About

Business Success with Customer Relationship Management

• Serve Your Target Market Better - Sage ACT! for Non-Profit May 16, 2012
  Non-profit serves housing needs by organizing volunteers and material donations.  Skip Brown leads a non-profit organization called Freedom Builders in Traverse City, MI. They’re rebuilding homes from the inside out for people who can’t afford it. As we all know, when there’s a hole in the roof and winter is coming on, you don’t have a lot of time to get it […]
  Julie Cooper
• 15 actions to achieve better CRM user engagement and adoption May 9, 2012
  Focus on user engagement and adoption for long-term continued success with CRM. The ability to change in business today is inevitable reality. End-user adoption is key to a successful CRM initiative. Over the years we have found several helpful hints for promoting CRM as a business culture and actions to achieve better user adoption. Typically, employees fee […]
  Dick Wooden
• Your CRM Guide to Business Improvements - Introduction May 8, 2012
  CRM provides team, shared knowledge CRM, Customer Relationship Management, and more particularly the technologies involved in delivering it has caused more confusion than any other technology that has been available in the market for so long. Survey after survey shows that for the majority of companies, the awareness of the technology exists but the confusio […]
  Dick Wooden
• Deadly Mistakes to Avoid - where CRM helps May 4, 2012
  Cost of bad decisions:We were wrong but... Several years ago my wife and I specifically wanted to visit Tombstone Arizona where Wyatt Earp and his brothers brought law and order to the West.  At Boot Hill is this marker of a deadly mistake made by the people in the community around this time.  "..Hanged by mistake 1882.  He was right, we was wrong but w […]
  Dick Wooden
• Three Pillars of Business Success with CRM May 2, 2012
  "The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer", Peter F. Drucker.  That statement from one of my mentors has always stuck with our business focus and links to our core purpose as a business. Is that why your business exists? Entrepreneurs all have their own reasons, but they all have this in common: To keep existing, they must purposefu […]
  Dick Wooden
• The Economics of Email Marketing. Is It Worth It? April 30, 2012
  The economic climate today might lead you to wonder if email marketing is truly still worth the time and expense. 1. Opportunity Cost Email marketing proves itself year after year with incredible returns on investment.  If email marketing has been on the chopping block for your organization, we suggest you rethink your budget.  You risk missing out on your c […]
  Julie Cooper
• Keeping Your Sales Funnel Filled While on the Road-Sage ACT April 27, 2012
  I’m always on the road, but I need to keep the sales funnel filled or my sales productivity will suffer! Logistics for the client, logistics for yourself! Our next story involves an independent rep selling to big business with a sales team of exactly two. Julie Yoder, a rep for Landstar, helps people with expedited shipping. The company provides shipping for […]
  Julie Cooper
• Next Logical Step as Your Business Grows and Changes-SalesLogix April 26, 2012
  Congratulations on your current business success so far... Whether you have been using Sage ACT! or another contact management solution, you may require additional capabilities as your business grows.  Competition is ever increasing, customers are demanding more value to be delivered and there seems to not be enough time in the day to finish what needs to ge […]
  Dick Wooden
• Customer Retention - Are you forgetting to follow up? April 23, 2012
  The Financial Advisor who delivers on follow up -- every time. Everybody needs a niche. For our client at the College Planning Center, the niche within the broad world of Financial Advising is that of College Planning. I've seen this with the College Planning Center using Sage ACT! above and beyond it's capability, so we stopped to take a look at w […]
  Julie Cooper
• Lies of CRM Sales and the real work for success April 18, 2012
  Understanding the full disclosure on the CRM Investment Do you believe everything that a CRM salesperson tells you about the cost of implementing your software and all of its features and mentioned benefits?  Have you heard a realistic expectation of the full investment of time, energy and financial resources needed for successful implementation? I originall […]
  Dick Wooden
• More Listening Results in a Simply Smarter Solution April 12, 2012
  The Shared Discovery Process The other day Julie and I were visiting a local Sage ACT! small business client that had recently hired a new field sales representative and a new marketing person.  The general manager knew that the Sage ACT! solution could provide more benefits for his new staff but wasn’t sure what questions to ask or were to start.  We could […]
  Dick Wooden
• Dangers of Not Upgrading Your Sage ACT! Save Money... April 9, 2012
  Advantage: Currently, if you are on any prior version of Sage ACT!, you are eligible to purchase Sage ACT! at the upgrade price versus full price. (About 1/2 the investment of a new Sage ACT user license) Advantage Lost: If you are currently on any prior version of ACT! by Sage 2005-2009 or ACT! version 6 or earlier,  you will lose the advantage of the upgra […]
  Julie Cooper
• WARNING: Your Sage ACT! is only a Rolodex April 5, 2012
  You only have a fancy, high cost Rolodex Warning, business owners and managers! Watch out because your business vision of having  engaged sales professionals and a database full of business intelligence about prospects and customers is Lost.  Now you only have a modern-day Rolodex.  It only has the basics of name, address, and phone number with maybe a quick […]
  Dick Wooden
• Focused Business Development with more Value from CRM April 3, 2012
  To improve sales, you don't necessarily need more customers. You need better customers. Also if you don't focus on ideal clients in your target market you might get someone you don't want.  Just any parts and pieces can create a Frankenstein.   Many small businesses believe mass advertising through email marketing, billboards, radio/TV, direct […]
  Dick Wooden
• Create Effective E-Mail Marketing Campaigns April 2, 2012
  Sage SalesLogix E-marketing gives your business CRM users the ability to reach out to their contacts, grow their database, qualify leads, empower sales teams, and automate sales and marketing practices. Also you can put your customer and prospect interactions to work, sending actionable, "trackable" messaging at the appropriate time.   Benefits Sna […]
  Dick Wooden