CRM, really?
In many discussions it’s useful to start with some agreed definitions. So let’s go to the Oxford English Dictionary…
Customer –
n. A purchaser of goods and services. In early use: spec. a person who regularly purchases from a particular business.
Relationship –
n. The state or fact of being related; the way in which two things are connected; a connection, an association. Also: kinship.
Management –
n. Organisation, supervision, or direction; the application of skill and care in the manipulation, use, treatment, or control (of a thing or person)
Whilst the meaning of these words may have altered from their original intent, their acronym, CRM, could stand for: The manipulation, use, treatment, and control of a connection who purchases your goods and services. Which isn’t very nice, is it?
Are in fact, many of the systems that call themselves CRM actually CCM (Customer Communications Management), or BOS (Business Operating System), or CTM (Customer Transaction Management)?
Have we forgotten what a relationship actually is, and the key principle that underpins all highly effective ones?
What I would give to have just one more coaching session with Stephen R Covey, but as that’s not possible I regularly draw on the many things he did teach me. On relationships he said this:
“All long term, highly effective, relationships require mutual benefit.”
You can have one sided relationships, you can have short term relationships, (indeed how often have you experienced short term, one sided relationships?).
But if you want highly effective relationships that last for a long time, if not forever, then they must have mutual benefit.
I offer the idea of replacing CRM with CRD – Customer Relationship Development.
Rather than asking: “How can we sell more stuff?” instead “How can we make this relationship more useful, more helpful, deeper, more meaningful, symbiotic…?”
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