Seven secrets to CRM

Cutting Edge Information has released a report on that nice niche industry, pharmaceutical CRM. Not so aesthetically-titled Pharmaceutical Customer Relationship Management: Developing and Improving CRM, the report seeks to identify and analyze the pharmaceutical companies recognized as leading the field in customer relationship management.

The sound-bite version of the piece, broken down into a 21st-century quick list format, states that organizations “on the cutting edge of CRM” share similar secrets of success in that all

• invest adequate resources at the outset of the initiative and provide sufficient investments annually to support the program;

• create an internal champion for CRM, through the structuring of a CRM department, team or ad hoc group;

• establish a centralized database to share knowledge across the company;

• define CRM and educate internal parties to ensure buy-in;

• understand target audiences and provide customized messages via preferred media touch points;

• recognize that CRM requires a long-term commitment, in terms of both resources and measurements; and

• improve their programs by continuously monitoring progress and industry advancements.

The report contains budget and staffing metrics for thirteen different customer relationship management programs. A summary of Pharmaceutical Customer Relationship Management: Developing and Improving CRM is available for free at the Cutting Edge website, but you’ll have to pay to get the whole thing.