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Sage SalesLogix
NEWSLETTER
Volume 5 Issue 1, January 2007
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Sage SalesLogix has been recognized
by VARBusiness Magazine
for outstanding achievement in
technology innovation and was
named a winner in the enterprise
software category of the
publication's Tech Innovators
award competition. Sage Sales-
Logix was among nearly 700 entries
submitted in 14 technology
categories. |
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How To Make Sure Your Sales Team Uses
(And Loves) Your CRM Solution
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| Give your sales team a CRM solution
that makes their job easier and makes
your company more successful. |
Satisfied customers make the difference between
the success and failure of any business.
Your company's salespeople play
a large part in creating satisfied customers. To
improve customer satisfaction and drive sales
productivity, your company may have invested
in - or is considering investing in - customer
relationship management (CRM) strategies
and technology. However, for
a CRM solution to be effective
it must be used.
When CRM makes an individual's
job easier, and rewards
them through increased
sales and customer satisfaction,
employee adoption rates
soar. When CRM adoption
rates are low, it is often because
the company neglected
to involve salespeople in the
process. Failure to consider
how salespeople currently
work, and how CRM can streamline that work,
can undermine the best intentions. In this article,
we focus on some of the things you should consider,
both as you shop for and as you implement
a CRM solution for your company.
More Than A Sales Management Tool
Initiated from the sales management perspective,
CRM is commonly aimed at improving the
efficiencies of sales management. That means
features like solid forecasting and pipeline management
are paramount. Once the management
features are outlined, the CIO may be engaged to
make a final technology decision. Often salespeople
are left out of the decision-making process.
Of course Sales forecasting and pipeline reporting
are important, as is the technology platform
you choose. However, the real value of
CRM comes in its ability to drive sales and increase
customer satisfaction, which begins with
your salespeople.
Tools to assist the sales
team on a daily basis are included
in every CRM software,
but the tools often
force salespeople to change
their work habits to match
the way the software works.
This has little to do with creating
strong customer relationships
and often puts a
burden on salespeople to enter
in more data so managers
can generate business reports.
Although productivity is the
goal, it is hardly productive for the salespeople
who may carelessly enter the information just to
make their managers happy. As a result, the information
you base your corporate decisions on
could be incomplete or wrong.
Focus On Sales Productivity
Managing sales forecasts is important and your
CRM solution should perform that function
well. However, CRM must also must increase
sales productivity, leading to increases in sales
and higher levels of customer satisfaction. To
make that happen, your salespeople must use it with enthusiasm. And their adoption hinges on
a CRM system that delivers a sales productivity
benefit without more work.
More features do not necessary make a better
CRM solution. What features and functionality
are needed and what will get used? These
answers are far more important than the total
number of functions in an application. Useless
or little used functions increase the price and
complexity of the application and reduce the
viability of the CRM project. Sadly, the number
of functions is often positioned as the signature
value for CRM applications.
Salespeople Shouldn't Have To Think
About Technology
Few salespeople have time for the training it
takes to become an expert on the dozens of features
a major software application offers. Further,
the more training time involved, the less
time they have to sell.
An intuitive and appropriate interface for
the salesperson is perhaps the most underestimated
aspect to a technology decision. While
the IT department may research the technical
benefits, end users are often overlooked. A
salesperson should be able to quickly begin using
the sales tools with very little training. They
should be able to relate the new software to the
old tasks they were doing and see how a CRM
solution can reduce their administrative work.
Often the most comfortable interface
comes from using the tools already in use each
day. E-mail, word processing, and a contact
management database are already being used to
keep busy salespeople in touch with their customers.
Invest in a CRM solution that expands
on the power of these familiar tools. For example,
most businesses rely on Microsoft Outlook.
Does your CRM system interface with
Outlook? Can salespeople send messages from
within Outlook while still preserving that customer
history in the CRM system?
For many salespeople, a Smartphone or
BlackBerry is often their lifeline to the company.
Without an interface to your CRM system,
customer communication that occurs on
these devices is lost.
A valuable CRM system brings these tools
together into a single working environment that
the salesperson can depend on every day. No
more searching through sent e-mail to recycle
that three-month-old word processed proposal;
a few clicks should generate a new proposal, tailored
for this customer, that they can edit and
send in e-mail easily. And no more "I'll get back
to you" when they can get critical sales information
on their handheld device in real time.
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| Give your customer-facing staff the tools they
need to provide excellent customer service. |
Customer Communication Is Key
Of course, no one buys CRM just to make a
salesperson's life easier - it must deliver on
the promise of increased customer satisfaction.
And customer satisfaction relies on good communication
with your customers.
When speaking with a customer, it is critical
to have both accurate and timely access to
customer and product information - basic
customer history and notes, product inventory
in the regional warehouse, product pricing, invoice
and order history, and credit status of the
customer, among others. Access to this information
must be transparent to the salesperson
and be provided more quickly than a phone call
to their inside sales representative or sales support
team. This seamless integration is critical
to improving salesperson effectiveness because
the less time a salesperson has to wait for answers,
the more time they have to sell.
Equally important is enabling a customer
service or inside sale representative to have access
to past customer communications. A CRM
system that automatically tracks interactions
with customers assists the entire organization.
Fit CRM To The User
Since software is easier to change than your
business, your CRM system must adapt to the
needs of your company and your salespeople.
It should enforce and reinforce your particular
business procedures. It must relate the information
to the salesperson in the terminology they
expect. It must evolve and change with your
business. If the system is perceived to be inaccurate
or outdated in any way, salespeople will lose
faith and return to old habits and methods.
While it is important to have defined business
processes that your CRM solution can support,
flexibility is crucial to winning over users.
A salesperson should be able to create their own
lists or groups of customers and prospects, they
should be able to personalize their sales letters
for customers, and even choose to skip a step
or two in their sales process to meet real-world
needs. They will reject a rigid CRM system that
enforces its own idea of efficiency and strict
process.
An effective CRM application must provide
all of these features and functions in both a
connected or mobile environment with Smartphones,
PDAs, BlackBerrys, tablet PCs, and laptops.
While on a plane, at the customer site, or
even at the hotel in the evening, mobile salespeople
are frequently disconnected from the office
and the Web. During these times they often
need access to customer information to be
productive.
What's In It For Your Salespeople
This needs to be a deciding question as you
evaluate CRM options. By delivering a comfortable
tool that your salespeople find value in, you
will have a CRM system that they actually use.
The result will be more satisfied customers and
increased sales, as well as the management tools
that you need to grow your business. We would
be pleased to help you evaluate CRM Solutions
to see if Sage SalesLogix meets your company's
(and your salespeople's) needs. |
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| The Business Value Behind Alerts and E-mail Response |
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Alert and E-mail Response are popular features
in many CRM solutions. But features
don't solve business problems unless you
turn them into solutions. In this article we take
a look at Alerts and E-mail response and how
these features, both available for Sage Sales-
Logix, can solve real-world business problems.
Alerts
No one doubts that being kept informed is a
good thing. But often times when we refer to
alerts, we're taking about routine tap-on-theshoulder
alerts - reminders such as "this activity
is overdue", or "this opportunity was just
closed". If we broaden the definition of alerts to
mean any information that improves productivity,
business awareness, or customer loyalty,
the potential uses - and corresponding benefits
- increase dramatically.
Sage KnowledgeSync adds the Alert capability
to Sage SalesLogix. With this product, you
can set up alerts to delve into more significant
and even abstract business conditions, such as
identifying a prospect not contacted within
the last 7 days, or notifying a sales representative
when a client changes their buying habits.
You could configure an Alert that informs
a manager when a sales representative changes
the forecasted close date of a pending sale, or
one that identifies a new opportunity for a client
who is on credit hold status within your accounting
application.
These kind of alerts provide real value, notifying
you of events and conditions of which
you might otherwise remain unaware. However,
an alert's value is not simply based on detection.
The content of an alert, and the delivery
of that content to the right person and right
device are also critical. For example, most people
assume that alerts refer to an e-mail message
- but is e-mail always the best option?
There are three primary components of an
alert system: detection, content, and delivery.
Detection
Technologies like Sage KnowledgeSync begin
with Detection - looking for a trend, a change,
or simply an exception to a business rule.
Content
Whether it's a one-line reminder, standard
forms or documents, or even analytical reports,
the content of your alert should provide the information
you need to react quickly.
Delivery
Delivery is no longer limited to e-mail; FAX,
pager, PDA, screen pop, and Web browser are
all viable delivery devices.
E-mail Response
Exactly what is E-mail Response? Many people
assume that it is simply the ability to autoreply
to incoming e-mail messages. Nearly every
e-mail system available already does this, so
where's the business value?
To understand the value of E-mail Response,
we must expand our definition of the
term. E-mail Response can take an incoming
e-mail message, determine who it's from, and
forward it on to the appropriate account manager
for action. E-mail Response can deliver
information, documents, and reports to people
who request such items from a Web form.
And E-mail Response is an integration bridge,
allowing data from an incoming e-mail message
to be added to records within an application
database.
Like alerting, there are three main components
of E-mail Response: Detection, Matching,
and Action.
Detection
An E-mail Response System, or ERS, as it is
called in Sage KnowledgeSync, intelligently interrogates
incoming e-mail. And not just the
sender's address, either - the subject, the body,
attachments - all contain valuable information
that the E-mail Response system must detect
and review.
Matching
Unlike regular e-mail functionality, E-mail Response
matches incoming messages against
contacts in your Sage SalesLogix database.
Executing Actions
Lastly, E-mail Response executes Actions.
E-mail messages from clients, prospects, or
partners are actionable items - someone
needs to do something in response to them.
An E-mail Response system takes action in response
to received messages.
Detection, Matching, and Action. Consider
this: if your company has generic e-mail
addresses, such as info@your_company.com,
sales@your_company.com, or support@your_
company.com, an E-mail Response technology
will monitor messages sent to these accounts,
match them to Sage SalesLogix contact records,
trigger alerts to the account managers, update
a contact's history with the e-mail details, and
schedule a follow-up activity in Sage Sales-
Logix. Now that's a real business benefit.
Don't let yourself be limited by pre-conceived
notions of what Alerts and E-mail
Response functions represent. The simple
things like reminders and auto-routing are nice,
but the real value behind Alerts and E-mail Response
as provided by Sage KnowledgeSync
lies in their ability to automate processes previously
done manually, improve client communication,
and provide timely insight into business
activities.
Call us for more information on how you
can put Sage KnowledgeSync Alerts and E-mail
Response to work within your company. |
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| Tips & Tricks |
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Split View Minimizes Toggling
Did you know that you can see both the List
View and Detail View simultaneously? It's great
if you find yourself toggling back and forth
all the time. This works for Sage SalesLogix
Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, Tickets,
and Campaigns. Here's how:
Start in Detail View; On the View Menu,
choose Split View.
Click on any record in the List View panel,
and you'll jump immediately to that record
in the Detail view.
If you move to a different
group, the List View will adjust accordingly.
To turn Split View off, return to the View
Menu, choose Split View. Keyboard shortcut:
Ctrl+F8. |
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Spotlight On
Sage SalesLogix
Effective E-mail Marketing |
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E-mail marketing is as popular as it is for one simple reason - when done correctly,
it works. How can you beat the SPAM filters? How can you ensure your message
rises to the top of the in-box and gets read? What are your prospects looking for in an
e-mail message? In this brief article we'll take a look at what you should keep in mind
as your company launches and refines its e-mail marketing campaigns.
Avoiding SPAM Filters
SPAM filters are becoming very smart. Here are a few tips to help ensure your message
makes it through.
Keep your subject line short and informative - no commas or exclamation
points.
Keep it personal - a message from bob@mycompany.com is more likely to get
through than one from info@mycompany.com.
Don't get too creative. Graphics are fine if they're relevant, but use them
sparingly.
Use a SPAM-checking service or software. It will scan your message and let you
know what the typical SPAM-filters may not like.
The best way to ensure your e-mail is delivered is by having your contacts whitelist
you by putting your address on their safe sender list as well as in
their e-mail address book. Include a simple line in every e-mail
you send that says, "Put bob@mycompany.com on your safe sender
list as well as adding it to your e-mail address book."
Beating The Competition
Most of us receive several, or several dozen, e-mail marketing messages
every day. How can you be sure your message gets read?
Only send to those who have opted in. These pre-screened recipients
have already expressed an interest in your product or service.
State your point. Make certain the purpose of your e-mail is clear,
and include it early in the message.
Add value. Include a special offer only available on line, for example.
Make It Count
Okay, so now you have the recipient's attention. You have only a small
window of time to keep that recipient interested enough to read your
message. Here are some tips to keep them reading.
Include a call to action. Your message must be compelling enough
to get the recipient to do something.
Be consistent. Messages from different individuals or departments
should have a common look and feel.
Use what you know. Do you know the recipients' age or gender?
Do you know what they purchased before? Use your knowledge to
target your message.
Exploit their interest. E-mail marketing solutions for Sage Sales-
Logix allow you to track click and open statistics. Someone who's
clicked on a particular link several times is worthy of a follow-up
phone call.
Send a survey. The best way to know what your customers and
prospects want is to ask them.
Keep It Legal
Spamming is more than annoying - it's illegal. Here's how to keep your
e-mail marketing legal.
Remember to include an unsubscribe link in your e-mail.
Be certain to include your company name and physical address in
the message.
Tell the truth. No false or deceptive subject lines.
Sage SalesLogix and available e-mail marketing tools allow you
to develop, send, review, and refine your company's e-mail marketing
campaigns. Please give us a call with any questions you may have about
increasing the effectiveness of your techniques. |
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© Copyright 2004-2010 Tango Marketing, LLC. www.tango-marketing.com All Rights Reserved. This newsletter and its content have been registered with
the United States Copyright Office. This content is licensed by Tango Marketing LLC and can be distributed by licensee until 07/31/2010 at which time the licensee must cease
distribution and use of this content unless permission in writing is obtained from Tango Marketing LLC. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is strictly prohibited.
The capabilities, system requirements and/or compatibility with third-party products described herein are subject to change without notice. Sage, the Sage logos, and the Sage product
and service names mentioned herein are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sage Software, Inc., or its affiliated entities. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective owners.
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