It has been a year since the release of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 and while last year’s conference expo was home to multiple CRM solution exhibits, this year will no doubt have more.  Just like the newest release of MS CRM 2011, partner solutions have had another year to grow, test and become tighter and more efficient.

Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the InterDyn AKA Booth 252 to see a live demo of DynamicsADvantage for CRM – a fully integrated ad sales management system that works within Microsoft Dynamics to improve the sales, marketing and customer services processes for media, broadcast, and publishing companies. DynamicsADvantage for CRM provides the ability to track advertiser-agency relationships, sales automation within Outlook, opportunity to proposal and order creation, as well as integration into Dynamics and other financial systems. DynamicsADvantage makes Microsoft Dynamics CRM relevant for an ad sales department of a media company, while leveraging the power of existing Microsoft products including Outlook. 

Booking your travel and setting a schedule of product sessions and hands-on labs to attend are all great ways to prepare for a successful conference but don’t forget to check out the list of updated and new exhibitors who offer products and services that will add to your existing solution. We hope to see you there!

by InterDyn AKA, New York Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Come See a Demo of DynamicsADvantage for CRM at Microsoft Dynamics Convergence in Houston Texas! is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

No related posts.

Social media connected with your CRM software can bring together the sales, marketing, and customer service departments. When these three areas work together, it creates a great concoction of customer satisfaction and more effective lead generation. Here are a few examples of when it especially comes in handy:

Let’s say your sales representative is working on converting an event attendee into an opportunity, but he/she didn’t attend the event and doesn’t have a good handle on what the attendee may have learned or taken away. The sales rep can quickly video chat with the marketing rep to see whether there are offers or if attendees received particular information that he/she can mention. This creates a streamlined sales call for the rep and increases the chances of success.

Let’s say the marketing manager is making plans for the next year, but needs input from a few of the sales reps to get a good handle on what’s working for them and what isn’t. The manager can do some research in CRM to see what type of leads were generated from certain sources. They can also IM or message a few sales reps to get their anecdotal feedback that’s valuable for creating an effective marketing plan.

Connecting social media with your CRM is definitely a way to stay connected with your customers, but it’s also another way to enhance relationships in the office. Take advantage of the technology we have available today to make your job as productive as possible and contact us if you have any questions about how Microsoft Dynamics® CRM works with social media components.

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

Building a Social Business with CRM Software is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Social Collaboration Tool Adoption for Your Business
2. Our 4 Favorite Ways to Add Social Media to your CRM Software
3. Social Media Networks in Combination with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Create Marketing Power

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

Related Posts

No related posts.

With Microsoft Dynamics CRM, your salespeople have the information they need at their fingertips, so that they are able to focus on the right opportunities, and close deals faster. Watch the video below to learn more.

If you’d like to find out more about Microsoft Dynamics CRM and how it can help your sales force succeed, contact us today!

By: Laura Heinbockel, Intelligent Technologies, Inc. a North Carolina Dynamics CRM Partner.

How to Increase Your Company’s Selling Power is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Social Selling with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
2. Put Microsoft Dynamics CRM Into Action To Increase Profitability
3. Use CRM to Increase Response Rates, Sales, and Revenue – 5 Easy Steps

 Benefits for Company and Management

Above and beyond the product’s features and benefits, companies can take advantage of a well-designed CRM software deployment for:

• Quicker response for new leads, call scheduling, appointments and forecasting
• Automation of repeatable tasks, such as assignment of leads based on specific criteria, for improved productivity
• Better managed sales opportunities for increased revenue
• Improved sales effectiveness through best practices and standardized processes

 In addition to the company-wide benefits described above, the management team will be able to:

• Use real-time data to make better business decisions
• Produce more accurate sales forecasts by time period
• Use standardized processes and templates for improved training
• Help foster better communications between and among sales team members

 Confusion over the “Big Boys”

When searching for the CRM solution that best fits your organization, you may become frustrated when evaluating which product best addresses your requirements. The two leading CRM vendors are Microsoft and Salesforce.com.  To help
prospective buyers determine the difference in the offerings, Microsoft upped the ante by posting an open letter to Salesforce.com customers. The letter posed the the following questions and comments:

In this economy, how can you justify paying two to three times more than you need to for an enterprise CRM system?*

• Microsoft provides a financially backed 99.9 percent uptime commitment for every Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online customer; why does Salesforce.com only provide you with “commercially reasonable efforts” to keep your business running?
• Having access to the most up-to-date information is critical to your business; why doesn’t Salesforce.com provide real-time access to data and dashboards, refreshed whenever you need it like Microsoft does?
• Microsoft works great with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office; why does Salesforce.com want you to start from scratch when it comes to productivity tools for your people?
• Microsoft provides the flexibility for your CRM system to work with other systems, whether they run in the cloud or on-premises; why does Salesforce.com lock you into one way of doing things?

 * Comparison based on Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online v. Salesforce.com Enterprise Edition

 Choosing the Right Partner

 Make no mistake:  the CRM solutions available now offer tremendous benefits to organizations, particularly in the sales, marketing, and customer service areas. One of the most important elements when performing a CRM system search
is identifying and articulating your organization’s key requirements so you can ultimately make an educated decision.

 Partnering with an experienced, proven CRM provider will ensure a smart implementation designed for your specific needs. BroadPoint Technologies is the largest Microsoft Dynamics partner in the mid-Atlantic.  Contact us at (301) 634-2478 or skane@broadpoint.net to discuss your CRM requirements and schedule a complimentary consultation.

by BroadPoint Technologies, Virginia Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

Dynamics CRM Fits the Bill for Productivity, Security, and Reliability is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Maximize Revenue by Aligning your Sales and Marketing Teams Through Dynamics CRM
2. Interested in $200 Cash? Check out Cloud CRM for Less
3. Microsoft Dynamics CRM: The Environmentally-Friendly Application

Every organization is different; however, lead growth, account acquisition and retention, salesperson productivity, and quota attainment are key growth metrics that can be applied to most sales organizations. It’s the ones that measure against these metrics that create the culture of a world-class sales organization.

Top 5 Sales Strategies for 2012

1) Increase your sales pipeline with qualified opportunities

2) Increase your net new customer adds

3) Cross sell and upsell into your existing customer base

4) Increase salesperson productivity

5) Establish infrastructure and a consistent sales cadence

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 helps create operational alignment of people, process and technology. Here are some ways you can accelerate your momentum in achieving your sales strategies for 2012.

Lead Management
Align the lead management module with your business definition of a qualified lead. This way only qualified leads are converted to sales opportunities. The lines between the definitions of a Lead vs. an Opportunity are often blurred and can be a common point of confusion. Create and reinforce consistency in your sales methodology across Leads and Opportunities – they are different.

Opportunity Management
Segment your pipeline between new and existing customers by tracking this attribute on each new opportunity. It’s a simple thing to do and will help you measure the ratio of ‘farmed’ vs. ‘hunted’ business. A growing organization will have a sales organization focused on net new customer adds.

Account Management
Create visibility into the products and services associated with your existing customers. Oftentimes we integrate Microsoft Dynamics CRM with an organization’s accounting system for this type of visibility. Cross-selling and up-selling into your existing customer base creates value for your customers and creates revenue opportunities often missed.

Salesperson Productivity
Reducing administrative tasks for a salesperson keeps them focused on selling. Administrative tasks are necessary for pipeline visibility and activity management but make sure it’s easy for them. We use workflows to automate administrative tasks, dashboards and reports for visibility and simple configurations to reinforce the organizations sales methodology. Reducing the number of clicks and eliminating the guesswork around sales process management creates a more productive sales force.

Dashboards and Reports
The enhanced dashboard capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 make reporting against your key metrics very easy. Also utilizing the goal management module in conjunction with dashboard charts give you visibility into how you are doing against goals at every level of the organization. Managing sales pipeline does not need to be difficult and the simpler the better.

AbleBridge has helped many sales organizations marry process with technology using Microsoft Dynamics CRM. We’re passionate about helping organizations simplify their sales operations and giving them the visibility they need to become top performing sales organizations.

Feel free to contact AbleBridge to learn more or request additional information.

Top 5 Sales Strategies for 2012. Accelerate Your Momentum with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Maximize Revenue by Aligning your Sales and Marketing Teams Through Dynamics CRM
2. 3 Ways AbleBridge Helped Customers Realize the Benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
3. Manufacturers Use CRM to Drive Sales and Boost Service

The business case drives the project plan – functionality requirements, software selection, and so forth – setting the direction for the entire deployment. It’s also a crucial for garnering the executive support you need for your initiative to succeed.

What should you include when developing a business case for CRM?

The Vision

Why do you need a new CRM system?

• What’s wrong with your existing CRM processes that you’d like to see improved?
• Are you looking to automate manual processes or eliminate redundant tasks – to reduce personnel expense, improve efficiencies, and lower risk of costly shipping errors?
• Are you looking for more detailed real-time customer intelligence to make sales and marketing campaigns more efficient and effective?

Consider both the cost of doing nothing and the bottom line benefits of solving these issues.

The Value

What value do you expect this CRM deployment to create for your company? Think in terms of metrics or key performance indicators (KPI) to define success and measure progress, such as:

• Increased revenue
• Project payback
• Market share gains
• Profits generated from net new sales
• Productivity, efficiency gains
• Lower customer acquisition costs
• Higher customer retention, improved profit per customer
• Lower customer service costs
• Improved sales conversion ratios
• Shorter sales cycles

The Requirements

What functionality do you need in your CRM system to fulfill the overall vision and drive your key performance indicators? Obtain input from stakeholders who will be impacted by CRM, including those in sales, marketing, customer service, IT, accounting and the C-suite. If one of your target metrics is “productivity gains,” for example, work with sales personnel to identify areas where CRM can eliminate redundant tasks, reduce busy work and give them more time for selling.

Without a clear business case, you could purchase the most powerful software on the market, fully loaded with “bells and whistles,” but see very little results to justify the money – a nightmare scenario for most IT directors and executives tasked with making large-scale technology purchases. To mitigate this risk, contact the technology advisors at ERT Group at 954-825-0888 before making your next CRM investment.

Defining the Case for CRM Before Making the Investment is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Making The ‘X’ Factor Work For Your Business
2. Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 vs. Salesforce.com: 5 Reasons Why SFDC Thinks They Are The Better Investment
3. Microsoft Dynamics CRM-to-ERP Connector Cuts Integration Time, Cost

1. Deployed a Project Management solution within Microsoft Dynamics CRM for an IT Service Provider who needed a more consolidated view of active projects and project task deliverables.

o Provided a consolidated view of all projects, project tasks, resources time and expense

o Significantly reduced the administrative effort to create new projects through the implementation of project templates – while maintaining consistency around different project types.

o Provided the ability for bulk Time Entry and Dashboards for visibility into project budget vs. time spent, resource utilization, and project task assignment.

2. Implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM for an Insurance Agency looking to better manage their client relationships and streamline agency operations regarding policies, commission schedules, and customer service.

o Migrated data from their existing agency management system and had all users on Microsoft Dynamics CRM in less than a few days.

o Simplified the incoming and outgoing commission reconciliation process and saved the agency 24 administrative hours in the first month.

o Deployed Reports that measure key metrics around client stewardship, producer sales activity and commission tracking.

3. Implemented Microsoft Dynamics CRM for a leading Chemical Manufacturer looking to better manage their distributor relationships, sales activities, and information visibility.

o Provided a consolidated system of all distributor and end user customer information

o Provided a mechanism to track sales activity and competitive product information to identify up-sell / cross-sell opportunities into their customer base.

o Integrated Microsoft Dynamics CRM with their ERP / Order Processing System using Scribe Software for real time data integration.

We’ve helped hundreds of businesses streamline their business operations, boost people productivity, and achieve great business visibility with Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Feel free to contact AbleBridge if you have any questions or want to learn more about how we can help your organization realize the benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

by AbleBridge, Massachusetts Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

3 Ways AbleBridge Helped Customers Realize the Benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. 3 Powerful things AbleBridge did for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customers in September
2. Employee Benefits Brokers are Innovating with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
3. 3 Powerful Things AbleBridge Did For Microsoft Dynamics CRM Customers in July

So how do you stay focused in the workplace? As mentioned above with regard to sports, focus allows you to take that next step to success. Many companies rely on software solutions to maintain their focus and are seeing good results. One solution that optimizes this power is Microsoft Dynamics® CRM.

By using Microsoft Dynamics CRM, companies can manage their customer and prospect data in one system, helping them collaborate together to offer the best customer service possible. Just having one comprehensive solution helps employees stay focused on their customers. Good customer service and support practices ensure the longevity of your business, moving you forward.

Alerts within Microsoft Dynamics CRM also keep your sales and marketing teams on task. As many of us know from experience, managing a number of clients with differing projects can get confusing and a little overwhelming. Microsoft Dynamics CRM acts like the assistant, prompting team members to make calls for follow up or send emails to check in. Although you may be feeling scattered throughout your day’s work, Microsoft Dynamics CRM is that helping hand to keep you focused again, moving you forward.

So if you’re interested in moving your business forward, Microsoft Dynamics CRM can help you do it. Think of it as a tool in relation to individual sports, helping you get better and achieve growth. It’s that golf club that hits the ball farther or that harness that supports you while you climb higher. Contact us to achieve greater focus with Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

By Jim Drumm with Sikich, Chicago IL Microsoft Dynamics CRM partner serving IL and MO

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Helps You Focus in Order to Move Forward is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. DRIVE Your Business Forward with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Integration
2. Effective Customer Segmentation Helps Move Sales Quickly Through Cycle
3. Maximize Revenue by Aligning your Sales and Marketing Teams Through Dynamics CRM

Microsoft Dynamics CRM is an easy to use and intuitive application to manage all the relationships important to your business.  Accessed from the web or right within Microsoft Outlook, it will allow for more efficient sales planning and account management.

For companies that already have a centralized system, enrich the customer and prospect data accessible to your sales force.  Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM with your ERP / Accounting system could provide Order summaries that your sales team can utilize to cross-sell / up-sell products across your customer base.  Integrating Microsoft Dynamics CRM with a data service like Hoover’s can help your sales organization become more efficient in their prospecting efforts by identifying key decision makers, influences, and road blocks in an account.

Challenge 2: Inefficient / non-existent sales pipeline management

You might think this challenge is only important for sales managers to overcome but at the end of the day most sales reps recognize that effectively managing their deals will help them make their numbers.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM allows you to centrally track key deal information and establish consistent sales processes with pre-defined workflows.  Clear visibility into where revenue opportunities are in the sales cycle gives your sales organization actionable intelligence to make informed decisions.  Using Guided Dialogues in Microsoft Dynamics CRM you can streamline the qualification process.  Using Workflows Microsoft Dynamics CRM you can ensure that consistent sales processes are followed at each stage of the sales cycle.

Challenge 3: Decrease in personal productivity for Sales Reps

Spending hours each day in administrative activities is a productivity drain.  If people are spending a lot of time on activities that don’t directly help them produce sales or happy customers, look for ways to streamline those “non-selling” activities.  If they are necessary, but not adding value – do them as efficiently as possible.

Using Microsoft Dynamics CRM right from within Outlook is a huge boost to a salesperson’s productivity.  You can use Personal Views, Preview Panes, Most Recently Used lists as well as tracking inbound and outbound emails to records in CRM with a few clicks.  No application switching needed.  The integration with Excel gives your sales people an easy way of manipulating, summarizing, and reporting data that can be maintained with a bi-directional synch between CRM and Excel.   Microsoft Word can be used to create personal mail merge templates and workflows can automate follow ups or set alerts for key events.

 AbleBridge has helped many sales organizations adopt best-practices and sales tools that make them more efficient and effective in their selling processes.  We have implemented CRM systems for over a decade and we understand the features and functionality that are important to business users.  And we also know the common pitfalls and challenges that hinder user adoption and organizational acceptance of a CRM solution.

Today Microsoft Dynamics CRM is our only CRM technology focus.  The reasons are simple: it’s familiar user interface, seamless integration with Microsoft Office, customization flexibility, platform scalability and its multiple deployment options.  We feel these ingredients make Microsoft Dynamics CRM the best CRM technology investment for any organization looking to implement a CRM strategy.

Feel free to contact AbleBridge if you have any questions or want to learn more about how we can help your organize realize the benefits of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

by AbleBridge, Massachusetts Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner

3 Key Challenges Your Sales Organization Can Overcome with Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a post from: CRM Software Blog

Related Posts

1. Top 5 Sales Strategies for 2012. Accelerate Your Momentum with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011
2. 3 Unique Sales Challenges of Professional Services Firms – and How Your CRM Should Solve Them
3. Maximize Revenue by Aligning your Sales and Marketing Teams Through Dynamics CRM