philspectrum Posted October 24, 2011 Report Share Posted October 24, 2011 I have never used an EPOS or any other system to 'manage' my clients/contacts, and as a consequence, I have a poor and irregular history of direct marketing, and maintaining ralationships by newsletters, emails etc. I wonder if any minilabhelpers use CRM (Client Relationship Management) software ? We have a cupboard full of customer information, but no single place that gathers their contact info, purchase history, (and payment history), it could group clients for appropriate marketing campaigns, tie in with emails, artwork and image databases, and allow monitoring of who is doing what so we can make the most of the clients we have. I know most large organisations are hot with this, and large salesforces can be monitored by management, but can it work for very small organisations, heck, - we know all our customers, but somtimes it takes several months to realise we havn't seen somone for a while, ..... where have they gone? It would be great if software could flag up somone we havn't seen for a few months, or send me a memo just before a certain client has their busy season so we can make contact, and do all we can to ensure we get the work. maybe even auto diary events like anniversaries etc. I know most of this can be done with bits of separate software, but can it all be done with a single tool? CRM can be based on your own hardware, or run from the 'cloud' - which is best? My business only has 1 email address, and we all share it, but ideally the CRM could be accessed from my shop, from my home office, and from a mobile device too. Google reviels thousands of supplier solutions, some free for small users, but which is best? Many offer first month free, but the main investment is lurning curve and time to enter data. I would appreciate any tips, suggestions etc. thanks Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philspectrum Posted October 31, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 31, 2011 anyone using CRM software? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DakisPat Posted November 2, 2011 Report Share Posted November 2, 2011 Phil, If you want a full CRM to track customer sales along with contacts then the standard bearer here is Salesforce, although it's quite costly and probably goes far beyond the needs of a retail outlet. Something like Simple Sales Tracking probably offers all the features you'd require. There are definitively other options out there though. I'd recommend one that ties into Constant Contact properly or that has it's own e-mail marketing module. You'll also find that in some systems it's easy to get your information in but they don't always let you get your information back out, look for that as if you aren't satisfied with one system, you don't necessarily want to be tied down to it. Lastly, what the vendors won't tell you is that the key to a good CRM isn't really the service you choose, it's how disciplined you are in using it. You can import all your customer data but if you don't log and in jot down your sales / conversations / appointments it's all a giant waste of time and money. You also need to get your staff on board, otherwise you end up with incomplete information on accounts and incomplete information on follow ups which will have you chasing your tail. Cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpensopath Posted November 24, 2011 Report Share Posted November 24, 2011 I will recommend you to look for a solution that is available as a hosted solution and can also be installed on your own server, either inside or outside the firewall. As you have the concern for data security and privacy. Infact you can go for Hybrid CRM Software I have found CRM Domain a great place to start. They have great product to get you started without spending a fortune. The customization is drag and drop and there is an army of people ready to help you with it. Generally, 10 best CRM for Small Business are, 1. InfusionSoft 2. SalesNexus 3. CapsuleCRM 4. InTouch CRM. 5. WORKetc. 6. PlaybookIQ. 7. Prophet CRM. 8.CenterBase. 9.Oprius Foundation. 10. EssentialCRM. View more at: http://www.techyv.com/questions/anyone-knows-e-commerce-software-magento-store-site Phil, If you want a full CRM to track customer sales along with contacts then the standard bearer here is Salesforce, although it's quite costly and probably goes far beyond the needs of a retail outlet. Something like Simple Sales Tracking probably offers all the features you'd require. There are definitively other options out there though. I'd recommend one that ties into Constant Contact properly or that has it's own e-mail marketing module. You'll also find that in some systems it's easy to get your information in but they don't always let you get your information back out, look for that as if you aren't satisfied with one system, you don't necessarily want to be tied down to it. Lastly, what the vendors won't tell you is that the key to a good CRM isn't really the service you choose, it's how disciplined you are in using it. You can import all your customer data but if you don't log and in jot down your sales / conversations / appointments it's all a giant waste of time and money. You also need to get your staff on board, otherwise you end up with incomplete information on accounts and incomplete information on follow ups which will have you chasing your tail. Cheers, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philspectrum Posted November 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2011 WOW, researching that lot will keep me busy, BIG thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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