One of the fundamental tenets of CRM (Customer Relationship Management) success is to "warehouse customer and vehicle data, push various kinds of communications to customers through different channels, and thereby prevent customers from defecting simply due to pursuit and follow-up neglect."

So advises Dealer Marketing Magazine, which notes that ?communication is "fundamental" for improving customer acquisition and retention across all profit centers, while noting some inherent problems: "Yet, getting customer and vehicle data into your CRM for immediate and ongoing action by the appropriate team member has been cumbersome, error prone, and time consuming. For instance, how are leads handled that come from the many types of online car-shopping sites where you market inventory? How about service appointment requests or credit inquiries from your website? Or, what about sales and service records from your dealer management system?"

The author, Christian Thornton,? managing director for e-autobusiness, knows what he's talking about: "None of these situations are as simple as they seem, I know. In my 15 years in automotive retail, 10 of them in and around CRM products and processes, I can tell you that any lead or follow-up procedure that isn’t easily repeatable and automated is a source of lost business."

When a CRM is integrated seamlessly into other, seemingly independent systems, Thornton says, "?like your website or the services you use to list, publish, and manage your online inventory,"? you connect the missing link in CRM: "With customers safely warehoused in your CRM application, you can us?e this information for cohesive follow-up phone calls, emails, video emails, targeted fulfillment marketing and more."

In August e-autobusiness, a Software as a Service provider of systems and services for automotive retailers, announced that its Aeros Software Suite was certified by SMART USA for the automotive manufacturer’s 70 retail locations nationwide.

This certification allows Aeros to electronically receive, process, and optimally manage SMART USA Internet leads for SMART retailers. The real-time, certified integration provides the manufacturer with visibility into retailer lead response and long term follow up behavior and business process. Retailers using Aeros, as a certified lead management application, improve quality of lead response, and are able to use a single application to manage all Variable and Fixed Operations opportunities throughout the sales and marketing ecosystem.