Just playing around with and evaluating a couple crm systems for my use. I've used them in various companies more for marketing campaign managment and ROI tracking, and have understood how the sales side of things works, but now I REALLY get it. Everything ties together. EVERYTHING.
It can truly be a powerful tool if it's used by everyone. This is a great way for forecasting ahead and to manage each and every relationship. That's the real key. Understanding who you're talking to and managing that data. Plugging in everything. I know it's a pain at first, but once you get through cleaning your data and really using it, you'll see the value.
What CRM systems are you utilizing and to what extent are the effective?