Customer Relationship Management:- http://www.softwareadvice.

com/crm/
http:/
/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management
Customer relationship management (CRM) is the process of managing an organizatio
n s interactions throughout the entire
customer lifecycle. CRM software applications support the automation of these pr
ocesses and best practices.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a model for managing a company s interac
tions with current and future customers.
It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize sales, marke
ting, customer service, and technical support.
The primary purpose of CRM software, sometimes known as contact management softw
are, is to consolidate customer information into one repository, so users can be
tter organize and manage relationships. Additionally, these applications automat
e common processes and provide tools for monitoring performance and productivity
. Systems vary, but the best CRM software will include at least the following fo
ur core functions:
Customer Data Management: Most products provide a searchable database to sto
re customer information (such as contact information) and relevant documents (su
ch as sales proposals and contracts).
Interaction Tracking: These systems document conversations held by phone, in
person, through email or other channels. These interactions can be logged manua
lly, or automated with phone and email system integrations. Depending on the pro
duct, some systems can also track interactions on Facebook, Twitter and other so
cial platforms.
Workflow Automation: This standardizes business processes, usually through a
combination of task lists, calendars, alerts and templates. Once a task is chec
ked off as complete, for example, the system might automatically set a task for
the next step in the process.
Reporting: Management can use these CRM tools to track performance and produ
ctivity based on activities logged in the CRM system--for instance, how many new
contacts were added to the database that day, or how much revenue was generated
. These tools can also be used for forecasting, such as for the next-quarter sal
es pipeline.

Marketing:CRM systems for marketing track and measure campaigns over multiple
channels, such as email, search, social media, telephone and direct mail.
These systems track clicks, responses, leads and deals.
Customer service and support:CRM systems can be used to create, assign and man
age requests made by customers, such as call center software which helps direct
customers to agents.
CRM software can also be used to identify and reward loyal customers ov
er a period of time.
Appointments:CRM systems can automatically suggest suitable appointment times
to customers via e-mail or the web.
These can then be synchronized with the representative or agent's c
alendar.
Small business:For small businesses a CRM system may simply consist of a conta
ct manager system which integrates emails, documents, jobs, faxes, and schedulin
g for individual accounts.
CRM systems available for specific markets (legal, finance) frequ
ently focus on event management and relationship
tracking as opposed to financial return on investment (ROI).

Social media:CRM often makes use of social media to build up customer relation
ships. Some CRM systems integrate social media
sites like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to track and communicate
with customers sharing their opinions and
experiences with a company, products and services.Enterprise Feed
back Management software platforms such as
Confirmit, Medallia, and Satmetrix combine internal survey data w
ith trends identified through social media to
allow businesses to make more accurate decisions on which produc
ts to supply.
Non-profit and membership-based:Systems for non-profit and membership-based or
ganizations help track constituents,
fund-raising, demographics, membership levels, membership dire
ctories, volunteering and communication with
individuals.