What is CRM?

Posted by Commence on January 30, 2012 under CEO Corner | Be the First to Comment

The term CRM means different things to different people. In fact, if you ask ten people what is CRM  you will probably get ten different answers.  CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, but its roots date back more than almost two decades to what was then called Customer Interaction Software  or CIS.  Other than a name change, CRM and its purpose in the business community remains the same.  CRM is a business software solution that is used to automate the front office business processes that impact sales execution and customer service.  Its purpose is to manage the interaction between your sales and support personal and your customers.

Companies that engage in the evaluation and selection of CRM software are traditionally looking to achieve three business objectives:

1)       Data Consolidation – information is streaming into your business every day from the telephone, fax, e-mail and the web. What happens to this information is the problem. The objective of CRM software is to ensure that all of this information is consolidated into a single unified database where it is immediately accessible to those employees that need to it efficiently do their jobs.

2)      Improve Sales Execution – this starts with implementing a structured process for lead qualification and the efficient management of the sales cycle from introduction to closure.  Proper lead qualification ensures that your most valuable asset, i.e. your sales team, is focused on the most qualified business opportunities.   Proper management of the sales cycle using CRM software has helped management keep their eye on the most promising opportunities and has  been shown to improve close ratios and generate higher returns.

3)      Provide World-Class Customer Service – In today’s world where customer loyalty is only skin deep the difference between winning and retaining customers may have more to do with the quality of service you provide than it does your product.  CRM can ensure that all members of the organization have access to customer records and can respond quickly and professionally to customer inquiries.

The challenging economy coupled with a highly competitive market place has encouraged businesses of all sizes to seek a way to get a leg up on their competition.  CRM software has proven to be an effective tool for helping companies market, sell and provide service to their customers.

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CRM Not Delivering For Small Businesses

Posted by Commence on January 13, 2012 under CEO Corner | Be the First to Comment

Small businesses have been engaged in acquiring CRM software in record numbers and for good reason.  New cloud based CRM offerings coupled with low price points have encouraged small to mid-size businesses to join in on the success they have been hearing about for the past few years.  For many of these businesses however, success has not come easy.  In fact, there are a staggering number of failed implementations among SMBs and even the ones that get implemented often have very low utilization rates. The reason for this is simple and can easily be fixed if management begins to understand that you have to invest time, energy and money to be successful with CRM.

The problem lies in the fact that most businesses view CRM software as some sort of turn-key “out of the box solution” like an appliance that you plug-in the wall.  It’s not.  CRM is complicated and requires proper training and customization to address unique business requirements.  Part of the problem also comes from a failed CRM selection process whereby management has not taken the time to outline their business requirements.  As a result, they often select a solution based on popularity and price only to find out later that they made the wrong decision.

Small to mid-size businesses looking for help with the CRM selection process will find substantial value in the attached white paper, available from the link below.

Don’t Make a CRM Buying Mistake – 7 Points to Consider

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CRM Cloud Computing a Smart Choice for Small to Mid-Size Businesses

Posted by Commence on December 8, 2011 under CEO Corner | 2 Comments to Read

Hiring an on-site computer technician can be costly

The current economic uncertainty has forced many small to mid-size businesses to seek ways to reduce their operational cost. Many have downsized their operations and have had to reduce their staff.  One of the areas hardest hit is the IT department. Companies that once had technology people on staff no longer do and the local computer guy that could help out in a pinch is no longer in business.  These companies now find themselves working with dated computer hardware and software and nowhere to turn if problems occur.

Cloud computing seems to be just what the doctor ordered if you can come to grips with the fact that someone else will be managing and maintaining your data outside your facility.  CRM software programs that run in the cloud are web based, which means they operate over the Internet.  There are no specific hardware requirements and no software to install.  This alleviates the need to hire costly technicians or outside consultants.  The cloud has many other benefits as well. Typically, software updates are included in the monthly or annual service fee which ensures that you are always working with the latest supportable version of the vendor’s software.  The data center and hardware used by top tier hosting providers is also best in class and traditionally offers back-up and data recovery services that are far superior to anything the customer may have had on-site.  In addition, the systems are managed 24/7 by well-trained engineers.

One of the companies that is helping companies transition to the world of cloud computing and cloud based software is Commence Corporation, a provider of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software .  Commence, best known for their client server based desktop software, now offers CRM for the cloud and is helping both existing and new customers take advantage of the new cloud computing environment. To learn more about Commence CRM for the cloud, visit http://www.commence.com/crm/platform/

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CRM Hosting is Not All The Same

Posted by Commence on December 6, 2011 under CEO Corner | Be the First to Comment

If you are looking to implement CRM software it is important to take note of the following: all CRM software hosting services are not the same.  Companies that are engaged in the selection of a CRM solution tend to spend the majority of their time evaluating a product’s features and functions.  While this is perfectly fine, it is important to appreciate that the majority of today’s CRM software offerings are hosted, which means a third party is storing and managing your data.  If you are like most growing businesses your data is critical to your business and the proper protection of it is paramount to your survival.  If you believe this to be true, then you need to also pay close attention to who is hosting your data and what procedures they have in place to back it up or make it available to you if necessary.

The term hosting can be confusing to the consumer.  Some companies refer to their CRM offering as hosted CRM, on-line CRM, web based CRM or cloud based CRM and there is a significant difference between simply hosting data and storing it in the cloud.  Regardless of the difference, what is most important here is to understand that the proper storage, management and protection of your data doesn’t come cheap.  Tier 1 companies tend to offer high quality services in this area and as a result cost more than the lower priced ones that do not.  So if you think one CRM vendor is a bargain over the others, you may want to ask about their hosting service. You may find this to be a significant reason for the difference in cost.

Sales Managers Find Good Value in Commence CRM

Posted by Commence on October 6, 2011 under CEO Corner | 2 Comments to Read

The efficient management of a sales organization is no easy task these days particularly when members of your team may work in remote locations or outside your country of origin.  Lead capture and distribution, and the management of the sales cycle become more difficult if you don’t have the proper tools and processes in place to support remote management.  Companies with this challenge are turning to web based CRM software programs like Commence CRM to help automate the sales and lead management process.

Commence is a cloud based CRM solution that is targeted at mid-size companies and small enterprises that have outgrown traditional contact management software. These businesses now require robust lead management, sales management and marketing campaign management functionality.  What sales managers have found particularly interesting about Commence CRM is the product’s automated business processes that enable the capture and automatic distribution of leads and the ability to rate and color code leads based on specific criteria. Red colored leads represent qualified opportunities, yellow promising new opportunities and blue are ones just starting the sales process.  This unique feature ensures that sales representatives are always working on the most qualified opportunities and not chasing tire kickers.

Commence CRM also incorporates an automated organization chart that details the reporting structure of every lead and account, and highlights the person name, title, telephone number and e-mail.  This allows sales managers to assist in the sales process and quickly identify the economic buyer and influencers within any organization.

Org Chart helps you identify the key contacts

Commence CRM is clearly focused on helping companies improve the management of leads and the selling process and offers functionality not available in competitive offerings such as Microsoft CRM and Salesforce.com. For more information about Commence CRM software, visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com and ask for a free trial.

Commence CRM Scores Big with Account Rating System

Posted by Commence on September 23, 2011 under CEO Corner | Read the First Comment

Commence Corporation, a leading provider of on-premise and cloud based CRM software is winning new business by demonstrating that all CRM systems are not alike.   Designed specifically for mid-size companies and small enterprises Commence takes CRM software to a whole new level offering several unique features that have proven to offer exceptional value to Commence customers.

Account Rating

The first of these features is an account rating system that allows you to rate and color code each customer based on the value they provide to your business.  Customers coded in red represent your top rated customers, while yellow and blue coded customers may purchase less products or services, may be more costly to support and less profitable.

Customer Scoring

The rating system is completely customizable and traditionally includes criteria such as: customer size, revenue generated, cost of providing service, profitability and growth potential.   This simple but unique feature is providing exceptional value to Commence customers by enabling management to better understand who their most valuable customers really are.

Account Rating

Organization Chart

Another unique feature that is differentiating Commence from the pack is the products automated Organization Chart that identifies key people within your customer base and new prospects.  This feature helps sales and support personnel to understand the reporting structure of their customers and new prospects.

Company Org Chart

Commence has been providing customer management software to mid size businesses for more than two decades and is no stranger to the CRM software sector.   Its cloud based CRM solution is competing very favorably with industry giants Microsoft CRM and Salesforce.com. For more information about Commence CRM visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com and sign up for a free test drive.

Commence CRM Well Positioned for Continued Growth

Posted by Commence on August 5, 2011 under CEO Corner | Be the First to Comment

Companies seeking Customer Relationship Management software solutions (CRM) traditionally focus their attention on industry giants Microsoft and Salesforce.com, but if there is a true David vs. Goliath story in this industry it’s lesser known Commence Corporation.

For the past two decades Commence has been quietly providing high quality customer management software and services to customers around the world and boasts one of the highest customer satisfaction rates in the industry.  Commence’s origin comes from a team of Bell Laboratory engineers who founded the company and engineered one of the most flexible and reliable desktop CRM solutions in the world.  Better known for its engineering savvy vs. sales and marketing, Commence’s desktop solution was sold under a private label agreement with several enterprise giants like IBM, AT&T and Compaq computer.  These relationships enabled Commence to better understand customer requirements and design software solutions that were easy to implement and easy to use.

Today, the company’s CRM offering has evolved into a robust suite of applications for sales, marketing, project management and customer service and is one of the few CRM systems that may be deployed on premise or hosted via the cloud.  Under the direction of industry veteran Larry Caretsky, the company is expanding its sales and marketing organization throughout North America and Europe and is enjoying a great deal of success against the competition.

“Commence is simply easier to use, less expensive and offers the flexibility you don’t find with enterprise level solutions.”

Larry Caretsky
CEO, Commence Corporation

“This industry is full of hype” says Caretsky, “bolstered by the deep pockets of companies like Microsoft and Salesforce.com who continue to market the ‘one size fits all’ approach to CRM. This simply is not the case. If you are an enterprise organization that requires several thousand users and 10 different languages then these products make sense.  If you’re a traditional mid-size company or small enterprise however, Commence is simply easier to use, less expensive and offers the flexibility you don’t find with enterprise level solutions.”

Commence CRM offers several unique features that businesses have found extremely valuable. First, there is the account scoring capability that enables companies to color-code their customers based on the value they provide to their business such as, the revenue generated, profitability, cost to provide services and future growth potential as examples.  This scoring feature is also incorporated in the lead management module which helps the sales team qualify each new lead based on pre-defined criteria. Integration to Microsoft Outlook, Gmail and accounting systems like QuickBooks as well as full mobile integration is all part of Commence CRM.  In addition to these unique features Commence also offers a world class cloud CRM service via a strategic relationship with Rackspace, one of the top application service providers in the industry.  Added together, it’s no wonder that Commence is a top rated CRM solution for growing businesses.

To learn more about Commence CRM visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com or call Commence sales at 1-877- 266-6362.

Top 3 Mid-market CRM Contenders

Posted by Commence on April 23, 2011 under CEO Corner | 3 Comments to Read

Commence CRM – Salesforce.com – Sugar CRM

The CRM software sector is one of the most competitive segments of the computer software industry.  Despite this, each year more and more vendors enter the race positioning their CRM products as easier to use and lower cost than the established CRM vendors.  The CRM gold rush has created an environment chock full of low cost entry level CRM programs that provide basic contact management and a sales forecast and little more.  While this group of newcomers struggle to compete in this difficult sector, three companies have risen to the top of the charts based on the functionality they provide, the quality of their products as reviewed by customers, and the level of service they provide.

Salesforce.com CRM is often viewed as the industry leader especially among enterprise level organizations.  The company offers a highly scalable CRM solution capable of supporting several thousand users, robust functionality, multi-language product versions and an add-on developer’s toolkit that enables experienced programmers to customize the applications.

The middle market has become a much tougher battleground for Salesforce CRM.  This is due to two very well established companies that offer a comprehensive suite of applications that compare favorably to Salesforce.com, are known to be easier to use, and are much less expensive.

Commence Corporation has served the middle market and small enterprises for two decades. The company has a top rated CRM solution that is highly regarded for its robust functionality, ease of use and ability to be quickly customized without programmer intervention.   One of the unique characteristics of Commence CRM is the product’s modular design which offers customers the flexibility to select only the applications they require for their business vs. being forced into higher CRM costs with a pre-packaged set of CRM features at a set price point.  Commence CRM is also available as a cloud based offering or on premise. This has made Commence CRM an attractive alternative for larger companies that desire an on-premise CRM solution at an attractive price point.   While not yet a household brand name, Commence CRM is built using industry standard technology and the company’s CRM software is currently being used in more than 35 industries and in 22 countries around the world.

SugarCRM is another company that provides a mid market CRM solution and competes with Salesforce.com and Commence CRM.  Originally offered as an open source solution at no cost, the company changed direction and now offers their CRM product under an annual software licensing model. Sugar offers comprehensive functionality at a lower price point than Salesforce.com and the ability to be customized as well.   The downside with Sugar CRM is that the product is written using the PHP programming language which means you must be a developer to tailor the applications.  This adds additional cost to their offering.

You may find it interesting that Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is not included above. This is because the company’s hosted CRM Online solution was recently released and there is simply not enough history to determine the quality of the product or the ROI and value realized by companies that may have selected it.

The Bottom Line:

If you currently looking to implement CRM software to streamline your internal business processes, you are in the driver’s seat.  There are dozens of options available, but a shake-up is coming and it will be difficult for many of the lower cost CRM solution providers to survive.  Perhaps a more compelling reason to focus on an established CRM vendor is the following: the competitive nature of this industry sector has forced CRM solution providers to reduce their cost to such a degree that the difference between an unknown low cost provider and a world-class company like those listed above is just a few dollars per user per month.  You will also find the level of service provided and the protection of your data with the three industry leaders is far superior to the lower cost, “new to the market” solution providers.

Commence CRM Software Highlighted in FEDA News and Views

Posted by Commence on April 15, 2011 under Press Release | 2 Comments to Read

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TINTON FALLS, N.J. /MMD Newswire/ April 14, 2011 –- Commence Corporation a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management Software was recently highlighted in the FEDA News & Views March/April magazine about the merits of automating the sales process for improved sales execution. Managing editor Stacy Ward, interviewed Commence CEO, Larry Caretsky about the company’s experience and work in this area. Caretsky expressed concern that too many companies view CRM software as a technology component rather than a business strategy for improving sales execution. As a result, the adoption rate of CRM software has been very low in the sector he stated.

Caretsky goes on to offer valuable advice about the commitment required for the proper implementation and utilization of CRM software and to make sure you are fully prepared to invest time and resources to the project. “The ROI associated with automating the sales process is well documented says Caretsky, but so are the failures. Typically a lack of commitment and focus are the culprits. This is where experienced firms like Commence Corporation can be a valuable partner. We have established a series of CRM best practices for sales execution which has resulted in hundreds of successful implementations. The CRM best practices coupled with Commence’s top rated CRM software ensures that new business opportunities do not fall through the cracks and that sales management can review each opportunity from introduction to closure”.

The magazine also offers its readers assistance in selecting the right CRM solution for their business. A full copy of the article 7 Points to Consider Before Selecting a CRM Solution written by Caretsky, is incorporated in the article. “We certainly hope that the information we have provided will assist the FDA member organizations who may be looking to use CRM software to improve sales execution and call on Commence Corporation for our expertise” concluded Caretsky.

About Commence Corporation:

Commence Corporation is a leading provider of cloud based CRM software for mid-size companies and small enterprises. The company has been providing web based CRM software and sales consulting services for more than two decades and has several thousand customers around the world. For more information about Commence CRM, visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com.

From Hosted CRM to Cloud Based CRM

Posted by Commence on April 5, 2011 under CEO Corner | 2 Comments to Read

“Customers who thought they had a handle around the different deployment models of CRM software have been thrown another curve ball” says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation.  “Today everyone’s talking about cloud based CRM software and most companies are not quite certain what this means.”  There are so many terms being bantered about the industry such as desktop CRM, on premise CRM, hybrid CRM, hosted CRM, online CRM, web based CRM and now cloud based CRM that it’s no wonder customers are confused.   So what exactly is cloud CRM?

Cloud based CRM is simply the next generation of hosting, whereby the CRM provider manages the back end operations of your CRM system. The difference with cloud based computing vs. the standard hosting & management service is that it is more flexible in terms of system and server resources.  Let’s say for example that you need additional storage or have an unusually high volume of activity on your system.  With cloud computing and CRM software, the cloud based servers are able to immediately respond to demand adding capabilities or reducing capabilities based on your real time requirements.  A hosted solution would require you to inform the service provider of the additional requirements or changes ahead of time, so that the system could be updated by the IT services team.

Commence Corporation offers several different deployment models for their top rated  CRM software.  The CRM solution may be deployed on-premise, hosted by Commence Corporation’s professional staff, or operated as cloud CRM solutions.  To learn more about Commence CRM software visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com.