John Jantsch asks "What would the perfect CRM [system] look like?" He received responses which indicated features such as contact history, lead tracking, opportunity management and a task list.

Perhaps, most saliently, however, Ben Smith (WBP Systems) added "I do think that many people confuse “CRM” with “CRM software”. In an attempt to make this point, we actually spend the first part of our manual discussing a coffee shop and how by simply putting a sticker on the cup they have achieved every goal that you would ask of a CRM.

"What someone really should do, to implement a CRM, is get a list of goals they want to achieve with the CRM system (not necessarily software), then find the simplest tool that achieves all of their goals. If you can achieve all of your goals with a spiral ring notebook, then you should use a spiral ring notebook."

I think that Ben's statement, in particular, is spot-on. Other thoughts?