Fixing the flaws of CRMs

There has been considerable hype on CRM solutions, the
productivity, the information, the improved customer
relationships, you name it. But everything has its
flaws, and the seemingly perfect philosophy has its
own too, both psychologically and financially.

Repetitive, menial work

Its hard work to populate a database; and it doesn’t
help if you imagine the number of hours people have to
type in the initial content of the database. It has
been said that doing this menial task can take up from
a few weeks to a good number of months, ouch.

This will slow down the whole system of the
organization, given the stress interns receive and the
panic managers have to go through because of the
urgency of the data. In order to solve this recurring
problem, a simple but marginally costly measure must
be made: hire temporary workers.

There is always a small pool in the market that is
dire need of a job. They don’t mind if it pays to
little, as long as it puts money in the pocket. Those
are the people companies must target so as the core
group of people in the company doesn’t get unnecessary
stress.

Design has a purpose You’re not blind; you’ve read the
subheading right: design does have a purpose in
company efficiency and it’s premised on basic
convenience. A well-designed data template must be in
store in company databases; there are a lot of
templates from the CRM systems but it may also
complicate things.

A good advice is to search through the net for
consumer reports and simply pick the recommended one,
preferably the one with sleek pull down menus and with
icons that truly represent what they mean. You have to
love the internet, no?

Less is more Sometimes, too much information is in the
CRM system, and it simply frustrates users to find the
information that they want. But then if there is too
less information, no progress shall be made.

What should be done to solve this problem? The answer
is good segmentation. The team must know how to
organize everything and keep information as
conversational and concise as possible.

There is no need of often-misleading jargon
reminiscent of audit reports. This is a section of the
business where the "KISS rule" applies; and for the
sake of efficiency and less headaches, be organized
and inputs should be as casual as possible.

Attention to detail Too many companies trust CRM
software too much and they wonder why their firm is
underperforming compared to competitors. The problem
in this case lies not on CRM software; it is the
complacency of managers.

Yes, consumer tastes can be effectively monitored, but
loyalty cannot be built with that. It still comes down
to each sales clerk in the business and how they talk
and look to customers.

The company’s image is practically in their hands as
they are the first people customers see. Not only
should managers pay attention to detail in their
database, they also shouldn’t forget a basic rule:
their personnel speak for the company.

Conclusion With all the hoopla surrounding the
business world about CRM solutions, it is natural that
some companies get complacent and virtually put their
companies on the information CRM applications provide.

Don’t get into that pitfall, thinking that it
"automatically" provides answers to marketing
questions. The heart of the company is always in the
people that handle it; it’s neither on the facilities
nor on the technology. Read More......

The Unintended Sincerity of SugarCRM

Nowadays, proprietary software has become "bloatware":
software that has too many features and as an added
consequence, the computer will run slower. These kinds
of inconveniences stem from the seller’s assumption
that consumers usually go to the "heavy" applications
in their software needs. Furthermore, the immense
marketing that sellers usually do is a testament that
these companies care more about their profits and
development more than yours. Ironically, it seems that
they try to improve your business model so that theirs
will too.

At the end of the day, what CRM software does
everything such applications should and also come off
as lightweight, quick and efficient?

Enter SugarCRM: not only is it a cost-effective
alternative to expensive CRMs that corporations sell,
it has also proven itself to a respectable CRM
application is inconceivably free of charge. That’s
because no one owns the software, since it is
open-source.

The advantages of open-source software

The wonderful mix of words "open source" and "CRM
software" benefits executives, both from high-scale
corporations to small-time businesses is that they can
customize it to their needs. An example of an
open-source application is the web browser, Mozilla
Firefox. As one may observe, he/she may put add-ons to
the application, trying to add a certain
characteristic to it, making it more suited to the
user: there’s the no-script add-on for
security-conscious users and adblock for those who
dislike certain advertisements that eat up RAM. This
is the type of personalization every open-source
software, including SugarCRM, that makes it
lightweight yet versatile.

Another feature is the availability of the source
code. Each user of the software has an opportunity to
fix annoying bugs and errors that may still be present
in the application. So to speak, with the reach of the
web and the success of open-source applications, it
may be safe to declare that SugarCRM has actually a
lot of "testers", contributing to the safety,
reliability and quality of the product.

Lastly is the software’s longevity. There is no single
entity on which the future of the software depends,
which is common with proprietary products/software.
Usually, a company relies on a software manufacturer
that improves upon the application. If the
manufacturer closes shop, then the future of the
program is stymied and future versions are definitely
out of sight. The thing about open-source is that no
single entity creates the software, so its development
is sure to ensue. But in the rare case that the
started the code decides to stop development, there is
always another software group fixing things up for
consumers, and it is without neither legal nor
practical limitations.

Lighter and faster than any other CRM

By the time you download the free CRM software, it is
incredibly lightweight (around 40MB) compared to other
CRMs like Microsoft Dynamics (280MB). But basically,
you are provided with a "software skeleton": you have
the absolute basics of the application and you have
options to download more in the internet, which makes
it fit to the downloading corporation’s system. Also,
obviously, when a program has lesser size, it is
faster; in the end, productivity will increase over
time. Compared to Microsoft Dynamics in
mid-performance servers and computers, SugarCRM
flutters towards its goal while MS Dynamics CRM labors
towards its goal.

Conclusion

Consumers have to deal with endless marketing pitches
and disappointing results from many corporations who
currently sell software, especially CRM applications.
But with the advent SugarCRM, the best open-source CRM
software available, customers are assured of a
lightweight and secure application because of its
open-source underpinnings. Read More......

The Role Of Customer Facing Operations With CRM

Customer relationship management is a strategy
focusing on the customer making their experience
excellent with the business.

The customer facing operations aspect of CRM is vital
because these are the individuals the customers have
direct contact with.

People can be the customer facing operations portion
and provide the experience the company desires when
they work in positions as customer service, sales, or
any position that has direct contact with.

When you have direct contact with a customer and you
are polite and courteous then you are creating a good
experience for them and it makes them want to come
back. This includes answering any questions the
customer might have and if you don’t know the answer
then finding someone who does.

When you are rude or discourteous to a customer then
you are creating a bad experience and potentially
losing a customer for life.

Computer systems and other forms of technology might
be the responsible for CRM also. This might include
data terminals in a book store you use to look up
books, public computers at a library, or the wireless
access you would like to use in your bedroom.

If the equipment you offer to a customer for use
doesn’t work then this too is creating a bad
experience which may also cause you to lose a
customer. Especially, if you offer wireless Internet
in a hotel room and it is not working.

This is because many people will stay at your hotel
because they need to be able to get work done while
they are traveling. You will lose them as a customer
if your equipment isn’t functional.

CRM is a strategy that focuses on every aspect of the
business to create an outstanding experience for your
customers.

The customer facing operations is the portion of the
business that has the most contact with the customer.
Read More......

The Power of CRM 2.0

The voice of the common man has been amplified tenfold
with the advent of Web 2.0, as seen when people gain
fame and recognition due to their contributions in
blogs, wikis, forums and podcasts. It seems as if
every opinion is heard and each word that they say
count. With the massive amount of users surfing
through the internet and with some people needing
advertisements in their webpages for income, this has
become a wonderful opportunity for companies to tap
into this potential oil rig of prospective customers.

Since companies are taking great efforts to reach out
to consumers in the internet, software publishers have
announced the arrival of the modern CRM: CRM 2.0.
Along with the basic tools of CRM applications, Web
2.0 technologies are integrated into these programs,
allowing businesses to keep track of the likes and
buying patterns of online customers/ shoppers. This
also gives leeway for marketers to present their
products more forcefully and convincingly without the
need of an expensive marketing research team for
information...CRM 2.0 can do the job perfectly.

Collaborative leanings

The main feature and driving force of CRM 2.0 is that
it’s inherently collaborative, putting the business
and consumer on the same page for the benefit of both.
With also the versatility of CRM software, marketers
and PR agents can truly engage the consumer across
multiple points. The assurance of the client’s
attention is guaranteed given that he/she has visited
a specialized site (e.g sports site) that is in
accordance with the target market of the business (in
the previous example, Nike is the perfect company to
reach out in that site).

Also, given human nature’s tendency to believe in the
testimonials of peers rather than repetitive marketing
pitches, the presence of blogs and podcasts create an
opportunity for companies to find legitimate models to
talk about their products, and spread the benefits of
their products to the market. This then encourages a
two-way exchange of communication where firms can hear
about the good and bad side of their products, giving
them inexpensive access about consumer concerns, which
will in turn help the company’s business strategy.

Lower costs

With the internet having more and more surfers every
year, this gives companies potentially more knowledge
about the market and also giving less value to those
expensive research firms, which implicitly benefits
big companies and handicaps small ones. Such is the
reach of Web 2.0, and it is necessary that
entrepreneurs be aware of its massive reach, which has
insight on literally billions of voices from around
the world.

Monitoring costs are also slashed and advertising too,
since the latter can be done in single click in a
consumer reports website and the latter’s cost is
based on the frequency of clicks on the company’s
banner. In the end, the company is getting closer to
that sweet dot in the profit maximization graph.

Lend an ear

Communications is developing at a staggering rate. Two
decades ago, text messaging and picture messages are
unheard of. Today, online video conferences can be
done and every internet surfer has an unsaid
opportunity to be a journalist or be a plain concerned
consumer, warning people of the boons and banes of
products. Either way, it benefits companies greatly.
And with the help of the organizational prowess of CRM
2.0 applications, managers and entrepreneurs should
lend an ear for millions speak their mind behind the
monitor. Read More......

The Executive, Consumer and CRM

In today’s information age, the typical consumer is
continually getting lost and confused in the sea of
random facts, news and reviews; which are just a click
away in the information superhighway that is the
Internet. The declining stock value of "clogged" Web
sites such as Yahoo.com proves this, as surfers are
slowly averting their eyes from these kind of sites
and subsequently go to more specialized (and therefore
credible) ones that truly cater to their needs:
ESPN.com for the sports buff and BBC.co.uk for the
current events-savvy businessman.

These are the types of things that any Marketing
Department of an enterprise should jot down on their
databases whenever they’re trying to reach out to
their target market; and this proves the growing
importance of Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
in today’s information-clogged era.

Approach

The approach of CRM utilizes every facet of the
organization; and each of those groups go hand-in-hand
in order to achieve what the enterprise is meant to do
in the first place: please customers, which, in turn,
cultivates brand loyalty, leading to a gradual
increase in profit.

The core departments for the building
corporate-consumer relationships are the Internals and
Marketing Department as they direct the mechanisms and
paint the image of the company, respectively. The
former, for instance, guides the whole enterprise by
creating policies and safety nets in accordance to the
company’s philosophy. The latter on the other hand,
identifies their target market and will find ways to
cater to their needs.

These lay the background for the other departments,
who see to it that the complex machinery that is the
corporation gets what it wants with the greatest
efficiency (Human Resources) and with a clean and
respectable image to boot (Public Relations).

Delivery

But given all this massive information about consumer
wants, performance ratings, cost-efficiency ratio and
tons more, how does a company streamline all this to
make the information as convenient for the Brand
Manager as it is for the Marketing Analyst? CRM
software: technology gives enterprises, big or small,
a chance to gobble up all the statistics and facts
that hound them and present it in a clear and
simplified manner.

Products such as the web based Infusionsoft and
outlook based ProphetCRM offer entrepreneurs and
managers alike different features and conveniences
atop of the standard contact and referral tracking
management options. So to speak, there are specific
CRMs that cater to small and medium enterprises (SMEs)
and also to the heavyweights of the corporate world.

The growing need for consumer-centric strategies

In this rapidly globalizing world, where trade borders
are gone and the once daunting walls that are tariffs
eroded, companies, old and new, are jostling to be on
the top spot in their respective industries. This is a
time where one needs to know more than the other with
regards to consumer desires simply to survive the
corporate wolves’ den.

Information is the key: not only do they have to
recognize their primary and secondary target markets,
they have to "be them": they have to engross
themselves into their customer’s culture, empathizing
with their feelings about products and correcting
themselves whenever they hear complaints about the
company’s shortcomings and faults. What better way to
be figuratively a part of them by the means of
observance of sales tracking, surveys, employee
relations, service reconstructing and the like? That’s
the beauty of CRM and technology, hand in hand.
Read More......