wholesale company. He felt I could help the |
| highly technical piece of software having all the | | | | company grow exponentially with the proper |
| "bells and whistles". However, in the long run, it | | | | CRM. It was a $6 million a year operation. All their |
| doesn't creatively work for putting together a | | | | sales came from their internet catalog. They |
| brilliant marketing plan. That's what happens when | | | | never once had sent out a reorder mailing, let |
| everyone is a specialist. | | | | alone a reorder e-mail. I sent letters, e-mails and |
| My comments are not targeted at those who | | | | even had the owner's uncle call on my behalf. Did |
| handle the management of the technical aspects | | | | I hear a word? No. Not a peep. Not even a |
| of the database software. I am speaking to top | | | | "thanks but no thanks". Here's a company where |
| company management, especially when the | | | | a good CRM plan could more than double their |
| company is in the $3 to $7 million range in sales | | | | sales in a year's time. |
| and can't yet afford several levels on | | | | |