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
Non-Profit’s – What’s your favourite Soup?
Being apart of a number of Non-Profit organizations in Ontario has always been a big part of how I give back to the community through my consulting company and personally. Whether it be Chairing the Marketing and Communication Committee for the Milton Chamber of Commerce, sitting on the Communication Committee for the United Way of Milton or my great joy, ski instructing for Ontario Track 3 Ski Association.
The advice I offer Non-Profits often more than not comes in the areas of marketing and technology. Regarding technology, one thing that always suprises me are non-profit orgainzations in Canada that do not take advantage of membership or in fact have never heard of TechSoup Canada.
TechSoup Canada is the Canadian partner of TechSoup Global. Many nonprofits and social benefit organizations worldwide serve the needs of low-income, underserved populations and create positive social change. We believe these organizations could have even greater impact through the appropriate use of technology. This requires assistance with obtaining, using, and sustaining technology.
Make certain that you join TechSoup to take advantage of great deals from technology companies like Microsoft, Symantec, Adobe and Cisco.
Register your organization today:
http://www.techsoupcanada.ca/getting_started/registering_your_organisation
Richard – Centricity360