Retailers’ worst nightmare has indeed come to bear: American consumers have permanently changed their buying habits, according to research by several firms. Gone are the days of shopping as a pastime. And, for all practical purposes, brand loyalty has just about evaporated. In its grocery-buyer survey, for example, Deloitte found that 84 percent of those polled were focused on cutting spending... 

CRM and marketing systems are all geared toward getting people to buy. After all, the whole point of investing in these tools is to increase top-line revenue. At least, that’s the argument we make to our bosses when we seek to implement them. Those tools are getting better all the time, and one area where the new tools excel is in helping speeds down the sales pipeline. Many marketing systems... 

Most technology buyers understand that system capabilities represent only one part of the buying decision. Service after the sale, ease of doing business, and a commitment to meeting customer needs are also critical in selecting the right technology partner. Most vendors talk a good game when it comes to customer service, but these factors may seem difficult to assess in advance. Referrals and case... 

Digital signage is a combination of electronic display devices and content that delivers information, advertising and other messages to a broad or narrow target audience. The benefits of digital signage over traditional static signs are centered on two basic concepts: For one, digital signage content is easily manipulated, changed or enhanced, thereby allowing far greater flexibility, updating and... 

I recently read Tribes by Seth Godin and I think it might hold some clues to the future of CRM. Godin is a business blogger and author of more than a dozen books with titles like Permission Marketing and Purple Cow . He’s not about the status quo, he’s all over change and leadership like a junkyard dog. One of Godin’s points — something that I have tried to articulate with...