Posted by Commence on June 25, 2010 under CEO Corner | 
CRM Herrrreeee, Get your 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 vendors 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 ensure that you realize the 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 February 17, 2010 under CEO Corner |
Tips for selling to the executive level
A lot has changed in the past 24 months. Companies have been forced to reduce expenditures, place purchases on hold or buy from a competitor that came in with a better deal. But despite increased competition, reduced budgets and a more stringent buying process, decisions are still being made to purchase products and services. What’s changed is a shift in buying behavior. Decisions that had been traditionally made by middle management or a committee now require approval by a senior executive. Most sales people perceive this as a negative and if your team is thinking this way, they may need an attitude adjustment. Here’s why.
Every sales person has experienced how difficult it is to get to the economic buyer. He or she is traditionally buffered by administrators, gatekeepers or committees of people that block your path to the decision maker’s office. The fact that executive management is now engaged in the decision process is the best thing that has happened to sales people in years. It opens up an incredible opportunity for sales professionals to state their case directly to the person who will be making the decision. Not only does this shorten the sales cycle, but it gives them the opportunity to layout the key selling points of your product or service in terms of ROI, which is how executives think.
The Key to Winning More Deals
Selling to an executive can be intimidating and they will expect a lot from you which means you must sell value. They will expect you to take the time to understand their challenges and recommend solutions that will significantly impact their business. Executives look for solutions, not features, and they will respond to sales professionals that can solve their problem. Here are 4 tips for selling to the executive level:
- Let the executive do most of the talking – the more you learn about the prospect’s pain points the better you’ll be prepared to recommend a solution.
- Use examples of how your product or service has addressed similar challenges in the industry. This will demonstrate that you understand the problem and have a solid recommendation or solution.
- Show enthusiasm – if an executive senses your excitement about addressing their problem they will be much more receptive to working with and buying from you.
- Be persistent — it will pay off. Executives of small to mid-size businesses are often crisis managers and can be pulled in several directions. Don’t let them off the hook. Once you’re engaged, get to a decision one way or another.
About the author: Larry Caretsky is the CEO of Commence Corporation , a leading provider of Customer Manager and sales process automation software for small to mid-size businesses. Caretsky has authored several white papers on the subject of sales process management, lead scoring and using CRM software to improve sales execution. For more information see www.commence.com or call 1-877-COMMENCE.
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 October 27, 2009 under Commence News |
-FREE Software Upgrade Offered to Existing Customers-
TINTON FALLS, N.J., (October 15, 2009) – Commence Corporation, a leading provider of customer relationship management (CRM) software solutions, today announced that it is extending its managed services offering to existing desktop customers and offering a complimentary software upgrade with its new hosting service.
“Today’s economic crisis has created an environment whereby companies are finding it difficult to upgrade and maintain their own IT infrastructure,” said Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation. “Some have been forced to reduce their IT staff, making the management of their systems even more challenging. As a result, these businesses may now be working with older, fragile hardware or unsupported software and they are rightfully concerned about the impact this will have on their business.”
Commence Corporation has created a unique Managed Service designed to address this business challenge for existing customers. The service places the role of managing and maintaining the Commence Server hardware and software with Commence Corporation. It provides customers with the use of state-of-the-art high-speed server hardware at Commence Corporation’s data center as well as 24/7 management of the system by trained engineers. Customers are also entitled to a free software upgrade and continued upgrades for as long as they remain on the service. This ensures that they are always working with the highest quality server hardware and the latest version of the software.
Abhijit Joshi, president of White Hedge Inc., recently switched over to the service and is pleased with the outcome. “As a small company I did not have the resources to purchase the equipment and staff necessary to manage and maintain my Commence system,” said Joshi. “In addition, keeping up with the latest product releases became difficult. By outsourcing this function to Commence I freed up time and resources to dedicate to growing my business while Commence manages and maintains the hardware and software.”
Joshi, is not alone, several dozen new companies are already utilizing Commence’s managed service. For more information contact Commence sales at 1-877 – COMMENCE.
More About Commence Corporation
Founded in 1988, Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award-winning CRM products that integrate people, processes and technology. Delivered via the popular software-as-a-service (SaaS) model or implemented as on premised licensed software, Commence CRM solutions are used by thousands of companies to streamline sales and customer service front end business processes. As a result, Commence clients increase workforce productivity, generate positive customer interactions, and reduce cost. More information about Commence can be accessed at www.commence.com.
1-877 COMMENCE 
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