About
DialogCRM work focus is generally on business development. That is marketing and sales delivery to support new business growth by using CRM tools and the best thinking on customer alignment as well as the best ways to support and retaining existing customers.
We can also optimise and tune online assets and campaigns with better “go to market” plans. Check the services section for a fuller range of products and services which can be adapted for your specific business needs.
We use a full range of web based (cloud) applications;for example WordPress and SugarCRM and related applications to build the best combination of customer service and engaging online delivery capabilities.
Ultimately this leads on to better collaboration with customers, colleagues, partners and suppliers on a structured basis to grow mutual business.
Our working definition of online strategy is to try and stay one step ahead of the competition but still be easily accessible to customers and partners.
For CRM, I am committed to the market rather than to a single product. I have used, sold and promoted many of the leading systems in Australia and NZ for the past 10 years.
Non traditional approaches like blogging and other Web 2 tools and platforms have surpassed standard CRM systems for the most part in my view.
In essence you can forget having a software based partnership “crm system” if you aren’t really going to engage with your customers and suppliers in some form of community based approach. The need is the same but for the most part the new online environment has “jumped the shark” and we all need to be ready for this in the context of our particular business needs and in a sustainable way.
In my opinion many technology providers overemphasize their particular technology system when what we really need is to be more externally focussed on the customers and partners with the best processes; then the system in that order.
From a product perspective I don’t believe there is a single “right answer” to each situation. It always comes down to how well a particular product or service fits the needs of your customers and your business. SAAS looks good right now and is a growth area for many positive reasons.
Technology is now very much a commodity so I am more interested in the “why” of projects and the quality of thinking and planning. What you do with that thinking is what makes the difference. It can be 100 little things but you can be sure, you need to work on your business rather than just in it.
Which technology platform or application is used should make little difference to the customers. Unfortunately technology can still get in the way if we don’t work on continuous improvements.
As the blog has grown the range of topics has broadened beyond CRM because there are huge changes facing all of us and we need to get thinking more about the impacts on our business.
When everyone has the same software and systems it will be the qulity of our thinking that allows us to execute more effectively. The best run CRM system is only as good as our best manager, or management practice will allow which is why the CRM category is called CRMthinking.
This weblog is my way to navigate and reflect on some of those outcomes and hopefully to uncover insights along the way. See a list of the Top 10 posts on this site to get an indication of which topics are most popular.
Since the late 70’s I have written on a wide range of topics for magazines and newspapers. More recently I also post at Idealog magazine on creative economy related ideas. Much of my other writing is think-tank style research for clients.
I suspect that, although I mostly work on CRM related projects that many more topic categories (e.g industry futures, culture) will emerge along the way; hopefully they may also interest you as well. See the main site at dialogcrm.
For more see my profile on LinkedIn and also the services page. I am based in Auckland, NZ but Sydney, Australia is also close and much of my time is invested in growing Australian businesses or exporting NZ business to Australia.
As an associate of various work teams I can also provide extended marketing services such as specialist lead generation and channel development.
