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