http://www.bestfitsolutions.com en http://backend.userland.com/rss2 Fri, 18 May 2012 23:07:15 -0700 As a business owner, you really aren’t looking for a CRM, you are looking at a way to improve how you do business. That would suggest you find someone who knows CRM from a business context, what it can do to help a company, and how to avoid pitfalls. Such a person would be more adept in analyzing your specific requirements. They could then provide you with options for technology and outline the advantages and shortcomings of various packages, including the strategist’s recommendation for the solution which fits your company best.

Generally, sellers of CRM solutions do not think about the business value of a CRM installation because they are most often technologists. Until the business case is evaluated, the customer doesn’t know if they need CRM, nor which of the many choices give them the best ROI. All too often the strategic elements of "CRM" get lost in the technology discussion.

The problems start to rise because CRM has become almost synonymous with the use of technology, or specific software, as a result of the term being coined by the software development industry. Customer Relations, (the CR part of CRM) in its truest sense is far more encompassing than just the use of technology. Management (the M part of CRM) has little or nothing to do with the technical administration of thousands or millions of customers via a software solution. Most purely IT focused people misunderstand the M part and they still do.

CRM in its truest form is a business strategy focusing on relationships. This means understanding behavior, identifying needs and making your business really care about that relationship and focusing on your customers. This means everything you do is from an outside-in perspective.

CRM means different things to different people and to different industries. It includes other components of the business, such as Order Processing, Service Delivery, Knowledge Management, Document Management and Data Mining to name but a few. Using “marketing” as a justification for "CRM" activities does bring on preconceptions about what exactly is marketing. The training and experience of most marketers does not make them instinctively outside-in in their thinking.

CRM initiatives should start with defining your organizations vision and strategic direction. Some organizations may decide to compete on Price/Cost or Product Variety and they would not consider "being customer focused" as a core part to their strategy. All they would need is technology, and processes, that enable them to achieve those objectives, not CRM software.

Other companies may decide to build their whole strategy around being customer focused. It will be these companies that need to evaluate everything from the customer’s perspective. This means designing processes, services and products that thrill their customers and will generate loyalty to them while creating customer advocacy. It is this evaluation process that should be the focus of any "CRM initiative" and the results will be handled by people, using processes and, usually, enabled with technology.

But, if you begin with CRM software experts, or functional expertise, then the evaluation and selection of a CRM suite, and implementer to deliver, install, and configure the new solution, there will almost always be a tendency to focus on features and functionality rather than considering improved processes for the benefit of the customer.

Working with a CRM Strategist, on the other hand will help organizations work on the overall customer strategy, see how the CRM processes needs to be aligned to fulfill the goals and objectives. Then, develop an evaluation matrix on which the different CRM software can be compared. This helps identify the gap which may not be supported by a particular system and evaluates all the options until one, or more, passes the evaluation.

In order to make that easier, you first understand the business needs and goals, then the specific requirements and then find the CRM that is the best match. By focusing on the business strategy and requirements....

Read the whole article here

Want CRM Strategists or CRM Software experts?
What are your thoughts?
More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=9 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=9 Mon, 20 Sep 2010 02:21:15 -0700
RedHorse CRM, which is a full-featured CRM and a whole lot more, has been reduced in price to $495 per seat. This software, which is missing only the accounting portion to be a complete business solution, but integrates completely with QuickBooks, was already a great deal. It avoids all the “Hidden” expenses that other CRM vendors and software companies do not want to discuss, such as additional hardware or software their systems need to operate (but are never described in their offer).

If your current CRM solution is not compatible with the new Windows 7, MS-SQL 2008, or Windows 2008 Server platform, you will want to consider RedHorse CRM. It is even compatible with Microsoft Outlook®.

We do not know how long this low price will be offered, so if you are in the market for a CRM or business system, now is the time to take advantage of the offer. Visit www.RedHorseCRMsoftwware.com to see all the business tools that are included in RedHorse CRM product. We were so impressed that we dumped our old CRM product, GoldMine, and installed RedHorse CRM instead. Have not been this excited about a software product in a long time.
More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=8 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=8 Sat, 27 Mar 2010 17:14:44 -0700 Make Marketing a Science, Not an Art.

That book, called Small Business Marketing in a Nutshell, is a Genuine, Tell-All, Step-by-Step Business Building System, that from the very outset, was created with YOU in mind, and many others like you trying to build a successful business. It guides you through the step-by-step process of marketing your business to get better results form your marketing efforts.

Reading it is only the first step toward winning more new business and getting more new customers for your company. We know that you will enjoy reading it and hope that you take the time to implement the recommendations contain there.

You can get a copy of it at http://www.smallbusinessmarketinginanutshell.com and start using the tools today. If you need assistance with implementation of anything contained in the book, please contact us for help. We really do want to see you succeed and will do all we can to help you with that.

We can be reached at (503) 206-0333.
More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=7 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=7 Tue, 23 Mar 2010 16:51:11 -0700
Maybe your issue is a lack of marketing effort. You see, we know that, even in a down economy the company that continues to market their product or service will have a far better growth rate when the recovery starts to happen. So how do you do ensure your continued success? Glad you asked.

Plan, create, execute and measure – the key to marketing in a down economy. You can use your own resources but you may need assistance in determining where “your data” is. In today’s economy we have allowed the negative media to guide our actions out of fear and defeat. It is time to just DO IT. Stop following the herd.

Using proper tools and existing data we can help you build a strong customer base and keep adding to our revenue streams. The right message, at the right time, to the right contact is the key to your sales growth. Contact us today to get all of the above setup for you.

You might also check out the Marketing Section of our site.

More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=6 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=6 Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:37:51 -0800
CRM is what you do everyday while running your company. It is the phone call you make when touching base with your customers. The follow up you do to ensure that their order arrived and is satisfactory. It is the support you provide to your customer after they have purchased your product or service. It is calling them to see what else they might need, are they ready to re-order, and many more of these activities.

Most people think CRM is a piece of technology or packaged software that automates some portion of their business process. These are only the tools that help facilitate CRM, but they are not CRM. Some of these tools can be expensive, but they do not have to be.

CRM is the strategies, objectives, and processes you use to maintain a positive view of your company in your customers mind. The way you demonstrate that you value their business and want to continue to do business with them.

While growing up, we had a “Corner Store”, in the neighborhood, run by an elderly couple. (I thought of them as elderly then, but might change the term, now that I am close to their age) Everyday, after school, groups of us would stop by the store and maybe purchase something. They knew everyone by name, what we liked to purchase, and whether we really should buy the items. (Too much candy at one time, mostly)

They would ask about school, family members, and such things to make us feel welcome in their store. This demonstrated, to all the children in the neighborhood, that they valued us and our business. Showed a genuine interest in what was going on in our lives and did not really care if we purchased something today, tomorrow, or next week. We were always welcome and developed friendships that lasted for years. And, it brought them business throughout those years from our families.

This is an example of CRM, from the days long before we had technology to help us It is that kind of continuous relationship nurturing we are trying to replace with technology.

This is not going to happen, but we can automate some of the contact, tracking, and repetitive tasks included in those relationships. What you should be asking is, "What kind of CRM are you looking to implement in your company?”

The three main types are: Operational CRM, Collaborative CRM, or Analytical CRM. Each has its use, strengths, and pitfalls.

If you would like some help in answering that question, please post it here or contact me and I will try to help you.

So, What kind of CRM are you wanting to do?


More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=5 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=5 Thu, 10 Dec 2009 16:20:54 -0800
So, you probably expect me to remind you to get busy, Right? Well, before we get there let’s think about the process, not from your perspective, but looking at it from the customer’s point of view. Your card arrives at your customer’s office along with 5-25 other cards announcing “Joy to the World . . .,” or something similar. The process repeats every business day for two weeks. The boss, who is buried in year end activities, and is short on staff due to holiday vacations, tells the admin to keep track of who sent the cards and to do whatever she wants with the card.

The admin, being in a holiday spirit puts the cards on display. The cards are taped to the door jambs, pinned to the walls; or hung on a long string once all other wall space is occupied, you know what I mean. Your card may be one of hundreds, and your intent lost amongst all the other well-meaning businesses. Oh, and this isn’t just for B2B (Business-to-Business). It also applies to B2C (Business-to-Consumer). If you wanted them to remember that you cared, or that you are still there for them, this is a clean miss.

If you want to be noticed, you must stick your head up above the crowd, note where they are going and go the opposite. By all means, you must acknowledge and thank you past and present customers for their business. A warm and meaningful message will convey a more personal touch. But you must never, never, send a card (just like everyone else) at Christmastime.

Send a card on Thanksgiving. Send a card a week or so into the New Year (after the Christmas cards are trashed). Make up an occasion to send a card, perhaps the anniversary of your business. Make sure it is different enough that your message will reach the person you want it to. Otherwise it will be lost along with everyone else’s, and the money to send it, wasted.
More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=4 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=4 Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:17:15 -0800
Our customers and prospects have much more information available to them with the click of a mouse. The Internet has provided a cultural shift from a seller controlled environment to the buyer being in charge. We can no longer push our marketing message out to them, but must wait for them to come to us. But how do you do that when the average person received over 5000 sales messages a day?

What we must not ever forget is that regardless of who we compete with, or what business people buy things from; it is still people conducting business with people. The way we engage might be different, but the connection still has to be made. There still is a relationship between the two parties.

People love to be in contact with people, not machines. We still want to hear the friendly voice at the other end of the phone when we call. We might investigate products and gather information from a website. We will research all the information available to help make n informed purchasing decision. But, most people will still go the local store and transact business with a person.

They will come back to that person, if, and only if, there was a trust built during that first transaction. If not, they will continue to seek out a better relationship. Still today, the number one reason most people do not continue to do business with a company is the lack of service and attention to their needs. Not price, not because it is online, or any other reason most companies think it is. It is about service. Yesterday, today and tomorrow; how did you take care of my needs when I came to do business with you?

Are you talking care of your customers? If not, your competitor will.
More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=3 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=3 Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:08:50 -0800 We are almost to Veteran's Day, November 11th, and it is important to say thank you to all the service personnel in every branch of our Armed Forces, for their service to our country.

It would be a personal honor, for me, to extend my thanks to each and every one of them. While it is not possible for me to do that personally, I can post it here for all to see. I would also ask that each of you, reading this, do the same and we could possibly reach everyone of them.

It is, in my opinion, equally import to thank their families for the sacrifices that have and/or are making of their loved ones in service. Please remember that every person serving our country is someone's brother, sister, husband, wife, son, or daughter.

Because of their service, past and present, we all enjoy the benefits of living in the greatest free country in the world. So remember to say thanks to them always and especially on November 11th.

Even if you do not agree with the policies, actions, or philosophy of the leaders of our nation; (past and present) it is the individual service personnel that provide the service and pay the price. We can not hold them responsible for what the leadership does.

So THANK YOU VETERANS, one and all, past and present for ensuring that we continue to have the freedom to live in the United States.
More...]]> http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=2 http://www.bestfitsolutions.com/content/blog/index.php?page=post&blog=bestfit_solutions&id=2 Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:19:58 -0800