Natalie Cooke of ncco recently served on the independent judging panel for the 2026 CRMmys – the practitioner-judged awards programme recognising excellence in CRM software.
What makes the CRMmys particularly valuable is the integrity of the process. Scoring is completed independently against published criteria, with no commercial input. In a market where “best CRM” lists can be influenced by partnerships and referral fees, it’s refreshing to see an awards programme designed to reflect real practitioner experience and measurable capability.
Why CRM is so important (and why making a good choice is rarely simple)
A CRM is far more than a contact database. It becomes the operational backbone for sales, marketing, customer service, and leadership reporting – the place where customer history, pipeline visibility, and business insight should come together as a single source of truth.
But choosing and implementing a CRM is rarely straightforward. The right platform depends on your processes, your team, your data quality, your integrations, and your growth plans. A system that works brilliantly for one organisation can be a poor fit for another – even within the same industry.
A great fit for ncco’s tech-agnostic approach
Natalie’s work at ncco is grounded in being independent and tech/vendor agnostic. That means her advice is focused on what best supports the client’s business, not what best suits a particular software provider. Serving on an independent judging panel aligns naturally with that approach: evaluating platforms objectively, against clear criteria, and with the end user’s reality in mind.
It also reflects what Natalie sees every day in digital transformation work: CRM success isn’t about chasing features. It’s about choosing the right-fit system, implementing it properly, and ensuring it’s adopted and maintained so it delivers long-term value.
View the full results
The full 2026 results are available here: crm.org/crmmys/2026-results.
If you’re reviewing your CRM options – or you’re not getting the ROI you expected from the system you already have – ncco can help you assess what’s working, what’s missing, and what to do next with clarity and confidence.
Natalie Cooke is founder of ncco and an independent CRM and Digital Transformation consultant, helping businesses of all sizes in their CRM, AI and Digital Transformation journeys.