The name of the game is selling expertise in the professional services industry. The vertical is governed not by traditional durable goods, but by intellectual property. Without the ability to physically demonstrate a product, word-of-mouth endorsements and leads from colleagues are critical for professional services organizations, which include accounting, consulting, IT services, financial services, and law firms. Despite tech-light sales and marketing approaches, however, those looking for ways to better nurture current relationships and acquire new ones can capitalize on robust CRM functionality and processes.

In particular, social networking applications, which help people uncover potential connections, are making it easier for employees to identify who within their organization has ties to customers and prospects. "Frequently, people do business with people that they know or people that they trust," says Denis Pombriant, founder and managing principal of Beagle Research Group. "When social networking came out a few years ago, one of the first areas that really took advantage of the concept was the professional services world."