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If you have the requirements and a fair idea of their current business processes, the next step is to work out how CRM fits into this. If you don't have it already, download the demo VPC and user's guide from Microsoft downloads. Once you have this you can work out where the gaps are and how to address them (field configuration, reporting, workflow, client/server-side development).

 Other things you'll need to define for the system include:

• Users and their roles (use the pre-defined roles in CRM as your starting guide)
• Determination of whether the security/record access required of the organisation is met by these default roles
• What data is being brought into the system (how many records, what format, how will it happen)
  
•  What languages and currencies the organisation uses and which of these need to be in CRM (what are the base language and base currency)
• What is the organisational structure of the organisation
• What integration requirements are there? What level of integration (1-way, 2-way, real time, batch etc.)

As there is already a system in place, some of things may already be known and defined.

 Leon Tribe

You may also want to check out some of developer content enabled on TechNet and or Channel9 - both sources have great information about how to develop on Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

You can read this e-book. I think, it best way for starting.

http://www.redware.com/mscrm/handbook/microsoft_crm_contents.html

I too am new to CRM - the most helpful information I have found have been the screen casts: especially for user roles, and set up:  http://blogs.msdn.com/jodonnell/archive/2008/06/09/resources-for-microsoft-dynamics-crm-4-0.aspx 

 Not many publications for CRM but the one I refrence every day is the Sonoma book, the newest book for "how to" for MSCRM 4.0 comes out this month:  http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft%C2%AE-Dynamics-Microsoft-Live-Step/dp/073562576X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220368140&sr=8-5  hope this helps.

Is there a good resource which shows specific workflows and how to set them up?  I purchased a couple of books which were not helpful in terms of setting up specific workflows.  Does anyone know of a good site that provides several workflow process examples step-by-step?

 I have two workflows currently but would like to set up more advanced workflows such as sales cycles, marketing campaigns, etc. but have no skeleton to even start with.

 HELP!