Introducing CRM

Dear Readers and Colleagues,

The "New Economy" is upon us, and doing business the old fashioned way can jeopardize your company's market position. Customers demand immediate service and instant gratification, supply chains are in constant flux, and the drive for profit occurs in an environment glued together by the speed of an electron and the management of relationships. Yet no matter what fads whip through business process thinking, your brand and sustaining profit margins today are all relative to complex relationships with your customers, partners and suppliers.

In response to these dynamic changes, leading organizations are turning to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) as the business strategy to succeed in this new environment. With all the hype and confusion surrounding CRM, it is important to remember that CRM is just that-a business strategy. The new reality is that in order to increase your revenue and profitability in this "New Economy" and remain competitive, your company will need to think of restructuring its business philosophy around a customer-focused vision.

Since the launch of Sales & Marketing Automation magazine, we have been covering how companies can better sell and service their customers. In the past year, we have monitored how leading companies are changing the way they view their customers. From independent silos of sales, marketing and customer service, we have seen the melding of these departments to manage the customer relationship with a consistent 360-degree view.

We know many of you are confused about CRM and how it will affect your business. Transforming a business is not for the faint of heart. It calls for courage, inventiveness, teamwork and, above all, informed leadership. We now bring you Customer Relationship Management (CRM) magazine to give you the knowledge of the latest CRM strategies ... processes ... and technologies. The basic tenets of the magazine's editorial haven't changed. It will still provide the answers to help you better sell to and service your customers. But, it now extends itself by allowing you to set the operating blueprint in your new customer-centric organization. In short, CRM magazine is about making you the informed leader in this new environment.

We hope you continue to enjoy the magazine as we give you the answers and insights to let your organization cater to new customers and their preferences, as well as retain them, and have the ability to up-sell/cross-sell to them.

Sincerely,
Spencer Ewald
Group Publisher