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    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

  • Why Proper End User Support and On-Demand Training is So Necessary in Dynamics 365 CE (CRM)
    Imagine putting so much time and energy in creating something that gets only seldomly used. Doesn't sound good right? Unfortunately that's the reality for many Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE (CRM) … Why Proper End User Support and On-Demand Training is So Necessary in Dynamics 365 CE (CRM) Read More »... Read more »
  • Appointment Automation with MappyField 365
    Why restrict business growth because of timings when you can simply schedule prior appointments, get confirmation and keep track? A lot of businesses that rely on fresh products for making … Appointment Automation with MappyField 365 Read More » The post Appointment Automation with MappyField 365 appeared first on CRM... Read more »
  • VideoAttach2Dynamics: Save Storage by Migrating Email/Attachments to Cloud from within Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM
    John, a sales manager at Norton PVT LTD, uses Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM to keep track of client communication and manage email attachments/documents. As his business scaled, he exceeded the … Attach2Dynamics: Save Storage by Migrating Email/Attachments to Cloud from within Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Read More » The post... Read more »
  • Get Started With Calendar 365
    Switching to an online tool for appointment booking might be overwhelming. You might be unclear about the flow and information that it requires to create your appointment booking page.  This … Get Started With Calendar 365 Read More » The post Get Started With Calendar 365 appeared first on CRM... Read more »
  • Dynamics 365 CRM On-Premise or Cloud: Which is the Best?
    When installing a CRM solution, deciding between cloud and on-premise implementation is the most important preliminary task. Have you been wondering which deployment is best for your company? While some … Dynamics 365 CRM On-Premise or Cloud: Which is the Best? Read More » The post Dynamics 365 CRM On-Premise... Read more »
  • How do CRM and RevOps work together?
    Author: congruentX As businesses grow, managing customer relationships becomes increasingly complex. Keeping track of sales leads, customer interactions, and marketing campaigns can be overwhelming. This is where Customer Relationship Management … How do CRM and RevOps work together? Read More » The post How do CRM and RevOps work together?... Read more »
  • Hiring A Microsoft Dynamics 365 Developer: Why and How
    It is undeniable that Microsoft Dynamics 365 products will boost the value of your products for customers. There is a high demand for Microsoft Dynamics 365 Developers, making Microsoft Dynamics … Hiring A Microsoft Dynamics 365 Developer: Why and How Read More » The post Hiring A Microsoft Dynamics 365... Read more »
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    Lynn Hunsaker – CustomerThink

  • 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 »
  • 4 Growth Pitfalls of Employee, Partner, and Customer Experience Strategies in Hard Times
    What seems logical in hard times may be opposite of what’s best for growth. When you’re in a pinch — instead of weakening customer experience, partner experience, and employee experience — you can strengthen value for all. You can do this through 3 universal keys and by avoiding 4 typical... Read more »
  • 6 CX Spirit Animals for Today’s CX Imperative of Trust
    A CX spirit animal is a meme, or semi-humorous symbol or characterization of what it feels like to be in a CX role. For example, the ongoing pressure to increase response rates in a Voice of the Customer role feels like an owl: “Whooo can take my survey?” A Customer... Read more »
  • Chief Customer Officers Can Stop Shrinkflation and Skimpflation
    Chief Customer Officers are stewards of customer value. This means you’re responsible for ongoing growth of value to your customers as well as value to your company. Creative value growth is essential, regardless of booms and busts in economic cycles. Alarmingly, product and service shrinkflation (reduced size) and skimpflation (reduced... Read more »
  • Rethinking Customer Experience Strategy: Forrester’s 2022 CX Index Dropped to 2020 Performance
    Since yearly improvement is a sign of good health, what should you do when performance sags? If it’s your car or a student’s grades, or your health or your revenue, you would explore what’s broken or outdated. Accordingly, sagging performance in the Forrester 2022 CX Index is a wake-up call... Read more »
  • How to Cross-Pollinate Customer Experience, Employee Experience, and Partner Experience Growth
    Customer experience, employee experience, and partner experience have much more in common than otherwise. This is why cross-pollination opportunities abound. These 3 stakeholder groups are the engine your organization relies upon for growth. Customers provide funds for salaries, budgets, and investors; employees provide what customers need; and partners deliver what... Read more »
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    CRM Buyer

  • Businesses Willing To Pay Big Bucks for Quality Customer Service
    A recent study revealed that 90% of businesses are willing to pay more for better customer service. However, they will pay more elsewhere if satisfaction takes too long. The post Businesses Willing To Pay Big Bucks for Quality Customer Service appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • CRM GPT
    Generative AI's appeal stems from the potential to lower costs (labor) while maintaining close customer relationships. Hence, CRM vendors are all over it, like junkyard dogs. The post CRM GPT appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • Salesforce Brings Generative AI to CRM and Its Name Is Einstein GPT
    CRM powerhouse Salesforce joined the ranks of Google and Microsoft Tuesday when it announced its own generative AI technology to deliver personalized content across every sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT interaction in every Salesforce cloud. The post Salesforce Brings Generative AI to CRM and Its Name Is Einstein GPT... Read more »
  • The Quantum of Salesforce
    Salesforce’s quantum characteristics are largely due to its ability to let its machines generate some of its products, and that will continue. The post The Quantum of Salesforce appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • How Oracle Stays a Step Ahead of Activist Investors
    It's vital to stay ahead of the activists and to act before they force your hand, even if the results will be very similar. Staying ahead means possibly keeping some activists off your board of directors. The post How Oracle Stays a Step Ahead of Activist Investors appeared first on... Read more »
  • DevRev Brings New Approach to SaaS Management
    DevRev is an API-driven, developer-first CRM platform for product-led SaaS companies that merges customer support conversations and tickets with developer issues and product enhancements. The post DevRev Brings New Approach to SaaS Management appeared first on CRM Buyer.... Read more »
  • Brands Can Profit From These 5 Customer Experience Trends in 2023
    By executing wisely and investing in communication automation and AI services, companies can avoid negative impacts on revenue growth while improving CX. The post Brands Can Profit From These 5 Customer Experience Trends in 2023 appeared first on CRM Buyer.... 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

  • How vendors help generating value with generative AI
    The hype around generative AI, in particular ChatGPT is still at a fever pitch. It created thousands of start-ups and at the moment attracts lots of venture capital.  Basically, everyone – and their dog – jumps on the bandwagon, with the Gartner Group predicting that it is getting worse, before it... Read more »
  • Truly Zoho – how doing right and capitalism coincide
    The past 9 months have seen quite a rollercoaster in the tech industry. We have seen staggering profits, we continue to see stock buybacks, we have seen consolidation, mergers and acquisitions – and we have seen mass layoffs. Few of them were well handled or communicated. Even fewer showed any sign... Read more »
  • Beyond the hype – How to use chatGPT to create value
    Now, that we are in the middle of – or hopefully closer to the end of – a general hype that was caused by Open AI’s ChatGPT, it is time to reemphasize on what is possible and what is not, what should be done and what not. It is time... Read more »
  • How to tie CX to business success in three simple steps
    In 2022, the Forrester CX Index dropped for the first time in years, with nearly twenty percent of US brands seeing a drop in customer experience.  Towards the second half of 2022, an increasing number of companies fear a recession and put their spending under scrutiny.  At the same time, companies still... Read more »
  • Social media is dead – long live social media
    Rest in peace, Social Media! Yes, I know, you have been pronounced dead numerous times already, and that as early as 2011 by the Sillicon Valley Watcher, if not earlier. You lived on. Still, now you really need to admit that you are a dead thing walking. You had a... Read more »
  • Three CX predictions and how to get some value from them
    At the end of a year and the beginning of the following year all kinds of research organizations and pundits make their predictions. So could I but then, this year I choose to have a look at some predictions and comment on them. After all, there are predictions for all... Read more »
  • How to improve CX in times of a downturn
    Finally, it happened. We lived in our blissful world of an abundance of money that fuelled the illusion of eternal and unlimited growth. The stock markets knew only one direction for a decade. They were rising and rising. Venture capital was readily available. Valuations of all sorts of companies, profitable... 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 started to embed artificial intelligence in their apps. CRM 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 to CRM software? According... 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 »
  • What is CRM, and what are its positives and negatives?
    Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is many different things, ranging from a strategy to software to a ticker symbol. We’ve cataloged a variety of perspectives on what CRM is based on how vendors and their customers interact with one another — and how software factors into user, management, and customer experiences.... Read more »
  • 13 CRM Review Sites For You To Review in 2023
    We have compiled a list of CRM review sites for people considering a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software investment in 2023. In today’s reviews-driven marketplace, the starting point for many is to look for a CRM review site. The proliferation of business technology vendors has spawned a cottage industry of... Read more »
  • 9 Differences Between Salesforce and HubSpot
    HubSpot and Salesforce are both established powerhouses in the areas of data management and business process automation. Salesforce was founded in 1999 in San Francisco, California. HubSpot was founded in 2006 in Boston, Massachusetts. Salesforce began as a Sales Force Automation (SFA) system and eventually became a comprehensive suite of... Read more »
  • How to Book & Conduct a Prospect Meeting
    A prospect meeting is a meeting between a potential customer and a salesperson to discuss the potential customer’s needs. The purpose of a prospect meeting is for the sales representative to learn more about the potential customer’s needs and to see if there is a fit between the customer’s needs... 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

  • Privacy Project
    The New York Times has launched the Privacy Project, a dialog with us readers about technology and privacy that delves into issues like GDPR and the loss of rights to privacy that are direct results of the later parts of the tech boom. Greedy tech companies, hostile state actors, governments... Read more »
  • What I am thinking about today
    We’re roughly 20 years into the CRM trend and it’s worth asking where we go from here. Grandview Research recently estimated that the market would be worth $81.9 billion by 2025 (1) and Gartner and others publish annual reports indicating the market’s vibrancy. But you can hide a lot within... Read more »
  • CDP for all
      Here we go again right down the hypecycle and into new product land. In the last week, two major enterprise software companies, Oracle and Salesforce have announced CDP products. Oracle announced its product last week in Las Vegas at its Modern Customer Experience (MCX) event. This week, Salesforce announced... Read more »
  • Millennial CRM
    Trying to do business without also having a modern CRM system is like walking around naked. You can do it, at least for a little while, but people will begin to think you’re weird and the trouble is that those people are all potential customers. CRM is essential today because,... Read more »
  • Modern selling
    Looking at the current assortment of CRM functionality including AI, machine learning, voice recognition and chatbots, you might conclude that the tools are evolving to remove salespeople and others from direct customer contact and you wouldn’t be wrong. What’s surprising to me though is the amount of sales angst in... Read more »
  • Salesforce birthday notes
    February 26, 2019 Salesforce will be celebrating its 20th birthday on March 8. Where did those decades go? “Time flies like an arrow,” said Groucho, “fruit flies like a banana.” There it is. Last week a respectable chunk of the analyst community that follows the company converged in San ... Read... Read more »
  • Cloud applications – the next phase
    This is a guest post by friend Vinnie Mirchandani. Vinnie has been a fixture in the independent analyst community for many years now after starting his analyst career with Gartner. Vin comes from the ERP side of enterprise software and his many years of experience have enriched how we ...... Read more »