As the economic environment continues to fluctuate, many organizations are asking themselves what strategies they can pursue to bring tangible business benefits while taking stock of the economic conditions. In a growth economy, businesses typically work hard to expand their customer base and spend aggressively to stoke the growth engine. When money is tight however, existing customer relationships grow in importance as organizations seek a cost-effective way to nurture business expansion. And while there is no magic pill or panacea, customer relationship management (CRM) solutions can provide the foundation for sustainable growth and enable organizations to survive and thrive in these uncertain times. This paper explains how organizations can save money over time and find themselves better positioned to take the lead when times improve.