A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software system is used to automate the sales, marketing, customer service and anciliary functions of a business. Traditional CRM systems were installed on a company’s server and accessed by users through the local network. Often costly and requiring management, such systems could not be used by smaller businesses and it was difficult for businesses with multiple locations and sales reps on the road to maintain real-time access to information.

The last number of years has seen an increase in so-called “Cloud Computing” where access to software systems is provided in real-time over the internet. In Ireland, take-up of Hosted IT services (as they are also known) was initially restricted to larger corporations due to the lack of broadband infrastructure, however this is no longer the case. Hosted CRM is now available to most businesses in the SME sector in Ireland, and it’s benefits apply to virtually all industries.

Hosted CRM is a Web based CRM provided by an external service provider (similar to telephone, electricity, water, etc). Organizations that use the CRM system don’t own the CRM software, instead they subscribe to the CRM services by paying a monthly subscription fee. Web based CRM systems use web browsers as the clients. While the user does not own the software, they do however own their data.

Benefits of Hosted CRM Hosted CRM

Low Initial Cost CRM software is expensive and costs hundreds of thoudsands or millions in the life cycle of CRM implementation. A yearly subscription fee to CRM services is only a fraction of that cost.

Try it out A Hosted CRM option allows organisations to try out CRM and they may eventually choose to host online CRM in-house if economical. The low relative cost means they can prove the concept without spending a fortune.

Low Cost of Deployment The software is accessed via a web browser so there is nothing to install on each PC.

Rapid Implementation The implementation of hosted CRM involves initial setup, configuration, data migration and integration. Hosted CRM providers normally acommodate custom requirements at a small cost. Also, the Cost of implementing hosted CRM is only a fraction of traditional CRM implementation. Hosted CRM can shorten the implementation from months or years to a few weeks or even days in some cases.

Accessibility  Users can access web based CRM from anywhere as long as they have Internet access and a Web browser.

Instant information sharing Information entered remotely on the web can be transmitted back to CRM backend for instant information sharing across the business.

Customer Portal Because the software is web-based, it is possible to have your customers access their account information which is live and fully up to date.

During the current economic turmoil, every sector and industry is doing what it can to push sales and target customers. Businesses are beginning to understand the true importance of customer focus. But what about the retail sector? Are retailers using the methodologies other industries are employing to leverage new customers and bring back repeat business? The past eighteen months have witnessed a strong upsurge in the number of retailers looking for a lifetime strategy that will cater to their customer requirements. What have they come up with? Most of them have seen that the need of the moment is a customer strategy that caters to lifetime responsibilities. As a result they have turned to a customer strategy – retail CRM software to fulfil those needs.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which retailers have sought to hang onto their most valuable customers prior to the advent of CRM:

• Offering incentives at the point of sale for repeat business (e.g. vouchers, loyalty cards, etc.)
• Competitions, free draws, etc.
• Option to try before you buy
• Bulk mailings in newspapers, etc.
• Encouraging customer feedback and making sure that it is paid attention to
• Providing customers with a chance to share their experiences with other customers
• Treating their customers as friends not as mere customers
• Little unique gifts and customized mailbox offers ensures that their best customers keep coming back.

All this is magnificent, but the added edge is what is needed. It is the extra touch that has proved so necessary and that serves as the edge over the competitor. Why should retailers look at CRM? What can it do for the retail industry?
The answer is that Retail CRM offers a streamlined approach to managing the entire sales process from beginning to end. And when we say beginning, we mean not the sale itself as would be the case in a standard accounts system, but far in advance – identifying target markets, prospecting, direct mail marketing, etc. The result is targeted marketing that gets through to the right person, at a fraction of the cost of media advertising. And it is measurable – you can calculate very easily the return on a particular campaign.

CRM enables retailers to address the right information to the most appropriate customer segment. It helps the retail industry to send personalised messages to each customer with information catered to his likes. CRM helps retailers take their customers successfully through the sales and marketing process.

CRM Retail Software Benefits

• targeting prospects
• acquiring new customers
• campaign management
• lead distribution
• long-term relationship value
• effective selling processes
• forecasting
• better service and handling post-sales service
• support issues with call centre

The Bottom Line

It’s a fact that retailers will benefit from a properly installed, configured and used CRM system. It is indeed probable that most retailers will not gain the advantage simply because they will not install such systems. Therefore the rewards for those who “see the light” will be huge and need to be availed of if one wants to succeed in a competitive business world.

Five Newsletter Marketing Ideas

Marketing materials are considered as a basic necessity for businesses. Business professionals rely on these materials for strengthening their promotions, creating visibility for their brand, and reaching out to customers. One good example of a reliable marketing tool is a newsletter. Company newsletters also serve as an effective communication medium. These printed materials keep readers updated with your company’s events and news stories. They also keep your name right in front of them so they are more likely to buy from you.

Newsletter marketing can produce beneficial results for your business with proper execution and professional printing. Creating an effective newsletter for your marketing campaign come easy with these newsletter marketing ideas:

1. How-To Articles: Readers look for articles that they can benefit from and offer entertainment at the same time. Providing readers with a step-by-step guide regarding topics that are relevant to them is very beneficial for your clients. A photography studio for instance, can write articles on “How to find your Right Angle”. Customers will certainly hold on to the newsletters, because of the useful information it provides.
    
2. Exclusive Interviews: Interviewing experts in your field is a great way of allowing readers to learn from their experiences. For example, a real estate newsletter can feature a real estate mogul to inspire its readers and share valuable information.
    
3. Guest Writer of the Month: Choose a person with an interesting story to tell and ask them to write articles for your newsletters. Having guest writers to contribute articles to your newsletters allows you to offer variety to your readers, because of their unique writing style. Give a little background about your guest writer for your reader’s knowledge.
    
4. Helpful Tips: Offer solutions to common problems encountered by clients, so you can position yourself as a reliable expert. Readers will be more engaged to read your newsletters if they can benefit from the articles you publish.
    
5. Vox-Pop: Allow reader interaction by asking their opinions on certain issues related to your business. Publish your questions on the newsletters and encourage readers to participate in the discussion by emailing their answers. Choose the best answers and publish them on the next issue of your newsletters.

Following these tips helps ensure that you will be able gain rewarding benefits from your newsletter marketing campaign. It would also be best to ask for your reader’s feedback in order to produce articles in line with their topic of interest. Online printers offer newsletter printing service that is very ideal for your marketing campaign. Their Newsletter print templates are very useful for designing your prints. Print templatescan be a good source of ideas for your newsletter design.