Everyone knows CRM: Customer Relationship Management.
But your customers aren't the only relationships that matter.
I think there are multiple systems you need:
Partner Relationship Management (PRM). You've got channel partners, resellers, affiliates. Each one is a pipeline that needs nurturing, tracking, and optimization.
Supplier Relationship Management (SRM). Your vendors determine your costs, delivery times, and product quality. Treat them like leads and you'll get better terms.
Employee Relationship Management (ERM). Your staff pipeline from recruitment through onboarding to retention. Losing people costs more than most failed sales.
The X in XRM is the unknown variable. Whatever relationship drives your business value deserves the same systematic approach you give customers.
Most businesses only track customer pipelines. They wing everything else. Then they wonder why partnerships fall apart, suppliers drop them, employees quit, and investors lose confidence.
Every relationship is a pipeline. Every pipeline has stages. Every stage has drop-off points you can measure and improve.
Apply CRM thinking everywhere. Track your partner conversations like you track sales calls. Manage employee engagement like you manage customer satisfaction.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, everything is a pipeline. Treat it accordingly.
If you want to see how I set up my own pipelines to keep track of relationships like the one that landed me a $40k deal because it told me to connect two people, comment or send me a message.