Microsoft CRM Implementation: Employee Time & Billing ? notes for Consultant

Procedure.  MS CRM is flexible in the sense that you can create and attach activity to virtually any object ? Account, Contact, Lead, Quote, Order, Invoice, etc.  If you have your consultants do just that ? it will help (all the documents and info will be in CRM), however it would be no structure and you would be spending your time digging CRM in the search of historical information.  Remember Lotus Notes Domino?  Where you could also keep attaching and expanding lists and tree-like structure?  You need the procedure and the procedure will help you structurize the data in MS CRM

Structure.  The structure, deployed for employee time management should be like this.  Customer (Account) should have Contracts.  Each Contract should have contract lines (where you can allocate the budget per line), then each line should have Cases (when you fulfill the contract ? you assign your consultants to the cases, such as install software, fix bugs, replace old server with the new one, etc.).  And finally, consultants should log cases, such as appointments (if the date and time is known) and tasks (if the date and time is now known, however you know the deadline)

Scenario.  Customer ABC has ERP Implementation contract.  This contract has two lines: Software Installation (24 hours budget) and User Training (40 hours budget).  You activate contract, open two cases for Installation: SQL Installation and Client installation.  You assign SQL case to John and Client case to Bill.  You book John for Monday onsite visit (appointment, from 8am till 4pm) to install SQL, for bill you create task ? install clients for Nancy and Marilyn (you ask Bill to stop by next week, but you leave him to schedule and decide on the date).  When John finishes installation, he opens MS CRM, appointment (either web or outlook client), goes to the appointment->action->close appointment (action Close Appointment->Completed) and 8 hours are logged toward SQL Installation case.  When finally you close the case ? you decide on the number of billable hours (you will be shown the actual and budgeted time).

Reporting.  You will probably need two reports: consultant/employee time, were you should be able to see budgeted, actual, written off time ? here you evaluate consultant performance.  The second report is Project status.

Feel free to call us in US & Canada: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, Latin America: S?o Paulo 55-11-3444-4949, Europe: Deutschland (0177) 8349 806, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Office, Alba Spectrum Group ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) serves corporate clients in the following industries: Oil & Gas, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Tools & Machinery, Pharmaceutical, Mining, Services, Non-Profit, Advertising & Publishing, Distribution & Logistics, Transportation, Consignment, Food & Beverages, Restaurants Supply Chain, Textile, Building & Construction, Real Estate, Engineering & Project Management.

 

Microsoft CRM Customization: MS Exchange Transport SMTP Event Sink

Microsoft CRM Customization: MS Exchange Transport SMTP Event Sink

 by: Boris Makushkin

Microsoft CRM has variety of customizations options and tools. The official and the most popular is Microsoft CRM SDK: collection of C#.Net and partially VB.Net classes, methods and code samples. Here we would like to give you more complex case, when you call CRM SDK customization from custom MS Exchange event handler we are improving the functionality of MS Exchange MS CRM connector.

Imagine the case when you want outgoing email to be captured and placed into CRM, attached to Contact, Account or Lead they should belong to. If this is realized your salespeople can use any email tool to send their messages, they do not have to do it in CRM or Outlook Client for CRM.

MS Exchange OnSyncSave database event cant work with Sent folder it doesnt fire when message goes to Sent folder. The reason is described here:

PRB: Store Events Do Not Fire on the Outbox or Sent Item Folders

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q297274

Please, see SMTP Event Sink example in this article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;317327. Event handler works OnArrival event:

void ISMTPOnArrival.OnArrival(CDO.IMessage msg, ref CDO.CdoEventStatus EventStatus)

{

log = LogManager.GetLogger(typeof(ShieldsUp));

DOMConfigurator.Configure(new FileInfo(Environment.SystemDirectory + "/CustomerApp/log.config"));

try {

ProcessMessage(msg);

}

catch (Exception ex) {

log.Debug(ex.Message + " " + ex.StackTrace);

}

finally {

LogManager.Shutdown();

}

}

The class:

// ComVisible enables COM visibility of this class. The default is true.

// Explicitly setting this attribute to true, as shown below, is useful

// if ComVisible is set to false for the namespace and you want the

// classes to be accessible individually.

[ComVisible(true)]

public class ShieldsUp: CDO.ISMTPOnArrival

{

Next the handling works similar to SyncSave handler:

private void ProcessMessage(CDO.IMessage msg)

{

string sFrom;

string sTo;

string sSubject;

string sBody;

string sSensitivity;

try

{

log.Debug("Firing Up ProcessMessage()");

sSubject = msg.Subject;

sBody = msg.TextBody;

sFrom = msg.From;

sTo = msg.To;

if (msg.Fields["urn:schemas:mailheader:sensitivity"].Value != null)

sSensitivity = msg.Fields["urn:schemas:mailheader:sensitivity"].Value.ToString();

else

sSensitivity = "Normal";

log.Debug("Message From: " + sFrom);

log.Debug("Message To: " + sTo);

log.Debug("Subject: " + sSubject);

log.Debug("Sensitivity: " + sSensitivity);

log.Debug("Body: " + sBody);

In deployment you should consider the following the handler will work only in the case of SMTP protocol delivery. If you use Outlook or Outlook Web Access, then delivery uses MAPI and OnArrival doesnt fire. Please see this article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;273233

The elegant fix is two SMTP gateways, find it here http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q288756

Boris Makushkin is Lead Developer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Arizona, New York, Texas, Florida, Georgia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Microsoft CRM SDK, Transact SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and VB.Net developer. Boris can be reached: 1-866-528-0577, borism@albaspectrum.com.

 

Microsoft CRM Customization - processing in/out-going email messages

We would like to give you several situations, when you may need custom development and programming to improve Microsoft CRM functionality. This overview is for programmer, software developer, IT specialist, database administrator.

Microsoft CRM, the CRM application from Microsoft Business Solutions utilizes almost all the recent Microsoft technologies: .Net (it is actually written in C#.Net with HTML and Javascript at the web client side plus has Microsoft CRM SDK with C# and partially VB.Net samples), Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Exchange 2003/2000 and others. Now to give you brief review from the workflow and messages - you can send email directly from Account, Contact or Lead and it will be processed by Microsoft CRM-Exchange connector. This email will have GUID in the message header. When addressee answers the email - it will be processed by the connector - it will recognize the GUID and will find the original activity and will attach this email as closed activity to the original object: contact, account or lead. This is very nice feature, but in the real world you may have these situations:

1. CRM user will not use CRM interface and will send email from his/her Outlook. Addressee will receive and respond and these emails will not be handled by Microsoft CRM-Exchange connector. They will not have GUID and connector has no idea on what to do with them.

2. Imagine, that you have Account Best Corporation, with contact person John john@bestcorporation.com. Now new person in Best Corporation, Susan sends you message from susan@bestcorporation.com - and her email will not be connected to your Best Corporation account, because this email doesn't have GUID and it also doesn't have matching email in the contact person. So - it is probably nice to catch emails by domain name as well, say - all the emails, coming from www.bestcorporation.com should be attached to Best Corporation account.

3. Now - your sales rep initiated the first email to the client from Microsoft CRM and got response, transferred back into CRM account. Then he occasionally replied on the reply from outlook - this reply, having GUID will be replied back and not transferred into MS CRM, because MS Exchange connector "thinks" that this message was already replied by the first reply.

4. To decrease the possibility that users will use outlook to send new messages and answer the messages from there - you would probably like the idea to delete them from MS Exchange database when they are transferred to the CRM. In this case they will not be seen in MS Outlook (We are not talking about Microsoft CRM Outlook client, where you actually see CRM data and objects)

If you are programmer or software developer - you can actually program these advancements and we'll give you the direction.

This technique is COM+ applications, registered as Microsoft Exchange sinks or handlers. You can use VisualStudio.Net, but you will not have debugging available, because these applications will work as event handlers. Microsoft Exchange allows you to alter it's logic in the events, exposed for custom handling. Incoming emails should be handled, when ONSYNCSAVE Microsoft Exchange Database event is fired before the commitment. You use Microsoft CRM SDK to create the email activity. You should use direct SQL update to flag the activity as closed (however not recommended by Microsoft - but Microsoft CRM SDK doesn't have the method to close the activity - so you really don't have an option from SDK side). Outgoing emails should be handled with so-called transport events firing, which is more complex and less documented part of Microsoft Exchange SDK.

Happy customizing! if you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization partner, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Arizona, Texas, Minnesota, New York, Georgia and Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is Great Plains Dexterity, SQL, C# and VB.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.akarasev@albaspectrum.com

Microsoft CRM Integration with Microsoft Retail Management System (RMS) overview

Microsoft Client Relation Management system (Microsoft CRM) and Microsoft RMS are both Microsoft SQL Server based applications, however historically Microsoft was purchasing industry leading software applications, such as QuickSell which is now Microsoft RMS.  So, RMS design fundamentals were minted a long time before Microsoft CRM.  But, still integration between the two is straightforward and what you need is consultant, who is familiar with both systems structures and customization scenarios

Microsoft Client Relation Management system (Microsoft CRM) and Microsoft RMS are both Microsoft SQL Server based applications, however historically Microsoft was purchasing industry leading software applications, such as QuickSell which is now Microsoft RMS.  So, RMS design fundamentals were minted a long time before Microsoft CRM.  But, still integration between the two is straightforward and what you need is consultant, who is familiar with both systems structures and customization scenarios

Microsoft CRM is currently integrated with Microsoft Great Plains and will be integrated with Microsoft Navision in the close future, RMS integration is not planned to our knowledge, so you should seek third party solutions or create your own integration.  We see the need for such the integration when you sell on account in RMS and have customer support call center automated with Microsoft CRM.  Let us give you highlights:

• Microsoft CRM custom lookup.  More likely you will nee lookup to your RMS headquarters or store records for the customer transactions from Account screen.  Microsoft CRM allows you to have custom navigation bar on Account screen by clicking on this bar you could call your custom web .Net application, which will call Microsoft RMS database and return you the grid of customer transactions
  
• RMS architecture excurse.  Microsoft RMS has Headquarters and Store databases.  The exchange between the two types of databases uses worksheet mechanism.  Most of the transaction types are initiated on the store level and transferred to the Headquarters database (with some global data exception, global customers for example are handled on HQ level and then propagated down to the stores). 
  
• Data Inquiry and Update.  The MS RMS architecture suggests you to query primarily Headquarters database and do not change data in HQ database.  If you need to change data on the store level from Microsoft CRM custom screen you should consider placing web service on the SQL Server hardware in the store to deal with the store-initiated transaction
  
• Microsoft CRM programming.  Microsoft CRM has MS CRM SDK (Software Development Kit).  This is open source tool, you can download it from Microsoft site and it is description of Microsoft CRM classes and methods with sample codes in C# and VB.Net.  Microsoft technical support encourages you to use Microsoft CRM SDK objects and discourages you from direct SQL server programming.  If you need to query MS CRM database you should create your custom database and place your objects: SQL views and stored procedures there.  Do not place custom object into MS CRM databases

Do your homework in integration and if you have issues or concerns we are here to help! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients  in Chicago, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia, Arizona, Minnesota, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: andrewk@albaspectrum.com

 

The new Customer Relationship Management CRM functions

C.MeloPublishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your website or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.

The new Customer Relationship Management CRM functions

By J.C.Melo

The Customer Relationship Management CRM system was born because of the need for a software to analyze customer's data - as for example its preferences - changing rough data that usually exists in any customer's database, into important information about the same customer. That is to say, a new modern sales & marketing tool.

In this first period the data of an online and real-time accounting & management system was analyzed by this stand-alone CRM software, and in the following period those accounting & management systems integrated this initial marketing & sales functions of a CRM.

Soon after, this new accounting & management system - now integrated with the CRM functions - included a Call Center system of the last generation with or without a voice processing system - input and output - through the telephone system usually so loved by us.

Soon after appeared an obvious question: If the CRM support my customers, why don't change it to support all the external functions of my company, as for example my suppliers, distributors, representatives, branches, affiliated companies, employees's families, etc., each one with different needs and processings?

This is the current Customer Relationship Management CRM system, for everything concerning the external world of a company, and consequently its original name no longer represents its current functions in spite to be widely used.

Today we should split the IT system of a company in two great sides but in the near future will be only one system:

1. Enterprise Resources Planning ERP, for the internal world of a company, on which we will write another article in the near future,

2. Customer Relationship Management CRM, for the external world of a company.

However it's absolutely necessary to understand that a CRM is not a software package that can be installed and immediately will be ready to work, but yes a system that obligatorily should be implemented by IT specialists together with the whole company in a continuous job, besides to be adapted to the specific needs of the company. And because the CRM was not interpreted correctly by a large amount of companies, recent research showed that 42% of purchased CRM systems are inoperative for been interpreted as a push-button software.

However if very well designed and installed, a CRM is a powerful tool for a company to grow on this digital business Century, certainly surpassing your competition and generating reasonable ROI Return on Investment.


The new Customer Relationship Management CRM functions

By J.C.Melo

The Customer Relationship Management CRM system was born because of the need for a software to analyze customer's data - as for example its preferences - changing rough data that usually exists in any customer's database, into important information about the same customer. That is to say, a new modern sales & marketing tool.

In this first period the data of an online and real-time accounting & management system was analyzed by this stand-alone CRM software, and in the following period those accounting & management systems integrated this initial marketing & sales functions of a CRM.

Soon after, this new accounting & management system - now integrated with the CRM functions - included a Call Center system of the last generation with or without a voice processing system - input and output - through the telephone system usually so loved by us.

Soon after appeared an obvious question: If the CRM support my customers, why don't change it to support all the external functions of my company, as for example my suppliers, distributors, representatives, branches, affiliated companies, employees's families, etc., each one with different needs and processings?

This is the current Customer Relationship Management CRM system, for everything concerning the external world of a company, and consequently its original name no longer represents its current functions in spite to be widely used.

Today we should split the IT system of a company in two great sides but in the near future will be only one system:

1. Enterprise Resources Planning ERP, for the internal world of a company, on which we will write another article in the near future,

2. Customer Relationship Management CRM, for the external world of a company.

However it's absolutely necessary to understand that a CRM is not a software package that can be installed and immediately will be ready to work, but yes a system that obligatorily should be implemented by IT specialists together with the whole company in a continuous job, besides to be adapted to the specific needs of the company. And because the CRM was not interpreted correctly by a large amount of companies, recent research showed that 42% of purchased CRM systems are inoperative for been interpreted as a push-button software.

However if very well designed and installed, a CRM is a powerful tool for a company to grow on this digital business Century, certainly surpassing your competition and generating reasonable ROI Return on Investment.

J.C.Melo is a 73-years old IT professional with 54 years of experience in computer science & technology entrepreneurship. He was the owner of the first minicomputer factory in South America and Consultant for the U.S. Government in several contracts. Now is the CEO of the organization
http://mba-open-university.net

Microsoft CRM Integration: Siebel Email Attachments Import - C# and MS Transact SQL example

Microsoft CRM CRM answer from Microsoft Business Solutions has aggressive pricing, going down and making it affordable for small companies. We see cases when Microsoft CRM replaces such traditional CRM systems as Siebel. It is not necessary, that clients decided to replace it themselves they may be victims of their systems the example: Great Plains had alliance with Siebel several years ago and we saw multiple clients with Great Plains Siebel tandem. Now Great Plains integrates with MS CRM.

This article is for programmer, who needs data to be migrated from Siebel or other CRM to MS CRM.

Todays topic is Siebel emails, stored in the files, import into MS CRM database. Each message exists in the form of separate file in the import directory. We will use custom SQL table, created in MS SQL Server 2000:

if exists (select * from dbo.sysobjects where id = object_id(N'[dbo].[CrmAttachImporter]') and OBJECTPROPERTY(id, N'IsUserTable') = 1)drop table [dbo].[CrmAttachImporter]GO#BREAK#

Customer-Service Provider Relationships-Is Yours A Blessing Or A Nightmare?

We are all dependent on service providers for our businesses to succeed. The better you manage that relationship, the more successful you will be in achieving your goals in a cost-effective manner. The relationship is two-way street. Service providers also depend on customers to enable a successful deliverable. So, prepare:

Initial planning: spend a good amount of time upfront reviewing your business strategy, your marketing goals and your budget with your service provider. Confirm in writing the critical issues, e.g., the expectations, the implementation phases, required deadlines and deliverables. Indicate your preferences.

Strategic vs. tactical goals: Plan the project with a long-term strategic perspective, but implement in smaller phases. By breaking down a project into smaller deliverables, you are giving yourself a chance to review progress in a manageable approach. Once you are comfortable with the results of one phase, then you can proceed with the next step (this may help your budget process too.) A critical benefit to this approach is that things change rapidly and you may no longer want the original approach. With a phased approach, you are cutting your losses and allowing yourself and your provider to change directions in a more cost-effective manner.

Documentation is critical. The larger the project, the more critical documentation becomes. Samples include account information, login information, vendor contacts, a list of directories where everything is located, a list of all the hardware and software products that have been used in the implementation, and, where appropriate, how to use the solution. Imagine transitioning to a new service provider in the middle of a project without such documentation or getting a deliverable that you don?t know how to use!

Solution alternatives: When a service provider presents an approach or a solution, make sure the benefits, alternatives and issues are presented to you before committing to that solution. This analysis brings many benefits. Half the battle is in knowing what to ask! This analysis enables customers to realize what they really want in their project deliverables. This reduces much misinterpretation. It also shows your service provider?s abilities.

In my 20 years of experience with global, multi-million dollar initiatives, as well as with low-cost projects, I found the careful management of the services is critical to the success of the projects. Whether large or small, the same principles apply.

Dahlia Benaroya has had over 20 years of experience in business and technology fields. She is currently the founder and president of Dahlia Web Designs LLC. Her company provides innovative marketing and business solutions for the Too Busy!. She offers clients cost-effective solutions with her consultation, web design and organizational management strategies and services. Previously, Dahlia was a director at a major international company, with responsibility over multi-million dollar initiatives. Her current special project is to help motivate children to write by offering inexpensive online publishing opportunities for children through her website http://www.KidsLoveToWrite.com

Customer Service Is About Establishing And Building Relationships.

Any type of relationship can be fragile. Your new business can only succeed if those relationships are guarded, protected and nurtured. You do that by treating your clients as if they were cherished friends. When you call a friend you probably expect a call back within a reasonable time. Your client also expects that call within a reasonable time too. If you e-mail a question to your friend or family member don?t you expect an answer as soon as they can? Of course you do. Try to answer your e-mail within twenty four hours and sooner rather than later if you can. If you can?t do it yourself get a staff member to do it. Isn?t it true that you would prefer a personal response rather than a canned response like ?thanks for contacting us?? Treat your clients as you would like to be treated. It?s common sense.

When you have good news don?t you rush to call your friend and also like to be updated with your friend?s good news? I?m sure the answer is yes. So if you have good news let your clients know. They really want to hear about your new baby, moved into a new house, new puppy and all your other good news. People enjoy good news about people that they like.

When you get on the phone and ask a question concerning your friend isn?t it true that you would expect him or her to answer without attitude, with respect, and a gentle manner. If you got rude answers from your friend I?m sure that you would be hurt, upset and disappointed and even angry with him or her. So assume that your client expects the same courtesy that you would give and expect from your friend.

Other elements of good customer service are the many moments that you have to compromise in order to keep that client happy. If you want relationships to continue you have to sooth ruffled feathers sometimes which included an occasional apology for appointments or services not delivered, and a substitution if a product is unsatisfactory. Also one of the simplest examples establishing a relationship with your client is to listen to him or her. Don?t jump in, don?t interrupt, just listen. That goes a long way to show your client that you care about him or her. Respect your time together, and don?t commandeer his or her time. Put some of these common sense practices into place and you will have good clients for a long time.

Katheryn Hoban is the publisher of R-U New to a Business newsletter which gives FREE practical tips for starting and running your own on-line and or off-line business, from start to finish from your home or office. The pitfalls, rewards, every-day tips and things that you need to succeed, freebies, and more. For signing up you will receive a FREE report on STEPS ON HOW TO MANIFEST EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT IN THIS LIFE. To subscribe send an e-mail to runewtobusiness@aweber.com to reach Katheryn ph 201 970-9340 or katscoolcorner@yahoo.com

Customer relationship management (CRM)

Customer relationship management (CRM) helps businesses build profitable customer relationships.The general purpose of CRM is to enable organizations to better manage their customers through the introduction of reliable systems, processes and procedures for interacting with those customers.

Implementing CRM :

A good CRM program needs to

• Identify customer success factor
• Create a customer-based culture
• Adopt customer-based measures
• Develop an end-to-end process to serve customers
• Recommend what questions to ask to help a customer solve a problem
• Recommend what to tell a customer with a complaint about a purchase
• Track all aspects of selling to customers and prospects as well as customer support.

Purposes of Customer Relationship Management :

A good CRM program can improve customer service by facilitating communication in several ways:

• Provide product information, product use information, and technical assistance on web sites that are accessible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Identify how each individual customer defines quality, and then design a service strategy for each customer based on these individual requirements and expectations.
• Provide a fast mechanism for managing and scheduling follow-up sales calls to assess post-purchase cognitive dissonance, repurchase probabilities, repurchase times, and repurchase frequencies.
• Provide a mechanism to track all points of contact between a customer and the company, and do it in an integrated way so that all sources and types of contact are included, and all users of the system see the same view of the customer.
• Help to identify potential problems quickly, before they occur.
• Provide a user-friendly mechanism for registering customer complaints.
• Provide a fast mechanism for handling problems and complaints.
• Provide a fast mechanism for correcting service deficiencies.
• Use internet cookies to track customer interests and personalize product offerings accordingly.
• Use the Internet to engage in collaborative customization or real-time customization.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM :

Microsoft Dynamics CRM will help you:

• Provide your employees with easier and quicker access to the customer data they need to do their jobs.
• Link all of your customer records together in one place.
• Help your marketing, sales, and customer service teams work better, together.
• Make it easier for your customers to contact you and get the information they need about their account, order, or shipment.
• Make your customers feel that they are indeed your most valuable asset

For Computer Books visit:
Halfvalue.com
[Buy Cheapest Books]

Other useful websites:
Halfvalue.co.uk
Lookbookstores.com

Customer Service: Stop Sabotaging Your Customer Relationships

 by: Lora J Adrianse

If you've called for customer service recently you're familiar with this recorded message "This call may be recorded or monitored for quality purposes." I immediately think to myself, "Oh great, here comes the game of 20 questions."

Now don't get me wrong. I spent many, many years training Customer Service Reps. (CSR's). I'm all for making sure customers receive the best possible service. What I'm not for is the pre-scripted list of questions CSR's are required to ask, regardless of whether they are applicable to the situation at hand. I've seen some checklists with as many as 25 pre-scripted "call quality" standards that CSR's are required to use. If they don't, and someone happens to monitor the call, they get marked down. Ludicrous I say!

Let me give you a few highlights from a recent call I made to my well-known auto club:

CSR: What is the year, make and model of your vehicle?

Me: 2000, GMC, Yukon, Denali

CSR: There is no 2000, GMC, Yukon, Denali (obviously it couldn't be found in her list of computer options so she needed to tell me I was wrong)

Me: Yes there is, I drive it every day

CSR: What's wrong with your vehicle?

Me: I don't know. It won't start.

CSR: Does it need to be towed or jumped?

Me: I don't know. I don't know what's wrong with it.

CSR: Well do you think it needs to be towed or jumped?

Me: I have no clue.

CSR: Where is your vehicle?

Me: In my garage.

CSR: Can you push it out of the garage into the driveway or the street?

Me: No. It's a full size SUV. I can't push it anywhere.

CSR: Is there another way you can get it out of the garage?

Me: No. It won't start.

Eventually, after I'd jumped through enough hoops, the call finally ended.

Chances are it wasn't the CSR's idea to get her laughs for the day by asking me stupid questions. Instead, her own company sabotaged her ability to quickly and efficiently take care of her customer, by requiring she use a scripted questioning process.

What Could Have Gone Better? For starters, rather than telling me that the make and model of my vehicle didn't exist, she could have said that she was having trouble finding it in her database, and then asked for verification. Next, instead of asking me twice about whether the truck needed to be "jumped or towed", she might have asked if I had any ideas about what could be wrong with it.

And finally, considering that she already knew the vehicle wouldn't start, asking a woman to push a truck out of a garage seems a little unreasonable.

What Needs To Change? First, re-think your call quality standards. You may have too many standards; they may be too focused on internally created "shoulds", with very little focus on what matters most to your customers. Involve your CSR's and customers in the process.

Secondly, empower and train your CSR's to think, act and personalize service to best accommodate the given situation. One size does not fit all, or even most! Teach your CSR's how to recognize different communication styles, and then how to adapt their personal style so they can best relate to the customer as an individual. In other words, teach CSR's how to treat customers how THEY want to be treated.

And thirdly, continually ask for feedback from CSR's as well as customers. Make time to find out what's working and what's not working. Pay attention to what they have to say. Make ongoing improvements that benefit everyone. Repeat the cycle.

Companies spend thousands, if not millions of dollars each year to acquire new customers, yet sometimes they forget about how to best take care of the customers they already have.

Everyday your customers and your CSR's make decisions about whether to stay with your company or go to your competitor. Loyalty is built on good, solid relationships. Your company relies on the loyalty of your CSR's to service your customers. And great customer service can set you apart from your competition. Take action now! Stop sabotaging those relationships with unnecessary standards that don't really matter to your customers. Your customers and your CSR's will love you for it.

As the owner of Essential Connections, Lora Adrianse is a catalyst for clients who aspire to create dynamic business relationships with their colleagues and customers. She authors a free monthly newsletter, "Relating@Work". Go to her website to subscribe now! www.connectionscoach.com

coach@connectionscoach.com

Sales Force Management & Leadership: Increase Profitability By Understanding Your Sales Team

Some people are wildly successful at selling, meeting and exceeding every goal placed in front of them, while others lack either the self motivation or certain key skill sets to get them to their next level of growth and performance. To improve sales in highly competitive sales environments, leaders must create a growth-oriented atmosphere that thrives on constant improvement, regardless of market conditions.

 

Have you ever closely examined why some people are wildly successful at selling, meeting and exceeding every goal placed in front of them, while others lack either the self motivation or certain key skill sets to get them to their next level of growth and performance? After all, they all have the same product, the same tools, and the same compensation structure.  They?ve all been through the same sales management-training program.   In my experience of 25 years selling, building sales organizations and leading and managing thousands of salespeople, the answer has to do with the fact that virtually all sales? organizations are comprised of four different kinds of salespeople:

 

1.   The Performers ? The Top Producers

 

These high achieving sales executives are the best at bringing in the numbers, but chances are that you spend a fair share of your time cleaning up her messes.  Seems like they?re either sky-high or down in the dumps.  When the performer is down, they are out of their selling zone, and productivity comes to a standstill.  But when the performer is up, look out world!

 

2. The Professional ? Another Top Producer

 

This top producer is very consistent, a total team player, even tempered, patient, and consistently bringing in the numbers.  Professionals are also part of the elite members on the sales team, but they seem to be missing some opportunities that would catapult them to super stardom if they made some slight changes to their selling game.  Instead, they stick to self-proven conservative approaches.

 

3. The Caretaker ? Stuck In A Major Comfort

 

These are the sales executives that are simply stuck in their lackluster comfort zones -- giving you a solid month about every third month, or giving you about seventy percent of what they have all the time.   They have the potential, but they?re consistently mediocre.  You just can?t get them to perform the difficult tasks that it takes to produce at top levels with any regularity.  Worse yet, they?re passive aggressive.  You say to yourself, ?If I could only wake them up, they?d be right up there with the best.?

 

I was giving a speech on ?Four People, Four Paths? to a leading company in the California real estate industry where I was emphasizing the importance of knowing exactly who you are.  While I was quoting my book The Four Kinds of Sales People and explaining in detail the struggles and breakthrough opportunities for each of the four kinds of sales people, a woman in the audience yelled out, ?Oh my God, I?m a Caretaker!?  The crowd laughed and I congratulated her on her honesty and pointed out to her (and others who were not so forthright) the tremendous opportunity that existed if she made the conscious decision to change and begin doing the difficult things that it takes to produce top results on a consistent basis.

 

4. The Searcher ? The One That Belongs In Any Career But Sales

 

All sales leaders have made some bad hiring decisions that result in sales reps that just don?t belong in sales.  They perceived a sales career to be easy and they were wrong.  Producing top sales is hard work.  These misfits are consumed with fear, and if truth be told, they honestly hate sales.  They have no real intention of making the necessary changes to be successful.  You?re better off helping them find more fulfilling careers.
   
My point is that while the individual make-up of sales forces may vary, there are always only four kinds.  Management?s goal is to get the best to keep getting better while building a team with as many top producers as possible. That means management must influence those that are ?stuck? in their comfort zone to break through to the next level.  That means management must perform the unenviable task of helping those that don?t belong to find other career paths.  In my experience, management gets too preoccupied with these two challenges and neglects the opportunity to get their top producers to reach for their next level of achievement.  They have more potential.  That?s why they?re the best. And can be even better.

 

If you want sales to improve, particularly in highly competitive sales environments, then leaders must create a growth-oriented atmosphere that thrives on constant improvement, regardless of market conditions.  By the way, that means leaders and managers must also be striving to break through to their next level as well. Sales is about creating and sustaining momentum, and then creating even more of it.  Consistently.

Breakthrough mentor and sales guru, Chuck Mache, President of Chuck Mache Communications (http://www.ChuckMache.com) has more than 25 years experience in selling, managing, building and leading sales organizations regionally as well as internationally.  In his Brian Tracy endorsed book ?The Four Kinds of Sales People? Mache uses his transforming knowledge and expertise in building heavy-hitter sales organizations to deliver an inspired parable that identifies exactly how and why sales people excel - or don't. Get his book today at http://www.thefourkindsofsalespeople.com/PR/ and increase your organization?s productivity, and profitability.