I have been given the glorious task of becoming the "guru" of the CRM software my company adopted a couple of years ago, but has yet to fully master and capitalize on.

My degree is in Public Relations, with a minor in Writing. Software is not my strong point. People and words are. I've bought as many books as I can get my hands, been through countless hours of training, and yet I still don't feel totally comfortable with the software.

So I pose this question...should the operation of CRM software fall underneath the Marketing umbrella, or should it fall under IT's area of responsibility?

I welcome your input.

In a CRM environment with a great deal of focus on automation, are we missing the point of CRM altogether?

In its barest form, Customer Relationship Management is just that: managing customer relationships. I think that in our fast-paced, overdrive society we often lose sight of what I consider the most important aspect of CRM, the relationships. In an attempt to save time, increase efficiency, and streamline processes, we are driven to automate as many facets of our CRM efforts as possible. But can you automate a relationship?

Sure, typing up a personalized email (no, not just an email with fields that automatically insert information) takes more time that sending a standard automated response. But put yourself in the place of the consumer; would you rather receive a computer generated response from a company you’re considering spending a considerable amount of money with, or a highly personalized email from a representative that obviously took the time to review your specific needs and craft a response tailored to your specifications? Which one would give you the “warm fuzzies,” an emotional conviction, and make you feel truly comfortable with your investment?

Most likely, upon reading the title of this article, you naturally assumed that I am a member of the ethnic minority, perhaps African-American or Hispanic. Quite contrary, I am a Caucasian female.
In almost all of my endeavors until this point, I have been a part of the majority. The thought of one day being “the minority” had never entered my mind. That is, until I became just that.

I work at multicultural marketing, advertising and public relations agency in Little Rock, Ark. I am the one-and-only Caucasian female at the agency, and being such has certainly proved to be a very interesting, and at moments challenging, experience. Like the saying goes, “You don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone.” I had never known or even thought about what life must be like without the comfort found in being in the majority.

As unique an experience being the minority has been, it is, on some level, preparing me for the future when the term “minority” itself will be obsolete.

The U.S. Census Bureau has stated that by 2050, people of color will comprise half of the total U.S. population. My place of employment is simply a mirror of the future of the United States.