Microsoft Dynamics® CRM makes that possible in a number of way:

• Easy to Read Insight: Dashboards, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and Outlook integration…oh my! Microsoft Dynamics CRM works with the systems you already have in place, so it’s easy to incorporate the important business information into your everyday insight. This insight puts you in a more productive space and makes your opportunities all the more profitable. You can also customize dashboards, KPI’s, or even set up automatic reminders to help you stay on track at all times.
• Connecting the Dots of Sales and Marketing: Your company becomes more profitable when your various departments can work together. Sales and marketing can be a power duo and Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the catalyst. When your marketing team has insight into sales team’s goals, they can put in a more effective marketing strategy. When sales can see where a lead comes from, they are armed with the vital information that makes it possible to close the deal.
• Customer Management Made Easy: Managing customer issues is no easy task and it takes a lot of in-depth data to resolve some problems. The worst situation is when a customer calls in for support, gets passed along to various service reps, and has to start over with their issue during every transition. Microsoft Dynamics CRM presents information that helps speed the resolution process for your customers, making them, not to mention your customer service reps, happy. Nobody wants to be the cause of frustration, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM ensures that doesn’t happen.

Profitability can mean a lot of things for a company. But when a solution covers the above bases of profitability, it’s a no-brainer to check into what it can do for you. Contact us at Cargas Systems for more information about Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

By Memie Whiteside with Cargas Systems, Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Customer Relationship Management and Data Analysis Create Profitability is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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And when you have to deal with extremely frustrating, and sometimes useless, encounters with customer service representatives, it’s not very likely that you’ll hold that particular store in high regard, or that you’ll be in a hurry to return any time soon. And this can cause some serious problems for the business concerned.

According to a 2009 study conducted by Genesys, research firm Greenfield Online, and Datamonitor/Ovum analysts, poor customer service that results in abandoned purchases or defections to other companies costs U.S. companies an estimated $83 billion annually. People have no problem going elsewhere; in the U.S., 71% of consumers have ended a relationship due to a bad customer service experience, with survey participants stating that when they end a relationship, 61% of the time they will switch to a competitor.

These statistics show hard proof that good customer service isn’t just something that businesses should strive for – it is a business requirement. Given the importance of providing high quality customer service, companies need to look at any tool that enables them to more effectively work with, as well as manage, their customers. With the rich features of Microsoft Dynamics CRM, companies offer their customers the premium service that results from having a comprehensive insight into customer activities and histories.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM provides an instant overview of customer accounts, enabling representatives to quickly identify customers and view past history.

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, the ability to instantly access crucial account information allows representatives to get a quick understanding of customer needs. Providing good customer service means getting the right information at the right time. For example, if a representative is scrambling to find a customer and that customers order history with a long hold time – you take a bad situation and make it worse by the time the conversation starts. By establishing a basic information framework on which a representative can build , Microsoft Dynamics CRM improves question and problem handling and offers the ability to address issues quickly.

A survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit shows that the biggest obstacles to productivity growth are too much time spent on administrative tasks and lack of customer understanding (See graph below). By providing centralized information and a 360 degree view of the customer Microsoft Dynamics CRM drives up both agent productivity and customer satisfaction. The creation of different types of workflows enable specific service processes to be consolidated and executed across a company, and also allows customer service reps to manage their work more efficiently. By creating either personal, workgroup, departmental, or federated workflows, organizations reduce their reliance on IT and gain a clearer understanding of the tasks and assignments associated with different job roles within the company.

The top two indicators for customer satisfaction are First Contact Resolution (FCR) and Call Handling time/ Resolution time. Contact centers that have FCR of greater than 80% have a much higher degree of customer satisfaction than contact centers that have an FCR between 60 – 80%. Anything less than a 50% FCR is a recipe for customer churn. With Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s robust case and incident management functionality, a customer service representative can easily create, manage, and resolve cases through many different communication channels – such as by phone, email, chat, Web, or in-person contact. Dynamics CRM automates the assignment and supervision of customer issues by routing, queuing, and escalating support incidents based on the specified rules ensuring that cases get to the agents that are qualified to handle the issue. In addition functionality to get Export on Call assistance provides the ability for an agent to get help while online with the customer. With this automation, representatives speed up first call resolution and better serve their customers.

With the in-depth case management capabilities, representatives are able to get an at-a-glance view of each customer’s information, case history and service contracts and deliver appropriate service fast.

After planning and completing case activities, a representative can record in the customer account the issue raised by the customer and the representative’s actions in resolving the issue. By saving a record of the entire case resolution process, representatives have information that can be referenced in the future in case the same issue pops up, or if a similar one does. Keeping that information on-hand and using it when it’s needed shows a company’s commitment to maintaining and updating their clients’ data, which in turn proves to the customer that their needs are a first priority of both the representative and the company as a whole.

Scheduling services is also an easy process with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, enabling representatives to clearly define the resources and service offerings that the company provides to customers. In Microsoft Dynamics CRM, representatives can specify the resources available within the company, and direct the necessary resources toward the resolution of customer issues. For example, resources can be defined as people, equipment, and facilities, and the resources that have similar skill sets or capabilities can also be gathered together into resource groups.

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM’s all-encompassing customer service functionality, companies benefit from a system that delivers customer information, order and case history, sales information, case management, automated workflows for assignment and escalation quickly and efficiently. With this detailed knowledge right at their fingertips, customer service reps are better equipped to provide excellent support to clients by quickly and efficiently resolving any problems or issues.

Ashley Harbaugh is a Product Marketing Specialist at Ignify. Ignify is a technology provider of CRM, software solutions to banks, insurance and financial service institutions. Ignify has been included as the fastest growing business in North America for 5 years in a row by Deloitte, Inc Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine and ranked as one of 100 most innovative companies in the world in the Red Herring Global 100 in 2011.

by Ignify

Make Your Business the Standard for Customer Service Excellence with Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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With such a growing imperative to maximize customer value and reshape the customer experience, many top-tier firms are turning to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. As a fully centralized and interactive business management tool, CRM 2011 provides a complete, reliable, and integrated 360 degree view of client-related information so that companies can better identify, segment, service, and retain their customers and create a more positive customer experience in the following ways:

• Cultivate and deepen relationships to earn client loyalty, retention, and pave the way for repeat business via upsell and cross-sell opportunities.
• Dissect the critical information found in the client profile to develop more targeted marketing campaigns, more effective sales call plans, and more seamless, cost-efficient service delivery strategies that are relevant and tailored to the unique customer purchasing preferences and habits.
• Glean insights on a customer’s interaction, ad response, and transaction history across various channels and touchpoints to grow company-wide awareness and knowledge of each customer’s unique needs and be better positioned to offer value-added products and services.
• Facilitate employee and department collaboration, sharing, and communication of critical information to improve and automate front-office sales and service processes, minimize response times to client inquiries, and reduce customer frustration by not having to ask the same questions repeatedly.

The good news here is that all of the above benefits of improving the customer experience and overall client satisfaction will eventually grow customer spend, provide an incremental sales lift, and maximize the lifetime value of your more profitable clients and prospects.

To learn more about how the vast experience and expertise of Customer Effective combined with our industry specific accelerators and pre-built configuration templates can help lower your total cost of ownership, shorten your implementation timeline, and increase the return on investment of your new robust Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 system, please visit www.customereffective.com.

Post by: Kevin Wessels, Customer Effective

Improve Customer Relations and Reshape the Customer Experience with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Advisor needs more insights on Household Relationship Management and Client Acquisition Tracking

• Link Clients to multi-generational affluent family Households and obtain consolidated 360-degree views of all Household Members, Accounts, Assets/Liabilities, Transactions, Market Values and be able to see their complete financial picture in one central location.
• Track related 3rd Party Advisors, Qualified Plans, Employers, and Client Interests and receive the extra knowledge and background to become the go-to trusted advisor and “quarterback” for any financial situation.
• Track Client Acquisition Prospecting efforts, RFP requests and responses, and lead conversion success rates to identify the most effective and efficient ways to win new business.

Advisor needs better recordkeeping for Compliance

• Uphold data integrity and maintain accurate Client, Prospect, and Partner records for individuals and companies.
• Track system and field data changes via historical Audit trail logs to meet tightening compliance requirements.
• Track and store all Client communication and correspondence to adhere to SEC and FINRA guidelines – emails, phone calls, portfolio review meetings and notes, service inquiries, client newsletters, buy/sell recommendations, Client Monthly Statements, Financial Plans, Investment Proposals, Monte Carlo Hypos, Investor Suitability Due Diligence questionnaires, KYC/AML compliance docs, proxies, research reports, and prospectuses.

Advisor needs more timely and robust Sales Pipeline Management reporting

• Sales, Marketing, Client Service, and Compliance Dashboards and Reports capture KPI’s and production results for each individual Advisor, Branch, Region, or the entire firm.
• Real-Time Sales Opportunity Pipeline Management and Forecasting help focus time and resources on more profitable relationships and shorten sales cycles.
• Target vs. Actual Goal Tracking of Closed Deals and Prospecting Activity promotes competition, instills accountability, motivates reps, and helps identify areas for improvement.

Advisor needs to automate New Client Onboarding Processes

• CRM can be tightly integrated with Portfolio Management/Trading/Rebalancing/Custody platforms to eliminate dual entry, save time, and further streamline and automate the Client Onboarding, Account Setup, and Ongoing Service Processes.
• Once the Onboarding Process is complete, ongoing monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual Review Meetings can automatically be set up to consistently and frequently stay in touch with Clients, earn their trust, and provide superior levels of service to the competition.
• Track and rate Referral Sources based on lead generation profitability.

Advisor needs an easier way to plan, execute, and follow up on Seminars

• Devise quick campaigns to plan, execute, and track the success of converted leads from attendees of Retirement Planning, College Savings, Tax Minimization, and Estate Planning Seminars.

Advisor needs to reduce the time involved on Client Allocation Change and Distribution Request Processes

• Create automatic follow-up tasks and deadlines for review of Account activity and maintenance to increase client retention and ensure consistent behavior amongst Client Service Teams.
• Identify At-Risk Clients based on recent, frequent high-dollar withdrawals; develop and execute client outreach and retention plans.

Please visit www.customereffective.com to learn more about Customer Effective: FinServ for Wealth Management and how its pre-designed wealth management tools and templates can vastly improve your practice’s customer-centric approach and widen your competitive advantage.

Post by: Kevin Wessels, Customer Effective

Wealth Management Firms turn to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 to Amplify their Sales and Service Results is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Sales & Marketing (Group and Individual) – February 2, 2012
Time: 2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT
This webinar will touch on topics including:
> Managing Quote Activity
> Outbound Marketing Campaigns
> New/Renewal Opportunity Management
> Agency Performance Management
> Reporting and Dashboards

Operations (Group Plan Administration) – February 23, 3012
Time: 2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT
In this webinar, the following topics will be covered:
> Policy Holder 360 Degree View
> Group 360 Degree View
> Underwriting
> Reporting and Dashboards

Call Center (Sales and Customer Service) – March 13, 2012
Time: 2:00pm to 3:00pm EDT
The highlights of this webinar will include:
> Group and Individual Agent Case Management
> Telephony Integration with CRM
> Knowledge Base
> Reporting and Dashboards

Please visit our website for more information on how to register for this educational webinar series!

Post by: Hannah Mayer, Customer Effective 

Customer Effective Announces Microsoft CRM for Health Plans Webinar Series is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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CRM for Associations is a new concept that’s taking hold within the NFP marketplace.  It’s CRM, but CRM that is tailored to meet the requirements and speak the language of today’s associations.  As a membership-based organization, you have members, events, campaigns, sponsors, and other sources of revenue.  Your challenge is to manage and interact with all of your constituencies and audiences more effectively.   A CRM for Associations solution helps you do that while also boosting revenue.

Most AMS systems are lacking in sales, marketing, and service automation.  They do just fine with operational management such as event registrations and dues management, but many of the sales and marketing features and functions they offer are either afterthoughts, bolt-ons, or poorly integrated into the overall AMS system.  They fall well short for organizations with more sophisticated requirements.

With a CRM system that is designed and built for associations, you can break out of the limitations imposed by traditional AMS.  A CRM solution offers many sales, marketing, and service best practices:

• Constructing your membership team more like a traditional sales team.
• Developing ongoing nurture marketing programs to capture new revenue.
• Establishing a measureable lead management process.
• Utilizing integrated case management to establish a high-end membership service program.

Where a CRM for Associations solution shines is in centralizing your sales, marketing, and service efforts for your membership.  You can manage the details of recruiting and retaining sponsors, donors, supporters, and members.  Plan and manage marketing campaigns of any size and complexity including direct mail and email marketing.  When a revenue opportunity is identified, you can track and manage it through the revenue capture process.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is the foundation for our CRM for Associations offering.  We have taken the base functionality and customized it to meet the specific needs of membership-based organizations.  It retains all of the extensive features found in the base product but is extended and tailored to work for associations.   Here is just a brief list of its features:

• Access the system from within Microsoft Outlook or use it from a web-browser.
• Use the solution as a stand-alone application or as an integrated component to your current AMS solution.
• Create and automate marketing campaigns.
• Deliver personalized campaigns for specific members.
• Develop nurture email marketing campaigns for training, newsletters, and events.
• Track and report on marketing and revenue generation activities.
• Manage comprehensive buying and demographic profiles for all important constituencies.
• Provide top-flight service to members through integrated case management.
• Easily deploy the solution either on premise or “in the cloud”.

A CRM for Associations solution is a great alternative for any membership-based organization looking to grow its revenue. This new concept is being adopted by many leading organizations today and forms the foundation for better, more effective sales, marketing, and service management.  And the best part is that organizations are seeing improved success in generating non-dues revenue.  You can too.

Contact Steve Kane (skane@broadpoint.net and 301-634-2404) at BroadPoint Technologies, the mid-Atlantic’s largest Dynamics reseller, for more information on our CRM offerings.

by BroadPoint

CRM for Associations: A New Era in Member Engagement and Revenue Generation is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Whether you are looking for on-demand or on-premise, both solutions cater to your needs. Depending on the goals of your business, you will have to choose one or the other, but for these products this will not be a key decision point.

In terms of features within the CRM software solutions, you will also find very little differences.  For example, you can track sales activities and history for specific accounts in both and keep track of your campaigns to analyze in the future.  You may be thinking to yourself, so how do I choose SugarCRM or Microsoft Dynamics CRM?

Well, since Microsoft Dynamics CRM is part of the Microsoft line of products, the dashboards and functions are similar to products within the Microsoft Office line. The familiarity allows users to adapt quicker than those opting for SugarCRM.  Just with that you will be decreasing time & money spent on training.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM also integrates smoothly with other Microsoft products allowing you to move between Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Office, and even your Microsoft ERP solution.

One feature that SugarCRM has over Dynamics CRM is the ability to purchase SugarCRM directly from their website without any implementation. While you do gain instant results from this, all training and customization (if possible) then becomes your responsibility. Microsoft Dynamics CRM is sold, implemented, supported, and customized by Microsoft partners, like MIG.

Learn more about the various Microsoft CRM features available to your business! Make sure your Marketing, Sales, and Customer Service departments are working together to help grow your business.

MIG & Co. – MIG is a Professional Consulting Firm that specializes in the implementation of business management software solutions including Customer Relationship Management. We automate business processes to ensure our customers work efficiently. A New York City based Microsoft Dynamics Gold Partner, primarily serving New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

by MIG & Co., New York Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Microsoft Dynamics CRM vs. SugarCRM: How To Know Which Option is Best for You? is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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What keeps me going back to the dealership where I might pay a little more than other places?  Most importantly I feel like they know me, my vehicle, and my concerns.  Whenever I have questions, no matter how dumb they might be, they explain it in a way I understand and I feel like I’m in good hands.   To top off the evening, they were able to complete the service in half the time and because Tuesday is Lady’s night, I received a 10% discount.  Sweet!   Will I go back?  Definitely.  When they call to survey me on my experience will I give a good review?  Yes, I will. 
Can your business provide such a positive customer service experience?  Do you have a following of loyal customers?   Isn’t this what we all want:  happy customers who share their experience and keep coming back for more.  I’m guessing you are nodding in agreement right now. 

 Microsoft Dynamics CRM has the ability to track all your customers’ activities so you can have the information necessary to provide a positive experience for your customers.   The analytics through CRM can provide you with the data to have an accurate feel on the state of your customers.  To speak metaphorically,  CRM is the dipstick your organization needs to determine when it is time for a change. 

 If your organization is due for a  change, contact DFC Consultants at 800-277-5661 or email sales@dfcconsultants.com  to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM and how it can help your organization deliver better service and gain customer loyalty. We will be hosting a  CRM Demo on January 26^th at 10 a.m. Central if you would like to see it in action. 

DFC Consultants is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM and GP. Since 1989, DFC has been providing accounting software solutions, training, and support in our offices in Fargo, Bismarck, and Dickinson, North Dakota.  Our passion is to assist clients in meeting their goals with professional services and powerful business solutions.

 By Vanessa Veflin, DFC Consultants,  North Dakota Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Running a Quart Low on Customer Service? Change to Microsoft Dynamics CRM. is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Good customer service is an integral part of any business and is the cornerstone of keeping your customers happy and most importantly, retaining them. Improving customer service should not be that difficult given well designed internal processes and the right Customer Relationship Management (CRM). It is vital that you provide excellent customer service to ensure customers and referral sources for life. This is a critical element in the evolution given it is 6 to 7 times more costly to acquire a new customer than retain an existing one.

The description below explains the life cycle of a case within Microsoft Dynamics CRM, from the initiating activity to the case resolution.

• When a customer initiates contact with your organization, it is saved as a communication activity, such as an e-mail message, phone call, or letter. These activities are either created automatically, such as an incoming e-mail message, or manually, such as a letter received.
• The activity is then sent to a queue to wait for someone to take ownership of the activity.  Alternatively, workflows could be developed to automatically acknowledge the customer communication and route the service
  request to the appropriate individual or department in your organization.
• The new owner converts the activity to a case and starts working to resolve the customer’s issue. The customer
  service representative (CSR) can link the case to an existing account or contract and view historical information about the account or contact. If there is a contract, the case can be linked to a specific contract line that allows the allotment to be added to the billable total time. As the CSR researches the issue, the CSR can link to a relevant Knowledgebase article and forward to the customer as appropriate.
• Further contact with the customer and activities performed to close the case are also saved.
• When the case is resolved, it is removed from the queue automaticallly. The closed acivities, including the case resolution, can be viewed in the history of the account or contact. Customer Care dashboards and reports can give management insight into this important department of the company.

If your organization is located in the Arizona or New Mexico area, contact Sherwood Systems for assistance in determining if a technology solution can help your organization better serve your business needs. (877) 943-9696

By Sherwood Systems – Arizona MicrosoftDynamics CRM Partner

The Flow of Case Management in Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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Whether you’re in the retail or distribution industry, the Holiday season puts a lot of pressure on businesses. You need to have the right items in stock and be able to fulfill customer orders in a timely and efficient manner, especially for those last minute shoppers. Customer relationship management (CRM) software helps you do just this. It also helps you identify buying trends before they happen so you’re not scrambling at the last minute to get the most popular toy out on the shelves.

For businesses, the Holidays should be a time to sit back and watch the money stream in and this is definitely possible with CRM software. With CRM software, you’ll be able to prepare before the chaos begins. You’ll also be able to offer optimal customer support with business case scenarios at your fingertips. When there is a lot of gift giving going on, there will be a lot of returns happening as well. CRM software streamlines the return process, keeping customers happy and your finances in check.

With CRM software, the Holidays are a time of opportunity. So instead of buying into the stressful, chaotic mess, sit back, enjoy the season and know you can handle anything that comes your way.

If you don’t have CRM software in place that allows you to sit back this Holiday season, contact us to learn more about Microsoft Dynamics® CRM. It works right within Microsoft Outlook and is extremely easy to use, making your software investment worthwhile.

By Julie Fuller with Cargas Systems, Pennsylvania Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Fresh Perspective for this Holiday Season: Effective Customer Relationship Software Creates Opportunity is a post from: CRM Software Blog

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