CRM Software Blog

Top 5 Success Factors For A CRM Implementation

2010-03-19T19:29:09Z

1. CRM is not a just software Since CRM plays an important role in corporate strategy, its crucial that you define what it is you hope to capture and report on within the system. Be sure to consider the state of your customer relationship, and consider its effect on all business units and end-users from the start. Considerations: -How will CRM support your corporate strategy? -Which departments or functional groups need to be involved in system design and who will use it? -Which processes will be...(read more)

5 More Reasons to Use Microsoft CRM

2010-03-19T02:30:03Z

Here are 5 reasons to use Microsoft Dynamics CRM : 1. Targets your marketing campaigns so you’re always in touch with the right customers . Today, it’s more important than ever that customers know about special offers and new services a business offers. Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a marketing automation module that simplifies the following tasks: Building customer and lead lists, developing marketing campaigns targeted at specific c customers, measuring the results of these campaigns, and developing...(read more)

Ten Tips To Ensure The Success Of Your Microsoft Dynamics CRM Project – Right From The Very Start (Part 1)

2010-03-18T20:05:06Z

Properly implemented, Microsoft CRM will deliver major benefits to your organisation. It will help you manage your marketing campaigns and lead management, help prevent losing customers to your competition, and help you identify new opportunities. It will make it easier for your sales people to sell, improve your customer service and case management, and generally improve a whole range of other business processes. And that’s just with the ‘standard’ CRM functionality. With the flexibility of Microsoft...(read more)

Knowledge Is Power – Top 8 CRM Resource Recommendations

2010-03-17T23:31:25Z

At Affiliated , many of our Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers are impressed to learn about some of the excellent and mostly free educational resources available on the web for users and administrators of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Whether you are just kicking the tires or you are a current user or administrator, it would be well worth your while to check out these resources: 1. Microsoft Dynamics CRM Resource Centers. Microsoft has created 2 excellent resources loaded with articles, tips, tricks, downloads...(read more)

Sales Pipeline: You Can’t Manage What You Don’t Measure

2010-03-17T23:23:13Z

That old management adage rings especially true when it comes to managing sales pipeline. We see it all the time but it still amazes me how some companies don’t have a unified process for tracking, measuring, and forecasting business opportunity. First off, I’m talking about companies with sales people governed by at least one level of sales management; by definition, the function of sales management implies you are measuring some level of sales performance. You will rarely hear a company say that...(read more)

How One Company Is Using The Microsoft Dynamics CRM Business Data Auditing Accelerator To Automate Its Approvals Processes

2010-03-17T23:10:44Z

Written by Dan Smith, Altico Advisors You can use the Microsoft Dynamics CRM Business Data Auditing Accelerator from Codeplex to audit changes in CRM data in any entity you choose, such as accounts, contacts, leads, or opportunities. The CRM accelerators themselves are extremely easy to download and install. Simply import the customization xml file from within CRM customization settings and select which entities you want to audit. The customization file builds an audit entity for the Microsoft Dynamics...(read more)

Webinar: “Tapping Into The Power Of Workflows In Microsoft Dynamics CRM”

2010-03-17T22:57:05Z

How connected is your company? Not to other sources, but to each other? The most productive organizations share information across teams, divisions—the whole company—to proactively manage data and automate business processes. Join us for this free, one-hour Webinar and see how Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM gives you these powerful workflow capabilities so that you can put your data to work more quickly and consistently across all your systems and lines of business. In this one-hour Webinar, you will learn...(read more)

The Importance Of Executive Sponsorship For ERP/CRM Deployments

2010-03-15T20:07:36Z

What is Executive Sponsorship? Executive Sponsorship is an individual or set of individuals with high level responsibility for the success of a project. They are responsible for making decisions relating to an organization’s direction, strategy, and financial commitments that cannot be determined by functional leads alone. For example, they would approve financial outlays for hardware, software and professional services , especially those relating to changing orders from the original project scope...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM – How Do We Get Our Users To Use It?

2010-03-14T06:25:32Z

This seems to be a question many customers ask about their newly implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution. There is no single magic answer to that question that fits all situations, but I hope to give a few ideas here to increase user adoption. Focus on features that give back to each user rather than just tracking activity of each user. A critical report, timely notification email or automated mail merge goes a long way towards demonstrating value to a user so that they see the value in keeping...(read more)

Tops Tips When Evaluating Software Vendors – It’s More Than Features/Functions

2010-03-11T22:12:01Z

JoeCRM here from PowerObjects – After giving some more thought to my previous post Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs. SalesForce.com Or Whoever…The Proof Is In The Partner , I think I need to say a little more – ok, a lot more. In the previous post I talked about a few areas that I think are important to look at when evaluating an implementation Partner, instead of focusing solely on the software publisher. I still maintain it is ultimately the Partner that will make or break your project, but with that...(read more)

SugarCRM vs. Microsoft Dynamics CRM: Which On-Premise Solution Provides The Most Value?

2010-03-10T22:23:04Z

Lately, I have been seeing more and more of SugarCRM in the marketplace. It makes sense. After all, when money is tight, many organizations look for the lowest upfront cost instead of the product with the greatest long-term ROI. It’s true that SugarCRM Professional and Enterprise have one of the lowest per user licenses costs of any on-premise CRM software solution for mid-market businesses, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM . I took a look at Microsoft Dynamics CRM and SugarCRM in a side-by-side...(read more)

Marketing Spend Continues To Shift Toward Digital Channels – Track It With Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2010-03-10T05:26:02Z

In 2010 social media, mobile marketing, email marketing, and search will see a 17 percent increase in marketing investment spending this year, as marketers move away from traditional channels and focus more on channels that have hard financial metrics. “ Marketing Budgets in 2010: Effectiveness, Measurement, and Allocation ,” a joint research study with Econsultancy and ExactTarget, surveyed over 1,000 marketers to discover where companies are focusing their marketing spend efforts and how they will...(read more)

Webcast: Manage Your Business Better With CRM/xRM

2010-03-09T20:18:34Z

Hi…Joe CRM here…interested in learning more about xRM (Anything Relationship Management)? Then you won’t want to miss our upcoming webinar on March 18 focused on Microsoft Dynamics xRM as a Microsoft development platform. It’s gaining traction in almost every major industry, especially in healthcare. While CRM is used by your sales, marketing, and customer service personnel, xRM is used by “any” team, where you can manage “any” relationship, and automate “any”...(read more)

Top 10 Reasons SMBs Need Customer Relationship Management

2010-03-09T04:29:33Z

CRM has always been the domain of big business. Until now… Managing customer relationships is key to current and future success. Unfortunately, as a business grows or as more salespeople are hired, customer relationships can suffer. After all, while you have more customers, you don’t have the detailed knowledge or understanding of each one like you did when you had fewer customers. Enter Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) , a solution designed to overcome customer relationship challenges...(read more)

Getting Started With Sales In Dynamics CRM

2010-03-09T04:21:45Z

This article will explore some of the basics of getting started and understanding the Sales features with Dynamics CRM. 1. Understanding customers means understanding the difference between leads, opportunities, accounts, and contacts Leads are potential customers. Opportunities are a potential deal with a lead or existing customer. Accounts represent companies that your organization does business with. Contacts are the people that make up an account. 2. Create your own personal views You’ve probably...(read more)

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, The ‘C’ In CRM Stands For…. Cat Relationship Management??!!!

2010-03-09T04:08:06Z

Here’s a quick question about CRM software . There’s a choice of answers to make it a bit easier. Question: If the letters ‘RM’ in ‘CRM’ stand for ‘Relationship Management’, what does the letter ‘C’ stand for? Please choose your answer from the following: a) Cat relationship management b) Commuter relationship management c) Citizen relationship management d) Company relationship management e) Corporate Relationship Management f) Customer Relationship Management g) All of the above And the answer...(read more)

Why Microsoft Dynamics CRM Beats Salesforce.com For Outlook To CRM Integration – Reason # 5, Different Interfaces For Different Situations

2010-03-04T22:58:26Z

Why Microsoft Dynamics CRM beats Salesforce.com for Outlook to CRM integration – Reason # 5, Different Interfaces for Different Situations In the first installment we discussed why it is so important for your CRM system to not only be integrated with Outlook but to be WELL integrated with Outlook. We also learned that I use both the Dynamics CRM client and the Salesforce.com client on a daily basis which puts me in a fairly unique position to be able to compare the effectiveness of each. Which brings...(read more)

How to Have Fun Using Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2010-03-03T17:21:05Z

Dynamics CRM is fun. That’s Right F U N! - Selling it, using it, customizing it and exploring all the possibilities! What is fun about selling Dynamics CRM? That answer is simple. Watching future users who have come into a demo with a preconceived notion of what a CRM has available from their days with other CRM packages and seeing them light up when the out of box functionality gives them what they truly need. The excitement that builds as users begin to understand Dynamics CRM capabilities and...(read more)

With So Many Different Options to Choose from to Make the Switch to Microsoft Dynamics CRM – What Are You Waiting For?

2010-03-03T17:19:46Z

This blog includes multiple great posts on the differences between Microsoft Dynamics CRM and competitors in the market place, such as Salesforce.com, Oracle On-Demand, etc. At the end of the day, one of the biggest advantages of Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the Microsoft platform that the solution is developed on . This allows organizations to take advantage of a familiar user interface and seamless integration with Microsoft Office products and more. With all the momentum Microsoft Dynamics CRM has...(read more)

Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs. SalesForce.com

2010-03-03T07:29:07Z

When it comes to sales force automation (SFA) and customer relationship management software (CRM), most offices will find the Microsoft Dynamics CRM a superior product to the SalesForce.com CRM. Why? Take a look below to understand why most offices will prefer Microsoft Dynamics over SalesForce. Microsoft Integration The vast majority of modern offices use Microsoft products already. For sales teams already accustomed to using Microsoft Outlook for email and scheduling, Microsoft Dynamics CRM integrates...(read more)

Keeping Your Customers Happy With Microsoft Dynamics CRM

2010-03-03T06:24:23Z

We all need to invest in different ways of identifying our best customers and making sure we are keeping up with their needs. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is able to provide you with the tools to do just that. Ask yourself these questions: What has changed for your customers? Find out which customers have requirements that are not being met. How can we change our pricing, products, and promotion to meet the new requirements and utilize available technology? This is a banner year for Microsoft with so many...(read more)

Why Microsoft Dynamics CRM Beats Salesforce.com For Outlook To CRM Integration – Reason # 4, Delay In Synching Items To Salesforce.com

2010-03-03T06:09:49Z

In the first installment we discussed why it is so important for your CRM system not only to be integrated with Outlook but to be WELL integrated with Outlook. We also learned that I use both the Dynamics CRM client and the Salesforce.com client on a daily basis which puts me in a fairly unique position to be able to compare the effectiveness of each. Which brings us to… Reason # 4 – Delay in synching items to Salesforce.com When I want to associate an Outlook Appointment, Contact, or Task to Salesforce...(read more)

XRM: The Evolution Of CRM

2010-03-03T06:01:54Z

Customer Relationship Management, or “CRM” as most people know it, is that dirty little acronym that loosely brands a wide array of software packages under the same, very large umbrella – just look at all the products profiled in CRM Magazine!! The watered down “CRM” category is comfortably applied to a wide range of business applications which can range from call center management software, to e-commerce storefronts, and even artificial intelligence packages that hone in on consumer buying...(read more)

Be Prepared To Serve Your Members In Times Of Crisis With Dynamics CRM

2010-03-03T05:50:35Z

Membership organizations have the opportunity and responsibility to keep the lines of communication with their members open through good times and bad. The way you communicate with your members during a crisis – whether a snowstorm or an earthquake – can build stronger connections or leave your members feeling left out in the cold. Can you quickly identify and reach out to members that may be affected by a catastrophe? Can you provide a conduit for members who want to help their fellows in need?...(read more)

Get Out Of The Cube…And Into Dynamics CRM!

2010-03-03T05:41:35Z

Many business professionals today have found that working outside of the traditional office is a requirement for the job. This can be for those workers lucky enough to be able to work from home as well as the seasoned road warrior who spends several days a week or month away from home base visiting clients. One of the biggest challenges these remotely located individuals always face is how to access their company’s network and stay up to date with their colleagues. Many solutions have been built...(read more)