Posted by Commence on June 25, 2010 under CEO Corner | 
CRM Herrrreeee, Get you CRM… Sounds like you’re at a ball game and listening to the peanut & popcorn vendor doesn’t it? You’re not. This is the new sound of an industry in distress. Just a few years ago Industry analysts had stated that Customer Relationship Management would be one of the fastest growing sectors of the software industry, and software manufacturers listened. There are now several hundred providers of CRM software vying for your business and many of them will do almost anything to get it. Most people would agree that increased competition is always good for the consumer, but in this case, I’m not so sure.
Some CRM providers are offering their software free, while others offer lengthy trials or money back guarantees. Some are even offering the ability to get started immediately by simply entering your credit card over the Internet and voila, instant CRM. Are these low cost, get your instant CRM marketing programs working? I think so, but for whom? Most of the vendor’s are struggling financially and industry statistics continue to indicate that more than 70% of CRM solutions fail to get properly implemented or utilized. This statistic has gone virtually unchanged in the past ten years, even though web-based CRM solutions were supposed to address the difficulties associated with traditional desktop CRM software, which were labeled as too hard to implement and too hard to use. So what’s the problem?
What’s causing the failure?
I have been engaged in the sale and implementation of CRM software in dozens of small to mid-size companies and I believe there are three components that are responsible for so many failed implementations and poor utilization.
- The Traditional Selection Process is Flawed
- Lack of Executive Management Involvement
- No Sales Leadership -Failure to understand the Core Competency of the Staff
1) The Traditional Selection Process is Flawed
Most companies continue to select software products the same way they did twenty years ago. They gather a small team of people to survey different departments and document what each department requires in their CRM system, and then create their master list of features. Some highlight the ‘must have’ features from the ‘nice to have’ or optional ones. Then they research and contact a number of vendors, watch a product demonstration, and place a check mark next to each feature the vendor offers. At the bottom of the checklist they total the score and “lo and behold”, the vendor with the most points has the best CRM solution for their business. If there is a tie in the number of points, then the lowest cost provider wins. Seems simple enough, but this is a flawed process for the following reasons.
2) Lack of Executive Management Involvement
The executive management team knows better than anyone else the challenges they face. They must take an active role early on in the selection process and properly communicate the core business requirements to their team. On numerous occasions I have experienced situations where the executive management comes to the table very late in the process with a uniquely different prospective on what the business is looking to achieve with the implementation of a CRM system. This only serves to embarrass if not alienate the selection team who has wasted valuable time and may have narrowed down two or three vendor selections based on completely different criteria. In several instances management did not get involved in the selection process at all at all except to approve the expenditure. The process should start top down not bottom up.
3) No Sales Leadership – Failure to Understand the Core Competency of the Staff
Software does not run your business — people do. Management must take into consideration the maturity of their business processes and the core competency of their staff before embarking on the selection and implementation of CRM software. This is especially important when it comes to the sales organization that traditionally consists of people with various levels of experience. The successful implementation of a CRM system requires the engagement of the entire management team and the leadership of an experienced sales executive that is committed to the implementation of a structured sales process and the reinforcement of that structure. This has nothing to do with the actual software selected and everything to do with a commitment to build an internal infrastructure with mature business processes, mature systems and mature people. I believe this is one of the single most important factors in determining the success or failure of a CRM implementation and its proper utilization.
Before concluding, if you are considering the implementation of a CRM solution for your business I would like to suggest that you think about CRM software in the following way:
- CRM is Not a Toy – you’re not going to address significant business challenges with a free CRM offering or one that you can buy over the Internet for a few dollars a month. Anyone who believes this is just foolish. If you are truly committed to improving your internal business processes, such as building brand recognition via marketing programs, implementing a proven sales methodology and creating a support structure for delivering world-class customer service, you need to look at your CRM provider as an integral partner in this process and engage them as your partner. The vendor’s experience and core competency in mastering the use of their solution is perhaps more important then the solution itself and will serve to insure that you realize their maximum benefit from their offering.
- Software does not run your business, people do. I mentioned this earlier, but it is worth repeating. The software should be viewed as simply a tool to automate and streamline your internal business processes. In order for you to realize a high return on your investment you need to have mature business processes in place, and understand the core competency of your staff. The implementation of a CRM system should result in a significant level of change within your organization, that’s why you are investing in the process. It’s paramount to ensure that management is committed to making a change and in reinforcing new internal processes and procedures. If you do not have this level of commitment you may struggle to realize a return on your CRM investment and fail to become a more efficient sales and service organization.
About the author: Larry Caretsky is the CEO of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. Caretsky is considered an expert in Customer Relationship Management and has written numerous white papers on the subject, which may be accessed via the company’s web site at www.commence.com.
Posted by Commence on May 5, 2010 under CEO Corner |
As the CEO of a technology company that provides Customer Management software to small and mid-size companies, I spend a good part of my day talking with other executives about the challenges they face in their business. What’s interesting is that for the most part, these challenges fall into three categories. The most common one is data consolidation. At each of these companies information is streaming into their business every day via the telephone, fax e-mail and the web. What happens to this information is the problem. More often then not vital customer information simply falls through the cracks causing inefficiencies within their organization and keeping them from improving how they sell and provide service to their customers. This is the first challenge.
The second challenge companies face is improving their brand recognition. Every executive wants to improve their visibility in the market they serve so that they can generate new leads and turn those leads into new sales opportunities, but most do not have a marketing department or the tools to create consistent and effective marketing programs. They also need to efficiently manage the sales process by utilizing a structured approach that enables them to manage each phase of the sales cycle from introduction to closure. Implementing a structured sales methodology or process in an organization that does not currently have one can be an enormous task and one they should not take on alone. This is challenge number two.
Lastly, these businesses are working hard to meet customer expectations. Customer retention is mission critical to the health of their business and they need to be certain that they can provide a level of service that drives customer loyalty. This can be a difficult task if the support staff does not have access to customer profiles and history. This is challenge number three.
So what are companies doing to meet these challenges? Many are struggling to address these requirements using a contact manager or an Excel spreadsheet, while others have run out and selected a popular CRM system with all the bells and whistles and are struggling just the same.
So what’s the answer?
It starts by spending the time to really understand your business and taking a hard look at where you are today and where you want to be in the future. Some businesses are simply more mature than others and have well defined internal business processes, state of the art back-office systems and computer savvy employees that can quickly adopt to change. Other businesses do not.
What I continue to find disturbing in the CRM sector is that recent industry statistics have shown that 73% of companies that have purchased CRM software have not utilized the majority of the functionality they have purchased. The industry continues to blame the software providers for making these systems too hard to use, but the real problem lies within the companies themselves and the process they used to select the CRM applications.
Small to mid-size companies have a tendency to approach the selection process the same way. They start out with a feature list that only an enterprise company can deploy then determine who can offer that level of functionality for the lowest cost.
This process is flawed because it fails to take into consideration whether the company and its staff will be able to adopt the new technology.
At Commence Corporation we have taken a different approach to positioning our sales, marketing and customer service solutions by asking customers as series of questions about their business, their internal systems and their people. These questions help us to better understand how well defined their internal business processes are, whether they are currently automated, and how well positioned they are for managing change.
Business Maturity Levels
| LEVEL 1 |
Loosely defined processes that are ad-hoc or unstructured, limited to no automation – using email and Excel spreadsheets |
| LEVEL 2 |
Some defined processes — using contact management software, no marketing or service automation |
| LEVEL 3 |
Structured internal processes with disparate departmental automation (silos of information) |
| LEVEL 4 |
Well defined internal processes –fully automated & integrated systems |
Based on what we’ve learned, we then recommend only the software components that we believe the company can quickly adopt and master, so that they realize the maximum value from our CRM software. This approach has helped customers to put down the feature function list for a minute and realize that CRM software does not run their business, people do. If you’re a level 3 company with mature processes, systems and people, then you are most likely well equipped to implement a robust CRM solution across multiple departments, but if you’re a level one company, then start with the basics and focus on fixing one problem at a time.
We recommend that you begin by addressing the first challenge data consolidation, then move on once you are comfortable. This approach will guarantee that you will realize a return on your investment.
About the author: Larry Caretsky is the CEO of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. Caretsky is considered an expert in Customer Relationship Management and has written numerous white papers on the subject, which may be accessed via the company’s web site at www.commence.com.
Posted by Commence on April 21, 2010 under Commence News |
I started my career in the Mortgage industry selling re-financing services. The job was quite structured: call fifty people each day, document my discussions then follow-up with those that were interested as well as any I was unable to reach. The company had no automation, but people learned to manage their daily business using a spiral notebook or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. At the time I had no problem with this because I had a limited perspective on the most efficient ways to capture information, follow-up with potential prospects and keep my product and service in front of prospective buyers. While I was one of the more successful sales people I was beginning to have difficulty organizing customer files, finding information about past telephone conversations, knowing which documents I sent people or didn’t send and following up with those people that asked me to contact them at a later date. I found myself staying in the office later and later each night trying to get myself organized and keeping things from falling through the cracks, but it became an exercise in futility.
This all changed for me a few years later when I joined Commence Corporation, a provider of Customer Relationship Management software. At Commence, I was forced to trade in my spiral notebook and for a sales automation tool and while I was a bit dubious that a sales automation system would help me, after a few weeks of use I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I began capturing every customer and prospect interaction from basic telephone calls, quotes and documents I had sent to e-mail correspondence. I learned to enter follow-up activities on my calendar and set alerts that reminded me to contact people on the dates and times I committed to. Each day new leads with contact information were dispatched to me electronically and an automated sales methodology helped me to manage each opportunity through a structures sales cycle. Best of all, with the simple click of a button I had the ability to view a complete 360 degree view of all current and historical information about my customers and prospects. This was truly unbelievable. I even learned that I could integrate a Smart Phone so that I could have contact information at my disposal and have also begun to utilize the systems mass e-mail feature to help generate more business. I had never imagined that I would attain so much value from this tool.
The CRM system has impacted me both personally and professionally. On a personal level I am more productive than ever. I have access to customer and prospect information anytime and anywhere and I am confident that things are no longer falling through the cracks. On a professional level I have become almost fanatical about the product, which has helped me to serve potential customers more effectively. I continue to utilize my past experience as a vehicle for delivering a powerful testimonial of how CRM software has helped me better manage the sales cycle and improve sales execution. It’s a well known fact that prospects are more likely to buy from someone who believes whole heartedly in the product or service they are selling and my newly found enthusiasm for CRM software has enabled me to gain credibility with potential buyers.
As I talk with new prospects each day I understand and appreciate the reluctance they may have in implementing a Customer Relationship Management solution. I’ve learned that It’s a lot easier to understand their concerns and provide valuable assistance if you have been in a similar position, so I tell my story. Their interest level grows and often turns into a new sale. If you are considering a CRM system give me a call. I am confident that I can help you consolidate data, and improve sales execution so that your team and sell more and sell more easily.
About the author: Steve Fischkin is an Account Manager at Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. For more information about Commence visit www.commence.com or e-mail Steve at s.fischkin@commence.com
Posted by Commence on April 8, 2010 under CEO Corner |
Is your sales team working on the most qualified opportunities, or chasing tire kickers? Do you even know? Most companies rely on the expertise of their sales representatives to qualify opportunities, but this has proven over and over again to be inefficient and costly. The problem with relying on your sales organization is a lack of consistency. Most sales organizations have people with different levels of experience. The senior people may be good at determining a qualified opportunity from an unqualified one, but even they make mistakes. The people with limited experience are right only 50 percent of the time and the inexperienced ones may place an account on the forecast because the prospect asked for a brochure. My point is this, the amount of time your sales team may be spending following up on poorly qualified opportunities may be costing your business much more than you think.
Commence Corporation has moved beyond traditional Customer Relationship Management software programs that are primarily focused on managing the sales cycle to delivering a solution that enables you to increase the effectiveness of your sales organization and focus on business with the greatest potential. Commence has introduced an automated business process that ranks and scores leads based a set of pre-defined criteria. The criteria consist of a series of questions that are used to automatically score each lead based on the responses entered into the system. The questions are completely customizable and users may create as many as required. (See sample below):
Lead Scoring Questions
The lead qualification questions and rating criteria are determined by sales management and ensure that every new opportunity is ranked according to the criteria. It’s an efficient process that results in a high level of consistency because every opportunity is scored using a standardized set of qualifiers and is no longer dependent on the experience level of the sales representative.
Each lead is then automatically color coded as highly qualified (red), requires additional follow-up (yellow), or not qualified (blue). (See diagram below)
Lead Qualification
The value here is twofold: First, there is no question with regard to where the sales team should be focusing their attention. The leads coded red are the most qualified opportunities based on the company’s lead qualification criteria and need immediate attention. Secondly, sales management can quickly view the most qualified opportunities and assist with the process of moving them toward closure.
Part of the Commence value proposition also comes from an integrated marketing application that is directly tied to the lead qualification system. Yellow and blue coded leads may be placed in an automated drip-marketing program that nurtures each lead with periodic mailings while your team is focused on the most qualified opportunities.
The Commence lead scoring capability provides critical intelligence and has proven to deliver measurable results. It will ensure that your sales team has a laser-sharp focus on the most qualified sales opportunities. With Commence, you’ll shrink the sales cycle and improve your bottom line results. I guarantee it.
About the author: Larry Caretsky is the president of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. Caretsky is considered an expert in Customer Relationship Management and has written numerous white papers on the subject, which may be accessed via the company’s web site at www.commence.com.
Posted by Commence on March 16, 2010 under CEO Corner |
Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) can deliver customer value by being product centric, i.e. providing product leadership, or by being customer centric or customer intimate. In the former instance, the SMB tries to continually improve the products and services they provide to their customers. In the latter instance the SMB strives to understand their “favorite” customer, anticipate future customer requirements, and to respond to those needs.
Product Centric Strategy
To pursue a strategy of product leadership or product centricity involves delivering customer value through leading edge products and services. This entails a continuous stream of new products and services, and creatively adapting to new and changing market conditions while constantly pursuing new solutions on behalf of clients and customers.
To do this effectively, the business needs to be very research and development centered and extremely knowledgeable about the products and services currently being developed and considered in the market place. Sales & Marketing needs to be closely tied to customers in order to teach them new approaches and solutions to their problems. This also requires the ability to direct customers into avenues they hadn’t entertained on their own about the use of new products and services.
Larger companies can execute this strategy more effectively than SMBs, because they have the resources to devote to research and development and also have larger sales, marketing and support organizations that are able to stay in touch with their customers. The company’s personnel often act as advisors and consultants to their customers assuming the role of fitting their product to the customer’s needs.
Customer Centric Strategy
Customer intimacy or customer centricity entails precisely segmenting and targeting markets, acquiring detailed customer knowledge, developing an operational flexibility that allows for immediate response to customer needs, and securing customer loyalty. The value added component of this strategy is to attain intimate knowledge of the customer’s requirements or pain points and outlining a specific solution to address those requirements.
This strategy demands a very active marketing, sales and customer service department geared to relationship selling. In fact, these departments drive the SMB’s business and are the company’s primary interface to prospects and the customer base. As such, they need to continually solicit customer information, sort it, analyze it, and use to define a consistent message for all who interact with the customer.
One of the ways to capture, manage and share this vital customer information is through the use of Customer Relationship Management software (CRM). Large organizations have been using CRM solutions for some time to automate and streamline the interaction between the company and the customer. The utilization however is mostly to gather contact management information about the customer and to use that information to drive and fine-tune the sales cycle. The objective is to find creative ways to sell additional products and services to the customer by convincing the customer that there is a fit between their requirements and the products or service the sales representatives is selling.
While this is fine, in order to execute a customer centric strategy you need a CRM solution that is designed for customer collaboration. The CRM software must solicit not only geographic customer data, but also demographic data to help build a detailed picture of the “favorite” customer makeup. In addition, the sales, customer service and any other personnel with customer contact need to be trained to solicit and collect psychographic and behavioral data that help define how and why the customer buys.
Social Networking
The rapid expansion and utilization of social networking can provide essential customer centric information for sales and marketing organizations. Sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are being used by today’s businesses to communicate and interact with similar organizations. These conversations provide valuable insight into customer buying patterns, likes and dislikes and behavioral data. Best of all, you don’t have to be an enterprise company to access social media sites, capture and analyze information and produce a marketing message that fits the customer’s pain points and buying habits. What is important is that the SMB selects the right CRM platform which will enable them to directly link to these sites, capture the information and utilize it to gain a competitive edge.
Commence Corporation, a leading provider of cloud computing based CRM software, is taking a leadership position in this area and understands that the future of customer relationship management will be driven based on the collaboration and partnership with customers. Commence is busy restructuring the data points that their system collects to include the needed demographic and psychographics data that CRM systems do not capture today. Commence is also working to seamlessly interface the product with social media applications so that it can collect and analyze all of the different streams of customer conversations that are currently on the web, then use this information for targeting effective marketing campaigns.
Having the right business strategy in today’s challenging economy is critical for success. A sound customer centric strategy gives you the ability to craft a company wide marketing message that is used by all to communicate your value not only to your current customer base, but also to those prospects that your sales team can readily qualify and close. To do this effectively, you need to select a CRM software provider that offers a platform that can support the customer collaboration that will need into take place in the future.
About the author: Larry Caretsky is the president of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. Caretsky is considered an expert in Customer Relationship Management and has written numerous white papers on the subject, which may be accessed via the company’s web site at www.commence.com.
Posted by Commence on March 8, 2010 under CEO Corner |
As small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) struggle to survive in this economic climate, they are placing a major emphasis on increasing sales. Whether through finding new customers or attempting to increase the volume of purchases by the existing customer base, the attention is on getting the sales organization to be more productive. SMBs, in spite of tough economic times, are investing in technology to enhance the productivity of the sales force and for the most part are implementing Customer Relationship Management tools to make this happen. While this is decidedly a step in the right direction, there may be additional ways to increase sales productivity. This article examines a more effective way of utilizing CRM software to increase customer acquisition and revenue growth.
The Role of Technology
The last several years have brought a radical change in the relationship between the customer and business as a whole. More and more customers are collaborating with businesses and technology is playing a key role in this new collaboration. An increasing percentage of interaction with customers is coming by way of social networks and online communities. These interactions include suggestions for product improvement, requests for help, information requests and even customers assisting their counterparts directly. These customer conversations are driving the need for the business to respond in a timely fashion and to also convince potential customers of their ability to adequately address their needs.
This is driving executives to focus more attention on discovering the “favorite” customer or target market and crafting a marketing message that resonates with that target market. To do this effectively, the business needs to gather and analyze all of the relevant customer data points, In addition to demographic and geographic data, the business needs to understand why customers are buying their products or services and more importantly, what specific language the “favorite” customer is using to describe the buying experience.
The Changing Customer Role
This calls for the establishment of a close collaborative effort between the business and the customer base. Sales and any other part of the organization that is in direct contact with the customer needs to listen closely to the conversation in order to hear what the customer is saying. The data gathered needs to be analyzed so that not only does the business then understand which customers comprise the target market, but also how those customers think and how they communicate.
This effectively achieves two goals. First, it allows the sales force to be immensely more productive by getting them to concentrate on that part of the general marketplace that has these pre-qualified prospects that have the same profile as the “favorite” customer. Secondly, it gives the marketing side of the business the ability to script a marketing message that resonates with the customer since it uses the information gleaned from the customer and can be written in a language that the customer understands.
Even more importantly, with more customers using online communities and social networks, it is essential that the key phrases that the business uses are the same as the key phrases that the customer uses in their posts on Facebook and LinkedIn or in their tweets on Twitter. It also allows the business to search engine optimize its web site because the language and the keywords used are the ones the favorite customers are accustomed to.
So now, the business has a marketing message that resonates with the customer. The sales force has a sales pitch that is geared towards solving the customer pain and is in a language the customer understands. The customer feels that the business is listening and hearing them and prospects not only find the business, but when engaged by the sales force are easier to bring to a close.
Can current CRM systems play in this arena?
Most current CRM systems are very effective at helping the sales force automate the sales process and manage the sales cycle. The way they do this is by collecting customer and prospect data that the sales force uses to manage sales campaigns, schedule sales calls and keep the sales cycle moving along. To meet the new paradigm of target marketing that requires collaboration with our customers, these CRM systems need new functionality.
Commence Corporation is taking a leadership position in this area and understands that the future of customer relationship management will be centered on the collaboration and partnership with customers. Commence is busy restructuring the data points that their system collects to include the needed demographic and psychographics data that CRM system do not capture today. Commence is also looking closely at interfacing the product with social media applications so that it can collect and analyze all of the different streams of customer conversations that are currently on the web, then use this information to targeting effective marketing campaigns.
As a result of the economic downturn, many SMBs are struggling to justify the capital outlay to upgrade or implement a new CRM system because of cost and business uncertainty. To survive in today’s economy, you need to implement a CRM software solution, but you need to do it for the right reasons. Don’t implement a CRM solution to simply automate the sales process. Growing your business will require the ability to capture, manage and share vital customer information from several data sources and then use the information to gain a competitive edge. Select a CRM software provider that offers a platform that can support the customer collaboration that will need to take place in the future.
About the author: Larry Caretsky is the president of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of CRM software, which can be deployed in a web-based, cloud-computing environment or on premise. Caretsky is considered an expert in Customer Relationship Management and has written numerous white papers on the subject, which may be accessed via the company’s web site at www.commence.com.
Posted by Commence on February 4, 2010 under Commence News |
February 4, 2010 - Commence Corporation has announced a competitive upgrade program for small businesses currently using the Goldmine contact management software. More than a year ago FrontRange announced that they would no longer be enhancing their standard contact manager product, leaving many small and mid-size businesses with the option to migrate to the company’s more expensive product or seek an alternative solution.
“Many of these businesses have simply stayed put and have continued to utilize discontinued versions of the Goldmine software”, said Nicole Reed, Customer Manager at Commence Corporation, “but with the release of the Microsoft Windows 7 operating system, these older versions will no longer work. This has generated a number of calls to Commence Corporation from Goldmine customers seeking a migration path to newer, supported CRM software.”
Commence offers a robust contact manager along with a suite of CRM software applications for managing sales, marketing and customer support. The Customer Management software is available for deployment on-premise or hosted under a “software as a service” or SaaS model. Commence also supports the Microsoft Vista and Windows 7 operating systems along with the upcoming Microsoft Office 2010 software.
Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation, welcomes the addition of these customers. “Commence has been servicing SME businesses for twenty years,” noted Caretsky. “A good portion of our business comes from companies that have outgrown traditional contact management software such as Sage ACT software and Goldmine software. These companies need more then a simple contact manager, but not the cost and complexity of enterprise CRM software. We are positioned right in the middle of the two, which has served our business very well over the years. Our CRM solution is comprehensive yet intuitive and affordable, and can be deployed over the Internet,” says Caretsky.
About Commence Corporation:
Commence Corporation is a leading provider of Customer Manager software. The company’s products are designed to provide small to mid-size businesses with flexible solutions that leverage the Web to offer an integrated platform for managing sales execution and customer service. Commence supports several thousand customers through a worldwide distribution network, with outlets in North and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information see www.commence.com or call 1-877-COMMENCE.
Posted by Commence on February 3, 2010 under CEO Corner |
Commence Corporation helps small to midsize businesses tackle the CRM challenge
Picking a CRM software vendor is tough. It’s even tougher when you’re part of the small to midsize market, where technology budgets are limited and horror stories of complex, drawn-out CRM projects abound. While the watchword of midmarket CRM buyers was once something akin to the President’s “irrational exuberance,” today it is “caution,” as companies demand solutions that are affordable, easy to implement and easy to use and that deliver a quick return on investment.
“The CRM industry has been plagued by vendors offering overly complex solutions to solve basic business problems. This has resulted in a low adoption rate and failed customer expectations,” says Larry Caretsky, president and CEO of Commence Corporation. “The concern for most businesses today is not a lack of technology, but rather how they can leverage technology to improve their internal processes and, ultimately, their bottom line.”
Caretsky should know. His company has been in business for 22 years and has witnessed all the trends in customer relationship management. And with that kind of experience, Caretsky figured out long ago that rapidly deployable, cost-effective CRM solutions – even when they weren’t in vogue – were the only way for customers to quickly and affordably reap the benefits of their investment.
Commence Corporation has taken a unique approach to meeting the key objectives of most small to midsize businesses – namely, by streamlining internal business processes, improving sales processes and delighting customers. The company starts with the fundamental knowledge that most mid-market customers must first address the problem of data capture, data consolidation and data sharing.
Typically, vital customer information is spread throughout these organizations in contact management software, back office systems and Excel spreadsheets. “Employees spend a significant amount of time trying to determine where or who in the organization has the information they need to address customer inquiries,” says Caretsky. “Management recognizes this problem and realizes that in order to increase sales and become a more efficient sales and service organization they must get the right information into the hands of the right people, at the right time.”
The Commence CRM software does just that. Customer information, captured from multiple channels, is stored in a unified database where it is immediately available to all authorized personnel through two product features: a digital dashboard and a multiview capability. “This enables them to be constantly aware of account activity and take proactive steps to ensure customer satisfaction,” says Caretsky.
At the same time, Commence helps companies increase sales using a sales process template that is built into the system. Preset sales stages allow the sales team to begin classifying new sales opportunities from the beginning. The product also offers sales teams the ability to utilize a structured sales methodology for lead scoring and evaluating each sales opportunity. And it helps make sales reps more productive by providing a tool to automate routine tasks. “It’s like having an administrative assistant working directly for you,” says Caretsky.
Building brand recognition via the use of direct mail and email marketing campaigns is also incorporated in Commence CRM as a component of the marketing software module. By scheduling repetitive marketing campaigns small to mid-size businesses can be assured that their company, product or service is in front of prospective buyers at all times.
“Today’s basis for business growth is the successful management of long-term relationships with customers on a one-to-one level,” says Caretsky. “When the customer becomes the center of your business, customer-centric strategies, processes and technology solutions can unlock the value of these relationships.”
Posted by Commence on January 25, 2010 under CEO Corner |
Much of today’s small business for profit and not-for-profit application software was written over a decade ago. The million dollar question is: Are these applications still worth running ? Considering all of the technology innovation that has occurred since then, can we expect an application designed and built with yesterday’s technology for yesterday’s business world to fit today’s?
The answer is no.
“If it aint broke, don’t fix it” does not apply to your small business application programs. Your application is like a good race horse, you run it until it can’t race anymore and then you retire it. You don’t try to patch it up.
The contact management sector is a prime example of this. Thousands of small to mid-size businesses are still operating old versions of desktop programs such as ACT, Goldmine and Maximizer that are no longer meeting changing business requirements, but because they aint broke, they don’t get replaced. As a result of this, these mid-size businesses are not taking advantage of newer web based CRM programs that are helping businesses become more effective marketing, sales and service organizations.
The great applications replace is upon us and we can’t fight it any longer but how do you go about deciding which applications to replace? See my list below.
• If it was built over a decade ago, no matter by whom, it is a prime candidate for replacement.
• If the underlying business requirements have changed significantly since the application was developed, you can be certain that it is not performing optimally.
• If the application was written to run natively on a mainframe, a midrange or even a personal computer, it’s on the list.
• If the application has a pure character interface and all of the reports are in text, it’s a candidate.
• If the application does not grant web-based access to staff or members, it needs immediate attention. Some things to beware of:
If the application does not fit the business requirements then you have to go back to the drawing board. To do this properly, presupposes that you thoroughly understand how your business functions.
The good news about replacing older applications is that there is a large number of providers to choose from. In the CRM sector for example products such as Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce.com and Commence CRM from Commence Corporation are excellent choices for managing customer interaction and improving sales execution and customer service.
About the author: Jim Smith is the CEO of YChange International, a consulting firm that provides marketing and consulting services to small businesses. Smith has more than 30 years of experience in the field and has held executive level positions with several Fortune 100 software firms. He is an accomplished author of numerous white papers on the subject of marketing and business development. Additional information may be found at http://www.ychange.com
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” does not apply to your customer relationship management application programs
Posted by Commence on January 20, 2010 under CEO Corner |
Larry Caretsky, Commence CEO, has released the white paper “Don’t Make a CRM Buying Mistake : 7 Points to Consider Before Selecting Your CRM Solution”. Selecting the right CRM software or customer management software for your business can be a daunting exercise. This White Paper will help you differentiate the myriad of product offerings and enable you to make an informed and educated decision.
Here’s an excerpt including the introduction and you can download the full white paper below:
“Customer Relationship Management is one of the fastest growing sectors of the computer software industry. In order to gain a competitive edge, companies of all sizes are looking for ways to improve how they market, sell and provide service to their customers. Many are turning their attention to Customer Relationship Management software as a tool that will enable them to effectively manage their customer relationships before, during and after the sale. “
Click to view or download the full CRM Whitepaper
Click to Download the full CRM Whitepaper
