On the fourth day of CRM Chris Fritsch explained to me, four ways CRM has changed over the years!

CRM and the technology surrounding it have evolved a lot over the years. But where did CRM start, and where is it headed?

Outside of legal, CRM was acquired to manage pipelines and contact lists with less of a focus on writing. But in the past few years, having a CRM system with fully functional business development tools is at the top of the list for every firm and organization.

And while we may still be a far cry away from having a firm-wide business development pipeline, many of the features and functionality of CRM systems that were once overlooked or underdeveloped are starting to be used by firms, and the value that CRM has for firms, and organizations are being recognized.

CRM can track the pitches and proposals that Marketing and BD are involved in, which is incredibly helpful and can progress prospective clients through BD pipelines with the added benefit of cross-department functionality.

Another huge trend we are seeing with CRM is the ability to custom-tailor the features and functionality of the system to various departments or individuals. Yes, CRM can do a thousand things, but it really shouldn’t.

For a CRM to be successful it has to provide value, and given that everyone has a different definition of value, being able to offer value for every person no matter their position is a huge win for everybody.

Chris Fritsch, of CLIENTSFirst Consulting, thinks back to where CRM began and how it progressed to where it is now, being able to provide value not for just one department, but for the entire organization.