It’s all about the interface. “Application usability is becoming a more important issue within the enterprise, and CRM is no exception," says Mitch Lieberman, vice president, market strategy for Sword Ciboodle. "Users are picky about their workspace, now more than ever represented by the screen in front of them…. Data needs to be available through one UI [user interface], in context.

What gets them noticed and has since the first time I met them, is that they have become a best in class in a class that they gave validity - process based CRM and they have a record of rapid success and thoughtful progress

Mitch Lieberman, market strategist at Sword Ciboodle, offers a rich perspective on customer-facing and organizational issues. Mitch posits that we are likely doing better defining employee engagement — thanks to quantitative, shared objectives — than we are customer engagement.

There are a lot of ways to communicate with customers that are cheaper than the phone. But according to new research that Sword Ciboodle have sponsored, forcing people to use them could cost you more than you think.

Knowing what to say, how to say it and where to have the conversation are some of the hardest elements to nail for retail banks attempting to engage in social media.

Banks accustomed to a one-way communication flow have found it more difficult to adapt to the medium than retail brands, which naturally have a more relaxed and fluid relationship with customers.