MyCRM Weekly News Round Up 12/8 – Latest CRM articles.

12. August 2014 Alistair 2011, 2013, Blog, CRM, CRM News, Sales, Support (0)
Each week, we like to try and bring you 5 topics from across the spectrum relating to CRM news from various news and blog sites.  This week we have found our top 5 topics with links to the relevant sites 1.CRM software industry grew significantly in 2013 According to recent analysis by Gartner, the customer relationship management (CRM) software industry grew by about 14 per cent globally last year, and the numbers for 2014 are looking very positive. The Gartner report, called "Market Share Analysis: Customer Relationship Management Software, Worldwide, 2013", indicates that there was a very strong demand for SaaS, or software as a service, a category that includes CRM software.  Back in 2012, the CRM software market was worth around £10 billion.  Last year, CRM software revenue was almost £12 billion. The report also shows that the competition within the CRM software industry has become even fiercer than before, with the top five players comprising almost 50 per cent of the sector’s total revenue.  Microsoft CRM was in the top five. Customer experience and digital marketing initiatives are the main driving forces of the CRM software market. "CRM will be at the heart of digital initiatives in coming years," stated Joanne Correia, Gartner’s VP of research.  "This is one technology area that will get funding because digital business is critical for companies to remain competitive." It is worth mentioning that the IT services, communications, and media industries happen to be the biggest spenders within the CRM software market, primarily because they focus on large groups, which tend to use call centres.  These industries also require strong analytics in order to improve the overall customer experience – a principle of any CRM strategy. Source: http://www.techradar.com/news/software/business-software/global-crm-market-shows-strong-growth-in-2013-1247155?attr=all   2.CRM secrets every small business should know  The internet can be a difficult place to compete, especially for small businesses.  However, small businesses can thrive online with the right strategy and plenty of focus. That’s where CRM – customer relationship management – comes into play.  The customer experience is what drives sales and builds a loyal, satisfied clientele.  Small businesses simply need to identify their strengths and build on them to make their customers happy. The small business competitive edge Small businesses often have an advantage over their larger counterparts because they can take the time to really get to know their customers.  The competitive edge here is that small businesses can offer things that big business cannot, such as personalisation.  Get to know the customers and give them the benefit of small business customer familiarity. Be knowledgeable A strong CRM strategy doesn’t mean just investing in the latest CRM software; it means also taking action to provide the best possible customer experience.  That is why businesses should have knowledgeable staff members who are prepared to answer any and all questions.  Investing in additional training for sales and customer service staff is always a good idea. Act like a small business Even the savviest of customers appreciate the feeling they have when they patronise a mom-and-pop shop, which is why small businesses should act like small businesses, albeit carefully.  Emphasising staff training, as mentioned above, is a must.  However, it goes further than that. Make sure the staff spends time with customers, either via the chat programme, emailing or even on the phone. These ideas aren’t exactly revolutionary, but they do often fall by the wayside as small businesses try to compete with larger companies in their respective sectors.  All too often, they forget that there is a certain advantage to being a small company.  Remember, CRM is so much more than a programme; it is also a strategy. Source: http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/80280.html   3. When CRM fails, it is usually because of the team Many times, CRM is thought to simply be a technology, but it is not so much a technology as it is a business discipline.  However, it is not a discipline to be practised by one person; it is actually a group effort.  Everyone in the business must be committed to CRM to enhance the overall customer experience. However, CRM practises aren’t always embraced right away, often because implementing a solid CRM strategy comes with integrating CRM software.  There is always a learning curve, and a little bit of time is usually needed to adjust to the new system. Sometimes, management deems CRM to have failed, but why?  In most cases, the cause isn’t the CRM system but rather the failure of those using the system to fully embrace it.  Here is a look at the staff that can often make the most – or the worst – of a new CRM strategy or system. Sales executives.  Often, a new CRM system is brought in because of perceived problems in the sales process.  However, if the executives don’t fully buy into the strategy or system, there will be no benefits.  Even if the sales team uses the programme, the data will go to waste if the higher-ups aren’t using it. Support staff.  Customer service representatives are constantly in contact with customers and play a huge role in building loyalty.  If these employees see entering data into the CRM system as optional, the bottom line will fall.  Make sure that the support team enters everything they can into the CRM system. Marketing department.  If the marketing department doesn’t add sufficient information about each lead into the CRM system, how will sales and support know what the next step is?  If sales and marketing aren’t communicating, customers could feel neglected and might not trust the business. Sales staff.  There is no doubt that the more information a salesperson has about a particular customer, the more likely they are to close that deal.  Often, the failure of sales staff to use the CRM system effectively starts with leadership.  The success of the CRM strategy should be shared with all employees so that everyone commits to its adoption.  Remember, this is a team effort! Source: http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/80382.html   4. Improve fitness sales with a CRM system An increase in sales is always good for the bottom line in any industry, which is why even fitness facilities should consider adopting a customer relationship management (CRM) system. Tracking sales opportunities, analysing customer data, and predictive analysis are all essential tools to a business’s success.  They are all also very difficult to achieve without an automated system.  That’s where CRM software comes in.  A CRM programme turns these challenges into opportunities by uniting the sales, marketing, and customer service departments via a single platform that everyone has access to. It doesn’t matter what size a facility is or its service scope; a good CRM system is a must-have for any company that wants to attract and keep members.  Often, the perception that CRM is only for large businesses stops smaller companies from taking advantage of the benefits that CRM has to offer.  Remember, CRM isn’t just about the software – it is also a strategy. Getting to know the customer is not a trend.  It is a legitimate business strategy that can reap long-term rewards. So, how can a CRM system help a fitness facility?  First of all, the cost of finding new customers is more expensive that retaining existing ones.  A CRM system can help increase sales by helping marry customer needs with facility strengths to keep customers happy and loyal. Another way that a CRM system can help boost sales is through better lead management.  The days of losing hot leads are gone when everyone on the sales team has access to up-to-the-minute information.  This means a decrease in response time and more efficient customer service. So, what’s the delay?  Invest in a CRM system right away! Source: http://clubindustry.com/resourcebeat/crm-software-makes-selling-easy-your-fitness-facility   5. Turning CRM around with reporting tools  Business intelligence, or BI, is a vital tool that helps businesses make the most of their efforts.  Often, BI is thought to be limited to customer information, but that isn’t exactly the case.  In reality, BI plays an important role in the CRM strategy. The CRM system helps businesses gather lots of information about leads, customers, and sales practises, but it can also help record data about the way a business actually uses its CRM strategy.  This can be a great help to any business, but the trick is actually using the reporting tools to turn the CRM strategy around. One of the great “forgotten features” of the CRM system is the internal reporting.  This is unfortunate because there is so much it can do for a business. Using the tools If more businesses would simply use the internal reporting tools that come with the CRM system, they would have a much clearer understanding of their business’s efforts.  Knowing how widely, how frequently, and which employees use the system is extremely beneficial in understanding the effect the CRM strategy has on the company’s success. This information can help determine which departments are lagging in performance and which ones are excelling. The internal reporting tools can also provide evidence of patterns, which might help managers coach personnel to improve their use of the system and increase sales.  These patterns can also help identify leadership issues. There is a lot that CRM can teach managers about the business itself, and it can teach them even more about the customers.  So, if business owners are open to learning these lessons, they should make better use of the reporting tools in their CRM system. Source: http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/80365.html     About MyCRM  MyCRM limited are a managed service CRM provider of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, currently in our 5th year of trading with customers in 26 countries.  We can provide either a full managed service platform based on Microsoft technology or have a range of software extensions though our App Store which enables end organization’s to adapt and extend their CRM systems.  We have a full in house product design and development team, along with support and service team to help organization get the best from their Microsoft Dynamics CRM implementation. Contact http://www.mycrmgroup.com/ App Store & Download Centre http://downloads.mycrmgroup.com/          

PRESS RELEASE: - MyCRM launch eMap 1.2 for Microsoft® Dynamics CRM 2011 and 2013

18. July 2014 Alistair 2011, 2013, Bing, Blog, Business, CRM, Customer, Dynamics (0)
“eMap 1.2 is the first release with the integrated data service giving access to over 60 million business records, and completes a milestone that has been in the plan for some time” stated Sales and Marketing Director, Alistair Dickinson Isle of Wight, UK 22nd July 2014 MyCRM, the Isle of Wight-based solution provider and software development company, has today announced the next GA (General Availability) release of eMap using Microsoft® Bing Maps for Microsoft® Dynamics CRM. Effective immediately, the latest solution can be downloaded as a trial from the MyCRM Download Centre: http://downloads.mycrmgroup.com/eMap2013.aspx.   Existing eMap customers receive the update as part of their monthly subscription. Included for the first time in eMap is access to a global business database, with over 60 million unique company records with address and location information.   This connection gives end-users the ability to search for business records of all types in a given location without owning the data. This enables those companies to build relationships with prospects and customers by location.   Businesses found using the search facility can then be converted into prospect or lead records directly within their own CRM system.   “eMap 1.2 is the first release with the integrated data service, and completes a milestone that has been in the  plan for some time” stated Sales and Marketing Director, Alistair Dickinson   Mr Dickinson went on to say: “We have been designing, developing and working on the eMap product for the past two years, and have been releasing major updates every four months. This release contains some amazing  new features that extend the usability of Microsoft® Dynamics CRM and empower end-users in any size of business in almost any sector.   “Furthermore, there are many scenarios that can be considered where our solution adds a great deal of value. eMap fits well into Sales, Marketing and Customer Service departments when combined with Microsoft® Dynamics CRM.”   A spokesperson for the MyCRM product team said: “The development of eMap has been a great opportunity for MyCRM to work with our customers, incorporating their feedback through an iterative release schedule. “This solution has been designed to incorporate a whole range of standard Microsoft® CRM product functionality, making eMap a seamless integration and giving a native user experience when working with the software.”         About Microsoft® Bing Maps in Business Microsoft® Bing Maps is a flexible platform with tools designed for rapid application development and provides seamless integration with other Microsoft® technology  The team at MyCRM have taken these tools and built a compelling and tight integration with Microsoft® Dynamics CRM.   About MyCRM MyCRM offer a range of business services to small and medium sized organisations around the globe, through  product additions and help and advice around the implementation of Microsoft® Dynamics CRM. Contact For Company or Product information please contact Alistair Dickinson (Sales and Marketing Director) alistair@mycrmgroup.com +44(0) 1983 249500   Trial Software MyCRM can provide a fully featured eMap trial including business data integration for a limited period of 14 days. Please register here http://downloads.mycrmgroup.com/eMap2013.aspx

Latest CRM News from the MyCRM Team

25. June 2014 Alistair 2011, 2013, Bing, Blog, Business, Cloud, CRM, Customer, Dynamics, Managed Service (0)
As usual this week we have been reviewing a number of great articles around the web on CRM and how businesses make best use of some or all of the functions.  Today we have 4 news articles in our News Cast summary below :-  Mobile CRM and security issues What to do when CRM isn’t working Time to call it quits on your CRM platform Has the CRM revolution already happened?    1.Mobile CRM and security issues   In the past couple of years, there has been much in the way of innovation for customer relationship management, or CRM.  One of these great innovations happens to be mobile CRM. As it stands, more and more companies are rightfully adding mobile capabilities to their collection of business strategies.  The mobile revolution is here.  Mobilising CRM can help lower sales costs, improve customer service, and boost relationship visibility.  However, mobile CRM is not without risk. Here is a look at the biggest security issues that come with mobile CRM.  Knowing about these risks is half the battle. Compliance issues When customers bring their own mobile devices to the mix, it is really hard to make sure that they are within compliance of government rules and regulations.  One way to deal with this issue is to mitigate the risk ahead of the game by getting the IT department involved.  This way, if a mobile device is stolen, there are ways to have sensitive material wiped clean easily and effectively. Data loss Data loss is a big deal.  The risk of customer data being lost or compromised is a very serious issue.  Mobile devices are lost or stolen all the time, so it is up to the organisation to ensure that sensitive information accessible through that device is secured. Privacy With mobile CRM, there are going to be privacy issues.  How is customer data protected?  How is corporate data protected?  Make company policies clear and enforceable and make sure that users are aware of them. Mobile CRM will inevitably open doors for organisations across the globe, but it has to be done correctly.  As long as the risks, such as those above, are dealt with early, there is no doubt that mobile CRM can help a company improve customer relationships and build their brand. Source:  http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/top-3-security-concerns-for-mobile-crm-59762   2.What to do when CRM isn’t working   It is true that having a quality customer relationship management (CRM) programme is essential to help grow a business, but what many managers fail to realise is that it takes more than simply having the software to succeed. Here are some examples of when CRM just isn’t working and what to do about it. Unpredictable sales When managers have very little information about when and how sales opportunities close, the result can be unpredictable sales.  This usually occurs when the sales process isn’t clear and there is a lack of incentive for reporting.  A good remedy for this problem is to have the sales team document how and why customers make the purchase. Too few prospects Often, organisations report that there is a lack of prospects out there.  Sometimes, prospecting seems futile because there is very little time for sales staff to actually get out there and hunt for them when they are servicing actual customers.  This might be the result of an understaffed sales team or a weak department.  Use rewards, upselling, and additional training to combat this issue. Prospecting just isn’t working If the sales team starts complaining that the act of prospecting just isn’t converting to any sales at all, it may be time to take another look at the current strategy.  The organisation’s core value proposition, lead generation, and marketing schemes may be problematic.  When this issue arises, it is a good time to assess whether the sales force is effective or deficient or if there is something else at play. Ultimately, it is the business owner’s responsibility to define how his or her company is to find, retain, and grow customers.  It is important to work with the sales team to generate goals and understand what is working and what is not. Incorporating these tips into a solid CRM strategy with an effective programme will definitely benefit the business over time. Sources:  http://www.bizjournals.com/bizjournals/how-to/growth-strategies/2014/04/why-your-crm-isn-t-working-and-how-to-fix-it.html     3.Time to call it quits on your CRM platform?   Customer relationship management, or CRM, can be a beacon of light for many managers, giving them valuable insight on everything that is going on with their customer accounts.  A good CRM platform does exactly that. An ineffective CRM platform can cause more damage than it prevents.  It can quickly become a burden requiring frequent updates and eating up resources.  So, how does a business owner know when it is time to move on? Here are some quick ways to determine if it might be time to consider a new CRM programme. The CRM doesn’t sync with address books.  A good CRM platform will easily sync with the address book in most email clients, smartphones, and tablets.  If this is not happening, it will become difficult to keep up with the latest leads and accurate customer information.  The CRM doesn’t automatically connect with email.  If it is up to the employee to remember to log into the CRM system and log an email or communication, something is very, very wrong.  The CRM platform should automatically connect with email so that this is done immediately. The CRM doesn’t sync with the calendar.  Whether the office is set up on Macs or PCs, the CRM system should easily sync with the calendar and allow the import and export of customer meetings and other events.  This helps to keep things organised, streamlined, and smooth. Sales are the only focus of the CRM system.  Customer relationship management goes far beyond sales and often begins well before that point.  An effective CRM system helps managers understand every aspect of a customer’s life cycle, from lead to conversion and beyond.    Maintain a meaningful business relationship by having a robust, well organised, and up-to-date CRM system that integrates important customer contacts, events, communications, statuses, and timelines. Source: http://www.bsminfo.com/doc/your-crm-and-you-tests-to-determine-if-it-s-time-to-break-up-0001   4.Has the CRM revolution already happened?   Over the past few years, there is no question that communication methods have changed, and with those changes, business owners have had to also change their CRM (customer relationship management) strategies.  This is, perhaps, precisely why social CRM is on the horizon as the "next big thing." Some people may wonder if the CRM revolution has already occurred?  Or is it happening now? There are a lot of organisations out there that want to engage their customers and keep them, and many look to CRM platforms and strategies to do so.  However, so many of these same organisations just aren’t getting it right. When CRM works, it works well despite the fact that the biggest thinkers in the industry are disappointed to say that technology hasn’t quite caught up with it yet.  As time goes on, CRM users are building their abilities and honing in on how to please customers and organise data efficiently. So, what is next on the CRM horizon – that CRM revolution, so to speak?  Mobile CRM, business intelligence, and social CRM are the big three right now.  Here’s a quick look at each.   Mobile CRM.  There is going to be a lot of talk about mobile CRM because mobility is such a big part of today’s society.  However, it is not so cut-and-dry; it’s not simple to just put an existing CRM system onto a smartphone, for example.  CRM developers are going to need better ways of incorporating data via mobile devices and apply it to everyday operations. Business intelligence.  There is no shortage of business intelligence solutions out there. However, there needs to be a better way to integrate CRM and marketing automation, which will inevitably lead to better analytics and stronger sales. Social CRM.  People are constantly changing the way they communicate and interact. The plethora of social media platforms that have sprouted up over the past couple of years is evidence of that.  With these communication changes, CRM systems must also evolve.  Businesses that stay ahead of the curve will likely see the most success. Source: http://www.crmbuyer.com/story/80320.html     If you are looking for some help moving your CRM solution forward or looking for help with migration or upgrade then contact MyCRM today www.mycrmgroup.com About MyCRM Here at my CRM we offer our customers http://www.mycrmgroup.com/customers.aspx the best solutions to help them drive business forward and gain real benefits from implementing Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We are in our 5th year of trading as a business and have seen incremental growth year on year in profits, our team are based in the Isle of Wight, UK and we maintain relationships with customers in 26 countries. If you need help, support or advice with your Microsoft CRM then we are waiting for your email. Sales@mycrmgroup.com   MyCRM Download Centre and App Store You can also register with the MyCRM App Store and Download Centre for Microsoft Dynamics CRM here http://downloads.mycrmgroup.com/