Posted by Bob Walton on Fri, May 07, 2010 @ 07:20 AM
Have you ever needed to find a phone number or email address for a client or prospect, but were not in front of your computer?
Maybe your Contact Management Software offers a mobile login, but you're on the road and don't have time to login and search for the contact information you need.
BigContacts gives you the ability to send an email directly to the system and ask for the results of a certain last name. Let's say you're looking for a client with the last name of "Doe". You can send an email directly to your BigContacts email dropbox and in the subject line enter the following:
"search" "last name"
(ex: search Doe)
The key thing here is to make sure that you have one space between the word "search" and your contacts last name.
Additionally, you can search using the first name of a person or the company name. Each of these search modes would look like this in the subject line of your email.
First Name search - "search" (enter the contact first name here)
ex. "search" "Frank"
Company Name Search - "search" (enter the company name here)
ex. "search" "IBM"
Click Here for information on how to setup and use your BigContacts email dropbox, or watch this Video on how to manage email in general within BigContacts.
Within 5 minutes you will receive an email back with the search results of the system. The email will deliver the phone numbers and email addresses for all the contacts that match that name.
If you are viewing the results on your smart phone you can simply click on the phone number or email address that you need and initiate your call or email right then and there. No logging in and searching - just a quick query of your database and fast results right there in your email inbox.
If you have questions on this or any other aspect of BigContacts, please join us for one of our daily webinars. During these 30 minute webinars, the lines are open to take and answer your specific questions. View the available times and register for one of our Free Webinars.
Posted by Bob Walton on Wed, Mar 24, 2010 @ 11:45 AM
One of the most painful aspects of implementing a new software program is that it can require too much time to learn and master. Often times this learning curve is made even longer by programs that get bloated with too many unnecessary features - losing the true essence and benefit of the program in the process.
Contact Management (CRM) Software is no exception. Most CRM software on the market is bloated with too many unnecessary features. In addition, many programs do not deliver the intuitive experience that users need in order to quickly and effectively adopt this very important tool in their business.
BigContacts is on a mission to change this reality. We are working tirelessly to continue refining and streamlining our application for our clients. Our goal is to become the MOST intuitive, easy-to-use (yet affordable) Web Based (CRM) Contact Management Software provider on the market today.
In addition to continuing to simplify our user experience, we now offer 4 Tools (free of charge) to ensure a successful implementation of BigContacts within your business.
These Tools are sure to shorten the learning curve and will help you to customize BigContacts to best meet your specific business needs.
I. Quick Start Guide
This newly updated guide covers everything you need to know to setup your system, customize it for your business, and get you off to a quick start.
Donwload it Now
II. Support Center
We have built and continue to enhance our library or articles and downloads. The resources within this library are designed specifically to answer your most commonly asked questions. This is available to you 24 hours per day - 7 days per week.
Visit our Support Center Now
III. Video Library
We want to ensure that you get the most out of this easy-to-use, yet capable Web Based CRM Software.
We have just released a new library of Best Practices Videos that can help you turn our Web Based CRM Software into a true asset for your business.
Think of us as your technology partner - dedicated to your success.
View our Video Library
IV. Daily Webinars to Answer your questions
If you just can't find the answer to your question, feel free to join us any weekday at 3pm EDT. We host daily live webinars where we take your questions. During these webinars you will not only be able to ask specific questions, but one of our representatives will show you on your computer screen how and where to do things within your application.
Come back as often as you like and let us help you get off to a quick start with BigContacts!
Register for a webinar - Get your questions answered
Posted by Bob Walton on Fri, Mar 19, 2010 @ 09:39 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.
Posted by Bob Walton on Tue, Feb 23, 2010 @ 04:06 PM
Our subscribers frequently ask us about what they can do to further increase the speed of BigContacts and other web based applications they use on a regular basis.
Based on these inquiries we put together a Web Performance Page on our website. This page will give you tips for tuning your browser to deliver a better experience for you while in BigContacts or surfing some other area of the web.
There are a variety of situations that can exist to create a slower web connection.
- The web browser you are using is slow and/or may have plug-ins that are causing issues.
- Your modem or router is experiencing trouble and may need to be reset.
- Your local internet connection can intermittently run slow.
- There could be an internet connection issue somewhere between you and our servers.
- Our application/ server could be temporarily experiencing unusually heavy loads.
One or more of these tips can improve your web experience:
- Upgrade your Browser
We support 4 major browsers, including: Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari and Google Chrome. You can decide how fast you would like to surf the web by reviewing the browser performance comparisons on this new web page.
- Reset your router and modem
A browser is the engine that drives your performance on the web. We encourage you to take a moment to make sure it is tuned so that it will perform better for you.
You won't believe the extra "mileage" you can get out of a day with a properly tuned browser.
Posted by Bob Walton on Thu, Feb 18, 2010 @ 07:20 AM
Best Practices Webinars for Web based CRM Software
At BigContacts, we're committed to making a real difference for you in your business. It's our mission to ensure that you get the most out of this easy-to-use, yet capable Web Based CRM Software. Think of us as your technology partner - dedicated to your success.
With the right tools and proper guidance, Web Based (CRM) Contact Management Software can provide measurable results in your business. Whether you're just considering this software for the first time, or have used it for years, we now offer a FREE Webinar series that can help you turn Web Based CRM Software into a true asset for your business.
Register Now and Get More Value for your Business
Whether you're just considering Web Based (CRM) Contact Management Software for the first time, or have used it for years, our webinar series can help you turn this software into a true asset for your Business.
Webinars are hosted daily.
Posted by Bob Walton on Tue, Dec 15, 2009 @ 02:02 PM
We've
all heard the expression "Garbage in - Garbage Out". Often abbreviated
as GIGO, this is a famous computer axiom meaning that if invalid data
is entered into a system, the resulting output will also be invalid.
At BigContacts
we are committed to your success. We can help you save a lot of time
and money in the long run by ensuring you get things right from the
start. We have trained and certified a team of Small Business CRM
Consultants that have the expertise, track record, and commitment to
ensure your success in implementing our web based CRM software within your business.
We are confident that, if implemented correctly, our platform will help
you:
• Strengthen existing Client Relationships
• For every customer who bothers to complain, there are 26 others who remain silent.
• It costs about 5 times as much to attract a new customer as it costs to keep the ones you have.
• Increase Sales through a more targeted system
• You can increase your total sales (on average) by 15-20% with more targeted and efficient sales practices.
• Reduce costs through more a streamlined operation
• You can reduce general operating expenses by 5-10% by implementing a system to help you better manage your work flows.
Read More>>>
Give a call at 1-888-286-6578 to learn more about this program and how we can help you in your business.
Posted by Bob Walton on Tue, Oct 07, 2008 @ 09:51 AM
Over the years too many software applications have been written from an engineer's perspective and fail to adequately take into account what the end-user wants or needs. This approach to designing things in the "lab" can result in applications that are difficult to learn and manage.
At BigContacts we have a singular focus on developing leading edge technologies that are easy to use and provide meaningful solutions for our end-users. We work hard to make this attention to detail very evident in everything we offer. One thing we don't always do well is to properly highlight features and functionality that we have built into our Contact Management System that make your life a little easier to manage.
If you're looking for new Contact Management Software but aren't quite sure how to get your contacts out of your current system and import them into a new platform, we have offer a very effective solution for you. Our Import Wizard provides step-by-step instructions for exporting your contacts from some of the most common Contact Management, Small Business CRM and Sales Force Automation Platforms in the industry.
Once the data is safely exported from your current application, you will then utilize our mapping tool to ensure that you contact data fields find their rightful home in the new system. Big Contacts goes beyond the standard data import. In addition to mapping all of the "standard" data fields, you can now import any "custom" fields that you may have created within your current system. You won't have to worry about a loss of any Contact data when importing to our system.
For those of you that currently use ACT!, we now have a solution for you too!
ACT! is one of those programs that makes is very difficult for you to get your history out of their application and into a new contact management system. We can help you with this as this is part of what we offer in our Custom Data Import service.
Finally, if you wish to import your entire contact history from any of these applications, (notes, meetings, email) our Custom Data Import service will ensure that you capture and properly organize this data as well.
For more information on this, or any other questions you might have, give us a call at 1-888-286-6578. We're here to help!
Posted by Bob Walton on Sat, Dec 22, 2007 @ 11:16 AM
One way to make yourself more efficient using BigContacts is to use email templates and letter templates. If you find yourself sending the same email over and over again, you can save it as a template and avoid having to retype it each time.
And now, you can add contact-specific data to personalize your email and letter templates. To do this, go to the Admin tab and either the Email Templates section or the Letter templates section. Then create a new template or edit an existing one. To add a merge field, add the desired field-name surrounded by curly braces. For example, to add a contact's first name, add this to your template:
{{first}}
You can add as many fields as you wish in this way. If the data is missing, it will just be blank. Another example might be {{first}} {{last}}
Here is a list of available fields you can merge into your templates:
first, last, middle, spouse_first, address, city, state, zip, country, phone, mobile, email, website, salutation, salutation_dear, nickname, company, co_title, co_address, co_city, co_state, co_zip, co_phone, co_email, contact_category, contact_group, contact_type, lead_type, lead_source, ABCD
Use this to save time and get more done!
Posted by Bob Walton on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 @ 05:01 PM
Introducing the BigContacts Email Dropbox
Did you know you can see all of your email traffic with a contact, even if you don't use Big Contacts to send email? Simply configure your email client to auto-bcc and auto-forward your email to your BigContacts email dropbox. Let's say you have a few emails back and forth with a supplier about a new ship date. All this email back-and-forth takes place in Outlook. As long as you have a contact with that email address, it will be saved for you. Log into BigContacts, pull up the contact and you can see all of the emails! Any email attachments are saved in the files table, for easy download any time you need to find it. No more searching through your inbox looking for an attachment.
Go to the Admin tab and the Users section. Click on 'request a email dropbox' next to a user's name and a dropbox will be created. Call us for detailed instructions for configuring your specific email client.
Posted by Bob Walton on Wed, Nov 14, 2007 @ 04:58 PM
Capturing your Sales Leads
Did you know that BigContacts has support for webforms? Do you have a form on your website for people to request a whitepaper or maybe sign up for your newsletter? You can forward this form first to BigContacts where the person who filled out the form's info will be used to create a new contact in the system. When this new contact is added, you can assign a task (follow up sales call?) and/or create a sales opportunity to track the lead. After the contact is added and the task and opportunity are added, the form data is passed on to your site so you can collect the data if needed or simple display a thank you page. If you created an opportunity, you can then tie this lead into your ...
Marketing Automation
BigContacts has a module called Autopilot which allows you to create marketing campaigns. It is keyed off of the sales opportunity pipeline. You select a pipeline stage, the number of days in that stage, and then an action. Maybe you are collecting sales leads form a form on your website. Use BigContacts webforms to add the contact and create a sales opportunity. Then configure Autopilot to send out an email every few days to tell the prospect about some great features of your product. By 'dripping' on your prospects on a regular basis this way you are sure to see more business.