Where Will Best Practices Take Us?

Few "tools" are more widely abused these days than so-called best practices. It's no wonder that most banks, supermarkets, airlines, retailers and professional services firms look astonishingly similar—they've been busy copying each other's best practices for decades. This warning comes from Michael W. McLaughlin on MarketingProfs.com.

There's no question this is a problem. Smart marketers know best practices are destroying differentiation. When we adopt another company's processes, we become less unique. Consider then, the danger of adopting an enterprise CRM software solution that requires the marketer to adopt the best practices hardwired into the software. Another five years of this and Delta Airlines will look like Kroger Supermarkets, and Kroger will look like Fed Ex. Look for flexibility so you can still own your own processes that separate you from the competition.