Lauren Carlson

Software Advice

Lauren writes about various topics related to CRM software, with particular interest in sales force automation, marketing automation, and customer service. She has a background in the music industry, and when she isn't writing about software, you can find her running at Town Lake and singing at local venues. She is a graduate of the University of Texas with a bachelor's degree in journalism. Follow her on Twitter @crmadvice

Keeping Service Agents Happy with Gamification

0 comments 581 reads

Posted on 2012-02-23

Within the enterprise, gamification - the process of adding gaming elements to a non-gaming activity to encourage action and participation - has gone from being a faux pas to an accepted growing trend. Currently, many software vendors are experimenting by adding gaming elements to their software. I decided to do some experimenting of my own, focusing on help desk software.

The support team environment is a rigorous and demanding one where there is high turnover due to support agents getting burned out. But what if you added gaming elements to help desk software in such a way that helped boost employee retention by providing agents with a greater sense of accomplishment? If they felt like they were "winning," perhaps agents would be more motivated in their daily activities.

Going off this premise, I focused on a few of the main activities support agents engage in each day (ticket resolutions, customer relations, training) and added some gaming element to it. I made...

Read More »
A 6-Point Strategy for Getting Your Boss On Board With Marketing Automation

0 comments 600 reads

Posted on 2012-02-20

Here is the reality marketers face today: reduced budgets, fewer resources and hardened C-level execs who are unlikely to invest in any new technology. However, marketing automation has proven itself to be a powerful tool for marketers. In fact, Focus Research said that marketing automation has seen the fastest growth of any CRM-related segment in 5 years. Clearly, this is a tool that smart marketers will be looking to add to their arsenal in 2012. There's just one problem...

How do you justify the value of MA software in the reality we mentioned above?

Below are the six keys to having a successful conversation about MA with your boss.

1. Stick with facts, not feelings. With fewer resources and higher expectations, it is likely that you are under a lot of stress. While your boss might understand this, they won't respond well to a frantic cry for help. Think about what's important to them (hint: revenue!). With that in mind, approach them with facts and numbers...

Read More »
Social Strategy For B2B Sales

0 comments 847 reads

Posted on 2012-02-17

Check out this infographic from InsideView: http://cdn.insideview.com/images/social-media-infographic.png. It illustrates the growth of social media usage in the B2B space. Though the data is, well, dated, it’s less about the numbers and more about the overall trend.

For a long time, social media was seen as B2C territory. However, more and more, we are seeing B2B buyers engage on social media networks. So, if social media is where B2B buyers are, then B2B sales professionals need to meet them there to start that engagement. But what does that engagement look like?

I have identified five strategies that B2B sales professionals can use social media channels to not only enhance customer engagement, but ultimately close more deals.

Read More »
CRM Implementation: Which Deployment is Best For You?

0 comments 802 reads

Posted on 2012-02-13

One the reasons the world of enterprise software is so interesting is that it is continually evolving. This quote from Box.com CEO Aaron Levie communicates this point quite eloquently: “Almost everything about this category—from how software is built to who’s buying it—is undergoing massive change, and many longstanding assumptions no longer apply.”

One topic that begs revisiting is the issue of deployment options when it comes to CRM software. Many years ago, the only option was to go with a bulky, expensive on-premise system that you had to hire an entire IT team to manage. But with the growing cloud ecosystem, not only are the traditional vendors like Oracle and Microsoft expanding their offerings, but new entrants are bringing some interesting things to the table as well.

Today, when choosing a CRM system, buyers have three options: go vertical, customize, or build-your-own (BYO). There are pros and cons to each, and no one option is going to be the best overall...

Read More »
Email Marketing vs. Marketing Automation

0 comments 731 reads

Posted on 2012-01-25

One of the first steps in purchasing a new software system is buyer education. When it comes to marketing software, there is some confusion between email marketing and marketing automation solutions. Many buyers see the two as synonymous, but in reality, the systems are very different, with a varied feature set designed for different types of buyers.
First, let’s just break down the features:
EM vs. MA
From the feature list comparison, you can see that while there is functional parity in some areas, marketing automation is far more sophisticated. While email marketing systems are designed to track...

Read More »
Bringing Social to CRM - Marshall Lager Interview

0 comments 992 reads

Posted on 2011-09-23

When I attended CRM Evolution 2011 in August, it was clear the social media was all anyone could think about. We are at a point where companies are finally recognizing the power of social media. The next step is learning how to harness that power to create better relationships with customers, and, eventually, increase revenue. Marshall Lager is an expert in this area, and was able to spare a few minutes to let me interview him. We discuss the power of social media, how companies can social media into their CRM strategy, and finally Lager reveals the golden rule of engagement. I would tell you here, but that's no fun. Watch the video to find out more.

This video was taken from my original post on Software Advice.

Read More »
Questions for Potential Buyers of Marketing Automation Software

0 comments 869 reads

Posted on 2011-09-13

Many people, if given the chance to do something over again, would take it. It is almost certain that with more insight, you could have made a better, more informed decision. Using this as my premise, I decided to survey users of marketing automation software to find out what they would have changed about their purchasing process. Specifically, I had them answer the question, "What do you wish you had asked your marketing automation vendor before buying?"

The response was overwhelming, but many were along the same lines. Users tended to focus on questions regarding integration, support/training, vendor roadmap and system maintenance. We were able to narrow them down to 10 questions. We kept all companies and individuals anonymous, but hopefully their 20/20 hindsight will provide potential buyers with some foresight.

Integration
1. How does marketing automation work...

Read More »
The Makings of a Modern Marketer

0 comments 705 reads

Posted on 2011-09-09

The numbers don't lie: B2B organizations are reporting a 10 percent loss in yearly revenue due to lack of marketing and sales alignment. Why is this? Because these companies either don't have marketing automation software, or they have it, but marketers are still behind.

There is a clear gap between the skill set required for optimized use of marketing automation system and skill set of today's marketer. Traditional marketing focused more on one-way communication - vendor to buyer. But that method no longer reflects the buying landscape. Carlos Hidalgo, Executive Director of the Marketing Automation Institute, explains what today's landscape looks like.

“It’s no longer about lead generation, it’s about engagement. You’ve got this buyer who is now so well-connected. They can go to sites like Software Advice, Quora, Focus and even Twitter to connect with...

Read More »
CRM For the SMB With Google Docs

0 comments 833 reads

Posted on 2011-09-09
Many small businesses need a way to manage prospects, especially during periods of growth. Customer relationship management (CRM) software is a great tool for doing that. However, the truth is many of the most popular systems on the market are beyond the budgetary means of the average small business owner.
So why not build your own CRM system? The benefits are clear:
- It's cost-efficient (free)
- Flexibility
- Customization
- Easy to use
A great tool for building out a CRM system is Google Docs. Already used as a management tool, it is fairly easy to extend the power of this group of applications to the customer management space. Google Docs also allows all users to collaborate across any document, thanks to a same-time editing feature. So, if one person changes a contact's information, that is automatically synced across the system, allowing all users to see the change immediately...
Read More »
Small Business CRM

0 comments 1,806 reads

Posted on 2011-08-15

Traditional CRM systems were relegated to the large enterprise space due to cost, maintenance and overall risk invovled. But times have changed. Today's CRM market is filled with many systems that are appropriate for the small business owner. These systems operate in the cloud, resulting in lower up front cost and reduced risk at the onset.

To help you sort through the many available systems, we have compiled a list of our five favorites.

Sage ACT! - Sage is a legacy vendor in the CRM space, and ACT! is one of the strongest products in their portfolio. ACT! provides contact management for the small business owner. They offer specialization in multiple industries, including real estate and financial services. Their latest release of the product, the 2011 edition, introduced a more user-friendly user interface, as well as a new add-on that aggregates business contact information from Hoover's and...

Read More »