The Right CRM Software Can Save You From The Wrong Customers

One of the most common mistakes new companies make is trying to go after the widest possible pool of potential customers. Although this may may seem like a smart strategy, it doesn't take into account the fact that not all customers have the same value. And while this mistake is most commonly made by new companies, there are plenty of established companies that fall into the trap of thinking that this approach will be the solution to any problems they're experiencing. 

The Sale is Just the Beginning 

So, why is it a bad idea to view everyone on the planet as a potential customer? Well, there are actually two answers to that question. First, whether you sell a product or service, closing a sale doesn't mean your relationship with that customer is over. On the contrary, it's actually just beginning. And if you end up selling to a customer who's a hassle, they're going to be a drain on your support resources. 

The second reason is if your marketing doesn't have any kind of targeting, you're going to waste a lot of time and resources pursuing opportunities that have little to no chance of actually converting into sales.

Focus on Quality, Not Quantity 

Because pursuing and even landing the wrong customers can be a drain on resources across your company, a much better strategy is to focus on a smaller group of potential customers that have the types of traits you actually want. If you're a new company, you may not know exactly what types of traits you want form customers. And even if you're an established company that does have this information, you may not be completely sure about how to put it to work when evaluating potential customers. 

A CRM Makes Tracking a Breeze 

In either scenario, the answer to this dilemma is to use online CRM software. For a new business that's just starting to bring in customers, a CRM makes it extremely easy to track information about new customers over time. By collecting this data in a form that's easy to analyze, you'll start to see what types of traits your ideal customers should possess. And if you end up with a few wrong customers, you'll also be able to use this data to know what to avoid in the future. 

For an established company that already knows what kinds of traits they want their customers to have, a CRM makes it easy to collect key data about prospects and then automatically analyze this data to see how good of a fit that specific prospect is. And thanks to the easily accessible nature of a cloud CRM, this information can be shared between sales, marketing and any other departments that can benefit from it. 

As many companies have learned firsthand, figuring out the ideal type of prospect to target often takes some trial and error. But by utilizing all the features that a CRM can offer, it's possible to minimize the amount of error involved in this process.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 

Craig Klein is CEO of Sales Nexus in Houston Texas. Sales Nexus is a leading online CRM software for small businesses and sales organizations. Craig's passion is helping small businesses hire, train, measure and manage sales people through their sales process. Follow Craig on Google+ and Twitter to learn more.

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The Various Benefits Of Using Invoicing Software

Organization is the key to any business’ success. You need to get the house in order if you are to take your business to the next level. One of the tools that can help you achieve that goal is invoicing software, particularly if you are in the retail sector. Even otherwise, invoicing software is a wise investment you wouldn’t regret making. Here are some of the benefits of using invoicing software and how it can help you make money.

Keep a Record

The most obvious benefit is that the software allows you to keep a record of all your invoices. You can send an invoice to a client using the software without any hassle. Moreover, you can also record transactions where you weren’t paid. This is often the case when your business does something for a client as a favor. You won’t bother recording it since no money changed hands but you have to realize the fact that valuable time and resources were spent. So, a zero-invoice can easily be issued.

Deal with Individual Clients

You don’t have to sift through your entire invoice records to find out whether the order of a specific client has been fulfilled. When a client calls you to follow up on an order, you simply need to start up the invoicing software and finding the dealings of your business with that client. This saves you considerable time as you don’t have to ask your employees to find out whether the order has been completed. You can look it up within seconds and give a status update to the client.

Track Your Payments

If you have many clients to deal with, you may not get the time to track down each and every client for payment. This is something the invoicing software can help you with. You simply have to open up the transaction history of a client and see the invoices he/she has been sent. From there, you will get to know whether the client has honored his/her payment yet or not. This way, you can keep track of all your pending payments without having to ask your employees or disturbing the clients.

Save Time

As mentioned before, the software will streamline the invoicing process for your business. You don’t need to spend as much time issuing and recording invoices as you did before. This gives you more time to spend on the important areas of your business. You can create and print a batch of invoices at the same time without any hassle. This way, you don’t have to keep your clients waiting for an official invoice.

Increase Your Client Base

The time you save and the ability to handle more clients means you can expand your client base. Though you may not realize this but the time you spend invoicing the clients can be better used taking care of other issues related to customer support. So, in effect the invoicing software gives you the chance to take on more customers without having to bear any additional hassle with respect to invoicing.

Mark is a financial advisor, currently working for Chesterfield Group that provides enterprise payroll and contracting services at Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Germany and Uk 

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Video Mapping Techniques Using Projection Mapping Software

Projection mapping software is a complicated and wonderful creation. To put all of its complexity into a simple description, it basically makes anything into a canvas for light. The creative software can transform any surface into a 2D or 3D display for its dynamic and colourful projections. Buildings, structures, trees, fields, mountains; you name it, projection mapping can use it. As with any creative technology, it is such a versatile art form. It is now used all over the world by artists, advertisers, companies and cult fashions.

Projected From the Past

Projection mapping has recently become a sensation as technology has advanced enough to get the most out of its capabilities. Even though it only seems to have come to light in the last few years, one of its early uses in entertainment was back in 1969 as part of a Disneyland ride! Imagine how scary it would have been for visitors to see hanging heads that look like they have real faces on them! All just a trick of the light… Even though modern methods are the most 'advanced', they all come from these milestones of creativity from the past, and give us a great building block for great current techniques.

Forward a decade into 1980 and projection mapping emerged once again in the public limelight. An artist showed us a great technique which has inspired current methods and projection mapping software of today. Michael Naimark used optical illusion to make it look like projected people were interacting with a physical environment. He filmed them in a living room first, and then projected them into the room after they were gone. These techniques turned heads and really opened up the questions for future advancements with industry giants, artists, and individuals alike. What if?

Not Quite a Blank Canvas

Mapping projection software can seem a little confusing to start with, but in reality it's easy if you just pull out one of the keywords - mapping. Normally a projector knows and is programmed to hit a blank, flat, rectangular screen. With this type of technology, the projector needs a 'map' to know where its screen is. You need to tell it the kind of surface it's projecting onto so you can create the effects you want to. Let's look at extreme canvases, and exciting video mapping techniques that use them!

So the first part of using landscapes and buildings in this projection technique means you have to make a 3D replica of the projection surface. The more detailed and true to life it is, the better the final result. The next step is to design the video and light show that you want to use on your giant surface. Projection mapping software will do what it does best, using masking and x/y/z co-ordinates to know where the projector is in relation to the subject and create your masterpiece. This technique, using outdoor and large-scale surfaces like skyscrapers need projectors that pack a punch, so make sure you find something between 15,000 and 20,000 lumens for maximum effect!

Musical Mapping

Combining your visual light show with a musical soundtrack has been extremely popular. Any composer, film producer or artist will tell you that sound and music add incredible depth to a visual piece. Creating amazing optical illusions can be enhanced by a circus themed soundtrack, exciting adventure projections could have a rock track played to accompany climbers, divers, skiers or bikers that appear to be scaling the sides of local landmarks! You may even opt for an eerie creak or cackle, with a hint of orchestral suspense music to add to the scare factor in your Halloween special show!

Not only is the musical accompaniment technique great for video mapping, it also works the other way around. Sound is also enhanced by light, projection and video! DJs, gigs, dance clubs and festivals all use lasers, lights, projection and incredible 3D effects that are synchronised perfectly with their songs. An artist called Deadmau5 used projection mapping software to not only make his songs more entertaining with a visual accompaniment, he actually made it look like a giant building nearby was shaking and moving in time with the music. Make landmarks come to life and doors dance with this great video mapping technique.

Conclusion

This is epic technology still has so much left to show with more and more ways it can be developed and enhanced. Techniques with projection mapping software are as creative as trying new tricks with a paintbrush. It's important to see what other artists are doing, how they are experimenting and pushing the boundaries, but ultimately, your own style should shine through. See your music dance in front of you, 5 or 50 feet tall, make mountains move and buildings boogie. These techniques are just the beginning; where will the software take you?

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 
•  License: Creative Commons image source 

Written by Nathan Griffiths who is interested in video mapping techniques.

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How Can An IVR System Help You Business To Grow?

If you run a small start up company and are looking to grow your business, knowing where to go next can be hard. 

Even if you’ve got lots of work coming up, having a limited workforce can mean taking on new jobs is impractical, when even managing your current tasks can be a challenge. 

Having someone to take on some of the workload can make a huge difference, and if you don’t have the resources to pay another member of staff, this is where a virtual receptionist could save the day. 

What is an IVR system?

If you’re unfamiliar with the workings of a virtual office, IVR simply stands for Interactive Voice Response, and it’s the system that you’ll normally encounter when calling any big company or organisation. 

An IVR system greats callers and then lets them interact with the menu, either with their voice or the telephone keypad, to choose an option and then be directed to the appropriate department or employee.

In most companies it has pretty much replaced the old fashioned switchboard and allows enquiries to be dealt with quickly and efficiently.

If no one is available to deal with the enquiry, the caller will normally be diverted to a voicemail service.

Freedom to keep working

The main respect, in which an IVR system will help your business to grow, is that it will enable you to keep working and allow your answering system to handle incoming calls. 

The IVR will allow callers to select an option, and the system will then route the call to your mobile or landline, so you can be out and about work and bringing in new contracts, without having to worry about missing new leads. 

You can also set the calls to go to voicemail if you’re busy with clients, that way you’re not disturbed during your meeting, but the enquiry still gets dealt with a professional way. 

An IVR system also allows you to work collaboratively at the same time as working remotely. Calls can be forwarded to different recipients depending on the subject, but you don’t have to work from the same office or even the same city as your colleagues. 

Giving your business a professional appearance

Another main benefit of an IVR phone system is the professional air that it lends to your company’s image. 

Callers will instantly think that your company is large and established, with plenty of employees and a sizable office. You can also personalise the greeting that people hear when they call up to make it relevant and personal to your company.

This will all help to give customers and prospective client’s faith in your business and should help you to secure more work as a consequence.

Eliminates the need for an expensive office

Thanks to the mobile nature of the system, it eliminates the need for you to hire a real office. An expense that can be crippling for young businesses, especially when you add in the cost of bills, office supplies and maintenance.

Avoiding these costs will help to free up funds that can then be channelled into other areas of your business like development and future planning. 

If you’re a busy sole trader, or simply want to make your business as streamlined as possible, an IVR phone system could help you to cut costs, manage your workload and improve your company image.

Giving you the time and the opportunity to grow and develop your company into a successful and thriving new endeavour.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source 
•  License: Creative Commons image source 

An article by Ian Marshall the owner of Office Answers, a keen technology writer and an advocate of IVR phone systems. Click here to learn more about this software.

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Save Valuable Time And Money With Quickbooks

Whenever discussing the subject of accounting, Quickbooks is the most well-liked and sought out sales software within the sales industry on the market today. Besides the convenience it offers to non-accounting customers, it also offers excellent advanced tools to customers that not only improves the overall effectiveness of its users, but provides great value in other areas as well.

Intuit, creators of Quickbooks, continually produces Quickbooks in different versions and editions to suit the business requirements of various customers, providing all of them with tremendous knowledge in order to satisfy the various accounting needs of a business of individual. An individual might happen to be a CPA or a business owner that has to organize accounts, and a certified accountant may need Quickbooks for the entire year for their core procedures. They also might have different customers for whom they have been preparing various company accounts.

Business owners may make use of Quickbooks every now and then to prepare their company accounts as well. Any person using Quickbooks software should first take care of a couple of things before purchasing it, such as:

• Are they going to get a good return on investment if they buy the product?

• How much they actually need to learn about Quickbooks software

• How do the plan on utilizing Quickbooks

• Which type of Quickbooks software program do they need?

Quickbooks saves both time and money:

Cost certainty is really needed for the majority of companies today. Purchasing software for very limited usage is not advisable. Today, it is possible to employ a Quickbooks web hosting company or software supplier that will provide all of the necessary software on a rental basis, allowing customers to pay based on usage rate. For instance, if a company or individual needs to use it for only a few months time, they can choose a monthly contract and ask for an early termination of service once the work is finished, and without having to pay an early termination fee.

Software programs for lease will always give you the option to continually change to the updated software programs which suit their your business needs instead of having to always purchase new software. Having the software set up by a Quickbooks hosting service provider will also give you the opportunity to have an economical service package which will include the leasing of Quickbooks, as well as hosting for it. Leasing Quickbooks will reduce the cost of accounting, and Quickbooks web hosting will also lessen the IT costs incurred for accounting. Having a good Quickbooks hosting provider will guarantee strong business continuity by providing this advanced technology to your clients.

This software also includes advanced load balancing and solid fail-safe systems. It also offers great network security, firewall protection, and the most up-to-date anti-virus solutions. These help to safeguard one's vital online data from intruders such as viruses, bugs, Trojans, and worms. Also, the most up-to-date encryption technology with restricted access will make your online date much safer. This is why Quickbooks is the ideal software for your business needs.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://officeimg.vo.msecnd.net/en-us/images/MH900389712.jpg

This article was written by Ryan Archor, a Quickbooks software expert and writer. To find out more about why Quickbooks hosting is important for your business, check out this great Quickbooks hosting company, MyVAO.com.

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ERP Helps Companies With Their Business Operations

A customer calls your business to ask a question about an order they placed. The sales associate who takes the order puts the person on hold for ten minutes, checking their computer system for the information. When not finding it, the sales associate transfers the call to customer service, who can't find the right information on their system as they transfer the call to the warehouse personnel. The warehouse staff puts the customer on hold, checking their system to discover the product is out-of-stock. They transfer the caller and the updated information back to customer service who must now handle the irate caller.

Such inefficient work operations is detrimental to your business. You are wasting time, resources and money. When your productivity and personnel are struggling to produce sales and handle customers through a system that is not integrated, your business goals will not be met and your company could eventually fail.

This is where ERP steps in. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) allows you to integrate software in all areas of your company: accounting, sales, customer service, manufacturing and warehouse operations. It allows for automation of repetitive operations and the sharing of information with other departments in a centralized database. This is accomplished through ERP software.

ERP tools allow for every department in your business to have its own software that fits into the employees' needs. All ERP does is link all the software from each department into one integrated database which will provide better management of information while stimulating effective communication. Once all the data is transferred into the system, this should reduce inaccuracies and allow each department to access similar information to help customers.

In addition to allowing information and data sharing, ERP tools permit you to spot inefficiencies in the business workflow that could be hampering productivity. By immediately addressing this inefficiencies, you can enhance the business process and streamline all operations to meet established business goals. Yet simply implementing the ERP software is not enough to ensure that it will work effectively in your business. Employees will need to be trained to use the system so that proper data gathering is done, accurate information is inputted into the system and good communication can be started between the different departments.

With the ERP system in place, a sales associate can now take an order from the customer as the order is sent to the warehouse staff. The warehouse staff can immediately see the order and update the its status by indicating that the product is out of stock. The customer service department can access the same information, calling the customer immediately to tell them about the situation concerning the order and offering alternatives to satisfy the customer's needs.

The success of any software, including ERP software, will be dependent on how you implement it into your business while getting all your employees to use proper data collection and sharing procedures. Once this is accomplished, you may see an increase of productivity and enhanced performance throughout your business.

Featured images:

•  Image courtesy of Cheap photo stock

Bryan Grayson writes about business software, ERP, and more.

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