MindMaps and CRM

Now there's an Oxymoron if ever I read it.
Customer Relationship Management system and a MindMap.
And I don't even have to say anything I just need to quote this:

Go and look at any CRM system - for the most part there are all forms and tab-based.  This is not an ideal approach for the information worker, ask yourself when was the last time a form inspired any creative thinking? Yet selling is a highly creative human-centric business process whose success determines the overall success of any business. Go figure.

And where has this quote come from?  Why, the guys who are trying to make a CRM look like the most creative tool ever invented.  There's an old I.T saying, Shit in Shit out.
MindJet are helping Salesforce.com make a CRM look interesting!  Good Luck!!

Putting some fancy graphical front end on a dull form system ain't going to make one bit of difference.  Actually it will make a lot of difference to MindJet and Salesforce.com in the short term, whilst many corporates fall for this trick of fancying up something that should have died 5 years ago.
For the 24 years I've been in I.T. the dream of the single customer record (or single patient record) has been the paradise we've thought we wanted.  I'd love my telco or bank, to treat me as single entity, but that's more down to attitude and a will to do it, and not a CRM.

I love MindJet and MindManager and the ethos of the company, especially now they're blogging.  And this will do very well for them in the short term, but it's not the answer to the woes of CRM.
When is someone going to say the Emperor has no clothes, and that CRMs are a pile of crap?
Nice idea in theory.  Say Mr/Mrs Sales Director, would you like:

1. A single record of all interactions with each customer?
2. Would you like to know exactly what each Salesperson is doing?
3. Would you like to improve your shoddy business forecasting?

Ping!  A CRM is for you.

No No No.  Gathering information and planning is only a part of the selling process.
If a salesperson committed to keeping their CRM up to date for their clients, they'd be on the system 24 hours a day and not actually do any selling.  It's called Over-Preparing and Doomsaying.
And it's implemented because Sales Directors and CEOs aren't walking the floor and talking to their people.

But since the Sales Director is the Decision maker, the poor salesperson and customer is going to have to put up with this crap for a while longer, until a few more of them read Cluetrain!!

I've been a salesperson for many many years, I've trained salespeople for many years, I've even trained salespeople at the beginning of a 1500+ seat CRM role-out to use the damn system, so I have some idea of what I'm talking about, especially seeing the look on those sweet salespeople's faces as the realise what they're letting themselves in for, and that they get absolutely no benefit from using the system.

And if Mr/Mrs Sales Director, you think that implementing a CRM will improve your forecasting, than I will say the same thing again. Shit in, Shit out.  It was never about using the wrong system, it's about conversations.  A good Excel spreadsheet will do fine!!

So MindJet, I hope you're not putting all your eggs into this venture, because some of us would like to see a more flexible, cool, and creative tool.  I love X5, but it's lost some of its organic look from MindManager 2002.  I hope this isn't a sign of things to come.
You'll do well in the short-term trying to shore up CRM systems, but I don't think that's the ethos of your company.