Simplesoft Solutions Blog

Sage SalesLogix Cloud Enhancements Now Available

January 25th, 2011 by Lisa

I am pleased to announce a couple of enhancements for Sage SalesLogix Cloud and the Sage SalesLogix Web client!


Sage KnowledgeSync for SalesLogix Cloud

Enhance the intelligence of your CRM system with proactive CRM Alerts.

  • Now, Sage SalesLogix Cloud customers can enjoy the proactive monitoring and alerts available with Sage SalesLogix KnowledgeSync. Customers can define alert criteria and dynamic business rules and sit back as Sage SalesLogix KnowledgeSync proactively monitors their CRM system, sending alerts or triggering an action in the system when business conditions are met.
  • Sage SalesLogix KnowledgeSync is available to Sage SalesLogix Cloud customers beginning at $350/mo for a system license. Please contact Simplesoft Solutions for additional pricing details and terms.

Customer Portal for Sage SalesLogix Cloud
Empower customers with convenient self-service options.

  • Now your customers can empower their clients to get the support they need 24×7 with Sage SalesLogix Customer Portal, improving the customer experience and reducing service and support costs.
  • The Sage SalesLogix Customer Portal is available to Sage SalesLogix Cloud customers beginning at $350 per month for a system license.

Sage SalesLogix Cloud is a next-generation Cloud-based CRM offering built upon the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud™ (EC2™) infrastructure. Sage SalesLogix Cloud customers enjoy the flexibility and rapid time to value of on-demand systems, combined with the security, control and data ownership associated with traditional on-premise solutions.

If you would like to learn more tips or have a CRM topic you would like us to write about please contact Simplesoft Solutions, Inc. in one of our Cincinnati/Dayton (OH), Charleston (WV), or Charlotte (NC) surrounding area office locations:

Dayton, Ohio Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
550 N. Main St. Suite A
Springboro, OH 45066
Phone: (937) 885-1204 x 3204
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Ripley, WV Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
710 Random Rd.
Ripley, WV 25271
Phone: (304) 521-2387
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Charlotte, NC Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
3635 Eastover Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: (704) 910-3872
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

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Do we need a CRM solution?

December 14th, 2010 by Lisa

I recently had a prospect ask me to help him make a case for CRM in his business. After learning more about his unique situation and giving it some thought, I came up with a list of questions that he should ask himself. I think this list could apply to many companies.

Do we need a CRM solution?

A full suite CRM solution like Sage SalesLogix can impact every area of your business. You don’t necessarily want to take on everything at once, but you should consider the impact that a full suite and fully integrated solution might have on the bottom line. Alternatively, what is the cost of the lost opportunity if you do nothing?

Ask yourself these questions:

1.   Can we do a better job with the information flowing to our customers?

  • A good CRM system will help you capture useful details about a customer including sales history, service records, responses to marketing campaigns, demographics, and not to mention, a complete picture of call history and email activity.
  • A good CRM system will allow your customers and prospects to interact with you through a web portal for sales or customer service functions.
  • A good CRM system will provide quick and easy grouping capability to create call lists for internal or external call handling.

2.    Could we benefit from the ability to analyze data more effectively using an integrated system?

  • A good CRM system will allow for integration with most accounting or ERP packages to push and pull data between systems and avoid double entry.
  • A good CRM system will offer integrated dashboards providing a view of important information and metrics in one click.
  • A good CRM system will offer integration with various E-Marketing programs for outbound marketing campaigns and tracking marketing metrics.
  • A good CRM system will be easily customized to fit your particular business needs rather than your business practices changing to fit the software.

3.   Can our customer service or internal processes be improved?

  • A good CRM system can transform your computer into a call center allowing your staff to have customer details on their screen as soon as the phone rings.
  • A good CRM system will play well with Outlook and other E-mail packages helping you automate replies and never again lose an important chain of E-mails.
  • A good CRM system will help you qualify and follow up on new leads without anyone falling through the cracks.
  • A good CRM system will track customer service issues and provide escalation rules to handle even the most complex processes.

4.   Are we managing our supply chain effectively?

  • A good CRM system will allow your supply chain to access your CRM data to collaborate and make informed decisions across the board.
  • A good CRM system will help your supply chain communicate through the use of web services improving the relationship between you and your supply chain.

How can you measure the benefits of CRM?

  • Is it the reduction of operating costs?
  • Could it be the 360 degree view of all your data?
  • Is it the higher percentage of cross-selling opportunities?
  • Maybe it is closing deals faster because of more efficient follow through with leads and customers.
  • Could it be a result of the more efficient marketing and sales processes provided by an increased understanding of your customer needs?
  • Or maybe it is because of the improved responsiveness to customer service that has led to higher customer loyalty.

If I had to guess….I think I would say ‘All of the above!’

If you would like to learn more tips or have a CRM topic you would like us to write about please contact Simplesoft Solutions, Inc. in one of our Cincinnati/Dayton (OH), Charleston (WV), or Charlotte (NC) surrounding area office locations:

Dayton, Ohio Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
550 N. Main St. Suite A
Springboro, OH 45066
Phone: (937) 885-1204 x 3204
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Ripley, WV Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
710 Random Rd.
Ripley, WV 25271
Phone: (304) 521-2387
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Charlotte, NC Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
3635 Eastover Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: (704) 910-3872
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

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To Cold Call or not to Cold Call: That is the Question

November 1st, 2010 by Lisa

Don’t you wish your phone would ring off the hook with prospective customers asking to buy your product or service? I sure do! Unfortunately business doesn’t come to you and instead you have to go out and find it.

I’ve heard it said that 90 percent of people hate cold-calling and the other 10 percent are lying. Even the term cold calling can make your stomach churn.  That is why some refer to it as prospecting or lead qualification. The truth is, picking up the phone is still one of the best ways to speak to a company executive.

Why do we try so hard to avoid it? The reasons are different for all of us. Maybe we don’t like talking to new people or we don’t want to bother someone at home or work. Or maybe we’re a little lazy and just prefer to make the easy calls. For most of us, it is a fear of rejection! I don’t want to call someone and have him or her get annoyed and act rudely toward me.

According to a research firm that tracks what works in the marketing industry, only 11 to 17 percent of prospects were annoyed by getting an unsolicited cold call. That translates into less than 2 rude responses for every 100 calls. And not all of the uninterested prospects will exhibit rude behavior. Let’s do the math, if only half of the uninterested prospects are rude and you make 50 calls a day, then you would only encounter about 2.5 crusty customers a week. I don’t know about you, but I encounter more than that in one trip to the grocery store. Don’t focus on the fearful 2.5 calls, but on the other 247.5 calls that could push your prospect one step closer to becoming a customer!

Go ahead… pick up that phone!

If you would like to learn more tips or have a CRM topic you would like us to write about please contact Simplesoft Solutions, Inc. in one of our Cincinnati/Dayton (OH), Charleston (WV), or Charlotte (NC) surrounding area office locations:

Dayton, Ohio Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
550 N. Main St. Suite A
Springboro, OH 45066
Phone: (937) 885-1204 x 3204
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Ripley, WV Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
710 Random Rd.
Ripley, WV 25271
Phone: (304) 521-2387
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Charlotte, NC Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
3635 Eastover Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: (704) 910-3872
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

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Are You a Prospector?

September 20th, 2010 by Lisa

In my last post , I talked about how to retain your customers. This time I’d like to discuss how to “START”  the sale.

It has been my experience that most sales people hate “prospecting”. What is prospecting? 

Wikipedia describes it this way: Prospecting is physical labor, involving traversing (traditionally on foot or on horseback), panning, sifting and outcrop investigation, looking for signs of mineralization. I like that. Not necessarily the horseback part, but that’s what it feels like sometimes. Physical labor, panning, sifting, looking for signs of interest in a product or service. This is part of the qualification process.

It has been said that successful people do things that unsuccessful people choose not to do. I think that is very true, especially in the area of sales. How often do you hear these words? “I love cold calling!” Probably about as often as, “I love a good rash!” You have to be thick skinned to cold call. The odds of rejection are very high. It is however, a necessary evil in the sales process.

I did some digging for statistics on sales “touches”. Most experts agree that only 2% of sales are made in the first contact. I am guessing that number to be even lower as the value of the product or service goes up.  Only 5% of sales are made by the 3rd contact. It is estimated that most sales occur on the 8th to 14th touch, depending on the cost of the offer. WOW, 8-14 touches? In some states that might get you arrested!

The reality is, most sales people stop after 2-3 contacts leaving over 80% of sales on the table for the more persistentsales person to scoop up. Which one are you? Develop a plan. There is a big difference between marketing and selling. You need to be in the marketing business during those first few touches.  Engage your prospect! Get creative. Don’t just call 6 times a month and leave a voice message. Create a unique “Campaign” and brand yourself. If you can get an e-mail address and a physical address in that first phone call or two, you can then turn much of your marketing on auto-pilot if you have a good CRM with marketing capability. (You obviously have to comply with CAN-SPAM laws and use opt-in or opt-out techniques.) We use Sage SalesLogix Emarketing, so whether we’re marketing to several hundred or several thousand prospects, it’s really a breeze.

Sage SalesLogix E-Marketing is an integrated service that enables you to quickly and effectively reach out to all of your contacts, nurture and qualify your leads, and grow your customer base. You can create professional e-mail templates and then view report metrics such as opens and click rates. You can then quantify the results to see what is and is not effective. You can even create your call plan based on those results, immediately warming up your calls. If you’d like to read more about Sage’s E-Marketing or sign up for a free trial.

Go, climb on your horse and start panning and sifting! There might be a big sale just over the next hill.

Dayton / Cincinnati, Ohio Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
550 N. Main St. Suite A
Springboro, OH 45066
Phone: (937) 885-1204 x 3204
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Ripley, WV Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
710 Random Rd.
Ripley, WV 25271
Phone: (304) 521-2387
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

Charlotte, NC Office:
Simplesoft Solutions, Inc.
3635 Eastover Ridge Drive
Charlotte, NC 28211
Phone: (704) 910-3872
Fax: (937) 885-3580
sales@simplesoft.net

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The Great CRM Implementation Sabotage

June 1st, 2010 by Lisa

Are you contemplating a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project? The process, people, and technology you choose to deploy your project will have a big effect on the success or failure of your overall plan. User adoption is one major key to success and here are a few ways to ensure failure.

 Just buy the first one you see or the one everyone else is using. Whatever! Don’t set goals or define objectives for a successful CRM project. Throw that “must-have” requirements list out the window. And don’t involve any other departments in the decision. They will love whatever you pick, right? And please don’t ask the vendor or salesperson to demonstrate how your data will perform in the proposed environment. He’s a busy guy!  Besides, that web demo was really flashy.

 Don’t worry about getting the executive team involved.  They like you so much they’ll agree with whatever you say, right? Sign those contracts! After all it’s only money and who cares about that fine print anyway. Everything will go smoothly and no one will question your decision. Oh and be sure to tell your sales department that the reason for the new CRM is to allow management to look over their shoulder and monitor their every move. It has nothing to do with making their job easier or helping them sell more. The sales team will be excited to jump in and get started. They LOVE change and especially rigid “big brotherish” accountability!

Pick the cheapest solution. Everyone knows that you’ll get a quick ROI with the cheapest CRM. Don’t ask questions or do research…and never ask for references. Don’t worry about contract lengths, service agreements, storage limits or data management. You get what you pay for and cheaper is always better!  Besides, it’s got that sweet new app that downloads ringtones. It doesn’t matter if the tool enables you to better serve your customers.  And don’t worry if you need to change your business model to fit the tool.  Remember… people love change and price should always trump features!

Tell everyone that this new CRM will solve every problem the company has ever had. Create hundreds of data entry fields and pick lists for your users. Sales reps love being data entry clerks! Don’t change any of your current processes or make improvements in your spreadsheet mentality.  That’s the way you have been doing it for decades.  Those forms are timeless and essential. Oh, and be sure to knock your team out with all the amazing features and promise them that nothing will go wrong. Let them know that this new CRM will be the panacea that fixes everything. Make sure the executive team has the absolute highest expectations of you and the CRM tool. You need a raise anyway, right?

Make sure the CRM you choose a really difficult to use. Everyone knows that difficult means superior and the more times you click through screens the better. All of your peers have amazing IT skills so they will appreciate your time-saving choice.  Besides, the user experience is totally overrated.  Oh yes, and be sure to “dump” all your old data into that shiny new tool. Everyone in your organization is a perfectionist and that data is clean as a whistle. Now… roll that thing out to the entire company all at once. You’ll get lots of positive feedback, I promise, and rollouts are more manageable without phases or trials.

While my list is ridiculous and no one would ever set out to sabotage their own project, there are some implementation truths to heed. Upper management can demand the use of a CRM tool, but the front end users can make or break your success.

The Simplesoft approach to CRM is unique, and we do invest the upfront time needed to listen and understand how our clients currently work with their customers. We take the time to help them define “best practices” and configure the tool to fit the personality of their business.  And, we understand that any investment in a software technology alone will be wasted unless the management, the end users, and the system administrator have a vision and understand how to implement the software properly to serve the customer better.

Consider joining us on June 8th for the Heartland SalesLogix Users Group meeting. If you are in the Ohio area or a nearby state, it’s a free event and it is held quarterly. The topic this quarter is “Strengthening User Adoption”. Click here to sign up and learn more.

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Decisions, Decisions: Things to Consider When Buying a CRM

April 13th, 2010 by Lisa

My 78 year old mother-in-law just bought a laptop and a connection to the World Wide Web. When I asked her why she decided to do such a thing, she said “because all my friends are doing it”. Well after the usual lecture about her friends jumping off a bridge and her joining them, my husband and I promptly took on the task of teaching her how to use it.

What a challenge and what a joy! It’s like she is seeing for the first time. Question one: Have you turned it on yet? “No, I can’t figure out how to open the lid!” Wow, this will take some patience. Her first email contained the entire conversation in all caps in the subject line. After a not so quick tutorial, the second one was all lower case, but at least contained in the body of the email this time. However she misspelled a word and didn’t know how to change it so she ended the email with “(spelled a word wrong)”. This is fantastic! At this point her new computer is a very expensive recipe book, but we’re hopeful!

Now the challenge becomes convincing her that she doesn’t “need” all the cool gadgets and applications she sees on TV. “But the ad says it will make it easier and faster.” But you don’t need all those things; you just need to learn how to properly use what you have!

The same is often true of the CRM shopper. They want the one that everyone else is using or the one who spends the most money on advertising. It must be the best – right?

The truth is, most mainstream CRM solutions have similar standard features so the key is to determine what sets it apart from the rest.

Here are some guidelines for choosing a CRM:

  • How long have they been in business? New solutions come and go. If the company you are considering is brand new, you have to consider what will happen to YOUR data if they go under. And do you really want to be the guinea pig while they work out all the bugs? Make sure that the CRM provider you are considering has a long history of successes. A list of long time and happy customers is usually proof that the vendor has a good support plan and is doing their part to stay up with current technology.
  • Do they have a business partner in your area? A cookie cutter solution will seldom give you the results you are hoping for. All businesses are not created equal so all CRM solutions need some level of personalization to your business. You shouldn’t have to change your business process to fit the CRM, but it should be easy to tweak your CRM package to fit your business. A business partner with developers and trainers can customize a solution to your business and train you to use it and/or customize it yourself.
  • Can you deploy the CRM in multiple ways? You may start your business with two people, but a couple of years down the road you could have one hundred people. The ultimate goal is to grow the business right? The CRM that used to cost you $130/month for 2 users is now costing you $6500/month for 100 users. Always look for a solution that encourages you to grow your business!
  • Is it “free”? I am sure that free software has a place for the very small business or single user environment, but if you commit to a “free” service you had better have patience. Free CRM is only free if your time is NOT that valuable and will try the patience of the saintliest of people. Not to mention the fact that while it’s free to you, someone is paying for it and all those advertising pop ups will tell you who that someone is.
  • How many clicks does it take to get to the center of a CRM? A good CRM should be EASY. Even the novice user should be able to complete ordinary tasks with minimal time or training. It doesn’t matter how many cool features it has if you can’t figure out how to use them.

Hopefully this list is helpful in your quest for the perfect CRM. As for me, I will again dawn my trainer hat and patiently teach my mother-in-law how to open Word and we may even take on the shift and backspace keys.

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Need a Rescue from Your Cash Draining CRM?

March 5th, 2010 by Lisa

I recently had a conversation with a company that has spent a lot of money over the last couple of years paying for their subscription based CRM. They felt like they would be throwing that money away if they switched.  What I don’t understand is how spending the same money for a couple more years is such a savings?

The answer: Sage is offering a Switch and Save Competitive Rescue Offer! Between now and June 30, 2010 Sage is offering 60% off SageCRM or Sage SalesLogix and they are discounting their Maintenance & Support fees for 2 years. This is an amazing deal that has never been offered before.

If you are currently using:

Salesforce.com    -   Microsoft CRM   -   SugarCRM

Goldmine   -   Maximizer   -   Seibel   -   Pivotal   -   Onyx

Then you can’t afford to pass this up!

What does Sage get out of this crazy deal? They’re hoping you will be so impressed with your new Sage Solution that you will participate in their reference program after your implementation.

Email sales@simplesoft.net or call us at 937-885-1204 x3204 for more details. Check out more details on this and other Sage and Simplesoft promotional offers.

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