3 Common Issues with CRM Implementation Solved by InfoFlo

If your business is suffering from any of the following — disorganization, low ROI, high operational costs, and lack of productivity and customer service – it’s time to invest in a CRM system. Having a a tool that manages all of your customer relationships helps streamline your business, improve staff productivity, and can lead to greater revenue and growth. The following are some of the most common problems our customers faced before implementing InfoFlo CRM.

 

1. Losing or Forgetting Important Information

Disorganized information is an insidious drain on your company’s wallet. When life throws us a curveball, we tend to accumulate clutter and become disorganized, in the process. It’s happens to everyone. We become ill, a family member becomes ill, we are assigned a project that requires heavy paperwork, or our filing cabinets are running out of space.   With CRM software, you eliminate all the paper clutter by keeping everything in one digital place (a central database). When a new lead comes in, a file for that contact is automatically created and stored in a safe place for easy access at a later date.

 

2. Employees Resistant to Change

One of the main reasons why the customer relationship management (CRM) implementation failure rate continues to be high is user resistance. The predominant reasons for this are: fear of losing job to automation;  the fear of CRM being too high-tech; it delivers a blow to established work habits. Failure to convince employees of the benefits of CRM often results in passive resistance and low employee-adoption rates.  Effectively communicating the benefits of CRM to users should bolster their confidence in and comfort levels with the new system. It’s crucial to “sell” those benefits internally both before and during a CRM initiative. Companies must not only create buy-in, but must also maintain users’ enthusiasm.

The InfoFlo CRM implementation team provides comprehensive online training services to all new customers and their employees. We also provide customer support over the phone and via chat/email for issues that arise after implementation. We don’t rest until you are fully trained and satisfied with using the CRM product on your own.

 

3. Breaking the Bank

Many small business owners perceive CRM systems to be costly and overly complex.  And indeed, we’ve found some are too difficult to learn and expensive. Those CRM tools are better suited for larger corporations. Our recommendation is to shop around and make comparisons. But before you do that, we recommend you make a list of all the features you will require to run your business more proficiently. Once you’ve done that contact a few CRM companies to receive quotes on products that feature your MUSTS.

What helps us stand out from our competitors are two things: 1) one time fee and 2) free upgrades for life. We work within your budget to customize a CRM solution that works for every business size.

Check out our product comparison charts to learn more about what makes us stand out from the crowd:

InfoFlo vs. ACT! CRM

InfoFlo vs. Zoho CRM

 

If you want to find out more about what InfoFlo can do for your business, register today for your free 30 day trial. No strings attached; registration for the free trial does not necessitate credit cards, commitments or contracts.

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10 Questions to Make Testimonials Authentic

Tips for Soliciting Authentic Testimonials

Testimonials are  powerful and cost effective selling tools you can use as marketing arsenal. They will prove that you are legit. Your prospective clients will be much more inclined to do business with you if you can show examples of their peers achieving success with your help.

Here are ten questions you can ask your customers to get meaningful, authentic testimonials for your business’ products or services:

1. What made you to choose my business to assist you with your needs?

2. What were your preconceived notions about using our products/services?
3. How has you perception changed since you hired me/bought my product/service?

4. What do you like most about working with me/using the product/service?

5. Did you expect it would work as well as it did?

6. Did you have any objections/hesitations before you decide to hire us? If so, what were they? How did we overcome your hesitation?

7. What are the three biggest benefits of working with us?

8. If you were to recommend me to a colleague, friend, or business associate, how would you describe the way I provided my service to you?

9. Is there anything else you’d like to add that I haven’t yet asked about?

10. Can I share this information on our website?

If you don’t have any client testimonials on your site, it’s not too late to go out and solicit your customers for some. Use some or all of the questions noted above to increase the trust visitors have in your services and products and increase your sales dramatically!

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How to Deal with Unnecessary Disruptions and Increase Productivity

Years ago, the telephone and the occasional drop-in visitor were the main sources of interruptions for a manager. Then email came along, followed by cell phones, instant messaging, etc. Now managers are inundated with beeps and bells and ring tones. Sure there have been productivity improvements as a result of these tools. However, due to misuse and abuse, often they actually hinder productivity.

Too many managers today just blow with the wind. They may come to work with a list of things to accomplish that day, but typically the list just grows as managers drift from one interruption to the next. The only way to make a dent in their to-do lists is to put in extra hours. Extra work time breeds resentment and eventually burnout, resulting in a whole new set of problems.

Smart phones, social media, and instant messaging are not evil, and they are most certainly here to stay. They can be extremely helpful if used in the right ways. The following are a few tips to help avoid the pitfalls and improve your effectiveness.

1. Set Aside Time for Disruptions

Since you know that, sooner or later, at least one of your colleagues or customers is going to interrupt you when you’re doing something, set some time aside specifically for them and their needs.

 

2. Try to Postpone Non-Emergencies

Once you’ve identified an interruption as something that needs attention and not just a waste of time, try to postpone your involvement.  Take a moment to understand what the distraction involves. Is anyone dying? Is there a deadline being missed? If it turns out the situation is not an emergency, postpone your involvement or delegate as much of the work to somebody who is available.

 

3. Turn All Counterproductive Electronic Devices Off

Before embarking on an important task, turn everything off! This will eliminate the possibility of a distraction killing your productivity. The key is to concentrate on the work at hand.

 

4. Turn Off All Notification Devices

Resist the urge to answer your phone or email notification every time you hear a beep. Finish up what you are doing, then retrieve your voice mail or email message and act accordingly. Follow up is critical, but following up within 3 seconds is not.

 

5. Avoid Getting Swept up in Reactive Mode

It’s an easy trap to fall into. It can be quite exhilarating “fighting fires” all day. Jumping in to solve crises is rewarding and addictive. Being needed is feels good too. It’s also much easier to bop from one task to another than to take time to think, prioritize, and plan.

 

6. Divide Your Day up into Targets

Distractions are most dangerous to the person working without short-term goals. You can keep yourself out of the danger zone by setting goals throughout the workday. Make sure these targets are Smart: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.

 

7. Think Before You Interrupt Another Person

This way you won’t be contributing to the problem.  By taking responsibility to minimize other’s interruptions, you can greatly improve workplace productivity.

 

Managers will always have to deal with interruptions. How they deal with them is a major factor in determining their effectiveness. In today’s world, the proliferation of interruptions caused by productivity tools has made it increasingly challenging for managers to do their jobs well. Learning how to use the tools effectively, which sometimes means turning them off, is critical to achieving success.

Minimize disruptions by investing in a customized CRM tool that fits your business needs. Download our 30-day free trial here. No credit cards and long-term commitments needed.

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