Microsoft’s recent announcement of its “Social Networking Accelerator” could be a sign of things to come. With the explosion of many social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, it was only a matter of time before CRM Software providers started to create applications and tools which integrate these popular social networking sites into their CRM applications.

Microsoft’s new Social Networking Accelerator will initially only serve as a means to gather more information by monitoring customer tweets to generate more data. This will provide Microsoft Dynamics users a firsthand look at what customers say or think about their products. This should provide companies with immediate benefits in knowing customer opinions and assist in making decisions regarding any future product enhancements.

With real-time updates from customer feedback, customer service levels could improve dramatically. Companies can quickly take customer opinions into consideration and quickly address any customer concerns to provide improved response times and more personalized support.

The use of social networking websites as a means to manage customer relations could be revolutionary for the CRM Software industry. CRM providers are already taking notice of the potential of social networking as a means of managing customer relationships. Salesforce.com has already released features designed to integrate social networking sites, and many other CRM providers are soon expected to follow suit. The future of CRM could be in the midst of a dramatic overhaul.

Although companies who utilize the Microsoft Windows operating system have countless solutions to choose from when it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), solution providers who offer CRM for Mac-based systems are quite hard to come by.  In fact, PC-based CRM software outnumbers Mac-based CRM by a massive margin. 

Yet, all that is changing.  The introduction of Apple’s OS X Tiger, and the unparalleled marketplace response, has created a huge shift in the business computer industry.  And as a result, new, feature rich applications for Mac users are being introduced every day – including systems to support CRM, ERP, and other key business functions. Read more »

Do you desire to increase your selling success?

If so, you need to read Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager, written by Lee B. Salz.

In his book, Salz provides sales people with an energy boost and an easy to implement sales tool kit. His book was inspired by the gap that exists between sales people and their managers; and Salz tackles this issue head on!

The book was written to help sales people and their managers remain competitive. Those who fail to adapt become extinct, just like the dodo bird of ages ago. Many laugh at the use of the word “dodo,” but there is nothing funny about a business losing its competitive edge due to unmanaged change.

In his book, he bridges the gap between sales people and their managers. The book empowers sales people by providing structure, guidance and support for them so they can create their own sales system which he refers to as sales architecture®. Told in a mentoring style, the book provides focus to an entire sales organization, helping them become self-sufficient and enabling them to perform at levels they never thought possible. It is with this new toolset that sales people learn to adapt and thrive.

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Lee B. Salz is President of Sales Dodo, LLC and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager.” He specializes in helping companies and their sales organizations adapt and thrive in the ever-changing world of business. Lee is available for keynote speaking, business consulting, and sales training. He can be reached via email at lsalz@salesdodo.com, his website at www.salesdodo.com or by phone at 763.416.4321.

The CRM Advisor
You ask the questions, and our resident CRM guru shares her wisdom.

This week’s question:
“We are about to embark on a huge CRM initiative, and would like to seek advice from an analyst early on in our project. Who are some of the leading research firms who cover this space?”

A: Analysts can be a great resource for information about CRM solutions, as well as the existing vendors and their offerings. So, your decision to work closely with one will benefit you greatly in the long run.

Many industry analysts cover the CRM market place extensively, including larger firms like Gartner, The Yankee Group, Forrester Research, and IDC, as well as smaller independent firms such as 451 Group, Beagle Research, Nucleus Research, and ISM.

Finding the right firm to work with will take some thought. Some vendors offer complete, in-depth product reviews that highlight both the positive and negative attributes of each solution, as well as research, polls, and studies on general marketplace trends.

Others focus mostly on best practices and strategic business planning, steering clear of direct sales processes and related solution evaluations because they prefer to take a more vendor-neutral position.

Which analyst firm you ultimately decide to work with will depend on what your needs are, and what kind of role you want the analyst to play in your project.

Submit your question to the CRM Advisor at CRMadvisor@business-software.com.

Shopping for a new CRM system? It’s best to see any potential CRM software in action BEFORE you buy.

Here are a few CRM vendors that make their solutions easily available for a quick “test-drive”. Check out the following CRM systems:

Infusion CRM
Offers periodic live demos that show you – first hand – how to grow your business quickly and profitably with CRM.

InsideSales.com
Offers a free trial sign up . They promise a 2 minute setup which provides you with full access to the only CRM with built-in telephony automation.

Salesforce.com
Provides a variety of streaming clips, in which company experts will walk you through the sales force automation, marketing automation, customer service automation, and analytics applications.

Entellium
Get a live demo of eSalesForce that’s personalized for your unique business needs.

Leadmaster
Check out their free no obligation 30-day test drive, or simply watch the quick tour demo.

SugarCRM
View a variety of role-based demos for sales, marketing, and support, as well as executives and administrators.

Sage Software
View a live demonstration of SalesLogix, brought to you over the Web.