CRM aims to develop and maintain long-term relationships with customers through mutual trust and value. It involves identifying customer needs, integrating competencies to satisfy customers, and focusing on customer value over time. CRM develops through different stages from initial interactions to long-term partnerships. Salespeople play a key role in building relationships and promoting CRM strategies within organizations. The goal is superior customer value and loyalty through the customer relationship life cycle.

1. Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
Learning Objectives
Define CRM;
Understand the importance of CRM;
Explain the determinants of CRM and the key stages in its development;
Discuss the main functions and various models of CRM;
Explain the role of salespeople as relationship developers
Discuss the management of customer relationships.
By: Er. Vaibhav Agarwal
Asst. Prof.
BBDUEr. Vaibhav

2. What is Customer Relationship Management (CRM)?
CRM is “the development and maintenance of mutually beneficial
long-term relationships with strategically significant customers”
(Buttle, 2000)
CRM is “an IT enhanced value process, which identifies, develops,
integrates and focuses the various competencies of the firm to the
‘voice’ of the customer in order to deliver long-term superior
customer value, at a profit to well identified existing and potential
customers”.
(Plakoyiannaki and Tzokas, 2001)
Er. Vaibhav

3. Understanding Customer Relationship Management
(CRM)?
CRM is a business philosophy based on upon individual customers and customised products
and services supported by open lines of communication and feedback from the participating
firms that
mutually benefit both buying and selling organisations.
The buying and selling firms enter into a “learning relationship”, with the customer being
willing to collaborate with the seller and grow as a loyal customer. In return,, the seller works
to maximize
the value of the relationship for the customer’s benefit.
In short, CRM provides selling organisations with the platform to obtain a competitive
advantage by embracing customer needs and building value-driven long-term relationships.Er. Vaibhav

4. Determinants of CRM
Trust
The willingness to rely on the ability, integrity, and motivation of
one company to serve the needs of the other company as agreed
upon implicitly and explicitly.
Value
The ability of a selling organisation to satisfy the needs of the
customer at a comparatively lower cost or higher benefit than
that offered by competitors and measured in monetary,
temporal, functional and psychological terms.
Er. Vaibhav

5. Determinants of CRM
In addition to trust and value, salespeople must:
Understand customer needs and problems;
Meet their commitments;
Provide superior after sales support;
Make sure that the customer is always told the truth
(must be honest); and
Have a passionate interest in establishing and retaining a long-
term relationship (e.g., have long-term perspective).
Er. Vaibhav

6. Phases in the development of a Customer Relationship
The Pre-relationship Stage
The event that triggers a buyer to seek a new business partner.
The Early Stage
Experience is accumulated between the buyer and seller although a great
degree of uncertainty and distance exists.
The Development Stage
Increased levels of transactions lead to a higher degree of commitment and
the distance is reduced to a social exchange.
The Long-term Stage
Characterised by the companies’ mutual importance to each other.
The Final Stage
The interaction between the companies becomes institutionalized.
Er. Vaibhav

7. Phases in the Development of a Key-Account Relationship
Degree of
involvement
High
Low
Nature of customer relationship
Transactional Collaborative
Pre-KAM
Early-KAM
Mid-KAM
Partnership
Synergistic KAM
(Millman and Wilson, 1995)Er. Vaibhav

8. A Relationship Life Cycle Model
High cooperation
Low competition
Low cooperation
High competition
Time
Pre-
relationship
stage
Development
stage
Maturity
stage
Decline
stage
(Wilkinson and Young, 1997)Er. Vaibhav

9. Functions of Customer Relationship Management
Direct functions (are the basic requirements of a company that are
necessary to survive in the competitive marketplace)
Profit;
Volume; and
Safeguard
Indirect functions (are the actions necessary to convince the
customer to participate in various marketing activities).
Innovation:
Market;
Scout: and
Access.
Er. Vaibhav

10. Functions of Customer Relationship Management
Management
Decision
Process
Customer sensitivity
•Diversity
•Information
•Differentiated
offering
Value Creation Process
Technology delivery process
•R&D
•Technology integration
•Efficiency, effectiveness
learning
Product delivery process
•Concept to launch
•Manufacturing process
Customer delivery process
•Supply chain
•Distribution
•Infomediation (distribution
of information)
Value-based
Strategies
•Pricing
•Communication
(Sharma et. al., 2001)Er. Vaibhav

11. The role of salespeople as relationship builders and promoters
Salespeople by:
identifying potential customers and their needs;
approaching key decision makers in the buying firm;
negotiating and advancing dialogue and mutual trust;
coordinating the cooperation between the customers and
their company;
encouraging the inter-organisational learning process;
contributing to constructive resolution of existing conflicts; and
leading the customer relationship development team
are the individuals in any organisation who act both as relationship
builders and as relationship promoters.
Er. Vaibhav

12. Models of Customer Relationship Management
The Evans and Luskin (1994) model for effective
Relationship Marketing
Relationship marketing inputs
•Understanding customer expectations
•Building service partnerships
•Empowering employees
•Total quality management
Relationship marketing outcomes
•Customer Satisfaction
•Customer loyalty
•Quality products
•Increased profitability
Assessment state
•Customer feedback
•Integration
(Evans and Luskin, 1994)Er. Vaibhav

13. Models of Customer Relationship Management
The Brock and Barcklay (1999) model of selling
partner relationship effectiveness
Independence
Relative influence
Mutual trust
Cooperation
Selling partner
relationship
effectiveness
Er. Vaibhav

14. Managing Customer Relationships
The global salesperson must be involved in the following activities in order to initiate,
develop and enhance the process that is aimed at building trust and commitment with the
customer.
Initiating the relationship
Engage in strategic prospecting and qualifying;
Gather and study pre-call information;
Identify buying influences;
Plan the initial sales call;
Demonstrate an understanding of the customer’s needs;
Identify opportunities to build a relationship; and
Illustrate the value of a relationship with the customer
Er. Vaibhav

15. Managing Customer Relationships
The global salesperson must be involved in the following activities in order to initiate,
develop and enhance the process that is aimed at building trust and commitment with the
customer.
Developing the relationship
Select an appropriate offering;
Customise the relationship;
Link the solutions with the customer’s needs;
Discuss customer concerns;
Summarize the solution to confirm benefits; and
Secure commitment.
Er. Vaibhav

16. Managing Customer Relationships
The global salesperson must be involved in the following activities in order to initiate,
develop and enhance the process that is aimed at building trust and commitment with the
customer.
Enhancing the relationship
Assess customer satisfaction;
Take action to ensure satisfaction;
Maintain open, two-way communication; and
Work to add value and enhance mutual opportunities.
Er. Vaibhav

17. Managing Customer Relationships
Qualifying prospects for relationship building
Opportunities
for adding value
Potential profitability of customer
High
Low
Low High
Use a non
customized
approach
Seek better
opportunities
elsewhere
Build a strong
and lasting
relationship
Focus on
loyalty-building
program
Er. Vaibhav

18. Relationship networks
The ultimate outcome of a successful CRM strategy is the creation
of a unique company asset known as a relationship network.
A relationship network consists of the company and its major
customers with whom the company has established long and
enduring business relationships.
The additional aspects of a global salesperson’s job are to:
Manage customer value;
Act as customer advocate; and
Enhance customer loyalty and build a “health” and
profitable network of relationships.
Er. Vaibhav

19. Summary
CRM is a new business philosophy based on trust and value;
The core function of CRM is the value creation process;
Customer relationships develop over time;
The role of global salespeople in the process is that of both
relationship builders and relationship promoters; and
The basic premise of CRM is to offer superior value to
customers in an effort to turn prospects into
customers, customers into loyal customers, and
loyal customers into partners.
Er. Vaibhav