The CRM Handbook: A Business Guide to Customer Relationship Management
Editorial Review:
Author: Jill Dyche.
As the thinkers have said, you should strive in all situations to know yourself and know your enemy. Most of history's great thinkers, however, were not in business. In business, you have to know your customer and understand how your company interacts with him or her. The current term for this is customer relationship management (CRM), and The CRM Handbook is the best textbook for managers on the mechanics of CRM. It's a standout in a field that's filled with squishy books that go on at length about how important CRM is, but which lack details. Jill Dyché provides lots of factual information, real case studies, carefully considered commentary, and reasoned criteria with which to evaluate CRM products and strategies. Though you'll certainly want to supplement Dyché's work with vendors' product literature and implementation proposals, you'll get a lot from her carefully researched book.
Dyché devotes some of her (fairly slender) volume to CRM background information but quickly gets to the issues that managers confronted with CRM decisions need to consider. She makes great use of bulleted lists, scorable quizzes, and checklists (sections about what questions to ask vendors, and why, are particularly good) that you can use right now to gauge any organization's suitability to CRM and determine how they need to change in order to get the most out of their systems. – David Wall.
Topics covered: Customer relationship management (CRM)--as a business practice and as a set of technologies--explained for managers and corporate planners. CRM fundamentals, CRM product selection, and internal promotion of CRM are all covered well.
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 658.812
EAN: 9780201730623
Edition: 1
ISBN: 0201730626
Label: Addison-Wesley Professional
Manufacturer: Addison-Wesley Professional
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 336
Publication Date: August 19, 2001
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional
Studio: Addison-Wesley Professional
Readers Reviews (from Amazon.com):
Average Rating: 4.5 stars
Rating: 4 stars - Very good
Great overview for strangers to CRM. The only aspect I did not like was the rather short and cynical commentary on privacy in CRM. Privacy is a serious issue that deserves more attention.
Rating: 5 stars - CRM from A to Z, almost ate that book :)
My preferred book and my usually recommended reading for trainees who want to learn about CRM strategy and technical jargons. Combined with a CRM supplier explanation of software use and explanations of terms and strategies during training combined with reading this book can make a stranger really feel at home and ready to take on the challenge of introducing change such as CRM.
Rating: 5 stars - Return on Customer
This book presents a much needed financial and economic argument for investing in customer service throughout any public or private organisation. For too long the presentation to executive boards has been based on what is easily labled "soft" arguments. The authors have developed a way to demonstrate the value of customer service that CFOs and CEOs can relate to.
Rating: 5 stars - Should be the first book you read on CRM
CRM Handbook should be the first general, broad-based, well-written introduction to CRM that you should read. The chapter headings clearly lay out the major functions and goals of CRM, as it relates to selling, marketing and customer service. This book is for all audiences, whether you are a small emerging company, like ours, or a large multi-national. Learn the terminology first -- and the mistakes -- before you start talking to a salesperson. This book is not about technical implementation, or a buying guide to different packages.
This morning, I met Jill unexpectedly at a technology event. She's also very charming and professional.
Rating: 5 stars - A rare piece of valuable knowledge, insightful and fun
Ms Dyché dedicates the book to her mother, June Dyche, "who set the book-writing precedent early, and well". I would add, extremely well, and, with the book in my hands, have to also thank her for the excellent upbringing job.
She introduces not only the how's of CRM but also, when appropriate, the why's, that is, not only the engineering but also the wisdom behind the subject.
If a prerequisite to take part in a CRM project is to know what CRM is about and all critical issues in a successful CRM project, this book fulfills it.
Rating: 5 stars - I highly recommend this useful and valuable book
To flourish in today's competitive market an organization must have all its employees understand why the organization thrives... The simple answer is because they give their customers what they need. After working for more than 20 years in IT organizations I found this to be true at every level. You will have greater success in any endeavor by listening to, understanding, and giving your customer what they need. Learn this important lesson and practice CRM with each and every client. This book gives you everything you need to know about CRM. The role of CRM in business, definitions and examples of key terms and related applications, case studies of what has worked and what hasn't, and dozens of lists and guidelines. Jill Dyche has a knack of giving you just the right information to keep you interested without all the boring details. I recommend this book to both young and seasoned professionals alike.
Rating: 5 stars - Enjoyable Read on CRM
Jill's book provides a comprehensive and in-depth view on CRM. As MBA/MS in Technology Management student, our learning team used it as a guidebook throughout the semester to explore CRM and related concepts. We felt fortunate that we picked this book, as it provided for us with a very solid business and technology understanding and enriched classroom discussions. Several of us who are particularly interested in CRM/Data warehousing-related applications found the second part of the book on "CRM Programs" very practical.
It is also a very entertaining read. Jill is an author who can convey the complicated, dry ideas in an interesting and lively way. It is easy to follow Jill's thoughts - her very frank style will certainly invites you to further explore the field of CRM along with her.
Rating: 5 stars - Still the best read on CRM
This book is one of the best reads out there regarding CRM. It's clear, readable, and full of real world examples. This book focuses on what a business person needs to know -- without teaching them IT-level details. I don't want to become a CRM developer -- I want to understand what CRM is and how I can benefit from it. This book responds to that need.
Rating: 5 stars - A Business Guide that Really Helps Business!
This is the first CRM book I have read that both provides a solid foundation on CRM and teaches how to actually put CRM in place. I regularly recommend this book to the working professionals who take my graduate course in Data Warehousing and CRM. The materials in the book include helpful case studies, actionable lessons learned, clear delivery of basic and advanced CRM topics, and example tools/deliverables that can be applied in the workplace. It also is a well-written and entertaining read. The CRM Handbook is a must for the office bookshelf.
Rating: 5 stars - Great read before starting CRM and as reference both
This books covers all the different flavors and dimensions of CRM and its entire lifecycle. I have been involved on all phases of a CRM lifecycle as a data architect, and I find it broad enough to help me understand the context for the entire CRM and my own piece in it. Understanding the overall CRM strategy as well as each component is important because of the dependencies between the different functional areas and between business and technology. This book is really good on explaining WHY - and therefore it helps you make decisions, plan your approach, and design your solution, whatever your role might be in a CRM project. As someone who has faced many of the issues presented in the book, I found the tips very actionable and the case studies insightful (and I just wished I had this book earlier in my career). I also found it useful to re-read the portions of the book as they relate to the phase I am working on and to help me analyze and resolve a design issue. My only caution is that you should be willing to understand business and technology and all the different business functions, and not just your own - but if you are serious about CRM, you will have to anyway.