We are planning our next event around this topic:  CRM, Customer Relations Management or more simply, how you keep track of all those contacts that are supposed to convert into leads.

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a customer-centric business strategy with the goal of maximizing profitability, revenue, and customer satisfaction.^[1] Technologies that support this business purpose include the capture, storage and analysis of customer, vendor, partner, and internal process information. Functions that support this business purpose include sales, marketing, customer service, training, professional development, performance management, human resource development, and compensation. Technology to support CRM initiatives must be integrated as part of an overall customer-centric strategy. Many CRM initiatives have failed because implementation was limited to software installation without alignment to a customer-centric strategy.^[2]

Yes, I grabbed that directly from WikiPedia... but you likely already knew all of this.  The next LappyHour will be about what open source solutions exist, what it takes to install and use them, but most importantly, trying to match your needs with an appropriate product.

To be alerted when we set the date, register and we'll drop you a note.  If you have questions about this topic, send us what you have in mind so we can include those in whatever unfolds.