Posted by Bob Walton on Sat, Jan 02, 2010 @ 05:38 PM
The successful implementation and day-to-day use of Web Based CRM Software is a "building" process. You MUST start from the ground up by building a strong foundation. It's only after this foundation is in place that you can then begin implementing the framework and tools in the remainder of the system.
I have outlined a "best practices" approach below that will provide you with this solid foundation. When all elements are effectively implemented, the platform can become a central tool in managing the future growth and ultimate success of your business.
You want to make sure that your Web Based CRM Software, Contact Management Software has the following essential tools to deliver real value as you grow your small business.
Client Management
More formally known as Client Relationship Management (CRM), this is the foundation to any Contact Management Software. The tools offered in this area can help you get a handle on client history-communications to be better organized, and ultimately develop stronger client relationships. A good foundation here will also help you keep better track of the leads and prospects that you have today.
Operations
This element of the system is what ensures things get done, helping you and your team to deliver on the promises you make to your clients and prospects. You need a system that will not only allow you to customize and track your tasks, but one that is capable of helping you to organize and manage the core work flows (multi-steps tasks) that your business handles on a day-to-day basis. This workflow management is essential for streamlining your business.
Sales & Marketing
This element of the system should contain 3 essential tools to help position your business to effectively generate and handle growth in the near future.
1) Automated Lead Capture with Web forms
Capture and load important contact information when a lead comes to your website and fill in one of your web forms. To save time and money, the system should be able to automatically load your lead into your contact list, assign the lead to a team member, assign a task for someone to follow up, and begin a customized email marketing campaign.
2) Sales Management System
Accurately forecast sales and effectively manage your sales pipeline and - allowing you to stay on top of more prospects and close more deals.
3) Marketing Campaigns
Identify and load targeted lists of your clients and/or prospects to queue up various types of marketing campaigns. Launch an email, newsletter, online survey or postcard campaign. After the campaign is launched you need to be able track and monitor the response to these campaigns.
To learn more about what to look for in a Business Contact Manager, Web Based CRM Software - take a look at some of our recent comparisons of Contact Management Software.
Posted by Bob Walton on Sun, Dec 27, 2009 @ 08:03 AM
Before investing in Contact Management Software or Small Business CRM, you need to have all the facts. Most systems today come full of "bells and whistles" that are touted as essential to helping you in your business.
The reality is that many of these features may rarely get used if at all. On the other hand there may be certain features that are critical to your business. This investment requires a methodical approach to ensure that you make the right choice.
Don't make your decision based solely on price or on features. Consider what's important to you before making a quick decision.
- What are the minimum requirements for you business today?
- What are your growth plans and will this system allow you to grow without a significant $ investment?
- Is it easy-to-use; allowing you to get off to a quick start with all of your employees using it?
Below is an example of the format we use when comparing Small Business CRM - Contact Management Software. Use this as a template to compare software for your next purchase.
If you experience any trouble viewing this example of research, Click Here for a full size image of these tables.
If you would like help to research / compare Small Business CRM or Contact Management Software, Contact Us or give us a call at 1-888-286-6578. We would be happy to do the research and provide you with an objective and detailed report.
Posted by Bob Walton on Mon, Dec 21, 2009 @ 01:29 PM
When choosing your next
Web Based CRM Software /
Contact Manager for your small business, it is important to understand the difference between a
Contact Centric system and an
Account (Business) Centric system. This is one of the biggest mistakes companies make when choosing their CRM software provider for your business. Small Business CRM is an investment that will pay dividends to you for many years to come. Make sure sure to lay the right foundation for your needs as most CRM providers DON'T give you the choice. They offer one format or the other and you are essentially stuck with their system format.
Contact Centric CRM
In a Contact Centric CRM system, the database is organized around individual contacts. So, if you have dealings with 3 different people all from the same company, you would have 3 separate contact records and each individual contact record would contain it's version of the company information.
A Contact Centric organization makes sense if you are dealing with individuals and typically don't need to do such things as look at an organization's combined history. It is very difficult and clumsy to track company related information separately from contact information. For example, if you want to track information about a company (e.g. sic code, # employees, annual budget, etc.) separately from contact related information (e.g. favorite hobby, home phone number, spouse's name, etc.). There isn't an easy way to organize this information.
- Under which contact do you store the company information?
- Which contact becomes the primary record?
- Do you store the information under both contacts...which makes updating difficult?
- Do you create a "contact" record to serve as the company record and somehow link the contacts?
Account (Business) Centric CRM
Account (Business) Centric systems have a layer above the individual contact - the "account" or "business" that can link multiple contacts together. This has the advantage of being able to track company-related information entirely separately from contact-related information.
This approach is usually easier to:
- See all opportunities for an account/company.
- See the organization and all its contacts in one view.
- Report on company vs. individuals easier.
My Recommendation
If you're working in an industry where you only work with one contact record per account, you may want the simplicity of Contact Centric option.
However, if you are going to want to track multiple contacts per account (business) then the Account (Business) Centric becomes the best option.
Posted by Bob Walton on Sun, Oct 11, 2009 @ 10:13 AM
One the biggest challenges, and potentially biggest rewards in setting up a new Contact Management (CRM) system relates to how you organize (categorize) your database of contacts. So often I see companies simply import their contact list and jump right in with the same organization (or lack thereof) of contacts they had before. The good news is that many of them have upgraded from programs that are more like basic address books to a full featured contact management system. This alone is going to pay huge dividends for them. The bad news is that many do not invest a little time on the front end to think through how their contacts are currently organized and how they could be better organized going forward.
What would your contact list look like if you were to sort them into their natural groups and categories? How would you label each these groups? Do you have contacts that you would like to associate with more than one group? We encourage our clients to open a word document, a spreadsheet, or simply take out a sheet of paper to begin identifying the various groups, interests, categories and general opportunities that exist within their current list of contacts. I have seen countless examples of both approaches and I can tell you that this exercise will produce big dividends for you over time. A well organized database of contacts can help you to
• Build stronger client relationships
• Increase your Sales, and
• Create a more efficient business.
A good Contact Management (CRM) system should offer 3-4 different methods for organizing your contacts, and will allow you to customize each of them. I have listed what I consider to be the "Core Four" that you should require in your next system.
I. Contact Types
Look at this method as the "30,000 foot view" of your contacts. They are the very general categories you create within your system. (Prospects, Clients, Vendors, Family, Personal, etc) These are usually organized into a "pick list" of a series of "radio buttons" that you can choose from. Think of this as the very first layer of segmenting your contacts. As we move into each of the other methods below, we are able to get more granular in how we parse/ sort our contacts. Because this is designed to identify your very general types of contact, I suggest no more than 6-8 types.
II. Groups & Categories
Moving down to about a "15,000 foot view", you will want to have the flexibility to customize and build a handful of groups and categories within your system. Here you would track things like (Industry, Region, Referral Source, etc.) The typical format of this type of custom field is a "pick list". The key factor in determining when you use this is simple. If you have very specific and finite values that you want someone to select from then you will load them here. You determine what you want to call/label each group or category, load all of the options you want someone to be able to choose from and you're done. This method prevents someone from entering their own "version" of the information and will ensure that your data stays very "clean" and accurate when you go to pull reports later. For example, if you and I were to both to identify what industry a client is in, I might type "Financial" and you might type "Financial Services". The pick list allows you to set the standard label and prevent any deviation from that standard. Anything overdone can become a hindrance. We suggest that this sort of organization be contained to no more than 5-6 different groups/ categories. Remember, we are still flying at a high level here. There is a more granular method called "Tags" where it is appropriate to use more generously.
III. Custom Fields
We're still flying at about a "15,000 feet". The difference here is that you may have fields that you want to create where you don't always know the exact set of options you want to choose from. A custom field is a "free-form" field that will allow the user to type in exactly what they need. You still create the label for the field, but the data entered is left up to the individual. The most effective use of custom fields usually involves no more than 8-10 different values.
IV. Tags
Finally, we have "Tags". This relatively new and unique method has really opened the door for creating multiple associations and multiple labels for a given contact. This is you most granular level of categorization within the database. It allows you the flexibility to assign multiple values/categories to a single contact. For example, you might want to track someone's interests (golf, tennis, wine, etc.), and you want to easily keep track of products that they have an interest in or products that you have already sold to them. If you think of all the possible subsets for labeling a particular contact it could get very cumbersome to try and create a custom field or pick list to accommodate all your needs. Tags are a very quick an easy way to create a label and "tag" it to any one of a number of contacts. As your business evolves and products, interests, and campaigns change, it is very easy to remove one label and replace it with another.
If you invest the time on the front to outline your needs and use elements of all these methods, your Contact Management (CRM) System will become a more powerful tool in managing your clients and prospects going forward.
For more information and a more detailed discussion on the best practices for each of these areas, feel free to contact us at 1-888-286-6578.