Social CRM represents ownership and management of these new customer conversations. Social CRM is not just a technology, it is a business approach. To be successful in customer discussions, companies must have a solid customer strategy and well thought out operational processes and good software/technology.
The main outcome of CRM and marketing software tools help to ensure that through mutual engagement with the customer and the business, both the customer and the business derive value from the business relationship.
Social CRM is a concept, not a product, and therefore cannot be purchased. While software can help, it cannot guarantee that a company is strategically and operationally in a good position to communicate with customers.
CRM software provides businesses with a suite of tools to expand their knowledge of their customer base to enable value-added two-way calls. Small businesses will find it very difficult to have a real two-way conversation with customers without the knowledge that CRM software packages create.
But in summary, there is no software that allows a company to control the entire conversation with a customer from start to finish. But using CRM software as a complement to the right customer strategy and operational approach can create real ownership of conversations with customers.