Microsoft CRM Implementation US market lessons

Microsoft CRM Implementation US market lessons

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft CRM is CRM answer from Microsoft Business Solutions. If you compare it to other traditional CRM applications, such as Siebel you will see that Microsoft CRM does use all the resent Microsoft technologies, that means that Microsoft targets its CRM to Windows market exclusively, plus this means that Microsoft CRM is more difficult in its installation. Microsoft doesn’t even have to care about other platforms, such as Linux/Unix or Apple. Now we see kind of paradoxical situation when Microsoft CRM is gaining market share even in recession and early postrecession time. Where is the secret?

Let us give you our vision, based on our three years of MS CRM implementation practice in USA and internationally.

1. Microsoft CRM is for MCSE / Microsoft oriented IT departments – Microsoft CRM would be beloved system for IT specialists. If you are MCSE+I CRM will recruit all your MS Exchange, Active Directory, MS SQL Server, Windows domain security, Windows 2003 Server, Web publishing and HTML knowledge and experience. This is completely opposite to earlier Apple Computer believe that computer systems should be easy in service and completely intuitive. MS CRM is kind of intuitive for end user, but not for its administrator.

2. Microsoft CRM is not CRM but rather simplified CRM if you do remember old days whitepapers about CRM in general, or even itกs predecessor Lotus Notes/Domino these papers were full of predictions about the future and were written for top level company executives, not for regular computer specialists. This was probably why so high percentage of CRM sales failed in implementations. Microsoft CRM has the highest ever rate of successful implementations, because it is not a CRM, but rather popularized version of it it just does the job as cheap and reliable car.

3. Transportation Companies about 30% of our clients in the States are transportation and freight forwarding companies. This actually proves the hypothesis that MS CRM is very simple solution these companies usually do not have extra money to spend on their computer system, but need the solution for its sales people to instantly see the cargos, plus have simple customization, allowing them to integrate with legacy system.

4. Movement down to small and tiny companies – this is completely new trend for CRM market. We know the examples when 5 employees companies make a decision to implement and have surprising success in Microsoft CRM implementation.

Happy implementing!

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Microsoft CRM, Microsoft Great Plains customization company, based in Chicago, California, Colorado, Texas, New York, Georgia and Florida, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com) You can reach Andrew at 16309615918 or 18665280577. He is Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer.

[email protected]

This article was posted on December 06, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

10 Ways To Shift Your Sales Into Overdrive

10 Ways To Shift Your Sales Into Overdrive

by: Andrew Cantrell

1. Publish testimonials for your free stuff. It would increase their value and if they’re viral marketing tools, youกll have more people giving them away.

2. Give your visitors a good time so they will visit your web site again. Use a few jokes, humorous graphics and funny stories.

3. Make money from web sites that don’t have an affiliate program, by doing a joint venture. Set up the affiliate program through a third party for them.

4. Build rapport with your potential customers by teaching them something new. Provide them with f.ree ebooks, articles, tips, courses, etc.

5. Allow your visitors to collect things from your web site so they will stop back again and again. It could be a series of software, ebooks or articles.

6. Keep each page of your web site consistent or similar. Use similar text fonts, colors, graphics and background on every page.

7. Build a popular directory of freebies. It will draw tons of traffic to your web site and you can request that submitters place your link on their web site.

8. Create traffic generators that people can add to their site without doing all the work. It can be an article directory, freebie directory, web tool, etc.

9. Challenge your visitors to buy your product or service. People love a good challenge. Tell them if they can find a flaw youกll give them a refund.

10. Form a strategic alliance with other related but noncompeting businesses. Youกll be able to beat your competition by selling to a larger audience.

Quote of the Day:

กWhen you have too much month for you paycheck, then what you need to do is realize that there is abundance all around you and focus on the abundance and not your lack and as night follows day abundance will come to you.ก Sidney Madwed

Warm regards,

Andrew Cantrell

http://www.zipzoombiz.com

About The Author

Andrew Cantrell, The owner of Zipzoombiz.com has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to earn online business success!

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 23

by Andrew Cantrell

Microsoft CRM Sales Automation – overview for Cons

Microsoft CRM Sales Automation – overview for Consultant

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft CRM – Client Relationship Management application, promoted by Microsoft subdivision Microsoft Business Solutions, is in the beginning of its market share gaining, however, surprisingly enough – even with its basic functionality (which is natural for first versions of the software product) Microsoft CRM is welcomed by clients in many servicing industries. Why so many clients are choosing Microsoft CRM and even replacing such systems as Siebel with this basic solution. Probably the secret of this success lays in several simple facts:

Basic functionality

Open Microsoft Customization technology

Believe that Microsoft will stay successful for a long time

Cost factor

We are describing Microsoft CRM Version 1.2. Lets work out these suggestions.

Basic Functionality. This means that it is very simple to sell it – you nee only several features to demo to the prospect and the rest could be tuned and customized by enduser (which is of course not true to the 100%, but to some extent – it is correct statement). Its Sales Automation module is almost abstract and everyone with basic sales skills can understand it on the fly.

Open Microsoft Customization technology. There are so many Microsoft network specialists, database administrators, VB.Net programmers – this makes your customization easily doable and you don’t have a risk of dependence on one unique programmer or technology

Believe that Microsoft will stay successful for a long time. Well – this is probably just the projection of the past to the future, every business has business strategy and philosophy and these two are subject to transformation and deformation. But, we’ve heard these arguments of successful business longevity and we believe that this is important factor

Cost factor. Microsoft CRM deploys existing technologies and servers, such as Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL Server, Microsoft Windows 2003 server and so – you do not have to purchase these pieces second time. You purchase just a middle ground, which is based on these platforms. In such situation, Microsoft is willing to go down with the license pricing. To some extent of course.

You can always have us help you, give us a call: 16309615918 or 18665280577, [email protected]

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is consultant and CTO in Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) – Microsoft Business Solutions partner, serving clients in Illinois, California, New York, Florida, Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Minnesota, Virginia, Washington, UK, Canada, Australia. He is Microsoft Great Plains certified master, Great Plains Dexterity, Microsoft CRM SDK C#.Net, Crystal Repots developer. You can reach Andrew: [email protected].

This article was posted on January 06

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft C# vs. VB.Net

Microsoft C# vs. VB.Net

by: Andrew Karasev

Hi, Guys,
I believe a lot of programmers are trying to speculate which Microsoft language is the language of the future .Net applications. We did some research here and we think that at this moment Microsoft doesn’t have an answer or a direction they just try to place both VB.net and C#.net into competition with each other and see who will be the winner over time.
Example Microsoft CRM SDK Microsoft says they will have examples in both languages: C# and VB but for now C# seems to be the winner and if you are vb.net programmer it is really hard for you to program Microsoft CRM SDK.
The other example is more favorable for VB.net. If you plan to program Microsoft Exchange 2003 then in MS Exchange SDK you see VB examples it is very hard to use C#, not knowing VB constants, return codes, etc.
My personal opinion C# is an attempt to appeal to Java world and take over Java programmers considering current situation with offshore programming this envision may not be actual or may have additional complications
In any case I think C#, being derivation from Java is more modern and object oriented (from the inception) than VB.net.
In my opinion VB.net is another attempt to move old time VB programmers into .Net realm.
So, again as I think Microsoft just doesn’t have another way, but place both languages into competition with each other and see who will be a winner.
Letกs keeps our fingers crossed.
Andrew Karasev

[email protected]

www.albaspectrum.com

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is founder and president of Alba Spectrum Technologies (www.albasepctrum.com) Microsoft Business Solutions C# and VB.net programming & consulting company, based in Naperville, IL and serving USA nationwide and internationally via remote support

[email protected]

This article was posted on July 05, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

Microsoft CRM Customization: Integration with thir

Microsoft CRM Customization: Integration with third party SQL Application/Database

by: Andrew Karasev

Microsoft CRM – Client Relationship Management package from Microsoft Business Solutions was initially designed to be customizable with Microsoft Visual Studio.Net and one of its programming languages – C#.Net or VB.Net. You can use ADO.Net, Web Service, Transact SQL scripting and stored procedures, deploy such SQL Server tools as Linked Server to all ODBC/OLEDB compliant database, including ORACLE, Sybase, Ingress, DB2, Unidata, Pervasive SQL, Ctree and even Lotus Notes/Domino. In this small article we would like to give you the clue on programming the integration with SQL third party Database.

First – use Microsoft CRM SDK to initiate communication with Microsoft CRM, we have it in C#:

String[] arr1 = coll.AllKeys;

int loop1, loop2;

for (loop1 = 0; loop1 0?1:arr1.Length); loop1++)

{

String[] arr2 = coll.GetValues(arr1[loop1]);

for (loop2 = 0; loop2

Then you use ADO.Net for calling stored procedure with parameters to do the integration job:

try

{

string SQLStatement=กICS_UpdateAccountPrivate กก+

strAccountId +กก , กก + this.TextBoxWorkPerformed.Text +

กก , ก+doubleEncode(System.Double.Parse(this.TextBoxAnnualRevenue.Text))+ก , ก+

intEncode(System.Int32.Parse(this.TextBoxNumberOfEmployees.Text.Replace(ก,ก,กก)))+ก , ก+

doubleEncode(System.Double.Parse(this.TextBoxAverageGrowthRate.Text))+ก , ก+

กกก+this.DropDownListOwnership.SelectedItem.Text +กก , ก+

intEncode(System.Int32.Parse(this.RadioButtonList.SelectedItem.Value))+ก , ก+

intEncode(System.Int32.Parse(this.TextBoxCredit.Text.Replace(ก,ก,กก)))+ก , กก+

this.TextBoxComments.Text+กกก;

System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection tmpConnection =

new System.Data.SqlClient.SqlConnection(ConfigurationSettings.AppSettings[กConnectionStringICSก]

);

About The Author

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer in Alba Spectrum Technologies – USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, based in Chicago, California, Texas, Florida, New York, Georgia, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Canada, UK, Australia and having locations in multiple states and internationally (www.albaspectrum.com), he is CMA, Great Plains Certified Master, Dexterity, SQL, C#.Net, Crystal Reports and Microsoft CRM SDK developer. You can contact Andrew: 18665280577 [email protected].

[email protected]

This article was posted on October 18, 2004

by Andrew Karasev

10 Extreme Ways To Rocket Launch Your Profits

10 Extreme Ways To Rocket Launch Your Profits

by: Andrew Cantrell

1. Advertise your web site with banner ads that are animated and include a call to action. You must grab peopleกs attention and make them to c.lick.

2. Use pop up windows or advertisements on your web site. They grab your visitors attention because they jump right out at them.

3. Buy internet business books, ebooks, private site memberships, etc. Study and learn all the new web site promotional ideas you can.

4. Analyze all your promotional efforts.Concentrate on the ones that work and drop the ones that don’t work. Don’t waste your valuable time.

5. Get the most from each one of your visitors. Ask them to subscribe to your ezine, participate on your message board, bookmark your site, etc.

6. Use text links if your banner ads are not pulling traffic. People don’t ignore text links as much as they do banner ads.

7. Trade content with other ezine publishers or web sites. This is a powerful and effective way to place your links on other targeted web sites.

8. Keep your product available to your customers at all times. If you have to backorder it, they may end up canceling their order.

9. Use content on your web site so people can skim through it easily. Most people have little time so try using lists, short tips, short articles,etc

10 Add a message board or chat room to your web site. If people enjoy it, they will revisit your web site to participate regularly.

Quote of the Day:

กPractice hope. As hopefulness becomes a habit, you can achieve a permanently happy spirit.ก Norman Vincent Peale

Warm regards,

Andrew Cantrell

http://www.zipzoombiz.com

P.S. Try this:

http://www.zipzoombiz.com/pips.html

It really works!

About The Author

Andrew Cantrell

http://www.zipzoombiz.com

Get your free automated money making website today!

[email protected]

This article was posted on January 14

by Andrew Cantrell