Tag CRM

MS Dynamics CRM 2011 – The Come Back Kid

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WOW! I am eating my words. Some of you who know me also know that I’ve been a certified MS Dynamics CRM consultant since it hit the streets in 2002. Needless to say I wasn’t a fan until now.

Eight years ago seems like yesterday now.. I recall the pains of v1.0 and honestly thought this could be Microsoft’s biggest failure. Let’s just be honest here, v1.0 was probably the worse hunk of junk ever published with the Microsoft label. Vista and ME at least were functional.

Version 1.2 wasn’t much better. A program that clearly wasn’t on the same planet as all the CRM systems out there it just seemed impossible to recover. I often questioned why even continue. They could have just bought another successful package and put their name on it (aka Oracle). None the less, it was a product that was extremely difficult to install and configure let alone a product that actually helped manage customer relationships.

About 2006… MS CRM v3.0 hit the streets. They did away with v2.0 since it took so long to get a version out. Marketing genius! Here we have a first generation product that was SO BAD… they had to SKIP version numbers to help the public realize how much of an improvement they made. I was able to help a number of clients achieve very modest success with v3.0. Unlike the first 2 releases, this product wasn’t a nightmare to install. The UI still wasn’t as good as the others. The so-called Outlook integration was ironically one of the worse out. However, it worked at least 90% of the time! A step up for 40% of the time… so hats of for at least making the software work.

Version 4…… ah yes.. We finally have a game! Although still severely behind other notables in the market space (Salesforce.com, Saleslogix, Netsuite), signs of a come back began to surface. Much better UI components and other key features that help users achieve success. By this time, I was into other products and watched from the sidelines. I began to see positive reviews instead of negative rants! Still a few major holes, but something I could live with and would actually recommend.

In pops v5 or MS Dynamics 2011

Is this Cloud CRM thing for me?

levarberry Leave a comment

If you’re an IT person reading this, prepare yourself to be offended.

Cloud doesn’t equal better!  Let’s just put that out there first.  Because its the new wave and buzz word floating around everything assumes new equals better.   Often times it does… but in the case of CRM…. not so fast sly one.

It is a fancy term to say your data will have foster parents, but you have visitation rights. The push for cloud comes as many IT directors are slow to get off their butts to implement new software for their user base. New software equals new drama for them. Often times the IT person is a third party company that is just too busy to help or the client is too small to work with a CRM Vendor.

If you have a very large in-house group of users (40+) and your data integrates with other in-house systems. Cloud is probably NOT the way to go. However, if you have nothing and your IT Director is slow to make a move. Cloud maybe a good first step. This action could prove successful in getting other non-crm committed managers to buy-in to what you’re doing. Its 2011 and the internet speeds are great and reliable, but still a cause for concern when mission critical data is outside your walls.

Also there is the myth about cost. Cloud is not cheaper despite what any marketing materials you may have read. Most companies say you have a lot of money on hardware and start-up costs. Well, hardware is not that expensive and most CRM packages will run on what you already have. Your first year on Cloud will cost you more than on-site software.

So when could Cloud be a good fit? If you are a virtual company with no other IT infrastructure. Cloud based makes obvious sense. You don’t have an IT person to turn to for setup and installation nor do you have a place install the software if you did. If you’re a start-up department in a large company with a completely different customer base than your parent company. The speed in which you can start is much faster on cloud. These types of departments get treated like double-step children. Not going to get any love from IT. You’re in a “just make it happen” type of situation.

So long story short …. if you need it fast and cost is not an issue. Cloud is for you. If you need it to run a large group of people or to keep cost lower, on-site is probably for you.

Business Cards Suck

levarberry 2 Comments

Business Cards Suck!

I was cleaning my desk and then it occurred to me.   Business Cards SUCK!     I mean what’s the point anymore?  I have several business cards from the same person with a different look same info.     What does that DO???     I threw them all away.

Back pre-1995 when most people still had roledex on their desks, it was sort of important.   You give someone a business card so they can stick in their stacks of other cards.   It was the only “database” many people had.  Now,  who has a roledex?    Everything is stored in Outlook, Excel or hopefully…. a CRM database.   Its all gone digital.

Now am I saying you should throw away all your business cards you have now?  Of course not…… I am saying BURN THEM.   They don’t do anything for you that your website, linkedin or other digital media doesn’t do for you.     I was a networking meeting once, and a person once said they spent 6-months developing a new business card.  OMG!  Are you serious???    6-months on something that is out-dated and serves hardly any purpose.

So….    what should you do??  I mean you have to give people you meet offline something right?    Well…. it occured me that  we should begin giving out EXACTLY what we want back.  LEADS!.        We should turn our business cards into  LEAD cards.

What the heck is a Lead Card?   Its a term I just created!    Yes… credit me with the name ;)       A lead card is the same size as a business card, BUT it contains an ACTION statement, Discount Code, FREE offer…  something to get the person you hand the card to to make a move towards being a prospect for your business.    This gives your cards VALUE.   People will not throw away something that has VALUE to them.

For example… if you own a car wash.   Your LEAD CARD should contain directions to your wash, hours and an offer for a discounted wash.  This will get the person to do exactly what you want them to do.  VISIT your wash.    What about if you sell insurance?   One might think a good offer is  “Call me for a  FREE quote”.  Well,  the truth there is….  Everyone knows you offer free quotes.   Your offer needs to be a more unique and more meaningful to your prospects. Like  “Watch this New Video Report on Insurance Scams”  or “eBook: Are you under insured?”.  Something that gets the person to THINK and be curious and take action.

We all do this… including myself.   We can so caught up in explaining who we are and what we do.. instead of helping the client with the problem they are trying to solve.    I swear if I see one of my business card that says  “Serving the Area for over 20 years”.   WHO CARES!??  Honestly, sometimes when I read it, that makes wonder if you still “got it”.     I don’t like to call anyone out,  but Accountants are the worse.   99% of the cards I’ve seen are nothing more than a resume or VERY boring.  “John Smith,  Smith Accounting….  555-444-1212” (Blue-only letters)   Yawn!.    That doesn’t not make me want to call you or even be near you.   A lead card  could be as follows: “Bookkeeping is boring, but we love it!  Try us out for 2 weeks and see if we can’t ease your boredom”.   Something along those lines that ADDRESSES the PAIN your client is in.    Again,  we don’t care that you’ve been in business for 40 years.  Some of your clients are not even that old.

I think I am onto something here.  Be on the lookout for more around this topic.   I welcome your comments.