Microsoft® Dynamics CRM 2011 Administration Bible

Chapter 1. Familiarizing Yourself with CRM

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Managing customers with CRM

• XRM: Extending CRM

• Planning for a successful CRM project

Welcome to the world of CRM! This chapter introduces you to the concepts of customer relationship management (CRM) without getting into many of the specifics about Dynamics CRM. If you are a long-time Dynamics CRM administrator, then you can focus on the XRM section of this chapter. If you have administered or used other CRM systems, but not Dynamics CRM, then you may want to skim the entire chapter, focusing on the areas that are new to you. On the other hand, if Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is your first significant CRM project, then plan to invest some time into reading this chapter — doing so can give you a strong foundation for understanding the remainder of the content in this book.

Managing Customers with CRM

To define CRM (or customer relationship management), first think about how a one-person company might manage customer relationships. For example, think of a fictitious personal fitness training company called Able Body Solutions (ABS) as an example. The owner of ABS is old-fashioned and keeps a list of customers and prospects in a handwritten address book. She listens carefully, keeping a journal of conversations, and prides herself on giving personal attention to the individuals with whom she does business. With prospects, she asks about training goals (they vary from losing weight to dropping clothing sizes to improving how they feel) ...