What’s With The Complicated Social CRM Maturity Models?

Since becoming a reborn CRM consultant — at least how I think about CRM — I’ve always tried to look at a business and figure out where they were, evolution-wise, on the path to true customer-centricity. Placing a business on this simple linear chart makes it easy to understand the work that needs to be done, and it paints a simple picture for your customer.

1. You never even think about your customers

2. You realize that maybe products aren’t everything

3. You realize that customers are everything

4. You realize that your customers deserve more value

5. Your have everything you need to deliver what your customers really need, and you can even shape their behavior

Customer-centric companies have always gotten it. They’ve gone through this, or a similar evolutionary (or maturity) process. But you will stumble upon companies that are at varying stages of this process. Actually, some may think they are standing erect, because they own CRM Software, but are actually still dragging their knuckles.

Then Everythin…