The story of buying technology: how one company did it – Part 2
This is a story about how one organization went about using a software platform to grow … there is a lesson for all of us here … click here to watch it on my LinkedIn post.
In this video I tell the story of an organization that wanted to use technology to grow quickly. So, they put in a lot of effort to make sure that they select the software platform that was just right for their company.
And what happens then?
Are they able to use the platform and grow their business?
What lesson do they learn?
How about your organization?
What process do you implement to select the product?
And once the product is selected and purchased, how do you use it?
Do you document your existing processes and see if you need to change them?
Do you attend user training sessions or watch training videos?
Do you create schedules and timelines to use the product?
Do you monitor progress?
The latest and the best cutting-edge technology is only as good as the way it is being used.
If your organization would like to implement technology that can adapt to your business needs and help you grow faster, talk to us.
ConvergeHub is an enterprise-grade Customer Relationship Management software that helps businesses build long-term relationships with their customers and prospects. It is easy to implement, can be quickly customized to suit any business, needs very little training, and will quickly get your business on the path to 10X growth.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
The story of buying technology: how one company did it – Part 1
I recorded a video on the process of buying technology … watch it above or you can click here to watch it on my LinkedIn post.
In this video I tell the story of an organization that wanted to use technology to grow quickly. What do they do? How do they select the product? And how do they implement it?
How does your company implement new technology?
Are you methodical about it? Do you have a structured selection process?
Do you select the product that has the features that you need?
Do you select the company whose sales rep does the most consistent follow up?
Do you minimize risk and select the largest company with the most well-known product?
Do you toss a coin? 😊
And what happens after you make that decision?
If your organization would like to implement technology that can adapt to your business needs and help you grow faster, talk to us.
ConvergeHub is an enterprise-grade Customer Relationship Management software that helps businesses build long-term relationships with their customers and prospects. It is easy to implement, can be quickly customized to suit any business, needs very little training, and will quickly get your business on the path to 10X growth.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
360-degree Customer View: Treasure or Clutter?
If you are in sales or marketing or customer service or CX or any department that has anything to do with customers at all, you must have heard the term ‘360-degree customer view’.
360-degree customer view is the concept of aggregating customer data from different touchpoints that customers have used to interact with the company – could be while purchasing a product or getting support or even interacting with chatbots.
And this involves collecting customer data from every possible source.
Website visits
Emails
Phone calls
Texts
Chats
Invoices sent
Payments received
Support tickets
Testimonials
It could be in the form of …
Structured data
Unstructured data
Master data
Behavioral data
Consent data
Transactional data
Sensitive encrypted data
… and the list is endless
And since we are getting better and better at this kind of tech … we are collecting oceans of data.
That’s a good thing, right?
Maybe …
Or maybe not …
The right answer is It depends …
It depends on how you are using the data.
It depends on context.
It depends on whether you have the data readily easily available to you when you need it.
Without that context, the data is nothing better than the big pile of clutter you have in the corner of your closet (or maybe in the garage? 😊)
So, before you start collecting data and think of it as the solution to all your problems … stop and think …
How do you plan to use the data?
When will this data be useful?
Is the data time sensitive?
How will you access this data when you need it?
Your next step should depend on the answers to these questions.
If your organization is committed to seeing a 360-degree view of your customers and making decisions based on that data, ConvergeHub can help you do that. Get in touch with us to know more.
ConvergeHub is an enterprise-grade Customer Relationship Management software that helps businesses build long-term relationships with their customers and prospects. It is easy to implement, can be quickly customized to suit any business, needs very little training, and will quickly get your business on the path to 10X growth.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
Disruption: Slow and Steady
If you are a business owner or a business leader in your organization wondering whether your company should start moving towards digital transformation… whether it can reap the benefits of new technologies… let me tell you this…
It is not a question of IF
It is not even a question of WHEN
It is a question of HOW
Every company will have to implement advanced digital technologies if it wants to stay relevant … that is not even the question anymore.
But HOW should it go about doing it?
And even more importantly, how can they do it without disturbing the day to day working of the organization… making sure that there is no impact to their customers or revenue goals?
One option is to disrupt on a grand scale… take the decision and dive right into it… set up a separate unit responsible for the change… appoint a Chief Digital Officer… and drive the revolution from top down.
Another option is also to disrupt… but slowly.
Evolution rather than revolution.
Take the long-term view.
Do small pilots.
Proof of concepts.
Figure out all the use cases and start changing them one by one.
Then slowly scale up the change.
And this journey can look very different depending on the type of organization and the type of technology being implemented.
There is no right or wrong approach… both strategies work well depending on how well they are implemented.
Our team at ConvergeHub has experienced these journeys hundreds of times with our customers when they implemented ConvergeHub’s CRM software in their organization.
If you would like to brainstorm on the different approaches you can take to implement CRM technology in your organization, talk to us.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
Business as (un)usual
In the past two years, the pandemic has shaken us to our very core … it has forced us to take a hard look inside ourselves .. and the impact it had on all of humanity is like nothing we have ever experienced before.
Before March 2020, when the pandemic hit, we were all comfortable and happily numb to the world around us … buying cheaper, bigger, better, faster products and services, with no consideration for what those companies who manufactured this products or services did or stood for.
But now… we pause and think.
The grief and trauma we have seen during the pandemic, the fragility of life that we have experienced, the introspection that we have gone through.. have collectively made us more human.
Now, when we purchase a product or service from a business, we expect more than just that product or service. We expect that business to reflect our values.
More and more, the buying population is inclined to reward (or punish) businesses based on the social position that they take.
So, what does this mean for businesses and brands in this new and (hopefully) post-pandemic age?
It means that it is more important than ever for businesses to develop a close relationship with their customers.
Being in regular touch with their customers, knowing their customers’ values and what they stand for, and being open to standing up for their beliefs will help organizations remain socially relevant in today’s human-centric environment.
If your organization is committed to remaining in close touch with its customers, ConvergeHub can help you do that. Get in touch with us to know more.
ConvergeHub is an enterprise-grade Customer Relationship Management software that helps businesses build long-term relationships with their customers and prospects. It is easy to implement, can be quickly customized to suit any business, needs very little training, and will quickly get your business on the path to 10X growth.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
The race to close a sale
The phone rings and your heart stops. Will this be a go or a no-go?
With bated breath you answer the phone. Hello?
Its Cathy from Operations.
It’s a GO, we can fulfill the order, she says. (Or deliver the product, or fund the loan, or develop the project .. or service the prospect in whatever way your business does)
Yay!
You hang up and call the Prospect immediately to give him the good news.
Hello.. yes this is Joe.. you are calling from which company??
Oh.. sorry but I already got the product/service from another company.. you guys were taking too long..
[pause]
… Ever happened to you?
Chances are, with the right follow-up, you could have closed this sale. But you got busy with other things and this one slipped through the cracks.
But it does not have to be this way. Technology can help.
With the right technology, you can set up a system where follow-ups happen automatically. When the Prospect reaches a certain stage in the sales process, you get a reminder. Or, you send a reminder to your team member. Or to the prospect. Or to a partner. So that deals don’t fall through the cracks.
ConvergeHub lets you do that.
So that you can focus on other important tasks.
If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help your team streamline the followup process and focus on growing revenue, talk to us.
ConvergeHub is an enterprise-grade Customer Relationship Management software that helps businesses build long-term relationships with their customers and prospects. It is easy to implement, can be quickly customized to suit any business, needs very little training and will quickly get your business on the path to 10X growth.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
The long-term impact of short-term thinking
This applies to all areas of life you know, but in this post let’s just talk about work.
Every time we start working on something big (and often not so big), we find a choice facing us..
Do we go the easier route.. which is also quicker, cheaper, with fewer changes (which usually means fewer feathers ruffled), no buy-in needed from the boss, no meetings..
OR
Do we do it the right way?
And the right way often is the more complex route.
More expensive.
More resources.
Definitely not quicker.
More changes affecting more departments.
Maybe you have to enter the death-spiral of meetings and buy-ins..
Justifying the budget..
Defending the timeline..
Explaining the benefits..
Longer hours..
More stress.. more headaches..
But the result will be worth it.
Maybe we will solve the root-cause of whatever problem was facing us.
Maybe revenue will grow by a significant percentage.
Maybe we’ll forge ahead in a new market.
Maybe we’ll change the world..
We always have a choice.
If it was up to you, how would you choose?
Just hit reply.. I’d love to hear from you.
At ConvergeHub, our team helps our customers make the right choices so that they can get the long-term benefits of implementing a enterprise-grade all-in-one CRM. Talk to us if you’d like to know more about it.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
What does entrepreneurship truly mean?
Click here to view this video on my LinkedIn post and leave a comment on what you think.
So in the last few days I was thinking, somewhat deeply, about the true meaning of entrepreneurship. I have founded two tech companies so far.. and if you know me you’ll know how passionately I believe in entrepreneurship. I really do believe that entrepreneurs are heroes.
And yet..
More and more it seems to me as if we have a very narrow definition of entrepreneurship..
More and more it seems to me as if entrepreneurship is less about a big life decision.. like starting your business or deciding to go solo or quitting your job.. and more about a quality, a mindset, a spark that can exist in anyone.. regardless of the life situation they are in at the moment..
I think we should not go by the textbook definition of entrepreneurship anymore.. in this day and age that word has evolved to take on a life of its own… and layers and layers of meaning has gotten added to the original definition of entrepreneurship..
What do you think? 😊
If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help your team utilize that entrepreneurial mindset and focus on growing revenue, talk to us.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
Does your Customer think about you?
You know that most of the prospects who show interest in your product or service are not ready to buy, right? They’re probably just researching products, getting to know what’s out there, planning for the future, or even gathering information for that upcoming presentation to their management.
So, how do you get these future buyers to think of your product or service when its their time to buy?
The answer is Customer Nurturing.
Customer nurturing is the process of building effective relationships with potential customers throughout the buying journey and beyond.
The goal of customer nurturing is to create an automated, ongoing communication with your potential buyer throughout their customer journey. It is different from lead nurturing in that it is not designed to stop when the prospect buys your product or service. It is also used to engage new customers with your company or to ensure that your existing customers continue to purchase from your company.
The main idea behind customer nurturing is building trust. You spend time establishing a relationship with your buyer and as a result, when you communicate with your buyer, you are welcomed instead of being regarded as intrusive.
Good engaging customer nurturing process have the following characteristics:
- Trustworthy – Trust is what differentiates informational content from spam. Without trust, buyers will raise their barriers, put up their filters and tune you out.
- Relevant – To be relevant, you have to send the right content to the right person at the right time. You will have to segment your audience and then send targeted messages relevant to each segment of the audience.
- Multi-channel – Today’s buyers move quickly across channels and across devices – from email to social media to website to text and back to email again. Your job is to provide an integrated experience across channels.
- Measurable – This is what helps you know the actual impact of your customer nurturing program on your organization’s ROI and lets you define success.
ConvergeHub provides you the tools to set up a long-term customer nurturing program that keeps your buyers engaged through every step of the customer journey.
If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you develop a long term relationship with your potential buyers and convert them into lifelong customers, talk to us.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
excuse #2: Nobody Wants It
Let’s talk about another one of those reasons (excuses?) that our team keeps hearing when businesses don’t want to make the commitment to implementing a modern CRM..
Nobody wants it.
I have discussed it with my team..
My co-founders
My business partner
Our sales agents
The management team
The IT department
My husband/wife/mom/ …[substitute family member here]..
My pet cat [well… haven’t heard this one yet, but we’re bracing for it 😊]
And what did they say?
We don’t need a CRM [or any new tech for that matter]..
We’re managing quite well now..
Why waste the money?..
That won’t solve our problems..
It won’t work for us…
… and the list goes on.
Look..
Even while having the highest regard for whoever gave you that advice, it may be time to ask yourself some tough questions…
Are the people you asked qualified to make that decision?
Do they understand what implementing a modern CRM would do to the organization?
Are they looking at the high level picture or do they have their noses too close to the daily grind to realize that maybe there’s a better way of doing things?
Are they afraid of change?
Do they have anything to gain by following the status quo?
So, before you take action based on someone else’s advice… dig deeper.
Insist on understanding the reason behind the advice.
Do some internal analysis.
Run the numbers.
Make sure everyone has the correct information.
Often information and education, along with a healthy dose of reality, is all it takes to get from a No to a YES!!
At ConvergeHub, we are on your team and are committed to doing whatever we can to help you implement the latest technology to grow your business faster…
If you would like to know more about how ConvergeHub can help you keep growing by implementing the latest technology to close more customers and keep them for life, talk to us.
Or, if you like to check it out yourself, go ahead and create a free ConvergeHub account here.
