Our CRM trends to watch in 2011 were among the most-read words here, all year. Now let’s look forward to what’s in store for sales and marketing data in 2012 … FUSION OF SFA WITH EMA = TRUE CRM: With continuing innovation, sales force automation systems (SFA) have been transformed into a sales rep’s best friend, as discussed in an insightful blog post at Software Advice:  easier implementation, data accessibility and now the benefits of analytics and marketing automation are aiding the success of sales teams using these systems. The success of CRM and Marketing Automation is no secret. More B2B organizations will take advantage of this profitable alliance to create a true lead generation life cycle platform, so that the handoffs throughout the prospect -> lead -> nurture -> sale pipeline will become more seamless and accountable. To accomplish this, data, analytics and best practices will play an integral part in relevant communication. (Also see our slide presentation, “What CRM was supposed to be.”) MORE PRODUCTIVE CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS:   The customer value equation will go further so companies and sales teams can generate more revenue and profit from existing customers. This means examining every aspect of customer value, determining where it will come from and coaching/training to empower sales teams with …Read More