Planning and
strategy
This involves deciding why, when and where you want to
manage your customers better, setting your objectives - how much better you want
to manage your customers - and determining your targets. For smaller as well as
larger companies, this is not easy. Smaller companies may use as many
communications channels for managing customers as larger companies. These
include sales force, distributors, direct mail, telesales and tele-service,
field service, counter service, the Web, e-mail, and direct contacts with company management or other staff. The main
improvement areas include direct mail (better targeting and response
management), outbound telemarketing for prospecting or customer development -
up-selling and cross-selling, inbound tele-service - ensuring customers get
better service when they call in, and improved sales force management.