CRM should be carefully deployed. Although it is possible to deploy CRM as an 'all at once solution" and apply it to all lines of your business cycle in one go, the typical advise we offer is to pick the method that will result in the least business impact yet offer the greatest possible return.  Therefore we recommend that you carefully study the following 5 elements of the CRM Cycle and begin to ask yourself which piece of your business could benefit the most from CRM deployment.  You can always expand the 'envelope' of your CRM deployment to other area's of the cycle as your comfort and familiarity with CRM matures.

Any business operates around the following main facets. We start here with Sales, as thats typically where companies measure themselves!

1. Sales
   Sales forecasting, Lead Management, Bids and Quotes, Pipeline and Opportunity Management, Cross Selling (Up Selling), Order Management and Fulfillment
2. Customer Experience (post sales)
   Presale and Post Sale customer experience, offering delivery assurance, interaction management, account management, help-desk, customer support etc
3. Retention and Win Back
   Now that you've worked hard to create a sale to a customer, and have ensured a strong experience how do you propose to retain this customer for the longer term?  How do you manage and analyse your customers? How loyal are they? Are competitors eating into your customer base? How to win-back customers from competitors?
4. Targeting New Customers and Marketing
   How do you segment your customers?  Do you score your customers? Can and how do you manage campaigns?  How is your pricing? What promotions can you deploy? Have you recently done an analysis of your wins and losses?
5. Development of your offerings
   How do you develop your sales offerings? How do you create new features and manage your roadmap (if in manufacturing!)? Do you talk to existing customers about their needs and expectations? How are your competitors doing against you?

You can start anywhere in these 5 key area's; and you'll quickly notice that the circle never breaks...(at least whilst you remain in business!)  Have a look at your own business and decide for yourself how strong or weak you are in any of the areas highlighted. Most business' focus their efforts clearly on Sales, allowing the other facets to be handled 'organically' or as they occur. Of course, things quickly go wrong if you focus on only on Sales, and then find yourself frantically trying to build new business by either developing your offering or spending some money on advertizing. In a well orchestrated business these 5 things are in continual action; each naturally supporting the next phase in the cycle.