Research is the initial stage in the CRM process. Take the time to learn about your target market and how to approach them. You’ll want to learn about their hobbies, how they prefer to be contacted, their demographics, and the best ways to communicate with them. Then separate your prospects into categories so you may market directly to them based on their preferences. Gathering and classifying your leads is a crucial first stage in the CRM process, as it allows you to better understand the marketing strategy you need to develop in order to convert them into customers.