What you don't know can hurt your business​

22 Mar 2017 11:59 AM By Paul

As consultants who implements CRM and associated cloud-based software for small and medium-sized business, we are often involved in identifying and helping them embrace opportunities to revolutionize their business.


It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so - Mark Twain


We hear a lot of comments during the planning sessions for an implementation process:

   

“Harold will never agree to that...”

“Our sales team is too busy to do that....”

“We won't use the task manager, it's too much fiddling around...”

   

Well, change can be a challenge. But we know that once the change is established as a real time-saver, a process that creates more sales with less effort, leads to less personal embarrassment about dropped balls and unfulfilled promises, and less time wasted in unnecessary meetings. The attitudes change.

   

When a company has established processes over a long period of time it is sometimes hard to recognize opportunities for business process improvements. But typically those old procedures were established in the distant past, where only the largest companies were able to afford integrated modern software.​


The kinds of changes that are possible include:   

  • Sales people only need to come into the office on rare occasions

  • The sales funnel can be up-to-date and accurate

  • The current state of invoicing to a customer can be seen in real time by the sales people

  • Support ticket information is part of the Contact and Account profile

  • All emails sent or received by anyone in the organization or from anyone in your CRM database are recorded against the Contact and Account record

  • Leads can flow automatically from your web site forms and be assigned automatically to sales people based on rules and criteria

  • Leads can be converted immediately upon qualification

  • Orders can be taken in the field on mobile devices and immediately processed by the Order department for approval and delivery arrangements

  • Company data about customers, sales and orders can be protected from theft and espionage

  • Emergency recovery after a disaster, flood or fire, can be as simple as finding an internet connection and carrying on

  • Marketing Campaign results can be measured and refined based on real business results

  • Apart from an internet connection and laptops, your company will no longer need infrastructure investments, servers or costly support contracts.


Executive Training Series   

To address the challenge of bringing management teams up-to-speed about the opportunities of Cloud technologies and CRM, Prodigm has designed training that provides real-life examples, insight and guidance about the potential for positive changes, process improvement, new efficiencies and increased profitability.

   

This hands-on training combines interactive discussions, expert presentations, insightful videos and participant use of Cloud-based software that can be configured during the course to meet the real business needs of their business. Participants will leave with a working on-line business support system implemented in free versions of popular software, which can be converted immediately and without additional data entry, to a fully functional system.   

Find out more about our training opportunities.

Paul