When it comes to establishing and maintaining a successful business, nurturing relationships with your customers is critical. Before the arrival of the informational age, these relational interactions were primarily conducted face-to-face or via telephone. This proved to be a painstaking process that drained unnecessary resources, especially for small businesses.

With the birth of computers, the relationships between businesses and their customers were thrust into a new paradigm. Characterized by heightened consideration of customer needs, this shift increased attention to customer satisfaction and an in-depth organization of past, present, and future clientele. As technology continued to evolve, so did the fabric of marketing, sales, and relationships with consumers. This is when Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, was born. This organizational database software was centered around managing and elevating relationships between businesses and their customers.

This concept of managing and nurturing customer relations was nothing new. In fact, the application of the software proved a challenging prospect for marketing strategists and sales forces alike. While it was intended to be very useful, people simply did not want to make the time to learn how to integrate CRM into their business practices and routines. As a result, the whole CRM industry was turned on its head. CRM leaders like Oracle reported license losses exceeding twenty five-percent, and they weren’t the only ones drastically affected by such losses. However, as the internet evolved and software-potential grew in its depth and poignancy, CRM technology found its footing within cloud-based and software as a service (SaaS) applications.

As technology continued to expand, so did our ability to communicate, relate, and connect with one another. This evolution of communication through the means of social media networks and mobile technology revived the CRM industry. Soon, the focus shifted from transactional to interactional with customers becoming even more top of mind. CRM software was helping small businesses examine, understand, and ultimately fulfill the needs and desires of their customers. This renewed focus on customers and the customer experience propelled the CRM industry into one based on greater satisfaction and reciprocation of feedback.