Creating Marketing Lists with Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Good, up-to-date marketing lists are often the core of successful marketing campaigns, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM (www.mig.com/DynamicsCRM) enables you to quickly and easily create marketing lists. Microsoft Dynamics CRM has search features for managing and filtering accounts, contacts, and leads, and you can use these features to set up targeted marketing lists. You set up the list with the criteria you define, and Microsoft Dynamics CRM does the rest.

The simplest way to add members to a marketing list in Dynamics CRM is to create a new list, then add the members by criteria you define. You can create a static list or a dynamic list. A static list does not change, so must be updated manually. The members of a dynamic list, on the other hand, are updated automatically every time you open the marketing list. A dynamic list is therefore usually more efficient, depending on your needs.

To create a dynamic marketing list, first open a new marketing list, name it, and save it. Under "Related," click "Marketing List Members." Under "List Tools," in the "Marketing List Members" tab, click "Manage Members." This is where you define your list criteria.

If you want to run a marketing campaign targeted at members of a particular city, such as New York, for example, click "Select," and then select "Address 1: City." Click "Enter Value," and then type in the city you want (in this case, "New York"). This will give you a list of your accounts based in New York.

You can also refine your list with open opportunities worth more than a certain amount that you specify, such as $500 for example. To do so, click "Select," then select "Opportunities (Potential Customer)." This will give you a list of opportunities, of course. If you specified a city or state, it will be a list of opportunities in that city or state.

To then refine the list by the potential sales amount, click "Select," select "Est. Revenue," change "Equals" to "Is Greater Than," click "Enter Value," and then type in the value (such as 500). Now you will get a marketing list of opportunities worth more than $500 that are based in New York. Click "Find," and there is your marketing list. If it's satisfactory, click "Use Query."

If you prefer a static marketing list, you can use Lookup or Advanced Find to add the members you want. Either way, Microsoft CRM can save you an enormous amount of time in creating your marketing lists.

MIG & Co. is a professional consulting firm that specializes in the implementation of business management software solutions, including Microsoft Dynamics GP, SL, and CRM. We automate business processes to ensure that our customers work efficiently.