10 dirty secrets of CRM [Video]

CRM vendors cash in on your hopes for revenue, profitability and collaboration. And it’s all true — except for the parts that they leave out. Here are some truths that they won’t share but you should understand.

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Customer relationship management (CRM) products have been around for nearly 30 years, and the SaaS vendors have been selling their CRM wares for nearly two decades. Despite all that experience, powerful myths and misconceptions about CRM still catch customers by surprise.

Author’s note: While much of this article’s advice applies to any CRM system, I’ve focused on the specifics of SaaS systems, such as Salesforce CRM.

Without further ado, here are some dirty secrets that CRM vendors won’t share but you should understand.

1. The CRM system is less important than the data it holds. Even with all the fanciest bells, whistles and 3D dashboards, a CRM system without a serious amount of accurate data inside is …