How fortunate we are! A Wealth of Hosted CRM
Over the weekend I had a chance to review an article by Lauren Carlson a CRM Analyst with Software Advice. I believe the purpose of the article is really to educate those considering investing time, energy and money in a hosted CRM solution that there is choice outside of Salesforce.com.
Lauren reviews 5 hosted CRM solutions that I am involved with or have had some involvement with and/or experience with in my past. I have had the opportunity of working at both Oracle and NetSuite. NetSuite being more suited to the SME marketplace. The Oracle CRM solution was spawned from the mega buyout of Siebel Systems. Many years ago I was involved with a practice implementing ACCPAC accounting applications for small businesses; this is where I first gain exposure to Sage CRM and of course when I originally started my consulting practice I was involved with SugarCRM. Today, having focused on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for my clients I have add a kaleidoscope of experience with all of these solutions.
Each of these solutions has its plus and minuses. Review Lauren’s article below to get her take on “5 Cloud CRM Systems to Consider”
Richard Bolton
Centricity360
Salesforce Alternatives | 5 Cloud CRM Systems to Consider
Simple Marketing Formula…
I was reading a blog posting last week that I thought I’d share. Sometimes a 
really simple marketing formula can make a big difference in how to anticipate business growth for a new year.
It’s really important for small businesses owners to understand lead conversion. Lead conversion rate is basically the percentage of leads closed or converted to customers out of the total number of leads in a given year. The higher the lead conversion rate the faster you meet your business/revenue targets for the year.
Here is the excerpt from the posting on the Pollock Marketing Group website:
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# Clients/Conversion % = Leads Needed
Client referral incentives, building your business starts here.
One of the first strategies I discuss with clients when they want to grow their business is to ask their existing customers for referrals. Always a good strategy. I’ve seen and advised clients on creative strategies in offering referrals. One of my clients, an aesthetic spa, offers a gift certificate on Saturday’s if you introduce a new client to the spa by booking your appointment together. Works well. Think about your client base over the next few days and think of some creative ways to get referrals or just ask and remember to send them a thank you note.
Here’s an informative article in today’s Globe and Mail on client referral incentives:
Put Your Customers to Work for you. The Globe and Mail 27/08/2010
Richard
Centricity360
How Dell Provides Tech Support Though Twitter
I’m always intrigued by companies that use innovative ways to handle customer service issues. I’ve heard that Dell monitors the cloud for anything said about its product. Specifically any consumers using Twitter to ask questions regarding Dell products. Imagine, proactive customer support. Why wait for the consumer to call support. Dell monitors Twitter for any mention of their products and proactively sends responses with links to knowledge base solution articles, even if the Tweet is not direct to Dell support. Now that’s a competitive advantage through proactive customer service. Great job Dell!
How Dell Provides Tech Support Though Twitter
Richard
Centricity360
