Thinking about CRM tools

I've been giving some thought recently to CRM tools - software intended to strengthen the relationship between a business and its clients engaged in virtual interaction in an online environment.  However, as I begin in this thought process, I can't help but think back 20+ years ago when I began work as a county extension educator - a role that relies heavily on an individual's ability to develop and maintain relationships on  many levels from individual to entire organizations.  Of course, at that time the primary mode of communication with individual clientele that was not face-to-face was by telephone.  Face-to-face connections occurred during farm visits or in group educational settings except those times you would run into a client in the grocery store or a restaurant.  I can't ever remember anyone making a big deal of it, but it was understood that when you received a phone message you would respond as quickly as possible.  The staff assistant who took the message generally made certain that the client knew you were away and had an idea of how long it might be before you got the message so they had an expectation for when the call would be returned.  Unless someone dropped in the office as you were arriving, that stack of phone messages was the first thing you would conquer on your return.

When we increased the number of computers in the extension office and moved them onto people's desks and equipped them with email I do remember the discussion about how quickly you needed to respond to email.  At that point, many people treated email much as they would the phone and when an email came in felt the need to respond instantly.  Some were concerned that their productivity in other areas was suffering because of the constant interruption.  I have heard people suggest that people schedule time to respond to email - first thing in the morning, last in the evening, maybe after lunch - so they can preserve other time to work on other projects without this distraction.  But it remains extremely important to respond to emails in order to maintain relationships just as it was important to return phone calls in the early days.  However, the opportunity exists at times to evaluate the situation and return an email with another form of response - phone or maybe even a face-to-face visit when it seems that is best for maintaining positive relationships.  But not responding is not an option in such a people-oriented business.  And much as the staff assistant did with callers in years gone by, if we anticipate our response may be delayed beyond our normal expectations we generally provide automatic responses to buffer the expectation of the sender so they do not read our delayed response as a failure to respond.

Now enter social media.  Similar to email - but quicker paced, and much more public.  Failure to respond is not an option.  How do we utilize the tool to share information and education while working our best to develop and maintain relationships?  After all, isn't the key to CRM responding in a timely manner with what the client needs and doing so in a manner that is useful to them and aids in the development and maintenance of a positive relationship that provides benefits of regular interaction in the future.

So, answer the phone, respond to emails and utilize communication through social media that is intentional in setting the tone for that positive relationship.  Be your own CRM tool.