August 31, 2005
MS CRM
Microsoft CRM, also known as MS CRM, has become one of the biggest CRM solutions for sales teams all over the world. The main reason that MS CRM has experienced this amount of success is that they are able to better integrate their CRM products with their operating system. While most CRM solutions have the capability to integrate with Microsoft Office, the MS CRM is able to do so much more effectively. Many of the competitors of MS CRM find this to be an unfair advantage for Microsoft and are scrambling just to find ways to keep up with them. In addition to the ability to integrate seamlessly, MS CRM also has the advantage of being able to be purchased from Microsoft along with many other products. This adds a lot of extra convenience which can help MS CRM distinguish them in the marketplace.
However, there are some companies for whom MS CRM is not the best package. MS CRM is focused mostly at large companies, as it offers a lot of capabilities and storage. For small and medium sized companies, MS CRM is too expensive as they will not need many of the features that they are paying top dollar for. In order to increase sales, MS CRM could offer a package aimed at smaller companies. This would help them increase their potential market thus increasing sales. Additionally, if they have smaller customers, they will be more likely to continue to use MS CRM as they grow and require the extra features that they now offer. If Microsoft chooses to offer this type of a product remains to be seen and the future of MS CRM is still up in the air.
Posted by ben at 12:04 PM
August 30, 2005
CRM Strategy
Creating a sound CRM strategy is a crucial aspect to the success of your sales team. No matter how great your CRM solution is, if it is not accompanied by a strong CRM strategy it will surely be useless. Many people simply assume that your CRM is used to store information regarding your customers, and think that that is all you need for your CRM strategy. It is these people who are bound to lose customers to their competitors that have a more detailed CRM strategy. The CRM strategy of your sales team needs to encompass several different aspects in order to successful. As well, your CRM strategy should still retain a decent level of flexibility in order to be able to meet the constantly changing needs in the marketplace.
One key aspect of you CRM strategy should be focused on how to best approach new and existing customers. Your CRM strategy should outline a specific protocol on how each type of customer should be approached, what information you are trying to obtain during each meeting, and when and how the follow up should occur. Again, there needs to be some flexibility in this area of your CRM strategy as meetings with potential customers rarely go exactly as planned. As well, your CRM strategy should include the role of different members of the sales team in the sales process. This should be based on the needs of your customers as well as the strengths and weaknesses of people on your team. These are only two of the many areas that need to be covered in your CRM strategy, but it should help to get you thinking of just how much detail your CRM strategy should include.
Posted by ben at 12:18 PM
August 29, 2005
CRM Notes
Many CRM programs will come with what have come to be known as CRM notes. CRM notes are essentially the guide on how to use your CRM program. CRM notes will involve a written manual, computer based help, online tutorials, and some live help. Often overlooked in their importance, CRM notes are a crucial aspect of a CRM program and should be an important factor when choosing which program to purchase. No matter how advanced a CRM program is, the fancy features are not of much value if no one knows how to properly use them. Without good CRM notes, sales people who need to access the resources on the CRM will not have access to all of the information that they require or they will not be able to properly store all of the information that they need to.
Even if you are able to eventually figure out how to properly use your CRM without good CRM notes, if this is not done quickly it can have significant negative impact. In today’s ultra competitive economy, customers do not have to patience to wait for you to figure out to use a new program. If the level of service they are receiving is not adequate, they will not hesitate to find another provider. Thus, bad CRM notes can quickly lead to a drop in your business, which may take months, or even years to regain.
Posted by ben at 3:47 PM
Web Based CRM
A fairly recent innovation in the world of customer relationship management is web based CRM. Early CRM products were based on a company’s internal computer system. Today, you can get a web based CRM which provides additional capabilities. One of the biggest advantages of a web based CRM is that it can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Since CRM is most used by salespeople, and most salespeople have to travel a lot, a web based CRM will give them access to their CRM wherever they are. This means that a web based CRM lets salespeople access much needed information at almost anytime. Assuming that salespeople will have internet access on the road, a web based CRM will let them reach information at any time.
As well, web based CRM provides additional capabilities to share information among more than sales people. For large accounts that require many different sales people to collaborate their efforts, this feature of web based CRM is invaluable. Without this information sharing, the customers would likely get frustrated with the level of service and seek out a new supplier. Another advantage of web based CRM is that internet servers are generally much more reliable than in house company hard drives. This means that the information stored on a web based CRM is more likely to be in working order more of the time so that it can be accessed by sales people when it is needed. However, web based CRM is not perfect as internet resources are more often a target of hackers which could be a big concern for some companies.
Posted by ben at 1:20 PM
Microsoft CRM Seminar
I have a friend who recently had to attend a Microsoft CRM seminar. Working in account management in their company, the Microsoft CRM seminar was needed to help them learn how to better use the systems they have in place in their office. The feedback that my friend gave me regarding the Microsoft CRM seminar was mixed. On the positive side, my friend said that she learned about several features at the Microsoft CRM seminar that she was not previously using and would certainly improvement her relationship with her customers. As well, the lessons at the Microsoft CRM seminar were taught in a manner that was easy to follow and understand. Most importantly, the Microsoft CRM seminar was able to show how these features could be used in almost any business to improve their existing operations.
The largest negative feedback was that the answers during the Q&A aspect of the Microsoft CRM seminar were not very good. After checking the details of the Microsoft CRM seminar, it turns out that it was not run by Microsoft employees. For this reason, they did not have the expertise required to properly answer all of the questions at the Microsoft CRM seminar. The speakers at the Microsoft CRM seminar were IT employees from a company that uses Microsoft CRM software and had an above average understanding of its capabilities. Looking back, my friend would still attend the Microsoft CRM seminar knowing what she knows now, but if she had the choice she would seek out a different seminar that was put on by Microsoft in order to be able to better tap into their expertise.
Posted by ben at 11:15 AM
Microsoft CRM Requirements
As Microsoft has become one of the most popular suppliers of CRM products, there has been a lot of discussion of Microsoft CRM requirements. Since Microsoft’s programs are used so widely, it has become a common expectation of customers to use it. However, this has raised some problems among companies that don’t already meet the Microsoft CRM requirements. Many companies have found themselves in a position where they have to adjust their existing computer systems and networks in order to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements. This will often come at a great costs to these businesses, but they still make the changes to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements so that they can meet the needs of their customers. Despite the high costs of these changes, they are necessary just to remain competitive in the marketplace.
The high costs of the changes to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements also raises the question if these requirements are too extensive. Microsoft is in a position where they must decide if their future CRM solutions should be more easily implemented in order to make it accessible to smaller companies that cannot currently afford to make the changes necessary to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements. I’m sure that this is something they have already considered, but as more and more customers come to expect this level of CRM, the market for small companies will increase. As this happens, the potential increase in revenue that Microsoft could gain will grow greatly. It remains to be seen if it will grow enough to result in a change in the Microsoft CRM requirements.
Posted by ben at 9:07 AM
August 28, 2005
Microsoft CRM Requirements
As Microsoft has become one of the most popular suppliers of CRM products, there has been a lot of discussion of Microsoft CRM requirements. Since Microsoft’s programs are used so widely, it has become a common expectation of customers to use it. However, this has raised some problems among companies that don’t already meet the Microsoft CRM requirements. Many companies have found themselves in a position where they have to adjust their existing computer systems and networks in order to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements. This will often come at a great costs to these businesses, but they still make the changes to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements so that they can meet the needs of their customers. Despite the high costs of these changes, they are necessary just to remain competitive in the marketplace.
The high costs of the changes to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements also raises the question if these requirements are too extensive. Microsoft is in a position where they must decide if their future CRM solutions should be more easily implemented in order to make it accessible to smaller companies that cannot currently afford to make the changes necessary to meet the Microsoft CRM requirements. I’m sure that this is something they have already considered, but as more and more customers come to expect this level of CRM, the market for small companies will increase. As this happens, the potential increase in revenue that Microsoft could gain will grow greatly. It remains to be seen if it will grow enough to result in a change in the Microsoft CRM requirements.
Posted by ben at 8:30 PM
August 12, 2005
CRM in San Diego
The city of San Diego has become one of the most technologically advanced cities in the US while remaining largely under the radar. CRM in San Diego has evolved to levels that are not likely to be found in most other parts of the country. CRM in San Diego has been adapting for several years to better meet the needs of their customers, and today you can find some of the most sophisticated CRM systems in the world there. CRM in San Diego has some features that you are not likely to find elsewhere. For instance, CRM in San Diego often has additional features relating to sales follow up procedures.
The reason that CRM in San Diego has developed faster than other parts of the country still remains a mystery. In today’s economy where information is shared around the globe in a matter of seconds, it seems like an anomaly that CRM in San Diego would be able to develop faster than elsewhere. Despite the confusion it has created, CRM in San Diego has experienced this rapid development and that cannot by denied by even the toughest critics. The next question is how long this advantage will last. While it is a surprise that CRM in San Diego is more advanced than elsewhere, it will be even more surprising if the rest of the world doesn’t catch up quickly. In addition to the ease that these skills can be transferred, the need for improved CRM is evident everywhere.
Posted by ben at 11:21 AM
August 2, 2005
CRM Applications
CRM applications have a tremendous amount of variation and uses. Finding the right CRM applications for your company can often be a difficult task. Your specific needs are constantly changing. It is hard enough finding CRM applications to meet your existing needs, let alone trying to predict your future needs from CRM applications. Because of this challenge, most companies will end up using CRM applications that are not perfectly suited to their business needs. Many people will view this mismatch as a tragedy where a company is wasting thousands of dollars on bad CRM applications. However, I do not believe this to be the case.
If your expectations are for perfection, then you will never be able to find it. Rather, you should be striving for continual improvement in your business, including in your CRM applications. If your company did not have any CRM applications and now they do, that is a sign of improvement, and something that your customers will notice and appreciate. The same is true if you upgrade your CRM applications to adapt to the changing needs of your customers. No one else will expect perfection from your company, but they will expect effort to do the best that you possibly can. To do so will require that you are showing that you are trying to improve and better meet their needs. Upgrading CRM applications to better manage your relationships with your customers will show this.
Posted by ben at 10:00 AM