A scan of the CRM products on the market -- more than 800 at this date -- reveals that they range in sophistication from simple ones that mimic Microsoft Outlook to much more complex ones that permit users to customize reporting, tap into advanced analytics or pull data from back-office applications.

It's all very exciting to the people making the choice -- so exciting, it can obfuscate what you're trying to solve. If the problems are relatively simple, and if your users are not technologically proficient, hitting them with an overly complex CRM package is a great way to discourage them from ever using it.

Conversely, if your staff is really ready to do some serious data crunching, too basic a CRM solution will provide only a partial solution for your needs.

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