One of the great conundrums about CRM is the disconnect between its stated intention and what it's usually really used for.

Theoretically, CRM is supposed to help businesses build better and longer-lasting relationships with customers. In actuality, it's usually used to simply manage customer data as a tool for sales. The idea of really becoming customer-centric takes a back seat to more practical, commonplace business needs.

It's hard to argue that this is somehow wrong, although it does represent a missed opportunity. It's the embodiment of the idea of CRM as an IT purchase vs. CRM as a discipline.

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