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A Complete Guide to Designing and Implementing the "Emotional Temperature Field" with EMOROCO CRM Lite — How to Implement the Core Functions of CRM 4.0 in the Field

2026/5/11

Hello, this is Matsubara, CRM Evangelist.

"We created an emotional temperature field, but it's pointless because everyone is typing 'warm'."

The most common problem we hear after implementing EMOROCO CRM Lite stems from the fact that "fields have been created, but the criteria for decisions and update rules have not been designed."

In CRM 4.0, "emotional temperature (hot/warm/cool/cold)" is the most important qualitative data for AI to predict customer behavior and is a core field that triggers workflow automation. However, if not properly designed and operated, it becomes a "decorative field."

This article provides a ready-to-use guide to designing, defining criteria, updating rules, configuring workflows, and utilizing dashboards to make your emotional temperature field a "functional field."

What is emotional temperature? — Sharing an organizational understanding of "what state is our relationship with this customer at this moment?"

Emotional temperature is not simply about "the customer's mood."

This is an indicator of the relationship status that shows "what stage the relationship between a company and its customers is currently at . "

[A correct understanding of emotional temperature]

Misunderstanding: "What's the customer's mood today?" (a temporary emotion)

Correct understanding: "What is the current state of the relationship with this customer?" (Relationship status)

→ "I was in a bad mood today." → No change (emotional ups and downs)
→ "Replies to my messages have been slower since last month" → A cool change (a change in the relationship)

This difference is what separates the emotional temperature field from a "functional field" to a "decorative one."

Judgment Criteria — Definitions of "Hot/Warm/Cool/Cold"

Ambiguous definitions lead to a "warm-up" situation. We will all share the following criteria.

🔴 Hot

A relationship state where "it's the right time to act now."

[Criteria for determining a stock is "hot" (any of the following applies)]
□ We have received contact/inquiries from the customer.
□ The customer says they are "considering it" or "want a quote."
□ The customer shared details about their business challenges and new projects.
□ During our meeting last week, they said, "I'd like to talk again next time."
□ Immediately after being introduced and making initial contact
□ Your emotions are clearly heightened, and it's time for change and decision-making.

Principles for dealing with hot customers: Take the next action within one week. Don't miss this opportunity.

🟡 Warm

This describes a situation where "a good relationship continues, and it should be maintained through regular follow-up."

[Criteria for determining warmth (the following apply)]
□ We are able to make regular contact, and replies and responses are normal.
□ They listen to proposals with a positive attitude.
□ There are no particular problems, but it's not the time to "act immediately."
□ The relationship is good and trust has been established.

Principles for dealing with warm customers: Regular contact once every 2-4 weeks. Maintain the level of the relationship.

Note: Do not choose "Warm" simply because you "don't know." If you are unsure, choose "Cool" or "Unknown."

🔵 Cool

This indicates a situation where "some kind of change has occurred in the relationship, and follow-up is needed."

[Criteria for determining "cool" (any of the following applies)]
□ Replies have become slower or shorter than before.
□ More than 30 days have passed since the last contact.
□ The response to proposals has become weaker than before.
□ The relationship hasn't warmed up yet since the person in charge changed.
□ There was (or is suspected of) some kind of trouble or dissatisfaction.
□ Customers' business conditions and circumstances have changed, making it difficult to contact them.

Principles for dealing with cool customers: Follow up this week. Start with "genuine interest," not a sales pitch.

⚪ Cold

A state in which "the relationship has effectively ceased."

[Criteria for determining if a product is cold (any of the following applies)]
□ More than 90 days have passed since the last contact.
□ I've tried contacting them, but I haven't received a reply.
□ It is highly likely that they switched to another company.
□ Relationship was severed due to the person in charge leaving, the company going bankrupt, or closing down.
□ I was explicitly told "it's not needed right now."

Principles for dealing with cold customers: Rather than focusing on immediate contact, determine whether you can reconnect with them in the future. Set a reconnection task for six months to a year from now.

Update Rules — When, Who, and How Updates Should Be Made

Golden rule: Update within 30 seconds of contact.

The accuracy of emotional temperature is determined by the "immediacy of the update." Updating immediately after contact records "judgments made while the memory is still fresh." If you try to update the next day, subtle nuances will disappear.

[Procedure for updating 30 seconds after contact]

① Select an emotional temperature (Hot/Warm/Cool/Cold)
② Select the direction of emotional change (increase/stable/decrease/sharp decline)
③ Enter "Today's Emotional State Memo" in one line.
Example: "He was quieter than usual. It seems like something is bothering him."
④ Update the last contact date to today's date.

Monthly company-wide inventory (15 minutes)

Once a month, the entire team opens the dashboard and re-examines whether the current emotional temperature ratings for all customers are still accurate.

"This customer is marked as 'warm,' but we haven't contacted them since last month. Isn't that a bit cold?" — This kind of conversation improves the accuracy of your CRM on a monthly basis.

Workflow Design – Complete Setup of Emotion Temperature-Triggered Automation

The greatest value of the emotion temperature field lies in its function as a "workflow trigger."

[Workflow settings for emotional temperature triggers]

Trigger ①: When updated to "Cool"
→ Task for the next day: "[Cool Alert] Follow up with Mr./Ms. XX this week."
Content: "No hard selling. Start with 'How are you?'"
"I'll use the follow-up from our conversation the other day."

Trigger ②: When updated to "Cold"
→ Task for the next day: "[Cold Alert] Confirm the situation and decide whether to contact Mr./Ms. XX again."
Content: "First, we will assess the situation. If there is a possibility of recovery..."
Set up a follow-up task for 6 months from now.

Trigger ③: When updated to "Hot"
→ Task for the day: "[Hot Alert] Mr./Ms. XX, please take the following action this week."
Content: "Don't miss this opportunity."
We will either submit a proposal, provide a quote, or conduct a site visit this week.

Trigger ④: 30 days have passed since the last contact and the emotional temperature is below warm.
→ Task: "[Contact Lost] Follow up to confirm emotional state of Mr./Ms. XX"
Content: "If left in a warm state, there is a risk that it will change to a cool state."
We will contact you this week to check on the situation.

Dashboard Design – Using Emotional Temperature as a "Management Compass"

[View Design for the Emotion Temperature Dashboard]

View ① "This Week's Priority Follow List"
Conditions: Cool or below × More than 14 days since last contact
→ Automated extraction of customers who must be contacted this week

View ② "Monthly Action Management for Hot Customers"
Condition: Hot × Next action due this week
→ List of customers that may be able to be closed this week

View ③ "Emotional Temperature Trends (Monthly)"
Metric: Trend in the number of customers at each emotional temperature level (compared to last month)
→ If the number of people who are "not cool" or below average is increasing, then the support system needs to be strengthened.
→ If "hot warm" is increasing, then relationship building is going well.

View ④ "Emotional Temperature Distribution by Person in Charge"
→ The person in charge with a high cool/cold ratio
There may be a problem with the frequency or quality of following.
→ Share the follow-up patterns of high-performing staff members with the team.

Common mistakes and solutions

symptom	Cause	prescription
Everyone is warm	The criteria for judgment are not shared.	Please print out the criteria in this article and review them together.
Updates are only made once a month.	No habit of updating after contact	At the beginning of the daily meeting, add the question, "Did yesterday's interaction update your emotional temperature?"
I don't respond even when a Cool Alert is issued.	The task description is vague.	The task description has been revised to include specific details, such as "what to do."
The definition of emotional temperature varies depending on the person in charge.	Subjective interpretation of the definition	The team shares "examples of what is cool" once a month to standardize the definition.
Cold customers are being neglected.	"It's all over"	We have established a rule for a "re-contact task" with cold customers after 6 months.

Summary — Checklist for ensuring the emotional temperature field "works"

design:
□ Are the criteria for determining hot/warm/cool/cold documented and known to everyone?
□ Is the rule "No one chooses Warm" shared among everyone?

Updated:
□ Is updating within 30 seconds of contact a routine practice?
□ Is a monthly all-hands inventory meeting scheduled?

Workflow:
□ Will an automated task be generated when the temperature changes to Cool/Cold?
□ Is a 30-day no-contact alert set?

Dashboard:
□ Will a list of "customers to follow up with this week" be automatically generated?
□ Can we confirm the trend in emotional temperature on a monthly basis?

An emotional temperature field won't function just by "creating" it. It only starts to function as a System of Interest (SoI) in CRM 4.0 when all four elements—decision criteria, update rules, workflow, and dashboard—are in place.
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Person who wrote this article

Shinsuke Matsubara

Arcus Japan Representative Director / CRM Consultant
Click here for detailed profile
He has worked as a system engineer, architect, and consultant at Accenture and other companies, an evangelist at Infragistics (Microsoft MVP for Dynamics CRM (now Microsoft MVP for Business Solutions)), and a solutions specialist at Microsoft (in charge of Dynamics CRM products).He currently leads a service team specializing in CRM, supporting CRM implementation and business launches for companies of all sizes.At the same time, he works as a CRM evangelist, spreading the idea of "true" CRM through events and article contributions.
Having learned CRM at Accenture, and having advocated and globally popularized CRM 2.0 (platform-based CRM) at Microsoft, he is a legitimate successor to CRM and the longest-serving active CRM expert (CRM consultant/CRM doctor), having received an award at Worldwide.
Since then, as a leading expert in CRM who advocates CRM 3.0 (Personalized CRM) and CRM 4.0 (Creative CRM), he has been interviewed and received numerous awards both domestically and internationally from publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, TIME, WORLDCOM, Mainichi Shimbun (Weekly Economist), and Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. He has also been selected as a representative company of the Kansai business community by "Keizaikai" for four consecutive years.
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Topics

A Complete Guide to Designing and Implementing the "Emotional Temperature Field" with EMOROCO CRM Lite — How to Implement the Core Functions of CRM 4.0 in the Field

What is emotional temperature? — Sharing an organizational understanding of "what state is our relationship with this customer at this moment?"