Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems can provide much more than basic contact management capabilities, but many companies lack the knowledge they need to get the most out of their solution. Using the tools within your CRM program can help you more thoroughly understand your business from a sales, marketing and even operational perspective. Below are just some of the ways you can get the most out of your CRM solution.

Account Types
When used properly, your CRM system can assist you in identifying the distinctive demographics of those you do business with. You can gain this type of detail by simply assigning a ‘type’ to each account entered into the system. Some examples of types could be: Wholesale Customer; Retail Customer, Web Customer, or Donor, Member, Associate, and so on.  Also, you can add types such as Prospect; Partner; Vendor; Competitor and more. You can make them as specific as you’d like in order to best track different groups. You will be able to easily sort your database and run campaigns directly targeted to those demographics; invite all prospects in a specific city to a seminar, or offer a special to clients who have not done business with you in over a year.

Track Lost Sales
Tracking what’s not working is just as important as tracking what is. If you don’t know why people decide not to do business with you, you won’t know how you can improve. As one CEO put it, “The rate at which you are improving your service and offerings is equal to the rate at which you are rising above your competition.” To use your CRM solution to help you track lost sales you can add a list of reasons to the account form, and make selecting one mandatory before your staff can move on to the next screen. This will help you research whether it’s your prices, offerings, or competitors that are causing lost sales.

Track Lead Sources
Know where to target your marketing. Identify your most effective campaigns and successfully tracking your lead sources will help you get the most out of your marketing budget and ensure a full pipeline. Tracking your lead sources within your contact account form will give you the accurate data you need for future decision making.

Sales Management
Do you know how many sales opportunities are currently in your pipeline? How many expect to make a purchase in the next 30, 60 or 90 days? Having access to this information can help you greatly when it comes to budget and profit forecasting. To do this, simply implement stages for your sales opportunities within your CRM program.

Collections
CRM centralizes all of your important financial and customer data – making it easy for your financial team to get information, track calls, automatically follow up and bring in more cash faster.

These are just a few of the ways in which you can enhance your business through your CRM program however its capabilities are endless. Since your CRM is in essence a central repository of information you can literally use it across the board from improving your marketing to personnel management. A fantastic example of just how much customization is possible through CRM is what we did for the Jesuit Refugee Service.

The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) is a multi-national nonprofit organization providing support to more than half a million displaced people throughout the world. They span multiple continents and countries, and had been using a custom legacy system that was unserviceable, not to mention outdated. They needed a very specific solution to allow them to run their operations more efficiently.

We were able to help them through the implementation of a completely customized CRM application. While Sage CRM is a ‘Customer Relationship Management Application’ on the surface, it also has the capability to be almost anything you need. And what JRS needed was a web-portal with a back-end database that could enable them to provide access to members and regional managers all over the world through one application. We essentially stripped out all of the sales and marketing CRM features and then used the tools within the program to rebuild it from the ground up to fit JRS’ specific requirements.

With their new program, the Jesuit Refugee Service can now send regular communications and newsletters to anyone who requests information; take advantage of Sage upgrades; and execute better broad project management. The new capabilities will allow their regional managers to archive and report on all of their projects, goals and annual accomplishments, as well as provide a better communication channel with the Rome office. Sage CRM allowed JRS to automate some very tedious processes and gave them more time to devote to their cause.

Jennifer Bridge is the Customer Account Manager for SystemLink, but you may know her as the helpful person on the other end of the phone line. She answers all of the ‘non-technical’ questions and assists clients with varying needs from sending billing information to scheduling conference calls and upgrades. Describing her role, she said, “My job is to help make our client’s jobs easier by making sure they are receiving all of the benefits available to them from their SystemLink supported software.” Additionally Jennifer serves the SystemLink staff by making sure they have everything they need to serve clients. This includes getting activation codes, coordinating onsite visits or making follow up calls.

Jennifer’s background is in sales and service roles with over 14 years of experience in several different industries. She originally began in the Event Planning industry, coordinating events at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and Columbus Center. She later worked in Washington DC as a hotel Conference Services Manager, and then went to work in the Staffing industry, and finally the IT industry when she came to work for SystemLink in 2005. “Of all the positions I’ve held, my main focus has always been on sales and service.”

Outside of work Jennifer enjoys meditation, writing, working out, shopping, and spending time with friends and family, especially her nephews Jackson and Brody. Always up for an adventure she went skydiving in May 2008 and of the experience said, “It was one of the most exciting, intense, peaceful and fulfilling experiences I have ever had.”

However, something that is very close to Jennifer’s heart is the work she does in volunteering for her favorite non-profit organization. “I am a cancer survivor and I love to give back by helping others through the experience. I am involved with ThyCa (Thyroid Cancer Survivors’ Association).  Recently, I was an honorary speaker and participant at the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life at Johns Hopkins University.”

Beck & Company is an accounting and consulting firm made up of Certified Public Accountants and Business Advisors. They provide specialized expertise, creative thinking and unsurpassed service to small and mid-sized organizations and individuals in the Greater Washington D.C. area.

Addressing all aspects of your business through audit, tax, accounting and consulting services, consultants at Beck & Company draw on their combined business background and experience in public accounting to ensure their clients’ businesses are able to meet their financial objectives.

With a broad base of managerial accounting and systems experience combined with a deep understanding of business process and technology, Beck & Company is able to provide assistance in the following areas:

• Accounting and Audit
• Tax Compliance and Tax Consulting
• Non-for-Profit Services
• Consulting

Website: www.BeckCPAs.com
Phone: (703) 834-0776
Email: info@beckcpas.com

Free Webinar – Register Now!

Thursday, June 10, 2010
10AM PDT / 1PM EDT

How do the most agile, responsive and successful businesses become that way? They effectively leverage what is arguably their most critical resource – accurate, complete, consistent, secure and timely information.  This webinar will show you how ERP solutions can help to transform disparate information silos into coherent, integrated and actionable forms that can improve the operational aspect of your organization. You’ll also get advice and practical tips for what to look for in an ERP system in the context of your information needs.

Sign up for this FREE LIVE event to learn how to:

• Ensure both high information quality and effective presentation of that information to enable better decision making across your organization
• Manage the distribution of information and the high speed of data transfer in a way that reduces information failures, security risks, and poor decision making
• Look for the practical features and core functionality that enables an ERP solution to meet your information requirements
• Extract the maximum value out of today’s ERP solutions to improve process efficiency, reduce costs and drive revenue

Featured Speakers:

Michael Oliver-Goodwin is a Contributing Editor for Focus. He is a widely published writer and an experienced editor for publications, including PC World, MacWeek and InfoWorld. He recently published his New Orleans book, Heaven Before I Die – A Journey to the Heart of New Orleans in December 2009.

Alexandre Attal is a General Manager for Sage North America, a subsidiary of Sage Group PLC, the world’s leading vendor of business application software for midsize enterprises. Attal manages Sage ERP X3 North American operations and is responsible for strategic product and marketing development, sales and professional services. With more than 20 years of sales and marketing experience in the technology industry, Attal has a proven track record of developing business value for both large and midsize customers in various industry segments. Prior to his current position, Attal held multiple management responsibilities at IBM. After becoming IBM France General Manager in 1995, he moved to IBM Corporation in the US in 1997. His career at IBM includes leadership positions in product marketing, distribution channel sales and services management. He operated Freelance.com, an Internet venture offering technology services, before becoming CEO of X3 developer Adonix in 2001. Adonix was acquired by Sage Group in 2005.

Michael Krigsman is CEO of Asuret, Inc., a consulting company dedicated to reducing technology implementation failures. Asuret’s suite of software tools improve the success rate of enterprise software deployments by quantifying and measuring governance issues that cause most project failures. Michael led the research effort underlying Asuret’s model of collective intelligence and its practical application to reducing IT failures in consulting environments. He is a recognized authority on the causes and prevention of IT failures and is frequently quoted in the press on IT project and related CIO issues. He is considered an enterprise software industry “influencer” and provides advice to technology buyers, vendors, and services firms.

Previously, Michael served as CEO of Cambridge Publications, which develops tools and processes for software implementations and related business practice automation projects. Michael has been involved with hundreds of software development projects, for companies ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 organizations. Michael graduated with an M.B.A. from Boston University and a B.A. from Bard College. He is a Board member of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame and the Herreshoff Marine Museum in Bristol, RI.

This webinar is complimentary however RSVP is required.

Register today!

A good software decision can greatly improve your productivity, business intelligence, and overall operations management. However a bad choice can at best cause unnecessary headaches, double work and provide poor data, and at worst put you out of business. Therefore avoiding some common pitfalls can be a great way to ensure the future success of your organization.

A recent article on Businessbrief.com notes the top five IT buying mistakes made by businesses and we’ve adapted it below.

1. Not knowing what you need.

Do not approach an IT purchase with the attitude of, ‘seeing what’s available and picking something.’ Similar to purchasing a house or car, you should make a list of your must have and ‘nice to have’ requirements to compare to possible vendors and software systems.

2. Being in a hurry to choose a system.

When you’re in a hurry, you’re less likely to do the appropriate amount of research. Experts recommend looking at several vendors and software options before making a choice. A larger group of options will give you a better view of the features and benefits available to you.

3. Looking at unqualified vendors.

If you have a needs list it will help you avoid this particular mistake. Knowing what you want and can afford will help you sort through which vendors can provide what you need, and at the right price.

4. Being vague about budget.

It is vital that you know how much you can afford in order to make sure you are staying within the appropriate scope throughout the process. If you end up spending more – there should be a very good reason, as well as an obvious ROI.

5. Being vague about scope.

Again, this goes back to your list of requirements. When you receive a quote from a vendor make sure all of your requirements are included in the implementation outline. Be sure you are receiving all of the customizations, specific reports and interfaces, etc. that you decided upon. Having a vague scope is the number one reason companies spend more than they can afford, and/or end up with systems that don’t meet their needs.

To learn more click here.

When financial systems throughout the world collapsed in the fall of 2008 giving way to a global credit crisis and extensive calls for changes within the regulatory system, Politicians took note. In June 2009 President Obama proposed sweeping reform and in April of this year both Democrats and Republicans introduced bills aimed at ensuring something of this magnitude not be permitted to happen again in the future. With financial regulatory reform looming on the horizon from congress, many executives are concerned about the potential impact to their business.

A recent poll from KPMG LLP showed the following sentiments amongst C-Suite executives, primarily from Fortune 1000 companies; 60% of which represent companies with annual revenues over $1 billion.

• 94% expressed concern about the impact reform could have on their business, with 25% indicating they were ‘extremely’ concerned.
• 49% believed that despite of their concerns, financial reform has the potential to be a net positive.
• 59% said increased regulation may be ‘somewhat effective’ to help avoid another financial crisis.
• 92% believe that congressional reform will not stop with financial services.

It appears as though most executives are 50/50 on whether more government regulation will improve future security for the financial industry in the United States. Ultimately only time will tell. If you’d like to read more detail about the KPMG Poll, click here.

A new report issued by KPMG LLC, a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services in 146 countries, predicts an accelerated shift towards indirect taxes for multinational companies. With the global economic downturn triggering falling direct-tax rates, many governments are looking for ways to introduce new taxes. One of these is the ‘value added tax’, which presents new risks and opportunities for U.S. multinational companies.

Of this increasing trend, Frank Sangster, a principal in KPMG LLP’s U.S. indirect tax practices said, “The financial and reputational costs of getting this wrong for the multinational are potentially enormous, however getting it right can provide a real competitive advantage for companies through decreased compliance costs and a potential increase in the profitability of their businesses by reducing the amount of unrecovered VAT and enhancing VAT cash flow.” It is now more important than ever to be proactive in responding to the global VAT changes.