Customer Data Management (CDM) is rapidly becoming an indispensable business and marketing tool whose uses continue to increase on an almost daily basis. Not only is it a convenient way to keep track of your contacts and sales history – CDM can now do so much more.

Electronic databases are essential for keeping track of customer details but in the twenty-first century business place, far more is needed. Data needs to be analyzed and interpreted and must be readily available from anywhere that team members happen to be – anytime they want it. CDM is no longer just for large companies, small businesses also need the ability to access and analyze sales histories and customer data readily. CDM, used efficiently, can establish sales trends, enable targeted marketing campaigns, create mailing lists for e-newsletters and surveys, analyze feedback from customers, establish high-value customers and help businesses establish meaningful dialogues with leads and existing customers at every stage of the sales cycle. Cloud computing is a natural progression for businesses of all sizes looking for CDM solutions.

Social media is now a major business and marketing tool and companies should be able to integrate their CDM with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to offer not only increased avenues for marketing but also further insights into their customers. Social networking sites are where customers, both existing and potential, gather but for businesses to successfully connect with them requires a revolutionary approach to CDM. Social networks are best used for generating dialogue and collaboration, not for direct sales approaches.

If word of mouth is the best form of advertising, then social media provides this in spades. Customers will tweet about good – and bad – experiences they have had with various businesses and also use social networking sites to ask for recommendations. From a business’s point of view it’s all about making connections. It can also help by educating potential customers about your product or service, saving time when you actually start the sales cycle. Businesses can use social media sites to solicit feedback and to offer help and solutions. Additionally, viewing clients’ social profiles can help businesses direct their marketing approaches more efficiently. Forward-thinking companies are updating their customer data to include their social media accounts and are responding to customer concerns and queries on Twitter and Facebook. Interacting with your customers via social networking can be a great way to build and strengthen relationships.

An efficient CDM system will increase customer satisfaction, leading to increased customer retention and repeat business. InSite Systems lets you analyze and report survey results easily, transforming the way companies interact with their customers and share information. Its email campaign system allows companies to create and send e-newsletters and messages quickly and easily while its data collection services are fully compatible with all popular handheld mobile devices.

Janet Taylor writes for InSite Systems, a leader in surveys systems and a pioneer of customer feedback tool. For more information about our customer feedback system visit http://www.insitesystems.com