March 2009 - Posts
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March 31, 2009
As we've been meeting and speaking with customers in the past few weeks, I realized that there are some big things our software does, that our customers aren't taking advantage of. And that many more of you out there can also benefit from understanding what MORE you can do with Maximizer CRM. It's been common in the CRM industry for a long time that many companies start by using CRM for Sales Force Automation. That's a great starting point, since we do recommend a phased approach to using CRM. But sometimes, the deployment seems to stop there. So, particularly in this economy when companies are looking to do MORE with LESS - here are things that may already be included in your version of Maximizer CRM that you can start using now.
- Email Marketing
This is the biggest area that surprises me that people aren't taking enough advantage of. There's an email marketing engine built right into Maximizer CRM! No additional fees for per-email or per-person - it's all included in the licenses for Group, Professional, and Enterprise Editions. This means that you can better keep in touch with your customers and partners, and nurture your prospects with text or HTML emails. You can schedule them for specific times, track opens, clicks - all the things that marketers need. Start using it now and get more value from Maximizer CRM!
- Customer Service Management
When a CRM project starts in sales, this is the 2nd area that often gets unused. Talk to your service department - how are they tracking issues or RMAs? Wouldn't it be great if your sales and service staff to see everything that each other is doing? This module is included with Maximizer CRM (Group, Professional, Enterprise Editions) too.
- Get More Staff to Use it, and More Effectively
Do you have 100% user adoption for your staff? If not, it may be time to update a few things to ensure that they are using CRM, and using it effectively. That means setting guidelines for things they must do when interacting with customers - saving emails to their record, putting phone notes and other activities in their record. It may also mean that you need to re-train them on proper use of your CRM system. We offer a number of quick and inexpensive online tutorials to assist with training and also run regular and custom training courses. We also have large network of Business Partners that can come and train you in your place of business and tailor it specifically to your business needs. Lastly on this point is that one of the easiest ways to have your staff to do something they have them gauged on their results - Maximizer ships with more than 175+ report templates built into the product and the ability to easily add Excel or Crystal or SQL reporting for your specific business needs.
- Mobilize!
As you're equipping your sales teams with smartphones for phone and email - imagine taking your customer and sales deal details on the road too. Whether you're using BlackBerry or any other device - we support most major platforms!
- Monitor your Business Performance
In this economy, it's important to maximize (no pun intended!) every opportunity, every dollar, every customer you have. Are you confident that everyone on the team is doing this? Could some leads or service inquiries be slipping through the cracks? Are your managers getting the insight they need from all the data in Maximizer CRM? There are pieces in our software such as out-of-the-box reports that managers can use. Enterprise Edition also includes Workflow Automation Lite.... A great tool for monitoring the activities in sales and service, and setup notifications for managers. So you could get daily or weekly emails alerting of things like key account service inquiries not resolved, leads not followed up, sales deals stalled - anything you're tracking, you can be notified!
So consider one or more of these areas to implement in your business! If you need help - give us a call.
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March 26, 2009
In the past few weeks, we've been talking to various players in the "mobile ecosystem" quite a bit: telco carriers, mobile OS makers, mobile device manufacturers, middleware vendors... and everyone seems to be in agreement that this is the year for apps, apps, apps. Consumers are finally truly aware that smartphones are more than just phone and email. And that there are so many more things you can do with a device. Even my financial advisor - who, like many people in this type of role, is not very tech-savvy - said that he wants a new device that can handle more apps, apps, apps.
As mobile app vendors, we've all been touting this for awhile, but now, I believe we've reached a tipping point and 2009 will see a big growth in this. Where other IT sectors may be dropping in spend, mobile will continue to grow.
That said, here are some highlights of what's we've seen and heard in mobility in the past couple of weeks:
- iPhone has been credited with driving up general consumer awareness of apps. But RIM and Microsoft are bullish on applications that drive sales of their devices and showcase the power of their operating systems as well. So we all have iPhone to thank, but everyone is riding their "apps" coattails.
- Telcos (sorry, can't say which ones right now) are more open now to working with application vendors like us to co-sell mobile applications. If it drives more usage out of their networks and devices, they're incented to do it. Even customers are "getting it" and now starting to ask us which carrier we work with, and asking us to come in jointly.
- Sony Ericsson's Experia X1 is coming soon to Canada, and we just got a preview of this today. Looks like they've finally leveraged technologies from their parent company, and the spirit of Sony from the 80's when it was all about style and coolness. They are one of the only manufacturers we've seen that have taken the Windows Mobile 6.1 OS platform and added their unique touch to it with the concept of panels. They have used a touch screen interface that allows you to swipe through and have multiple panels (apps) open on the screen. Very cool. See it here.
- Some mobile workers still aren't ready to completely leave their laptops behind. When people need to work on heavier documents or spreadsheets, they still need a laptop along with their mobile phone. HP has a strong end-to-end message for this, with a full line of laptops including tablets and the cheaper netbooks (that start from $399!!), that work with their iPAQ devices. So to them, mobile device isn't just the iPAQ, but instead - a range of mobile devices/machines for the needs of varying mobile workers.
- Never ones to rest, our friends at RIM will be releasing Niagara in May, which was quoted as "the closest thing to BlackBerry perfection" - bigger than a Curve, smaller than a Bold. We look forward to the release of this one in May!
We're in an exciting period with mobile technologies. It can make your head spin trying to keep up with it, but we're ready!
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March 24, 2009
Finally! Someone is doing something about this long-standing pain in the butt issue of universally adaptable cell phone chargers! As the GSMA announced at Mobile World Congress a few weeks ago, we will soon have standardized chargers. They have chosen the micro-USB technology - which I think is a great idea. In addition to the new Universal Charging Solution, the group has also committed that the majority of chargers shipped will meet the high efficiency targets set out by the OMTP (Open Mobile Terminal Platform), the industry body who developed the technical requirements behind move towards the new Universal Charging Solution. After reading through all the technical specification on this - the nut of it is that they will be up to 3 times more energy efficient than unrated chargers. Some major companies have announced support for the plan such as: 3 Group, AT&T, KTF, LG, Mobilkom Austria, Motorola, Nokia, Orange, Qualcomm, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Telecom Italia, Telefónica, Telenor, Telstra, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Interesting that our friends at RIM are not on the list of manufacturers though...
In addition to making all of our lives easier - the other benefit here that may not be as obvious (but may be the real driving force behind this decision) is that this plan will help save the environment. By making the chargers universally compatible, less replacement chargers will be manufactured and transported and less older chargers will be thrown away - winding up in garbage dumps - and less power will be used with the new energy efficient chargers. Whether this is altruism on the part of the manufacturers or the result of community or political pressure I don't know - but I am sure it is a good thing and I commend all those involved.
As an early adopter of technology, I'm always buying the latest gadget, and especially mobile gadgets. And I always feel ripped off having to buy new add-on accessories every time I buy a new device. So hopefully, not only will device makers standardize their chargers, but also standardize the ear pieces, car chargers, and laptop connectors!
But 2012? That's a lifetime away in the market of smartphones. What are they afraid of? Probably of losing short-term revenue in accessory sales, and the fear of making it easier for consumers to switch manufacturers. Hopefully, they will realize that they have to listen to consumer pushback and will reap rewards in the end.
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March 17, 2009
This week, my colleague Angie Hirata (she runs marketing and business development for us), did some customer and prospect visits in Milwaukee and Chicago after our Mobile CRM seminar, so I invited her to be a "guest blogger". So she can share some of the things she discovered on her tour this week that would be valuable for readers to hear.
Here are her observations on what people are doing (or want to do) with CRM in their businesses now.
The Economy
Recession? What recession? Great to see a pretty positive mood in the Midwest. Don't feed the fear! Even customers who said they have seen a slight dip in demand, were optimistic of the economy turning around soon. A lot of them have been in business for decades, so have seen the cycles before and are confident in their businesses! They continue to invest in CRM to stay on top in their markets, move forward, and plan for long-term growth.
CRM
The old adage of CRM starting with SFA (sales force automation) still holds true! When sales management and IT get together to implement CRM, the other aspects - marketing and customer service - continue to be an afterthought. Some customers didn't even know Maximizer CRM had a customer service module. And some didn't know what their customer service department was using to track issues and RMAs. When we talked or showed people that they can do SO much more with Maximizer CRM than they are doing now - they were all keen to do it. Just remember that a phased approach is always the recommended one - baby steps to success!
Mobile CRM
People are more excited than ever with the idea of what they can do with mobile CRM. I found that there is greater adoption of smartphones amongst small/medium businesses than 12 months ago. And people are "getting it" that apps make smartphones more powerful, and in turn - field sales people more productive! As I expected, there was a mix of scenarios that people are in right now:
- A tool & die manufacturer: they have had a mix of Windows Mobile and BlackBerry devices that field reps nationwide bought on their own. They considered moving everyone to iPhone. But changed their mind and will be standardizing on BlackBerry Storm with Verizon citing lower cost and better fit with IT infrastructure. Next step - getting MaxMobile on the device.
- A pump manufacturer: last year, their field sales reps just had old cell phones. Now, they've standardized the team on iPhones. They were laggards with BlackBerry, but skipped that whole generation and are bullish on iPhone and its applications.
- A medical equipment manufacturer: the president had a HTC Windows Mobile device, but the rest of the staff use BlackBerry. They have considered iPhone, and we discussed options of offline and online access to CRM data (MaxMobile = offline data; Wireless Web Access = online data). Since some of his staff go to rural areas to visit hospitals and physicians, he realized that offline is more important to ensure staff can access information all the time.
- An interior design firm: while they've standardized on BlackBerry, they are trying MaxMobile for executives first before rolling out to sales staff.
2009 is going to be a banner year for applications on smartphones! If small/medium manufacturers in the Midwest are getting it, it's here!
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March 11, 2009
This morning, we presented at our Mobile CRM seminar in Chicago with RIM (makers of BlackBerry). I wasn't able to attend, but Angie Hirata from Maximizer, and Paul Briggs from RIM presented, and 2 of our channel partners in the mid-west hosted it: Dar-Tech and Intech. It was a solid turnout, and moreover, with over 100 registrants, more proof that Mobile CRM really is one of the next applications that people are looking for on a smartphone. Customers and non-customers (prospective customers we hope!) were both in attendance, not just eating the muffins, but truly engaging with us and RIM. Paul and his entourage from Waterloo also gave away 5 free BlackBerry devices to some lucky people - converting some competitive customers, perhaps?
We did a similar seminar series in a few Canadian cities last quarter, that we made into a videocast (video of speaker + slides = more exciting than a webcast!). If you want to check it out, go to:
http://www.maximizer.com/solutions/maxcrm/webcast.html#leave_your_laptop.
From today's seminar, here's a snapshot: top highlight, questions and suggestions.
Top Highlight from RIM
According to this study that RIM and Selling Power did with the magazine's subscribers, they found that almost half of sales people are NOT carrying laptops any more while mobile! Are these survey respondents early adopters leading the charge with this new trend, or are they the majority? It's also interesting that for most of the reasons why they carry a laptop - many of them can be done on a BlackBerry now. Let's be serious - you're not going to write an extensive document or work on a detailed spreadsheet on a BlackBerry. But you certainly can do a lot with Mobile CRM on a BlackBerry that saves you the hassle of booting up a laptop (if you haven't already done so, check out this "Laptops are Old School" YouTube video - if anything else, a good 2-minute laugh break).
Common Questions
- Which BlackBerry does Maximizer recommend for its Mobile CRM?
It's personal preference! We've tested on ALL the latest BlackBerry devices, up to the Storm touch. Different carriers offer different devices, and each one has its benefits. I myself use a BlackBerry Bold. Angie uses a BlackBerry 8830. And there are others here at Maximizer that use the Pearl, the Curve and even the Curve 2. Here's a page to check out the latest BlackBerry devices. Then check with your carrier and try some out for yourself!
- Do I have to have 1 Windows/desktop license for every mobile user that wants CRM?
No. You don't need to be 1-to-1. Since we believe that soon, laptops will be left behind, even now, you can have 1 user in the office, and unlimited # of users in the field with only Maximizer on BlackBerry.
- How large is each CRM record you store on a BlackBerry, how many records can you store, and how long does it take to synchronize?
All of this depends! Generally, each contact is about 1KB. The average field sales person will have no problems storing their customers and leads into the BlackBerry (and its SD card). Synchronization time depends on how much data is there already, and how many changes are made. Generally, just a couple of minutes. You can schedule the frequency of synchronization to meet your needs.
Top Suggestions
These are suggestions that we heard in today's seminar that we think are great, and are considering for our mobile CRM roadmap.
- More mapping!
We already have maps and directions, so some are asking to take this to the next level. Whether it be things like map mash-ups (where you can see all your customers in a specific city or area on a map, so you can figure out which customer to visit when you have extra time), or voice-guided directions. We know that people in the field value mapping, so are looking into ways to help you be more productive with this.
- Voice or Notes integration
Though many of our thumbs are getting pretty agile in using BlackBerry devices, it's still tedious to type copious notes after a sales meeting. Some have asked if they can talk into their BlackBerry and have that converted into a voice file or a note into the CRM record. We like this idea too, and are looking into ways we can make BlackBerry Mobile CRM easier for you!
Thanks everyone who came to the seminar! And thanks to RIM, Dar-Tech and Intech for co-hosting. To checkout the videocast similar to this, to see what you missed, go to
http://www.maximizer.com/solutions/maxcrm/webcast.html#leave_your_laptop
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Our Mobile CRM application was recently featured by PC World as one of the "10 Must-Have Apps for your BlackBerry", which we were very happy about! It made me realize that this year could really be the tipping point in which BlackBerry users start using more than just email, texting and phone on their devices. Many people talk of the "killer app" - and it's not any one app itself, but the fact that you CAN use applications on smartphones. I think that the #1 reason contributing to the rise in smartphone apps is:
Consumer apps on iPhone are all the rage - both the diversity and sheer number of available applications. Some of them are completely useless (like the animated beer drink) but let friends show off funny things on their iPhone to their buddies. Some of them are really cool, innovative, and unique, and only available on iPhone, like Shazam. And probably the most important here is that it allows something that BlackBerry can't do - people brag about what they can do with their iPhone. iPhone and the App Store have leveled the playing field - allowing anyone with a good idea to write software - not just the big software development companies. And, they have done something else - they have made owning software cool again. That drives people to make more software to fill more niche needs - and in the end it's the consumer that wins.
In response, we see BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and others, racing to open their own app stores for vendors to feature their software for download.
On a personal note, an app recommended to me by guys at RIM was WorldMate Live - a tool to help travelers track their flights, hotel, and itineraries in one spot. Great useful app for BlackBerry business users! And one that I feel was missed on the PC World list.
So with that - what applications are you using on your BlackBerry (not including email, phone, text, or messenger)?
- Mobile CRM
- Field Service apps
- Auto vehicle tracking
- Other business applications
- Voice enhancers: ie - YouMail, iSkoot for Skype
- Social Networking: ie - Facebook, TwitterBerry
- Other
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