Creating a Campaign in Sage SalesLogix CRM

One of the most under utilized functions inside Sage SalesLogix is the ability to create and track a

3 Reasons to Consider G+

Over the past few months, we have seen Google try once again to broaden their focus into the social

Getting Started in Social Media: Answering the Vital Questions

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Google+, Digg, Flickr, Reddit.  You have been tasked with takin

 

Creating a Campaign in Sage SalesLogix CRM

March 2, 2012 in Marketing, Tips & Tricks

One of the most under utilized functions inside Sage SalesLogix is the ability to create and track activities and results from marketing campaigns.  Below you will find a full how to setup a new campaign:

Step 1: Add a New Campaign with details

Step 1A: Click to enlarge

Step 1B: Click to enlarge

Explanation: Name each campaign with clear descriptions and titles to eliminate confusion as you add more campaigns to the system..  Every campaign should have one clear objective: register for event, buy a product, request a service, etc.  The call to action should be the avenue for completing the objective.

 

Step 2: Create  Stages and Tasks

Step 2A: Click to enlarge

Explanation: Having a clear understanding of the framework behind each campaign will allow for understanding of the direct and indirect costs associated to each campaign, which is why we recommend starting here in setting up each campaign.

Stages are simply core buckets for activities inside a campaign with tasks being the actionable items inside each bucket.  For example, if you have a campaign that includes drip marketing with follow-up for sales teams, creating a stage for the drip activities with tasks for each email or direct mail piece with the follow-up stage for the sales team calls.

Step 2B and 2C: Creating the actual stages and tasks inside each stage

Step 2B: Click to enlarge

Step 2C: Click to enlarge

Explanation:  Setting up stages are pretty straight forward.  It is simply the framework which will hold the actionable tasks.  Tasks are where you will be able to identify estimated costs and hours for the task, show completion %, and assign to a team member, department, or contact.

 

 

Step 2D: Final View of campaign stages and tasks

Step 2D: Click to enlarge

Explanation: This area is a where you can review the entire campaign to make sure you have created a campaign to properly execute on the objective and call to action.

 

 

 

 

Step 3: Add targets to the campaign

Step 3A_Click to Enlarge

Step 3B: Click to Enlarge

Step 3C_Click to Enlarge

Explanation: We follow the best practice to run campaigns from contact and lead groups to allow for easy distribution through marketing automation system and easy follow-up for sales team members.

Step 4: Manage Budget and Goals

Step 4_Click to Enlarge

Explanation: Now that you have defined the stages with tasks, it should be relatively easy to set the estimated budget and costs for the campaign.  Understanding past performance will help set the expected response rates for contacts and leads.  The key here is to understand that the more information you gain from past campaigns will allow a clearer picture of response rates.

 

 

Step 5: Adding Products

Step 5A: Click to Enlarge

Step 5B: Click to Enlarge

Step 5C: Click to Enlarge

Explanation: Attach products to the campaign to track the effectiveness of targeting one or many products.

 

Have a question or want further help setting up campaigns?  Send us a tweet.  Not a current customer and want to learn more about the power of Sage SalesLogix to transform your sales, marketing and customer support?  Give us a call today at 888.719.6979 to learn more.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Technorati

3 Reasons to Consider G+

February 2, 2012 in Marketing, SyncSite U

Over the past few months, we have seen Google try once again to broaden their focus into the social space with Google+.  Last month, Google reported G+ now has over 90 million users (announced here).  As many still remain skeptical, it is key to look at 3 reasons Google+ might be a fit for your business.

Most of the marketing beliefs shared here are based on the idea that social, mobile, and video are the three growth areas for marketers in the near future.

1.  Social, Search, Video, Email, Analytics – How long did we honestly believe all of the Google platforms would stay independent?  As a marketer, we should be calling for Google to integrate these platforms in some degree.  Imagine small businesses being able to manage keyword advertising (Google Search), video advertising (YouTube), social advertising (G+), and tracking progress (Analytics).

2.  Search Engine Optimization – There has been some outcry about Google promoting content recommended by friends or pages ahead of other social platforms like Twitter and Facebook, but would you have it any other way?  It makes sense that they would show related opinions from your contacts just as much as they tailor keywords to your search.  The more information we receive while we search should produce a faster and easier search experience.

Side note: for all of the people upset about Google incorporating social into search, be aware that Facebook is surely working on incorporating search into their social network.  Have you noticed how your search for certain terms will show related accounts on Facebook, recent posts, and Bing results from the web?

3.  Analytics – The Google Analytics platform might be one of the best things offered to the business community.  Gaining insights into website visits, clicks, and conversions is vital in optimizing content and planning future marketing campaigns.  If Google opens up the platform to integrate with YouTube channels and social profiles, marketers won’t have to worry about limited access to profile data and rely on analytics that some of us aren’t sure what it really means (insights).

If you are wanting to get started and not sure how, learn how here.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Technorati

Getting Started in Social Media: Answering the Vital Questions

December 1, 2011 in Marketing

Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Google+, Digg, Flickr, Reddit.  You have been tasked with taking your business social.  A few weeks ago you had it all figured out and then Google decides to drop a bomb on your plans with the launch of Google+.  The one naysayer in the organization is telling you why social media is unpredictable, useless, and offers no ROI.

The problem I have seen is that businesses are approaching social media from the wrong view point.  The social platforms are a way to simply engage with your fans.  Get away from the email spam mindset.  It is all about supporting your customers by responding to questions, receiving feedback and connecting on a deeper level.

Let’s look at some of the popular questions we see being asked:

What platforms do I join?  If your job is to use social media to care for your customers, you should join the platforms where your customers currently communicate.  If you think your user base is not using social media, make sure you do your homework, and possibly help them navigate the social media waters once they are ready.  Do the research and find out where the conversation is happening.

How much content should I post?  I was at a conference recently where I heard a speaker say that you shouldn’t tweet more than once per day.  If social media is about having conversations, that would be like asking a friend to a coffee shop and saying one sentence the entire time you were together.  The amount of content depends on the conversation.

What is the ROI?  Companies are wanting to know the direct impact of social media for an organization.  Take it back to thinking about social media as a platform to offer stronger customer relationships.  My question back is a simple one, “what is the ROI of customer service?”

Social media is only a bubble, so why get involved?  Some believe that we are only going through a phase where we will one day drop all social platforms and return to the old ways.  Really?  When was the last time you got in your car and said, “I really want to trade in my car for a horse and buggy?”  or “I want to get rid of my iPhone and get a car phone.”  The individual platforms might change over the coming years (Facebook to Google+), but using technology to better connect to your customers and prospects isn’t going to change.

Ignoring the importance of social media might be as dangerous as Blockbuster ignoring Netflix or Borders thinking Amazon was irrelevant.  Agree or disagree, either way join the conversation.

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Technorati

How to Create a Group in Sage SalesLogix

December 1, 2011 in SyncSite U, Tips & Tricks

Description:

Groups are a collection of accounts, contacts, opportunities, or tickets that share a specific condition or characteristic. Groups are used to work with a subset of accounts, contacts, opportunities, or tickets, select data to print on reports, and to send mailings, e-mails, and faxes using the mail merge feature. An account, contact, opportunity, or ticket can be a member of more than one group. Groups can be shared among users.

There are two types of groups:

Standard Groups: (usually referred to as a ‘dynamic group’)
A group based on a specific set of conditions. Each time the group is opened, the accounts, contacts, opportunities, and tickets are re-evaluated using the defined conditions. For example, to target specific accounts for a sales campaign featuring a specific product line, a conditional statement can be built to look for active accounts that purchased related products during the past year. Accounts that meet these conditions are placed in a group and a mail merge can be used to send promotional material to the accounts in the group.

Ad Hoc Groups: There are also times where there is no clear set of conditions to define the correct accounts, contacts, or opportunities for a group. In these instances, an ad hoc group is created. Unlike groups based on conditional statements, ad hoc groups are static: the contacts, accounts, opportunities, and tickets remain the same unless the group is edited. For example, there are 20 tickets to a golf tournament and 19 contacts are invited. It is potentially difficult to create a set of conditions that selects the 19 contacts. Instead, select the contacts from the Contact List view and save the selected contacts in an ad hoc group called Golf Tournament.

Possible Resolution:

To create a Standard Group using group manager:

  1. In list view, right-click and select ‘Manage Groups’
  2. Highlight the group category (i.e. Accounts, Contacts, etc)
  3. Click the ‘Add’ button
  4. Click the ‘Properties’ tab
  5. Enter a NAME and DESCRIPTION for the group
  6. Click the ‘Conditions’ tab
  7. Create one or more conditional statements to select the data
  8. If necessary, use any of the following Query Builder tabs:
    1. Layout tab – Used to define which data appears in the list view
    2. Sorting tab -  Used to define how the data is sorted
    3. Appearance tab – Used to define the fonts, colors, and so on
    4. Defaults tab – Used to define ownership criteria
  9. Click the ‘OK’ button
    The Group Manager dialog box reappears, displaying the new group
  10. Select ‘Hide Tab’ to prevent the group tab from appearing in the list view
  11. Click the ‘Close’ button

To create a Standard Group from the List view:

  1. Right-click any group tab and choose ‘Add Group’
  2. Click the ‘Properties’ tab
  3. Enter a NAME and DESCRIPTION for the group
  4. Click the ‘Conditions’ tab
  5. Create one or more conditional statements to select the data
  6. If necessary, use any of the following Query Builder tabs:
    1. Layout tab – Use to define which data appears in the list view.
    2. Sorting tab – Use to define how the data is sorted.
    3. Appearance tab – Use to define the fonts, colors, and so on.
    4. Defaults tab – Use to define ownership criteria.
  7. Click the ‘OK’ button

To create an Ad-hoc group:

  1. From the Account, Contact, or Opportunity List view, highlight one or more records
  2. Right-click anywhere in the grid and choose ‘Add Selected Members to New Group’
  3. Click the ‘Properties’ tab
  4. Enter a NAME and DESCRIPTION for the group
  5. If necessary, use any of the following Query Builder tabs:
    1. Layout tab – Use to define which data appears in the list view
    2. Sorting tab – Use to define how the data is sorted
    3. Appearance tab – Use to define the fonts, colors, and so on
    4. Defaults tab – Use to define ownership criteria
  6. Click the ‘OK’ button

Share and Enjoy

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS
  • Technorati