Investing in a cloud CRM solution is an integral step for companies that are looking to find success in today's economy. These technologies provide sales professionals with the tools necessary to identify, track and close opportunities in the most efficient and cost-effective manner as possible. CRM solutions that are deployed in the cloud are particularly good investments because their underlying technology never become obsolete or limited.

It is important to recognize that customer relationship management databases provide the greatest ROI when managed properly. Companies that follow a few simple tips can optimize their approach to CRM and ensure that their investment continues to pay off.

The first critical step is to keep your contact list as up-to-date as possible, says California-based CRM provider Soffront. Going through the process of verifying contact information and confirming the receipt of current marketing and sales materials can save time and effort down the road, the company noted in a recent blog post.

In addition, companies should always make certain that clients are aware of their communication policies and permissions. Creating a level of trust with current or prospective customers will help salespeople identify and manage real leads, thus eliminating wasteful communications.

"A leaner database of people who find value in your services is more valuable than an enormous contact list filled with users who readily delete or ignore unsolicited content," says Soffront.

Finally, Soffront suggests that organizations throw out their spreadsheet databases and automate their contact lists using a CRM cloud computing solution. This will help eradicate the painstaking process of manually updating information across multiple departments and applications.

In other CRM news, industry leader Salesforce.com (News - Alert) was recently featured in two studies conducted by Forrester Research. TMC reported that both studies gave the CRM vendor the highest possible marks for its partner and product strategy and services.

Beecher Tuttle is a TMCnet contributor. He has extensive experience writing and editing for print publications and online news websites. He has specialized in a variety of industries, including health care technology, politics and education. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.

Edited by Juliana Kenny