A foundational leg of CRM in a  for-profit business is the retention of loyal and profitable customers.  But too many times the "Emotion" is left out and there is not a People First CRM focus.

How a customer FEELS about an interaction is the most significant driver of Customer Loyalty.

Why Are We Talking About Emotion?

Temkin Group has labeled 2016 “The Year of Emotion.” Their research shows that out of the three components of customer experience, emotion has the most significant impact on loyalty, yet it is also the component that companies are the least adept at handling and often seem to ignore it entirely

Knowing people and company associations will improve your productivity in the use of CRM and accelerate business relationship development.   An overall goal our clients will mention is the need to identify relationships amoung the people and company accounts they do business with.  They need to manage the entire relationship with customers and strategic partners. They need to track this relationship information and have it handy for conversation planning. 

Previously in this series of 12 Tips to be more Effective using Infor CRM we have delved into:

1. Setting up your default options to work the way you want to work. Do this once to make life easier.

2. Using Groups - segmenting all types of information into intelligent bit-sized, digestible pieces of information.

3. Using Filters - to more effectively use information from Groups in finding patterns or drilling into the details

4. The effective use of Activities - something you have scheduled but is not yet completed.

5. Living in Outook and using Xbar - manage CRM from Microsoft Outlook

hOk - so you are a small business owner of a $350,000 to $15,000,000 annual revenue business. There never seems to be enough time each day to get what you want to accomplish moved to DONE.

A December 2015 survey of business owners working with TAB - The Alternative Board indicate that 63% of then are working 50+ hours per week but they really only "want" to work 42 hours.  

Only 34% feel that they are working in that all important quadrant of Important and urgent.  73% would prefer to spend their time working ON the business as "owner' instead of working Inside the business like an employee. 

Previously in this series of 12 Tips to be more Effective using Infor CRM we have delved into:

1. Setting up your default options to work the way you want to work. Do this once to make life easier.

2. Using Groups - segmenting all types of information into intelligent bit-sized, digestible pieces of information.

3. Using Filters - to more effectively use information from Groups in finding patterns or drilling into the details

4. The effective use of Activities - something you have scheduled but is not yet completed.

Living in Outlook and Being Productive with CRM

This article focuses on the person who lives mostly in Microsoft Outlook and is productive there, but who's life is enhanced with the easy access to related company and contact insights, manages sales opportunities or handles service and support tickets.

Let's face it a large amount of workers time is still spent in Outlook. Wouldn't it be helpful if you could turn this unstructured email information into defined tasks, opportunities, accounts, new contacts, and more?  Likewise you have some new information from the email such as a mobile phone number or contact's title. Wouldn't it be sweet if you can easily take that information and update the contact directly and quickly - without opening up and finding the contact in your CRM?  These actions and much more has been possible for more than a year+ using the free Infor CRM Xbar.

Today all types of business are constantly using more and more from their wireless service.  Studies indicate that there is a 14.6% increase in productivity when selling organizations add mobile access to CRM

Cell phones, mobile tablets and laptops from field sales team members are sucking up wireless bandwidth, and at an increasing cost.  This cost should be reviewed at least semi-annually since plans are always changing.

The following tips help with managing the wireless cost from our friends at Abilita:

Cellular phones and data devices are wonderful tools to increase employee productivity – helping employees stay in touch and keep connected. Wireless spending is a growing expense category for many businesses.  Yet, as the device mix and usage patterns are change along with cellular provider plan changes, wireless is also one of the more difficult areas to exercise effective cost management.

Contract Negotiation – Make sure that your corporate cellular plans are up to date for the best pricing as well as the best plan mix for your voice and data devices.  If you have not reviewed your corporate pricing and contract within the past 18 months, then you are likely missing opportunities to reduce costs. In rare circumstances, companies may be on an older grandfathered plan which is less expensive.

Process work that helps People

Many times we may not be aware of the full potential benefits of identifying and fixing failing business processes. Once failing business processes are identified and fixed, the level of personal interactions will increase both in quality and quantity.  We have less to worry about because there are clearly defined background processes working behind the scenes.   That reduction of worry, headaches of doing stuff that really can be automated, makes your day more enjoyable and engaging, while additionally improving the value of your CRM knowledgebase.

When I'm collaborating with entrepreneurs and executive management, we'll get to discuss the business benefits that matter most to them when deciding upon and then implementing a Customer Relationship and Management system.  The following are 7 key benefits that will be discussed.

1.  Build loyal relationships by maximizing the effectiveness of every person's interaction.

We all know that successful business revolves around the depth and breadth of the relationships we have with prospects, customers, clients, partners, vendors, employees, etc.  CRM provides the one trusted source where your company's domain knowledge about people and companies resides.  Consider the added advantages of knowing more about these types of people relationships and turn that into actionable information.

Understand more about the 60% importance of People in a well-used CRM system.

Provide a Flexible Alternative to Purchasing ACT Software

Choosing a Contact Management solution is about more than just software.  It’s about finding a product and a partner that fit your needs, and your business.  Finding that right fit can be a project in itself.  

Issue #1: I started my own firm and have used ACT for many years. My assistant needs to be able to access the database and I might possibly want other employees / partner to access in the future. What is the best solution for me now and to grow with?

Issue #2: We are currently running ACT 2011 and have upgraded our Outlook to 2014, thus losing our integration.  Soon we will be upgrading our PC's to Windows 2010.  I'm not in a position to buy the ACT upgrade software licenses as a 'Capital Purchase',  I guess we'll just have to keep doing what we have been doing? Isn't there a better solution for my business?

Issue #3: We need various methosds to work. I want to access my calendar and ACT database information from my PC, iPhone or from anyone else's PC at anytime.

Previously in this series of 12 Tips to be more Effective using Infor CRM we have delved into:

1. Setting up your default options to work the way you want to work. Do this once to make life easier.

2. Using Groups - segmenting all types of information into intelligent bit-sized, digestible pieces of information.

3. Using Filters - to more effectively use information from Groups in finding patterns or drilling into the details

4. This article relates to the effective use of Activities - something you have scheduled but is not yet completed.

Learn how to create more "valuable" scheduled activities and then process through lists of scheduled work that is most important....

Activities include placing phone calls, attending meetings and completing to-dos such as sending correspondence or preparing presentations. Activities are generally scheduled for a specific time. Timeless activities are scheduled to occur on a selected day, but at no particular time. When you schedule an activity, it displays on the Calendar and Activities view, and in the Activities tabs on some detail views. Completed activities become history items.