Perspectives from The Marketplace: Strategy, Substance, and Real-World Success
If you’re still thinking of CRM as just software that helps you remember a client’s birthday, Customer Relationship Management by Professor Adrian Payne is about to blow the lid off that idea in the most strategic way possible.
This book isn’t just another CRM how-to manual. It is a fully formed framework for turning customer relationships into serious competitive advantage. At its heart are Professor Payne’s five key processes: strategy development, value creation, channel and media integration, information management, and performance assessment. Think of it as the CRM equivalent of a five-star recipe: follow the steps and get the results.
But theory alone won’t cut it, so Payne does not leave you hanging. The book delivers 16 best-practice case studies from companies like Orange, Siemens, Sun Microsystems, and NatWest, grounding big-picture ideas in down-to-earth examples. These are not fluff stories either. They are detailed, practical, and packed with insights into what works (and what doesn’t) when rolling out a CRM program at scale.
One of the standout features of this book is its commitment to making learning stick. Each case study is prefaced with key learning points and ends with clear takeaways, so you are not just reading; you are absorbing. The final chapter includes interviews with four CRM thought leaders, offering a look at where CRM is headed and how to future-proof your approach.
Whether you are a CRM practitioner looking to refine your strategy or an academic diving into CRM theory, this book bridges the gap. It is part roadmap, part toolkit, and all substance.
Bottom line: If your goal is to create CRM strategies that do more than tick boxes and truly transform your organization’s customer relationships, Payne’s Customer Relationship Management is the guide you didn’t know you needed but will not want to put down.