CRM Blog

We often get asked about which simple CRM tool best integrates the sales process for Sales Reps. We can recommend ACT, Microsoft CRM and SugarCRM as the best CRM software tools available for Sales departements. This blog will focus on how Sugar excellently handles the Sales Process for users.

First of all, Sugar empowers Account Management. While ACT is contact-centric, (which might be preferable, depending on the environment), SugarCRM is Account-centric and thus provides and excellent overview of a Key Account. The Account view displays information regarding all involved contacts, leads, influences, opportunities, activities, histories, quotes, projects, and contracts.

Secondly, Sugar’s opportunity process is a breeze. Updating the Stage and Status of an Opportunity can be easily customized and more easily implemented by users. Need custom fields? Sugar’s got it.

Need workflow or automation in your sales process? Sugar’s got that built in. Once an event or meeting has occurred, it is now listed as a history item. Updating the status of an opportunity to “Closed Won” automatically updates the probability to 100%. This then affects the pipeline, which in turn simplifies reporting analysis for sales management.

Need Opportunity security? No worries. Sugar allows for simple or highly complex security models. Need to hide opportunities or accounts from certain users? No worries. Just create your teams and roles at the outset. Then limiting access for each new employee or sales rep is a 5 minute process!

Do you need a personal demo for this fantastic Open Source CRM solution? Then please call us for a free presentation. Our goal is to review with you your options. And our hope is that in the end you will feel well advised and look to us for further knowledge, training and services.

Do you need a demo or review of Sugar as an online CRM software (windows CRM application vs web CRM software)? Do you have questions regarding the pricing model (Licenses, Software as a Service SAAS CRM) and feature differences between the free/community edition and the  paid (professional, enterprise) editions? Are you interested in a SugarCRM upgrade or in need of a download to install SugarCRM 6? No worries! Just give us a call! We’ll help you understand just how powerful this web based online customer management tool can be as a hosted sales CRM software - especially in an Open Source or Call Center software environment.

Do you need a review of how SugarCRM as a web based CRM compares to Sage SalesLogix (Cloud) CRM, vTiger (Open Source CRM) or Salesforce.com (on Demand CRM) - or the differences to hosted MS CRM? Are you concerned with understanding free online CRM Software and your options? Do you have questions regarding how the world of online CRM, website CRM  and cloud CRM in a locally hosted CRM environment? Do you need clarity regarding CRM lead generation tools or CRM maintenance and support (incl. CRM Help) plans? No worries! Just contact us!

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Is SugarCRM 6 worth the upgrade?

Which SugarCRM modules fit your needs? Will SugarCRM hosting meet your requirements? Is the Open Source model all that it supposed to be? Do the new SugarCRM themes give my users what they need?

At Accent Gold, we’ve done a thorough review of Sugar 6. And the answer is an emphatic Yes.  

Here are the 5 key improvements in Sugar 6 – that will make your users enthusiastic about adopting it and investing their time and energy:  

1. Easy Set Up. Sugar 6 provides a simple set-up process that collects your user information and preferences that get you up and running in a few clicks
2. Less Screens, More Action. The Sugar 6 Shortcut bar allows users to create contacts, leads & opportunities, schedule calls and meetings right from your homepage.
3. Simple Search. Sugar 6 delivers powerful search capabilities context-aware Global Search field which filters search results based on the module in use (e.g., Contacts, Opportunities & Accounts) - find results faster without leaving the page.
4. Mobile Support. Want to see Sugar6 on your Blackberry or iPhone? How about the iPad? Sugar 6 has you covered with native mobile support for mobile devices.
5. Any Cloud. Sugar 6 is built for the Web: you can run Sugar across different cloud environments, including Sugar On-Demand, Microsoft Azure, Amazon EC2 or your own private cloud. With SugarCRM, you control your data and where it resides.

“Sugar has done an incredible job creating the most modern look and feel for a CRM system, while also significantly increasing usability.”

 - Chad Hutchins, Milsoft Utility Solutions  

Sugar 6 will be available for purchase this summer. In the meantime, if you would like to learn more about Sugar 6, please schedule a product demonstration with one of our SugarCRM consultants today. Whether you want to integrate your iPhone, Android EVO, Blackberry – or just your Microsoft Outlook, please don’t hesitate to contact our CRM Consulting and Training team.

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Not only are the new Smart Tasks in Sage ACT! 2011 storming the world of CRM, our consultants have identified 9 cool tips that you should be aware of:

(1)    Any Smart Task can be run manually by right click or by using the Schedule menu

(2)    Smart Task Steps can run in the background or the foreground. Foreground steps will display in the Smart Task Pending Dialog

(3)    Users also have the Run Once capability. This works for automatically scheduled Smart Tasks. Run once functionality is per user per contact. And one key note: Manual Run always trumps Run Once

(4)    Each Smart Task has Sequence Steps. These are based on the completion of a previous step. For example, when an Email completion step runs, a history is generated “Email sent”; Or when an Activity is completed, a history is created on that contact’s record.

(5)    Some users will love the fact that you can build in a fixed day delay before an email is sent as a step!

(6)    Administrators will appreciate that all Smart Tasks are running in the database for the current (logged in) user. Functions include: pause, stop, resume.

(7)    All users can filter the Smart Task list in order to manage them better

(8)    Smart Tasks can be flagged as public or private

(9)    The Security model for user types and their ability to create and modify Smart Tasks matches that of Activity Series. So if you love ACT!’s Activity Series, you will already have a head start. Please be aware though that Activity Series are not converted to Smart Task Templates

Do you need more information or a CRM System demo? Do you need to understand the differences between the different versions of ACT or the differences between ACT! and other CRM solutions such as SugarCRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix or Salesforce.com? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help you properly compare so that you are empowered to choose the best on-site or web CRM Business Software system for your organization.

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Do you get intimidated by the term “Workflow”. Well in ACT by Sage 2011, you no longer have to worry. ACT as a corportate CRM has introduced “Smart Tasks” – which is much easier than Workflow. Here are the 3 steps:

1. When (Triggers) – You select a Scheduled Time. Then you select a Manual Trigger.
2. Who (Filters) – You select your Query Parameters. For example, show me all Sales Opportunities with a value of $10K or greater.
3. What (Action) – Now you select which action is to be taken based on the records returned by the query. For example, Send an E-mail or schedule, Activity or Send with an ACT! E-marketing template.

Better yet, ACT 2011 provides 10 pre-filled templates for common tasks (such as birthday letters). These are easy to edit and personalize – and designed to boost sales.

Another key strength of these Smart Tasks is the Designer Interface. If you have tried using the Workflow Interface within some leading web CRM software packages, you have likely become frustrated. Yet within the highly usable Designer Interface, ACT has given you the easiest visual designer available. Do you like to drag and drop? No worries. You see what you get and you get what you see!

Managing Smart Tasks has been made simple. At any time users can pause or activate Smart Tasks. They are always one-button away from viewing all pending Smart Tasks.

Lastly, Smart Tasks have been designed within the Windows Workflow Foundation and are fully integrated with ACT! E-Marketing from the get go. No integration nightmares.

Do you need more information or an online CRM demo? Do you need to understand the differences between the various versions of ACT or the differences between ACT! and other CRM solutions such as SugarCRM, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix or Salesforce.com? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. We would love to help you properly compare so that you are empowered to choose the optimal CRM Business Software system for your organization.

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Have you seen how easy and flexible Sugar 6 is? Here are 4 Teasers.

Custom Reports and Dashboards
With a few clicks, users can create a custom report or dashboard chart, display it on their Home Page and even share it with others.

Administrators can build custom fields, custom layouts and even custom modules (i.e. “Billable Hour Tracking”).

Workflow
Sugar 6 also empowers users to design workflow automation that controls the flow of information and action within your business.

Email Alerts
Do you need to be alerted via email each time a Sales Opportunity is created or closed? No worries. This is easily handled within SugarCRM’s workflow.

Microsoft Office Integration
SugarCRM’s open architecture is designed to easily integrate with 3rd party data sources – so that the user stays in control.

Need to integrate SugarCRM 6 with Microsoft Outlook, Word or Excel? No worries! Integrate Sugar with Outlook E-mail and Calendar.

Need to mail-merge to Microsoft Word? Sugar automatically populates form letters, direct mail and other Microsoft documents.

Need to see your reports in Microsoft Excel? No worries. Sugar easily exports into Microsoft Excel so that you can analyze your data as much as you need – including Pivot Tables!

Need more information or a demo/review of Sugar? Do you have questions regarding the pricing and feature differences between the free/community edition and the  paid (professional, enterprise) editions? Are you interested in upgrading or in need of a download of SugarCRM 6 to install? Not sure which mobile (Android, iPhone, Blackberry) will work the best? No worries! Just give us a call!

Do you need a review of how SugarCRM compares to Zoho CRM or Salesforce.com? Do you have questions regarding the world of online website CRM  and how the CRM cloud (Saleslogix) can work for you in a hosting CRM environment? Do you need clarity regarding CRM lead generation tools or CRM support/help plans? No worries! Just contact us!

Join us for our newest Webinar Series.

We will be examining and evaluating Microsoft’s newest product Dynamics CRM 2011.

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