Something’s evolving in the state of CRM...

I mean, c’mon, is it “No Country for Old CRM Men” out there or something?

This week CRM.org brings you:

• State of CRM

• AI Bot is playing at my house

• Guess who’s Thryv-ing?

AI fomo index

Something’s evolving in the state of CRM

Wake up babe, new State of CRM Report just dropped.

SugarCRM offered the usual oracle of insights—phew, just in time for Connected Austin 2023. For this go-around, they surveyed over 800 sales, marketing, service, and IT leaders.

Don’t worry, we’ll TL;DR it for you.

• 41% of respondents said tech integration is the biggest challenge

• 45% say a complete view of customer interactions is top priority

• 20% say leveraging AI is top priority

In an era overstuffed with tech, the humble CRM system… has changed. It’s become more like a personal assistant for the frantic juggling of sales, marketing, and customer service.

As SugarCRM CSO and co-founder Clint Oram says: ‘’Users don’t have time… ‘Easy’ trumps all other CRM software evaluation considerations. AI is delivering on this promise by taking away the need to sift through reams of data or ‘stare and compare’ at charts to find insights.”

Oram suggests predictive and generative AI advances will continue to boost expectations for reps in years ahead.

As the curtain falls on this reportage, one can almost hear a sonorous whisper… promising a renaissance, perhaps even a CRM-aissance.

AI Bot is playing at my house

In the surreal theater of multifamily renter communications, Funnel Leasing is making a play.

And no, it ain’t Brechtian.

Their Voice VLA tool now uses AI to take phone calls from renters. Step aside weary humans, for the AI power is here to smooth things over, with responses plucked from the vast cosmos of pre-programmed knowledge.

The tool nonchalantly siphons off pesky repetitive queries, leaving human counterparts to indulge in those ever-elusive high-value chit-chats. It’s built to cut down call center headcount, and integrates and automates with Funnel’s CRM.

The upgrade may be seen as a tribute to Vice President Jessica Groff’s mom, a multifamily unit manager in the days when lawless bands of bad software roamed the digital prairies.

But now we have this harmonious concerto of technology, ready to offer a loving, albeit robotic hand to renters. A brave new world for property management?

The Week @ CRM.org

BigCommerce Review. Moderate eCommerce excitement?

Successful CRM Implementation. The dream of “saving time and money” tingles on.

Ivy Lee Method. Century-old simplicity vs. modern malaise.

GoodNotes vs Notability. A soft symposium to steer your note taking choice.

Best Mind Mapping Software. A hero’s journey for the brain.

Guess who’s Thyrv-ing?

Spoiler alert: It’s a vendor named Thryv.

G2’s 2023 Fall Report says so. For the fourth year running, the company has turned the competition into their playground, snagging awards like tiny candies from a piñata.

To be precise, Thryv snatched five awards:

• Momentum Leader (overall),

• Leader (small business + overall),

• Most Implementable (overall),

• Highest User Adoption (small business + overall),

• and Leader in the Americas (small business + overall).

Grant Freeman, Thryv's President, couldn't resist puffing out his chest just a teensy bit. He said the wins confirm the platform “is easy to implement and helps entrepreneurs be more successful.”

Meanwhile, Chief Product Officer Ryan Cantor might as well have pulled out a giant foam finger stating ‘We're #1.’

And after the fanfare, the trophy cabinet in the mahogany office. I see it there, groaning under the weight of new additions. Each shiny award winking cheekily, promising a future filled with high-fives and perhaps, world domination, one small business at a time…

Anyway, at the time of writing, they have 4.6 stars on G2.

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Tasty Tidbits

CRM blips from around the web

2023 Gartner Magic Quadrant names Salesforce a Leader. A leader of what? Why, sales force automation, of course.

Net at Work gets growth investment. The funds come from Lovell Minnick Partners (LMP).

ECI Software Solutions has a new CCO. It’s Riz Karim, formerly of Everbridge.

Orion Ascent 2024 announces lineup, opens for registration. It all takes place March 12th to 15th in San Diego.

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