Crm In Sme – The Changing Scenario In India
CRM is one of the most exciting areas that organizations are looking at these days. We have seen a significant spurt in demand given the accelerated growth and competitive scenario emerging on the business landscape.
Let us look at THREE scenarios here which are clearly emerging in the Indian SME market from a CRM perspective,
First, standalone CRM solutions which many organizations are implementing. I am taking the example of a Brokerage House that has a Customer Service team and a Sales Organization. For a brokerage, the customer service team is the heart of their business as prospects and customers are constantly calling them with requests, issues, requirements, account set up and what have you. This internal Call Center has to be CRM enabled to manage this steady flow of telephone calls, emails and other contact points from their prospects and customers. Invariably their telephony systems have also to be integrated with the CRM. All elements of the Call center have to be truly integrated for seamless delivery of customer service. Likewise their sales team needs also to be tightly integrated in to manage leads allocated by the Call center. This could be within the CRM system or even via SMS to alert mobile sales persons of potential customers. Imagine the customer delight, if you log in your requirements and within minutes the appropriate sales person calls you to set up a meeting. Indian brokerages which are on a high growth path given booming stock markets have realized the importance of CRM systems that will truly drive their business growth. The need has got cemented with brokerages rapidly expanding across multiple locations and the need to manage remotely branch operations. Further many organizations which started small have grown exponentially in the last one year. We have seen the emergence of a high growth industry in the Financial Services business.
Secondly, more and more organizations are seeking end to end solutions with best of breed offerings. The classic example is of ERP integrated with CRM. This is increasingly seen as a trend in the Indian market now. By having this integrated solution, the sales, operations and finance organizations can work together as a team to manage their customers, deals, payments, receivables, inventories and orders. This can powerfully transform the way organizations are run and reduce lead times and improve information flow. This approach has to be taken by organizations seeking exponential growth in an economy where things are happening. Here again we are witness to a new trend that has emerged in the last 6 months or so across SME businesses. This seemed to have been a major requirement for larger organizations until sometime back. This again reflects the rapid growth potential seen by SMEs in India today. This technology driver has accentuated the need for employees to become more result oriented as well as increasingly accountable.
Thirdly, hosted offerings are here to stay for SMEs looking for CRM application. The trend we see is of relatively smaller SMEs adopting this approach quickly as this minimizes investments in hardware, trained technical manpower and infrastructure. It also helps them get off the ground rapidly. CRM is best suited for SaaS (Software as a Service) model given the fact that sales persons are generally on the move and can therefore work from any location as long as internet bandwidth is available. The other major driver of SaaS is the fact that organizations prefer to get started with vanilla applications which makes sure that they focus on user adoption in the initial phase. Further this model makes it easier for SMEs to decide if they wish to rent or buy as the on-premise should always exist in case organizations decide at some point in time to move the application in-house. Flexibility is a huge advantage from a deployment and investment perspective. Lead management, Sales force automation are the two major areas of CRM that are best enabled though the SaaS model.
Choosing A Pre Employment Sales Personality Test Or Sales Aptitude Test To Hire Top Sales Executives
Hiring managers have long known that it takes more than just personality or psychology alone to close the sale. An old style pre employment test, sales aptitude test or sales personality test may be inadequate in helping you hire Top Sales Executives or great Regional Sales Managers. Testing for Total Sales Ability ™ is the best solution, and businesses interested in hiring great sales people or regional sales managers can now receive 10 FREE Sales Assessment Tests from Dan Joy, Inc.
As a business executive or business owner, how can you tell which of your job applicants can really sell? Use Sales Assessment Testing to find out. Here’s what you need to know about Pre-Employment Tests or Sales Assessment Tests if you are interested in hiring a Top Sales Executive or a great Regional Sales Manager:
A. Sales Personality Testing is not enough:
Testing for sales personality alone is not enough. Would you select a doctor just because they had a good personality but no skills, ability or experience? Similarly, using a sales personality test to predict sales potential often results in disappointment. Many sales personality tests look at a person’s outwardly style of doing things, but there may be no real link to actual sales performance. A personality based sales assessment test may help determine a personality type, but may not help determine whether someone can actually sell. Testing for Total Sales Ability ™ is the key, and presently there is only one pre-employment sales test which provides that, as explained later in this article. You can also use The JOY Tests ™ of Total Sales Ability ™ to test your current salespeople for promotion, retention or sales training purposes.
B. Sales Aptitude Testing is not enough:
Similarly, pre employment sales assessment testing based on a person’s sales aptitude alone is not sufficient. Many pre employment sales aptitude tests look at a person’s psyche or internal motivations for doing things, but there may be no absolute link to actual sales performance. One may have the right sales aptitude or Sales Psychology but if the actual Sales Ability is missing, they probably won’t make much headway in selling. Moreover, a pre-employment sales aptitude test may not take actual selling techniques (learnt by real world sales experience) into account. The JOY Tests ™ of Total Sales Ability ™ can help where many others cannot.
C. Sales Skills Testing is not enough:
The mental component of selling is critically important. So, Sales Skills Assessment alone is not enough. Having the sales skills but no drive or motivation wouldn’t suffice. One must test for more than just a job applicant’s selling skills. Moreover, business methods and sales tools are constantly evolving. The sales approach which used to work a few years ago may not work today. You need a well-rounded pre-employment test of sales ability which keeps up with the changes in the ways that contemporary business is conducted. In other words, you need a pre-employment sales test which is thorough, up to date and well rounded, like the one recommended later in this article.
D. Lack of Sales Call Reluctance is not enough:
Just Sales Call Reluctance testing by itself is not enough. There are people who can call relentlessly but never close. Closing the sale requires proper sales techniques and sales abilities too, not just a lack of sales call reluctance. Total Sales Ability ™ testing like that offered by Dan Joy, Inc., can be a huge asset for you when trying to hire a great Sales Executive — Salesman or Saleswoman, or a good Regional Sales Manager.
E. Our Recommendation — Assessment of Total Sales Ability ™ is the Best:
The JOY Tests ™ of Total Sales Ability ™ can help reduce subjectivity and guesswork, and help employers make more objective hiring, promotion or retention decisions. They go above and beyond the old style Pre Employment Sales Personality Tests and Pre Employment Sales Aptitude Tests, by testing for Total Sales Ability ™ instead: http://www.danjoy.com/
A hiring mistake can be costly. The JOY Tests ™ of Total Sales Ability ™ can help employers and recruiters immensely by testing for sales prospecting ability, objection handling ability, sales closing ability, personality, psychology and more — a total of up to 50+ sub competencies, traits and advanced selling techniques critical to sales success.
They can be used as pre employment sales tests to test Business Development professionals at different career levels, e.g., a Sales Person (Salesman or Saleswoman), Sales Manager, Sales Director or VP of Sales & Marketing. The JOY Sales Tests ™ may also be used to identify and quantify Sales Training needs to help you bridge certain sales training gaps or correct certain sales skills deficiencies in your current sales team. Thus, you may also use The JOY Tests ™ of Total Sales Ability ™ to test your current salespeople for promotion, retention or sales training purposes.
The 10 major areas of ability tested by the potent JOY Sales Tests ™ are:
1. Sales Prospecting (Leads Generation) Ability.
2. Appointment Setting, Cold Calling, Rapport and Presentation Ability.
3. Objection Handling and Negotiating Ability.
4. Sales CLOSING Ability and Asking for Payment/Deposit.
5. Cementing the Sale (Re-assuring the Client), and Ability to Get Referrals.
6. Computer / Internet / Email / CRM and Sales Tools Ability.
7. Miscellaneous Crucial Sales & Marketing Abilities
(Various Secondary Factors — Personality, Psychology, Skills, Aptitude, Ethics, etc.)
8. Sales Team Recruitment Ability.
9. Sales Team Management / Leadership / Motivation Ability.
10. Advertising, Marketing and Public Relations Ability.
So, how can employers tell which job applicants can sell? They can start with 10 FREE Sales Assessment Test units (Screening Tests) at http://www.danjoy.com/
[Top]How To Run A Successful Event To Build A Better Business Network
How To Run A Successful Event
Events are a powerful tool for marketers to truly engage their consumers and leverage their brand. No matter what type of event you plan to run, there are a few points you need to remember to ensure your event is a success.
A successful Event Marketing Campaign is one that:
* Meets your brand objectives.
* Delivers a meaningful message directly to the target market.
* Complements your overall marketing plan.
* Provides a talking point amongst consumers.
The Strategy
Choosing the right event strategy for your product or service requires a thorough understanding of the brand objectives. You may require an experienced event agency partner if you do not have sufficient in-house resources to help you to achieve your goals. Look for a good team of experienced and creative minds who are ready to analyse every element of your product and service and its current position to design the best possible strategy. The following points should be considered:
Event Outcome
Clarity and agreement around the issue of event outcome is imperative. Key stake holders will have different views and perspectives of what they want out of an event. Defining and agreeing the desired event outcome means that the correct approach is taken. It means that the creative development of the event and the content to all work together to produce the right results. Ask yourself the following questions.
* What is the outcome you want for this event?
* What change do you want to effect?
* What tangible changes do you want? Eg Increase in sales, lead generation?
* What is the best thing/outcome that could happen as a result of this campaign?
* When the road show is over what do you want the guests to be saying about the event over coffee to their friends?
* What would be the ultimate sign of success for the event?
Target Market
Your target group are your guests. They could be prospective or existing clients or they could be staff. Again ask yourself: Who are they? Where are they? Why do you want them to attend? What do they like to do? How do we get their attention? What do they think/know/feel about your company now? What do you want them to think/know/feel about your company post the event?
Think about what events they have experienced before either with your organisation or with your competitors. What is their age group, are they an even mix of male and female? Understanding your audience is a good first step in the event planning process.
Message
A clear message is critical to the success of any event. Knowing exactly what you want to say is imperative. Its about what you want to say rather than how you want to say it at this stage? What is the main story you want to tell? What is imperative that they know when they leave? Communication of the message needs to be clear and concise. Consistency is key and your message needs to be included in each step from the invitation to web marketing campaign, to the event, the marketing collateral and the carefully planned post event strategy.
Brand Positioning
A good understanding of your brand position is crucial in building an event strategy. Is the event about a new product or service? Is it the launch of a new variable product or service? Are there set sales objectives for the product or service? Your brand position will assist in clarifying the best type of event your company needs and the most appropriate communication vehicle to engage your audience.
Creative
The creative development of the event can vary enormously. Considering the questions above certainly points you in the right direction to as to what kind of event will provide the most powerful result. It could be a national road show with international speakers or it could be a half day relationship building experience with key clients. A golf day, seminar series, exhibition, conference, experiential marketing campaign or any other various type of event should focus on leveraging your brand and provide a forum for you to connect with your target audience. Ask yourself how do we best represent the brand? How do we support above-the-line marketing strategies? How do we make it a memorable experience?
Planning
Finding your market and connecting with them in a memorable way is more than just guess work. It is staggering how many events are run with the minimum of planning. People are willing to invest significant money putting events on but they tend to overlook the need to invest in planning and smart thinking.
Planning is crucial to any event not matter how small and intimate it may be. Critical paths, risk assessments, measurable results, budget control are essential tools when planning a successful outcome. You need to plan on maximising the number of touch points with guests. Plan on results or you can guarantee you are planing on a disaster.
Implementation
With the correct planning the implementation of an event is the easy part. Ensure that every member of your event team have a run schedule of the event from start to finish so they aware of all timings. Rehearsals are imperative and why not consider professional speak training for all staff that will be presenting. An overall risk assessment is probably in the back of everyones minds but unless it is written down you are open to disaster. A good event company will also supply you with a thorough mitigation strategy to ensure you get a good result from your event no matter what.
Outcome
And weve come full circle. The results of your event should be measurable or how do you know if you have achieved good value for your investment. Events are all about building strong long term partnerships with your prospects and clients. When all of the above factors work together they create a truly powerful experience that not only moves people but motivates them to act. Remember your customers and staff holds your future in their hands. They control your revenue, your profitability and they are the central point on which your economic performance balances. Events are a powerful opportunity to leverage your brand and promote your services to this influential group.
Got some more queries? Why not check out the team at JH Events?
JH Events, Sydney Australia
[Top]How Much Do Senior Portraits Cost
If theres one question nearly everyone asks this is it. How much do senior portraits cost? The trite, sarcastic answer would be, If you really like pictures and youre going to miss your son or daughter like crazy when they go off to college, senior portrait are cheap. If you never take pictures yourself and you for-see your child living in your basement until theyre 35; senior portraits are outrageous. Truly, a great deal does depend on your point of view.
Most studios will charge a session fee. Some have just one flat fee and others, like our studio, have three different sessions that differ basically by length of time. The session fee covers kind of the photographers time to take the pictures and process the images for you to view. Quite honestly our session fees dont come close to covering the time it takes to photograph a senior, process the images, do some initial retouching and prepare the first view images for the client to see.
Many studios view the session fee more as a guarantee youll show up. Dont get me wrong, I know YOU wouldnt blow someone off but think about it; if theres no up-front session fee to guarantee your spot in the studios calendar, if you had nothing invested and the day of your session came and it was beautiful and sunny and all your friends were going to Valley Fair where would you want to be? Riding the Wild Thing or stuck in a dark studio listening to a 52 year old guy with a beer gut tell bad jokes? If theres money on the line Mom and Dad are going to be sure you show up – with bells on.
Studios session fees in southern Minnesota range from a low of probably fifty bucks to a high of $300 or more. Our studio charges $100, $150 and $200 for respectively, a one hour, an hour and a half and a two hour session. But hardly anyone pays full price for the session.
Studios often run session sales early in the year to start the business flowing. At d. holmes meir studios we have our big 12 hour sale in May and if you book your session for sometime in June youll save 75% on the session fee. In July you save 50% and August nets you a 25% savings. Youll probably find similar sales at most other studios in the area.
With respect to the portraits themselves it will vary a great deal on the number of friends and relatives youll want to gift with your images. At some studios youll spend less than $300 while at others youll invest $1000 or more. Its important to remember that like anything, all portraits and all photographers are not created equal. If youre not a fan of surprises you will want to do research and ask lots of questions as to what is and isnt included in a studios portrait pricing.
Chances are most studios will offer both package as well as a-la-carte pricing options. Packages are almost always cheaper often so much so you may be better off from a money standpoint – to buy more pictures in a package than you really need. No one likes waste but better to waste a little paper than a lot of money.
The most important question you need to ask are whether or not the final images will be retouched and to see examples of retouched images. Many people in this day and age just assume all photographers retouch their portraits nothing could be further from the truth. So look closely at the sample images on a photographers website which one would assume is their best work. If the skin tones are icky, if there are obvious blemishes and imperfections is it reasonable to assume your portraits would be any different?
[Top]Effective Warehouse Management Solutions
Many logistics software companies offer supply chain solutions which covers the complete process of merchandise delivery from seller to buyer. Leading logistics software company Magaya, offers Supply Chain Solution which gives companies the functionality of an ecommerce system, warehouse management system and a Cargo System. You also get additional sales and purchasing capabilities to connect all your processes from Quotations to Purchase Orders and shipments.
The Purchasing Process
The purchasing process begins with a Purchase Order (PO) created in the Magaya Supply Chain Solution, containing all the information about the order. The PO is sent to the manufacturer or supplier. Convert the PO into a Pickup Order. Then the merchandise is sent to the warehouse. When the cargo arrives, the Pickup Order can be automatically converted into a Warehouse Receipt (WR). The accounting department can instantly use the original PO to create a bill that goes to Accounts Payable and is later used to pay the provider.
The Sales Process
The sales process begins with a customers inquiry for merchandise and delivery. Create a Quotation in the Supply Chain Solution and email it to the customer. All the information from the Quotation can be converted into a Sales Order and automatically transferred to a shipping order. Local deliveries and international shipping can be processed with all trade documentation included such as the Bill of Lading, Air Waybill, Cargo Manifest and others. The details from the Quotation, Sales Order, and shipment are processed automatically through the integrated accounting system in the Magaya Supply Chain Solution. Invoices are automatically created and processed.
Main Feature Of The Warehouse Management System
Quotations
Delivery and storage prices included
Pickup Orders
Pickup and delivery charges included
Warehouse Receipts
Keep a record of arrival and location of cargo
Create tasks to receive and put away cargo using Magaya WMS Mobile
Cargo Releases
Keep a record of release date, time, and delivery carrier
Create tasks to Pick and Load orders using Magaya WMS Mobile
Warehouse Inspector
Define locations for receiving, storage, quality control, a holding area, etc.
Manage storage capacity to reduce empty spaces and create efficiency
Inventory Control Software
Just-in-Time Inventory
Inventory Cycle and Physical Counts
Control Inventory by SKU and/or Serial Numbers
24-Hour Inventory Visibility
Available to your customers in real-time via Magaya
Automatic Billing
Charges are calculated automatically by the Tariff feature
Invoices are created automatically by the Recurrent Invoicing feature
Integrated Accounting System Features
Accounts Receivable
Accounts Payable
Banking and Checking
Financial Reports
Collections Reports
Multicurrency options