Automation and Integration Through Your CRM

Last week, I wrote about “Selecting a CRM and Automating Your Data Mining.” This week, I’ll continue to focus on automation, but will focus more on automation with integration. While getting data and using technology is essential to using it effectively, the fact is that not everything you have is in a CRM, so integrating with various systems saves you time and money and allows your automation to work more effectively for you.
Let’s Start at the Very Beginning …

OK, so you’re sick of hearing me say that everything revolves around “data, data, and more data.” I understand, but cannot stress how truly important it is; and if we are going to start by talking about data, then the real question should be … where is your data? Data comes in from leads and internal systems, both of which will live outside of your CRM … thus, the topic of integration.

As this blog is labeled eBizlessons, you know that I will concentrate with inclusion of online data, but not limit the discussion. Online, we have data coming from online forms, eMails, surveys, social media, and much more. To capture that data, you should review your “arsenal of weapons” and set up common integration methods between them. This is where a very knowledgeable IT tech or an outside vendor comes into play. They’ll review the various entry points, discuss current and future plans and provide pros and cons for the integration into your CRM. I would highly suggest that this person or persons should be your best friend as you can concentrate on your marketing campaign and they can concentrate on how it will interact.

I wrote about some of the key items to capture in a previous blog, so I won’t spend time on that, but will say that as you review the data it’s important to know when the data was captured, what source (or marketing initiative), obviously the customer data, and more. If you can map this data effectively in your CRM, you’ll be able to take your marketing to a new level … this why database administrators are SO VALUABLE!


Leveraging APIs


While it is important to use the knowledge of your IT tech or outside consultant, it is also important to save money. This is where a well established service provider justifies their benefits to a company. Not only do have unique, specialized experience in a particular medium, but most develop APIs (Application Programming Interface) that allow much easier integration between systems.

An example of how to use an effective API is through eMail and CRM. I’ve been open about the fact that I have experience with ExactTarget and Microsoft Dynamics CRM and am very pleased with the integration that they have already provided to their customers. In the case of ExactTarget and Microsoft CRM, the actual eMail is built using the ExactTarget tool; however, when you are ready to send your eMail, the send is based on the API and is coordinated through Microsoft CRM. This allows easy updates to my marketing list, flexible customization through CRM data (i.e. personalizing eMails using dynamic content with the CRM data, and more), but more importantly capturing from the results of the eMail send (like click-through-rates, open rate, links chosen, and more). This also showcases the flexibility of two-way communication between the two systems based on well-built APIs.


Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still need a good IT tech or consultant to set up your APIs effectively, but if you spend some time with them, it will pay off dividends in the future.
Finally, a well thought through process will utilize workflows to trigger a process. In the “Selecting a CRM and Automating Your Data Mining” blog, I wrote an example of how a completed web form could trigger a response via eMail. That’s a very common example, so let’s take that example to the next level. What if the data captured from that web form was associated with a well established customer. Wouldn’t it be nice to create a workflow that could alert certain representatives within your company (maybe a salesman, account or branch manager, or even your service or accounting departments)? Their involvement in the early stages of a sales call could save valuable time and money through early credit check, alerts on service issues, etc. In addition, if APIs are set up between various systems, you could integrate your data to set up alerts via eMail or SMS. The possibilities are only limited by the integration that you have as that is where automation features begin or end.
Final Comments

I would like to end with a problem that exists as customers that won’t be solved unless you speak your mind. The problem is that not all APIs are set up between every system. In fact, I have grown to have a distaste of an analytic provider that I’ve used called Omniture. While Omniture is a very good company, their lack of integration between Microsoft CRM and ExactTarget has caused a loss of analytic data. For three years this request has been made while their integration remains in place between a different CRM system and ExactTarget. You as a customer cannot remain quiet about your needs as APIs are not build unless the vendors here of your needs.
Finally and as I ended last week, if you are interested in more information and can attend the Microsoft Convergence conference in Atlanta, GA on April 25 - 27, I’ll be speaking on the topic, “Unleashing the Power of Marketing Automation.” Also, don’t forget to send me your comments or questions and remember to follow my Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/ebizlessons or my FaceBook feed at http://facebook.com/ebizlessons for daily updates to complement this blog.

Selecting a CRM and Automating Your Data Mining

During the past few weeks, I’ve discussed eMail design and data management. With a lot of feedback coming in, I’ll change this blog to address my experience in choosing a CRM and how to use that CRM to automate your marketing. Again, a CRM is not a requirement for managing your data, but if used correctly, it can save you significant time and resources by consolidating your data into a central database and using its automated features to create workflows to trigger actions.

Choosing the Right CRM for You

There are many CRM systems. You can go to a major office supply store and buy an entry-level system like Act or Goldmine, or you can look into much larger enterprise-level systems like Siebel, Salesforce, SAP, or Microsoft Dynamics CRM (MSCRM). Before going into further details, I need to clarify that I’ve had experience with Act, Goldmine, and currently use Microsoft Dynamics CRM.

While the selection of a CRM is dependent on many different factors, the primary factors are budget and requirements. If you are just looking for basic functions to manage your customers and need only a few seats (or licenses), I would recommend a store-bought system. However, note that store-bought systems limit your possibilities, integration abilities, expansion and number of users.

Larger CRM systems are built for much more flexibility, use by many users, integration amongst multiple systems, and more, but the costs are greater. You will be able to find many features in these systems, so choosing the right CRM system can be difficult, so here are a few suggestions to use:

1. Document Your Requirements: I can’t stress this enough … document, document, document. Notate what you need for your initial launch, how long your “proof of concept” will last, and any future wants or needs. A detailed list of requirements will help you choose the type of CRM, technical assistance, budget and more.
2. Establish Your Budget: These days, you can find CRM systems available for an average $60/user/month, have your CRM system hosted, or you can host it yourself. There are benefits in either scenario, but if you are just starting out, I would recommend reviewing hosted scenarios for you to prove your case and establish your requirements … then build from there. Also, if your budget allows for it, I suggest using a consultant vendor to assist with your setup, integration and customization.
3. Finalize Your Selection: If you use the above suggestions, you’ll most likely find that every CRM provider will say that they can meet your needs. This is where it gets tricky and you’ll need to do your homework. My experience is to leverage each provider against each other in your research. You’ll find some providers limit your integration (especially some of the popular ones), others only offer expense licenses, and others will require a high level of customization. One last comment, I’ve found that every CRM can do the same “100 features,” most will handle the next “100 features,” and any features after that may be limited to select CRM providers … the problem is that most companies only need “50 features” that every CRM provider can provide. On that note, don’t be oversold by features and benefits that you won’t use for the next three to five years (especially since most CRM providers update tools approximately every three years and their features will then change. Instead focus on your requirements and if you need to integrate with another system, talk with the technical experts from that system and get their advice, comments and limitations on integration.

*** Note: There are many websites online that give guidelines for choosing a CRM; however, I’ve found many of these sites to be BIASED and are usually sponsored heavily by one CRM provider. If you find many articles on that site favoring only select providers, I would highly recommend using a different website to use for guidance. ***

Automating Your Marketing with a CRM

While I can’t tell you exactly how to use your CRM for automation as they all have subtle differences, the concept is essentially the same. Again, I cannot stress enough that everything revolves around data, data and more data. You can use a CRM for simple reporting and export that data for your marketing or you can set up more complex automation. The automation also depends on the level of integration that you have.

Here is an example of a common automated process. Let’s start with the collection of data … in this case; we are collecting a lead from a website. The automation could begin with a simple integration with your online form where the fields are mapped to the CRM. Once the data is inserted in the CRM (and if you have your CRM set up this way and integrated with an eMail Service Provider like ExactTarget), you can have an automated message sent to the customer and details of the lead sent to a salesman or management through eMail and text messaging. Based on the type of lead, your system could also trigger a dynamic letter to be printed out and mailed with a brochure to the customer.

Automating your CRM is really dependent on your needs and data in the CRM. I’ll write another blog with other examples of automation later on, but hopefully your creative juice is flowing. … One last thing … take advantage of this automation for not only marketing activities, but also for analytics and reporting (both for online and offline use).

Summary

In our last CRM selection, we used a project team and defined deliverables in our CRM selection, secured the use of an expert vendor to assist us in setting up and integrating our system, and are now using it for many automated features. Your selection and automation will vary dependent on your requirements so remember my suggestion to document, document and document as well as the importance of data, data and data.

Finally, if you are interested in more information and can attend the Microsoft Convergence conference in Atlanta, GA on April 25 - 27, I’ll be speaking on the topic, “Unleashing the Power of Marketing Automation.” Also, don’t forget to send me your comments or questions and remember to follow my Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/ebizlessons or my FaceBook feed at http://facebook.com/ebizlessons for daily updates to complement this blog.

Managing Your Data

I’ll come back later on to spend some time on writing eMails, but want to use the next few blogs to talk about data collection … specifically data collected from your various online sources. The fact is that any website needs to have a way to collect information. This information could be as simple as a “contact us” form, to surveys, to eCommerce transaction details, and much more! (Note that while analytics data is very important, it is a topic that needs its own focus, so I’ll concentrate on that in the future.) While you can build and maintain a website without a storage mechanism for your various data, the fact is that if you want to be successful online, you have to centralize your data.


What Data Should Be Captured

Let's begin with the source of your data. In other words, the type of information that you will request in a survey will be different than the data that you will collect in an online form. The simple fact is that people who go online tend to want to complete their research and page views in short time-frames. That being said, it is extremely important not to overcomplicate the requested input time (through multiple fields), but capture only what is critical.

There are multiple ways that you can ease data entry. The easiest way is to use drop-down lists, tick lists or simple text fields; however, if you have the resources, I would suggest the use of cookies to auto-populate “pre-completed fields” or secure log-ins that have already captured select data. In either case, put yourself in the position of the viewer and remember the “KISS” rule (Keep It Simple Stupid).

Finally, think about exactly what MUST be captured. The more details you capture the better you are going to succeed in the future. For example, if you have a product page with a simple eMail and note field, try not to think short-sighted and store just the eMail address and note. Setup your data storage to capture the campaign or lead source (i.e. your website), the URL, the product and if available the model (you may capture from the URL, but try to break this data into multiple field types). In addition, try to remember that you need customer data. A simple eMail field is nice, but don’t you want to know the first and last name of the person on your site, phone number, address, etc.? This is where I must remind you that it can get dangerous, but most people understand that if they are taking the time to request information from you, you need some basic information from them. I typically request name, eMail, phone, (sometimes company), address and zip. You should remember to separate first and last name and try to automate the process by using the zip field to determine the city and state. (***Note, that this works in the US only; otherwise, you can add a country field.)

Data Storage

Once you have setup a survey, web form, etc. you need to immediately centralize your data storage. Honestly, I’ve seen data stored in various databases, CRM systems and even basic Excel files (however, I would recommend only a database and would more strongly recommend a CRM). The purpose of any data collection is for some sort of future use and centralizing this data is essential for your success.

Once you decide on the location of your data storage, you’ll be ready to begin “data mining.” Any sort of database will meet your needs, but how you set it up is important and you’ll quickly understand why database administrators (DBAs) have jobs. If you recall, one of the fields I suggested capturing earlier is a campaign source. Capturing this data will give you details as to whether you are getting information from your website, survey, kiosk, social media, etc. In addition, using a data mining will allow you to analyze everything from your customers, requests, sources, and much more.

Summary

While setting up a database takes time to administer and maintain; effective use will pay dividends as you can now PROVE your ROI, consolidate your databases into a centralized location, utilize your data for better marketing efforts, and more effectively manage your data. As a friend and colleague says, “think big, but start small.” Keep that same concept in mind when talking about your data and set yourself up to succeed in the future by starting with the right data.

Finally, the next blog will focus on using a CRM for your data and online marketing, but until then, don’t forget to send me your comments or questions and remember to follow my Twitter feed at http://twitter.com/ebizlessons or my FaceBook feed at http://facebook.com/ebizlessons for daily updates to complement this blog.