Often Julie and I hear prospective clients ask about how a contact management system like ACT! or HubSpot CRM Sales or a full Customer relationship management system like Infor CRM (formerly Saleslogix) can benefit their business. 

Of course, this can become an interesting conversation and the benefits discussed will be focused on one or more of the following:

1. To build profitable relationships by maximizing the effectiveness of customer interactions.

(R)elationships are the core, central element of a successful business.  Having a business strategy that focuses on enhancing those relationships between people and having a Business Development CRM system to maximize its effectiveness is a big benefit.

Conversations are much richer if the content of your message is using intelligence and insight from notes, history and metrics within your CRM.  The speed of trust is increased when you remember what is important to them, know their interests and can respond quickly to their questions - greatly helped by your accessible mobile CRM.

Today's CRM solutions enable a 360-degree customer view.  Help your CRM expand its power - beyond sales and marketing departments - to its full potential it will help you build longer, more profitable customer relationships.

 Do forget to consider the multiple types of relationships CRM can be used to enhance.

The customer's experience in contacting your business, communicating with sales and service professionals and getting their concerns addressed is paramount in long-term business success. Think about the best and worst experiences you have had as a customer.....  If the customer service you received was positive I bet you felt more inclined to recommend the business and return for additional purchases.

2. To access vital customer information anytime, anywhere - even while disconnected.

There is a continued need for quick access to valuable information that is found in those related conversations, emails, historical notes and past sales history. The information needs to be accessible whether you are using your laptop or mobile phone. The information on those devices needs to be able to be linked to the main company database so updates are dynamic to and from the smart phone or tablet.  

Mobile CRM is designed to put detailed prospect and customer information at your fingertips and to enable you to perform key actions quickly wherever you are.  Learn 7 helpful ways mobile CRM makes a difference in your business.

3. To fill the sales pipeline with qualified leads that brings in consistent revenue.

Your marketing campaigns need to provide qualified leads, so the time with a prospect is optimized for the sales professional and the prospect.   Additionally, each email contact should provide feedback on who is opening, who is reading and what each reader is most interested in.  eMarketing integration with the CRM system helps to qualify leads.   Auto creation of a Call list helps to focus the sales professional on those hot prospects. 

The sales cycle if full of unknowns. We can clear up a few things for you.

One of the helpful and smart features of InboxGuru marketing automation system with Infor CRM is the "Daily Report Alert" that each person gets in their Inbox for the prior day's sent emails. This includes:

• Number of the emails opened compared the number of emails sent to be tracked
• Number of the embedded links what were clicked from within the email, such as a link to your web site product page.
• Number of the number of PDFs viewed that were attached to the tracked emails sent out.   This can help to determine if that important proposal was viewed.
• Number of YouTube videos viewed.
• Number of web pages viewed on your web site.

4. To identify new opportunities, analyze performance and business metrics, and diagnose potential issues.

A business owner and sales management require a handle on where future business is to come from.  Opportunity management provides the ability to understand the scope of future revenue and determine where sales coaching or additional focus needs to be directed.

Additionally, understanding what potential recurring service and support issues are being reported will help a business to be much more proactive instead of reactive to business activity.

Visualize progress with personalized decision dashboards.

5. To tailor the system and match your business process and user preferences.

While every business has common goals and challenges, we find that our clients will have a different set of critical business processes, terminology and 'tweaks' they find beneficial. 

Both the Swiftpage ACT! contact management and Infor (Saleslogix) CRM solutions provide the ability to tailor the system in various ways to enhance the users' productivity and the specific information they want to track.

You can gain even more efficiency by using a sales process specific to your customers' buying process and work flow management with tools such as "Smart Tasks" in ACT!.

When there is more need for work flow automation, alerting, or data synchronization - BPM (business process management) tools can be easily applied.  Frustrations are removed, productivity increases and more useful work gets done.

6. To integrate with other business management solutions, desktop applications, and web services - for that complete, holistic view.

Nearly all companies seem to use some version of the Microsoft Office productivity suite and your CRM system needs to have integration with ACT + Outlook email or Infor CRM + Outlook.  Information is easily exported to Excel spreadsheets for further analysis, and Microsoft Word is used for templates and correspondence.

Most everyone is working in their Microsoft Outlook, so they need direct access to the related contact and company information for each Inbox email. Sales reps need tools inside their Outlook. Today with Infor CRM XBar you can quickly turn unstructured email information into defined tasks, opportunities, leads, account and intelligent conversations. CRM users enjoy the ability to update existing CRM contact and related information directly from within Outlook.

Accounting Integrations:

Additionally, links to accounting systems like Infor ERP's (Syteline, Distribution, Visual), Sage MAS 90/200/500 or even QuickBooks/Sage 50 are a core requirement we find from our clients.

The continuing trend for more access to other web services such as email marketing, surveys, social media interest, etc. provide another beneficial level of knowledge and communications with prospects and customers.

7. Having a Business Partner who provides professional services in the design, implementation, training and support.

This is where a professional services firm like ours, with both the entrepreneurial experiences of business drivers and the skills in the specific CRM application, can provide valuable assistance.

Providing insights into what works and the best practices in the use of CRM system is part of our knowledge transfer to your business and gaining greater success with CRM.

We enjoy working with business owners, entrepreneurial minded people and those looking to become more excellent. Several of their comments are testimonials for reasons to believe.

Next Positive Step:

For a valuable, no commitment conversation with Dick or Julie to discuss improvement options for your business with CRM call us: 269-445-3001 or click on the following:

 What key benefit is most important to your business success?

Related resources:

More articles on Business Relationship Development or Business Intelligence.

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