+

    Archie CRM

  • What is CRM and what types of CRM are there?
    What is CRM? And what types of CRM are there? An overview of what Customer Relationship Management actually is about and what it offers you. The post What is CRM and what types of CRM are there? appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
  • Account Based Marketing: a new interpretation of the AIDA
    Account Based Marketing (ABM) is a relatively new B2B marketing and sales technique that supports the buyer journey in a targeted way. The post Account Based Marketing: a new interpretation of the AIDA appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
  • Collecting customer data in 4 steps
    Collecting customer data and Account Based Marketing go hand in hand. In 4 steps it becomes clear how the process works. The post Collecting customer data in 4 steps appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
  • CRM for SME
    CRM is not only suitable for large companies but also for small businesses, CRM for SME, as it is about relationship management and customer focus. The post CRM for SME appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
  • ERP is not CRM
    ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) is a useful system, but it's not CRM. Companies do need a CRM system along side. The post ERP is not CRM appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
  • Shape customer intimacy
    Internal communication is part of customer intimacy. With the use of CRM, you create structure and give employees autonomy. The post Shape customer intimacy appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
  • Collaborate online in sales
    Online sales and account management need not be an obstacle for organizations. In fact, with a good CRM system, it's powerful. The post Collaborate online in sales appeared first on Archie CRM.... Read more »
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    The CRM Consultant

  • VideoThe Benefits of CRM – Contact Management (The Video)
    First in a number of videos I will be doing around the benefits of CRM technology. Thought I would go back to CRM’s routes and talk about the benefits of contact management. ShareThis... Read more »
  • VideoThe real reasons CRM projects fail
    Much has been written and said over the years about CRM project failures and their causes, but a lot of it has been by marketing folks and journalists rather than those on the front line. So in this video I wanted to set out what failure really looks like and... Read more »
  • VideoHow long does a CRM project take?
    I was conscious that in last week’s ‘layperson’s guide to a CRM project’ video, where I broke a project down into the different stages, that I didn’t really cover off associated timelines. Something I’ve addressed in the following video, in the context of a mid-sized CRM implementation: ShareThis... Read more »
  • VideoA Layperson’s guide to a CRM project
    In this video I wanted to set out the principle stages of a CRM project. It’s aimed at people new to managing a CRM project, and tries to identify some of the things to look out for as you progress. ShareThis... Read more »
  • VideoHow to speed up a CRM project
    People are often surprised how long a CRM project can take. In this video I go through ten ways to speed up the delivery of a system. ShareThis... Read more »
  • VideoNine Ways To Reduce The Cost Of A CRM System
    As promised in last week’s post, which outlined the costs involved in running a CRM project, this video sets out ways to reduce them. ShareThis... Read more »
  • VideoHow much is a CRM system?
    In this video I walk through the different types of costs that are involved in a CRM project. These include software and implementation costs, project team time, the impact of go-live on users, system support, and the ongoing development and management of the system. ShareThis... Read more »
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    Bob Thompson – CustomerThink

  • Secrets of Customer-Centric Success — Interview with Jeff Puritt, CEO of TELUS International
    Everyone says they want to be customer-centric and deliver a great customer experience. But most companies struggle, despite collecting customer feedback and investing in the latest technologies. The key to turning CX dreams into a real competitive advantage is leadership! Sign up for my new livestream interview show — Hooked... Read more »
  • “State of Service” Report: Pandemic Driving Customers to Digital Channels and Automation
    Salesforce.com just released its latest “State of Service” report with insights into how 7,000+ service professionals are adapting during the pandemic. I’d like to highlight a few key findings with the help of customer service thought leaders. Let’s start with the critical role of customer service in customer loyalty. A... Read more »
  • CX ROI: Making the Case to Improve the Buying Experience
    Sure, marketing and sales leaders want satisfied customers. But they won’t fund a CX initiative if that’s the main benefit. CX pros must show they are a valued contributor to the “revenue team.”... Read more »
  • Is Customer Experience the Key to B2B Differentiation? Yes, the SERVICE Experience
    For years we’ve seen many surveys finding that Customer Experience (CX) is a top priority and the key to differentiation. To the point that it’s become a mantra, accepted without question. Unfortunately, “CX” is used so broadly that it’s not clear whether it means customer service, the end-to-end customer journey,... Read more »
  • CX ROI: How to Justify Improving the Customer Service Experience
    To gain funding to improve the service experience, CX pros must support the KPIs of the customer service department. Improving customer satisfaction is not enough. At first blush, it should be a no-brainer to justify a Customer Experience (CX) program to improve the service experience. Customer Service (CS) is often... Read more »
  • How to Sustain Relationships with Customers and Employees During the COVID-19 Crisis
    On April 23, 2020, CustomerThink’s Advisors came together to support a webinar with tips on how to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. In this post I share my opening comments and highlight some of the content shared by the speakers. I encourage everyone to view the full recording here. Be... Read more »
  • 7 Global CX Experts Reveal How to Prove the Business Value of Customer Experience
    For the past three years (starting with this article) I’ve been banging the drum about a worrisome problem. Namely, less than one in four CX initiatives can demonstrate business impact in the form of tangible benefits. My argument in a nutshell: During a downturn, CX programs that can’t justify their... Read more »
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    crm chart guy

  • “Support” for the Unified Interface in the Advanced Chart Editor for the XrmToolBox
      As a lot of people have noticed, chart customizations in the Unified Interface in Model-Driven Power Apps, or Dynamics 365 does not behave the way they used to in the classic interface. This is because the Unified Interface only supports a subset of the chart customization options that were... Read more »
  • Create Record Links From Power BI to Unified Interface and Dynamics 365
    A great dashboard in Dynamics 365, or Model-Driven App will not only show you the relevant data and insights, it will also make it easy to get to the relevant records so you can take action. Drill-downs and clicking on records to navigate to them has been the standard user... Read more »
  • Use Icons from Power Apps Unified Interface in Power BI
    As Power BI is used increasingly within Dynamics 365 or Model-Driven apps, attention to detail in the user experience is increasingly important. Users should be able to seamlessly navigate between the two technologies, and the visual cues should match between them for a coherent user experience. Visual cues for example,... Read more »
  • DirectQuery CDS from Power BI
    Last year I wrote a lengthy blog post comparing the three main methods of getting Dynamics 365, or Common Data Service data into Power BI for analysis. Now, at the most recent Microsoft Business Applications Summit, a new method was announced that I was finally able to try out. The... Read more »
  • VideoCompare This Year to Last Year – Unified Interface edition
    Some years ago, I wrote a blog post about how to create a chart that compared monthly sales, to the same month in the previous year. The approach required quite a bit of XML editing and the chart was limited to only comparing this and last year. No data from... Read more »
  • Comparing the three main ways to get Dynamics 365 data into Power BI
    There are a few different ways to get your Dynamics 365 data into Power BI. Now that the Common Data Service connector has come out of preview and is generally available, I figured it would be a good time to have a look at the different methods and how they... Read more »
  • Power Query (M) Builder for the XrmToolBox (April 2019 update and fixes)
    It has been a little while since the last update, but Mohamed Rasheed and I just added some bug fixes and improvements to the Power Query (M) Builder for the XrmToolBox. If you are new to the Power Query (M) Builder and how it can accelerate Power BI report development... Read more »
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    so much to say…

  • [reader] The future of personalization–and how to get ready for it | McKinsey
    The future of personalization–and how to get ready for it | McKinsey The future of personalization–and how to get ready for it | McKinsey two very interesting concepts in this short read from McK. analytics translators – talks to the issue of data literacy, or rather the lack of it.... Read more »
  • [reader] Executive views on business in 2022: PwC
    Executive views on business in 2022: PwC Executive views on business in 2022: PwC the most interesting part of this is that talent acquisition and retention is in, supply chain, inflation taming, and agility are in. is this the year employee experience is really going to be in the driver... Read more »
  • why bother with modern-day CX?
    continuing with the modern-day CX project, it is time for the question that’s in everybody’s (who cares about doing CX right) mind: why do i care? why should i change what i am doing with CX? why modern-day versus — say, golden days CX? i would like to say good... Read more »
  • [reader] New Study Shows Major Disconnect Between Companies And Customers – Bodine & Co.
    New Study Shows Major Disconnect Between Companies And Customers – Bodine & Co. New Study Shows Major Disconnect Between Companies And Customers – Bodine & Co. if you are old and “weathered” in this industry you probably came across the (very) old study from Bain & Co that said that... Read more »
  • [reader] Changing Consumer Motivations & Expectations | Accenture
    Changing Consumer Motivations & Expectations | Accenture Changing Consumer Motivations & Expectations | Accenture let’s say that you can ignore the biased approach to surveying customers here and ignore the results that are not as dramatic as they imply in their early assertions (i know, market research and survey is... Read more »
  • what is modern day cx?
    that’s a great question, no? it requires some context before it can be answered… and that context involves Michel Foucalt, Tom Siebel, and Ed Thompson. intrigued? stay with me on this one… in the early 1990s Tom Siebel started a company that gave birth to what later became CRM. this... Read more »
  • Video[reader] The Cost of Missing Something | Tricia Wang
    this is an “oldie” but still a fantastic watch. Tricia has an incredible background, and this talk on “thick data” is truly still ahead of its time – don’t miss it. yes, will post more of these short posts going forward so you can keep track of what i read... Read more »
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    CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365

  • Webinar Marathon Week: Get an Exclusive Look at New Inogic Apps to be Showcased at MPPC23 & MySummitNA!
      Prepare yourself for an exciting week of innovation and knowledge-sharing as Inogic, a renowned Microsoft Gold ISV Partner, prepares to begin an exclusive webinar marathon week from September 25 … Webinar Marathon Week: Get an Exclusive Look at New Inogic Apps to be Showcased at MPPC23 & MySummitNA! Read... Read more »
  • Harnessing Efficiency: Dynamics 365 Portal for Seamless NGO Operations
    In an era marked by digital transformation, NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations) play a crucial role in addressing societal challenges. Managing staff, volunteers, grants, and events efficiently is paramount to their success. … Harnessing Efficiency: Dynamics 365 Portal for Seamless NGO Operations Read More » The post Harnessing Efficiency: Dynamics 365 Portal... Read more »
  • Concurrency Control in Power Automate: Faster Flows
        What is Concurrency Control in Power Automate? Power Automate is a cloud-based service by Microsoft that allows users to streamline repetitive tasks, integrate systems, and trigger actions based … Concurrency Control in Power Automate: Faster Flows Read More » The post Concurrency Control in Power Automate: Faster Flows... Read more »
  • Streamline Costs for Your Sales Team With Dynamics 365 Map
    We use tools to improve productivity and reduce errors. For the sales team working on-field, low productivity or errors in finding the location means time and fuel wasted. Companies have … Streamline Costs for Your Sales Team With Dynamics 365 Map Read More » The post Streamline Costs for Your... Read more »
  • How Sales Teams Benefit from Modern, Agile CPQ in Dynamics 365
    The evolution of businesses has posed challenges for companies using legacy CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) solutions to meet growing customer demands. In the contemporary CPQ landscape, customer-centricity calls for personalization, … How Sales Teams Benefit from Modern, Agile CPQ in Dynamics 365 Read More » The post How Sales Teams... Read more »
  • Connecting the Dots: Dynamics 365 Portal in Manufacturing Management
    Companies constantly seek innovative solutions to streamline operations and enhance productivity in the ever-evolving manufacturing landscape. One such game-changing tool that has emerged recently is the Dynamics 365 portal. This … Connecting the Dots: Dynamics 365 Portal in Manufacturing Management Read More » The post Connecting the Dots: Dynamics 365... Read more »
  • VideoWhy do a Managed Service Plan with P2 Automation? Free Stuff!
    There's no such thing as a free lunch. But if I'm buying lunch anyway you might as well eat too! Transcript This is Steve Pestillo from P2 Automation. Here's another … Why do a Managed Service Plan with P2 Automation? Free Stuff! Read More » The post Why do a... Read more »
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    Lynn Hunsaker – CustomerThink

  • How to Thrill Investors with Your Chief Customer Officer Leadership Playbook
    Everyone believes employee experience (EX) and customer experience (CX) are symbiotic: one affects the other continually. Hmmm . . . Is this how your CEO has setup the senior leadership team? Does the Chief Customer Officer coordinate employee experience with customer experience? Does your Chief Human Resources Officer coordinate customer... Read more »
  • Customer Experience-Inspired Corporate Strategy
    Customer Experience-Inspired Corporate Strategy Lynn Hunsaker Customer experience-inspired corporate strategy is rare, according to a recent poll in a strategic planning LinkedIn group. In my 5-year study of B2B CX practices, we asked: "Is customer experience (1) a determinant or (2) a subset of corporate strategy, or (3) is it unrelated?"... Read more »
  • Good Customer Experience: CX Day 2023
    Good Customer Experience: CX Day 2023 Lynn Hunsaker Really good customer experience grows prosperity of customers, employees, and organizations in tandem. This is the focus of CX Day 2023!  A good customer experience team is a catalyst to foster a positive, holistic customer focus across the entire organization, one that... Read more »
  • 3 Ironic Success Factors for Your Chief Customer Officer Maturity Playbook
    Is customer experience maturity the priority in your Chief Customer Officer Playbook? In all team sports, maturity is paramount. In rowing or crew, for example, immaturity means lack of synchronization. The lowest common denominator spells the team’s success. In fact, lack of synchronization is at the heart of any sports... Read more »
  • Chief Customer Officer Strategy: Dispensable Playbook or Most Valuable Player?
    Chief Customer Officer strategy varies widely, with a mix of defense and offense playbooks. Defensive plays in customer experience management (CXM) are in Service, Loyalty programs, Net Promoter System, and closed-loop Voice of the Customer (VoC).  Offensive plays are in Customer Success, Onboarding, Education, and Operations; Qualitative VoC, Data Mining,... Read more »
  • Chief Customer Officer Playbook: Balancing Experience Leadership with Experience Management
    A Chief Customer Officer playbook is a sports analogy for what needs to be done to win the game: maximum customer lifetime value. Playbooks are pivotal to the success of all team sports: football and soccer, baseball and cricket, basketball and volleyball, hockey and lacrosse, rugby and rowing, NASCAR pit... Read more »
  • 23 Customer Experience Practices You Should Stop in 2023
    “Do more with less” may be more prevalent this year as some tech firms and many others trim their customer experience teams, programs, and the experience itself. But maybe this is the wrong path! Perhaps your customer experience management is on a misguided trajectory. A warped or dusty lens causes... Read more »
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    CRM Buyer

  • Oracle Reinvents How Generative AI Makes CRM Work Better
    Oracle unveiled AI-driven enhancements at Oracle CloudWorld 2023, aiming to optimize CRM and customer experiences through generative AI technologies. The post Oracle Reinvents How Generative AI Makes CRM Work Better appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • AI Is Already at a Tipping Point
    Even at this early point in the AI era, we may be seeing a divergence. On one side, we can easily see vendors bending over backward to deliver ethical AI apps and services, and on the other, a real conundrum. I The post AI Is Already at a Tipping Point... Read more »
  • CX Center Stage at Oracle CloudWorld
    Oracle is announcing that it has added AI in critical spots like Intelligent Sales Orchestration, Guided Campaigns, AI-Powered Account Linking, and more. All of it is intended to help sellers do the right things with the right customers at the right time. The post CX Center Stage at Oracle CloudWorld... Read more »
  • Einstein 1 and the Big Shift
    Salesforce is coming very close to being able to say that regardless of what incumbent software vendors are already in a business's portfolio, Salesforce should be there, too. The post Einstein 1 and the Big Shift appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • Hope May Have Landed at Dreamforce
    What’s been missing in the losing contest against "bad social" has been an ability to chase down misinformation to the root and to overpower it with truth. That’s exactly what AI can do. The post Hope May Have Landed at Dreamforce appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • A Look Ahead at Oracle CloudWorld
    A preview of Oracle's CloudWorld, exploring AI advancements, kinetic data, and how emerging tech could reshape industries and create new opportunities. The post A Look Ahead at Oracle CloudWorld appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • Dreamforce Continues With Spotlight on AI
    Salesforce tees up Dreamforce 2023 in San Francisco next week. While it's a reincarnation of past events that took place without facemasks, much has changed in the last few years, both for the company and almost everything else in our culture. Some good, some not so much. The post Dreamforce... Read more »
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    Bodine & Co.

  • Cyber Monday Sale: Save on CX Training & Coaching Through December 9
    It’s Cyber Monday, and that means savings! Keep reading for four customer experience training and coaching offers to accelerate your CX and EX initiatives — and drive value for your organization — over the upcoming year. Now through Friday, December 9, 2022: Save $1000 on lifetime access to our Journey Mapping Master Class &... Read more »
  • Customer Engagement: From Core Competencies To Business Outcomes
    Pop quiz! What does it take to deliver effective, coordinated cross-channel experiences in today’s business landscape? If you answered “data,” you’re not alone. In a recent survey of 1500+ marketing leaders, customer engagement platform Braze found that three of the top four challenges that marketers face related to customer engagement... Read more »
  • Virtual Journey Mapping Bootcamp: May 2022
    Hard-hitting content. Sessions that fit into your workday. Our two-part virtual bootcamp delivers a practical primer on journey mapping that you can immediately put into action for your organization. Part 1: Introduction to Journey Mapping This introduction will help you build a solid understanding of the journey mapping methodology and how you... Read more »
  • Catch Up On Our Most-Read (And Must-Read!) Posts From The Past Year
    Every year I look back to see what blog content our readers have been most drawn to over the past year. It’s always interesting to see which new posts catch people’s attention (like #9 and #5 on the list) and which older posts (like #8 and #2) remain as enduring... Read more »
  • Reimagining CX To Drive Real Human Connection
    Recently, I was emailing with an online retailer about an item I wanted to return, and the message in their email footer struck me: “Please be kind to our team — it’s important for us to have real humans on our support and not bots. I promise all we want... Read more »
  • Customer Experience: How To Get On The Superhighway To Business Success
    Here’s how I define customer experience: It’s your customers’ thoughts, emotions, and perceptions about their interactions with your organization. These words — thoughts, emotions, perceptions — sound touchy-feely. Fluffy even. And because of that, many execs and organizations still dismiss them. But here’s what innovative organizations understand: Customer experience is the... Read more »
  • The Happiest Employees of 2021 — And Their Connections to Customers
    As I looked at Comparably’s recent ranking of the 100 companies with the happiest employees in 2021, something struck me: In one way or another, many of top-scoring companies have a strong focus on customer experience. Top ten winners in the large company category include: Peloton and Zoom, two companies... Read more »
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    CX Journey™

  • New CX Journey Inc. Website Launching!
    Image courtesy of PixabayCX Journey Inc.'s site is growing up! I'm so excited to have a new site going live this week! I'm sharing this note as a blog post as it will be my last post on what is currently www.cx-journey.com. A couple of things to note:This site will... Read more »
  • Agile Working in Practice: More Tips to Help Analytics Teams Transition
    Image courtesy of PixabayToday I'm pleased to share another guest post by Paul Laughlin. This post originally appeared on Paul's site on March 9, 2019.This is the second in two-part series from Paul about agile working. Find the first post in the series here.In my first post on how to... Read more »
  • Agile Working for Analytics Teams Needs a Cu​lture Change
    Image courtesy of PixabayToday I'm pleased to share a guest post by Paul Laughlin. This post originally appeared on Paul's site on February 21, 2019.The term Agile working is being used within more and more businesses. Although loosely defined, it generally refers to a more flexible and pacey way of... Read more »
  • Is Your Own Management Stalling Your Customer Experience Transformation?
    Image courtesy of PixabayI originally wrote today's post for Forbes. It appeared on the Forbes site on November 14, 2018. I've made some slight modifications since then, as it turned into a two-part series. This is the second in that series; the first part can be found here.In this follow-up... Read more »
  • The Secret Sauce to Achieve Outcomes with Journey Mapping
    In today's post, I reveal the secret sauce for journey mapping success. Are you ready?There's a lot of bad press out there about journey mapping. And there's a lot of bad journey mapping (or what people think is journey mapping). A few months ago, I shared my six-step journey mapping... Read more »
  • Exposure is What You Die from in the Desert
    If you're a speaker, thinking about becoming a speaker,  an event organizer, or considering hosting an event in the near future, you'll definitely want to read this. And even if you're none of the above, please continue reading. And feel free to share this whitepaper with anyone you believe will... Read more »
  • Has Your #CX Transformation Stalled?
    Image courtesy of PixabayI originally wrote today's post for Forbes. It appeared on the Forbes site on October 18, 2018. I've made some slight modifications since then, as it turned into a two-part series.The good news is that you've embarked on a customer experience transformation journey. The bad news is... Read more »
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    Blog Archives - Epikonic

  • Dreamforce 2023 – How right does Salesforce get AI?
    The News Dreamforce 2023 has started. It is the first post-Covid physical Dreamforce. The event has more than 40,000 participants from all over the world, which is almost small, considering past events. As usual, Dreamforce was opened by a keynote that was accompanied by a flurry of announcements. In an... Read more »
  • Salesforce lets the Genie out of the bottle!
    The news During the Salesforce AI Day on June 12 as well as the Salesforce AI Industry Analyst Forum on June 20, Salesforce provided a lot of interesting information on how the company addresses the challenge – or should I say problem – of trust into artificial intelligence. Salesforce sees... Read more »
  • How a company matured with a little help of Zoho
    Early May, technology vendor Zoho conducted its annual signature event Zoholics in Austin, TX. During this event, Marshall Lager and I had the opportunity to have a conversation with Jason Yoffy, director of engineering at RJG, a training and technology company that on one hand trains plastic injection molders how to make better parts... Read more »
  • Value, not greed! How a business software vendor translates SMB success into the enterprise
    Zoho is well known as a vendor for business applications geared towards SMBs. As many other companies do, Zoho wants to support the upper mid-market and enterprises, too. After all, successful SMBs may grow into become enterprises and that might attract other enterprises. So, there are a good number of... Read more »
  • Browsing in privacy with Ulaa? Here’s why!
    During Zoho’s signature event Zoholics in Austin, the company announced the availability of Ulaa, the new Zoho web browser. Of course, Ulaa does have a meaning. It is a Tamil word that means journey or path. Tamil is the language spoken in Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, where Zoho’s HQ... Read more »
  • Zoho – How a technology company reimagines business software
    The News  On May 4, 2023, Zoho held its Zoholics conference in Austin, TX which included a media and analyst track in addition to the customer track. After all, Zoholics is a customer event. During this event, about 80 participants of the former track had ample opportunity to learn about... Read more »
  • Oho, Zoho Solo!
    It’s an investment in people, and in the future, and that is something Zoho has shown its willingness to do time and again. The post Oho, Zoho Solo! appeared first on Epikonic.... Read more »
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    CRM Switch

  • What is CRM artificial intelligence and what can it do for my business?
    Before ChatGPT came along, CRM vendors had started to embed artificial intelligence in their apps. Customer Relationship Management software vendors have touted AI for several years, but it has not yet been as revolutionary as in other areas, such as content marketing or code debugging. So, how does AI apply... Read more »
  • How to Select a CRM Implementation Partner
    Congratulations! You’ve decided to begin CRM evaluations, and your company will be the proud owner of new CRM software in a few months.  Once you select a CRM vendor, the hard part will be over, right? Well, not quite. The next challenge on your journey will be as significant —... Read more »
  • 6 Ways to Give Value First in Sales & Marketing and Why
    Giving value first has become more critical than ever to improving sales and marketing results. A big reason is that it creates trust with people you have just met and those you have yet to meet (strangers in marketing-speak). According to Alex Hormozi, author of $100M Leads, “You can never... Read more »
  • CRM Vision: Essential For Digital Transformation
    Many CRM initiatives suffer from a lack of vision. The challenges we’ve seen over the years follow a familiar pattern. Organizations breaking from a common pattern can implement CRM in a way that transforms their business. Let’s look at a progression that culminates in more successful outcomes. Faulty Assumptions  Those... Read more »
  • Why Your Company’s CRM Adoption Is Frustratingly Low
    Whether your company’s CRM system was implemented a decade ago or launched last month, there are likely “pockets of resistance” to adopting the CRM system. Some people within your organization may refuse to use the system altogether. So far, the cost of the system has outweighed its benefits. Here are... Read more »
  • 16 Important Advances in Business Technology
    There have been many significant advances in business technology this century, almost all enabled by the internet, ubiquitous broadband, improved software development tools, the scalability and reliability of data centers, and artificial intelligence. Here are some technological advancements that have significantly impacted how businesses operate and how business users interact... Read more »
  • A CRM Database: The Repository Behind the User Interface
    A CRM database is a secure, centralized repository of customer information that stores, tracks, and helps analyze customer data and interactions. Most business people are familiar with a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system’s front end — the user interface, which consists mainly of lists and forms. But what does the... Read more »
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    Conversational Systems

  • Trends in Conversational Commerce, the Experience Connection
    Customer service has embraced changes in technology over the years, some technologies have succeeded, some, well, have struggled (The IVR has never been very popular). From my viewpoint, success is defined from the perspective of the customer. Fast forward to 2018 and now Intelligent Systems are a game-changer. Some systems... Read more »
  • Marketplaces, Aggregation Theory, and a CRM Platform in Disguise
    Online Marketplaces are conversational platforms or CRM systems in disguise, depending on your point of view. Marketplaces are multi-sided, support and require trust building, one-to-one relationships, and the ability to transact – and they need to scale. Within a Marketplace, each conversation is focused specifically towards an outcome. Unique to... Read more »
  • Simply Service
    Within information technology, there is no longer a need to call anything “Self-Service”. It is all simply Service. Circa 1996 — I was part of a team that redesigned and rebuilt a customer care system that sat logically in front of a telecom billing system. Customers could go online, see... Read more »
  • Reading Between the Lines: Accel-KKR Makes a Significant Investment in SugarCRM
    This is an interesting industry play, a long time in the making. I am able to take a unique view on this news, whether I am accurate in my commentary, only time will tell. I worked at SugarCRM, twice, two tours of duty some might say While working at Ciboodle,... Read more »
  • Put One Foot in Front of the Other
    For the past couple of months, we have been working with the fine folks at Helpshift. On August 2nd, we are going to broadcast a roundtable discussion (Webinar, Videocast, or whatever you choose to call it). I am hoping you decide to join the discussion. Within a few weeks after the... Read more »
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    Beagle Research Group, LLC

  • Previewing Dreamforce 2019
    Yes, Dreamforce is next week. Once again, the sold-out show will be headquartered at San Francisco’s Moscone Center and overflowing to the ballrooms of neighboring hotels. Over the years Dreamforce has become, in my mind at least, the Las Vegas of trade shows in one important respect. Both are famous... Read more »
  • The CRM-ization of Healthcare
    We’ve been watching this for a while. A few years ago, Salesforce embarked on parallel paths; the obvious option was to build tools that enabled users to craft systems of engagement. The second started when the company also began reaching out to various industrial sectors with its technology and those... Read more »
  • DevOps for Salesforce Lightning
    The tools you work with have a lot of impact on what you can accomplish and the more sophisticated the tools the better, especially in software. Beagle Research (my company) just completed a study into using a DevOps strategy with the Salesforce Lightning Platform. The work was sponsored by Copado... Read more »
  • The force may be with Microsoft
    Last week the Pentagon might have awarded its $10 billion contract for cloud computing to Microsoft. The program goes by the acronym JEDI for Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure and it has been attracting vendors like a dog attracts fleas for several years. It has been marked by fierce litigation too,... Read more »
  • A new business model with help from CRM
    I have been writing about Salesforce for 20 years. That’s incredible for me because aside from marriage, there’s nothing in my life I’ve done so consistently for so long. Perhaps like a marriage, the thing that’s been attractive about Salesforce is its constantly changing nature. The company went through a... Read more »
  • Facebook’s Oversight Board
    I wanted to like Kara Swisher’s piece in the New York Times about Facebook’s attempt to wrestle with its daemons, but I can’t because it feels too much like self-delusion. To cut to the chase, Facebook announced it was forming an oversight board that will eventually have about 40 members... Read more »
  • Zoho’s Catalyst to growth
    Now would be a good time to put Zoho on your radar if for some reason it isn’t there already. Today the Austin based company announced Catalyst, a developer environment that helps programmers and others to quickly develop apps and microservices with capabilities inherited from Zoho’s apps portfolio. The easiest... Read more »