My Favorite CRM Articles This Week

Going all the way back to “stage zero” of the CRM process, this week’s list has some sharp points and surprising insights, covering a very wide range of subjects.

 

 1. A New Sales Lead? Hold On – Ask These Three Questions First:

Well, kicking off this week’s list is a pretty basic piece. A little generic at some points, the reason I chose this article is because the third question it raises is the one most sales reps tend to forget, and it’s easily the most important one. This also paves the way to our next article. (Written by Gene Marks)

 

 2. 5 Simple Ways to Optimize Your Website for Lead Generation:

As you’ve probably noticed by now, I chose to start this week’s list from the very beginning of your work process in the CRM world- lead generation. One might argue that it’s not even the first stage, but a “zero” stage that belongs to marketing departments. I personally believe that both you and your sales team would benefit from simply knowing where and how those leads are coming. What exactly are they looking for? What drew them to your company? These are the kind of insights that give a sales rep the confidence and articulation to close awesome deals. (Written by Katherine Boyarsky)

 

3.  Out-of-the-Box and Outside the Box: Two Sides of CRM for Business Management

This great read uses Microsoft Dynamics as an example for the two “opposite” side most CRM platforms have, and how you can use them wisely to maximize benefits for your company. (Published on Metaoption.com)

4.  Is Salesforce1 Good for Your Business?

For people who deal with CRM platforms on a daily basis, the answer might seem pretty obvious. We can all agree that the future of business lies in mobile technology, but is Salesforce’s particular platform suits your needs? This article tries to answer those questions. (Written by Rose de Fremery)

 

5.  4 Steps to Clean Data in Your CRM

Too much data can be a mild discomfort, but it can also become a huge obstacle and a source for frustration, distraction and eventually lack of productivity. This short article will help avoid all these scenarios quickly and easily. (Written by Amanda Nelson)

 

6. The ROI of Everything CRM – Building a sustainable business case for change

So you’ve just implemented CRM in your company, or migrated successfully to another, better platform. What now? Well, most people will start thinking about the ROI of the move they’ve just made. If you’re in hat point- you might want to check this article out. (Written by Natasha Spurr)

 

7.  CRM: a State of Mind?

Is CRM a stand-alone project? Is implementing it a “personal” project? What do you really need to do to adopt a new type of thinking and working, after you implement a CRM platform? This short article has all the right points to consider. (Written by David Nandhra)

 

8.  Creating a Customer Relationship Management Marketing Plan

Closing this weeks’ list is an article I recently wrote on how to formulate the right marketing plan in your CRM work- from keeping old customers, to correct uses of social media.