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October 2017
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A New Tool in Handle PRODUCT ENHANCEMENT, CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT
A t CustomerTRAX, we’re always willing to build out features at a client’s request. Our mission has always been to build software that does what our clients need, and we can’t do that without meeting the needs we hear about on the ground. When one company benefits from a particular new form or functionality, it’s likely others will too. These custom build outs then become part of a configurable package and end up making Handle a better product overall. Recently, we’ve created a service agreement screen for Hutson that will be mutually beneficial for organizations and customers alike. Hutson offers clients a service they call Ag Data Works. This program comprises a full suite of agronomic data services. Everything from record keeping and fertility recommendations to data management and tissue sampling can be handled through these programs. Not only does this provide valuable information to customers; it allows businesses to recommend equipment based on the data they acquire. The downside for organizations is that these agreements are hard to create many times
These agreements are usually structured in one to three-year terms. As the end of an agreement approaches, automated notifications will let you know that it’s time to discuss a renewal. This automation promotes proactive contact, increasing customer satisfaction. If the customer’s data needs have changed over time, modifications can be made to the plan. You can also use this new tool to track opportunities. As you know, product inquiries present a chance for conversion that should be monitored and acted upon. Why should data services be any different? The way we see it, Handle is CRM that should always be improving. Keeping open communication with our clients is one of the best ways to achieve this goal. Working alongside Hutson to develop this new function will benefit not just their business. It will also enhance Handle as a whole. As more and more businesses offer agronomic data services, we’ll be there to make it easier for them and their customers. – Gordon Hilleque
due to the calculations required. It can be hard for a salesperson to figure out the cost for a particular customer, let alone relay it to them in a way that’s easily digestible. These agreements are based on complex equations with a lot of variables. A customer may want some services offered in Ag Data Works, but they don’t need others. No salesperson wants to be forced to punch a string of numbers into a calculator to only come up with a rough estimate. These agreements, which helped customers, were being turned down due to issues that had nothing to do with the agreements themselves. Hutson thought Handle might be able to provide a solution, so our team got to work on it. After a discussion with Hutson, we created the form based on the factors that go into an Ag Data Works agreement. Inside this issue, you’ll find an article on page three explaining the components of the form and how Hutson uses it to improve their service . Suffice it to say, though, it makes things much easier on salespeople. Once the form is created, it can be printed and presented to a customer in an easily understood format. But that’s not all this new feature can do.
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FINDYOUR FLOW How to Get in the Zone
Everyone has days when work just seems to fly by effortlessly. You feel laser- focused and hyper-productive. In short, you are“in the zone.”This proverbial zone, though, can feel elusive when distractions are plentiful and time is at a premium. Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced“Chick-zent-mee- hal-yi”) has spent his career investigating this state, which he calls“flow,”and his insights can help you harness your most productive self. Csikszentmihalyi’s seminal work,“Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience,”asserts that finding flow doesn’t just increase your ability to accomplish tasks, it also raises your happiness level.“Whenever the goal is to improve the quality of life, flow theory can point the way,”he writes. According to his research, a state of flow is reached when skill and challenge are balanced
between these two concepts? Training teaches skills — click on this window to do this, input this bit of information in this window, etc. Education, on the other hand, provides a more wide-ranging approach. You need to teach your staff how to make CRM work for them, not just from a technical standpoint but from a theoretical one. Another difference is that education doesn’t stop after one meeting. As your team gets comfortable with CRM, you may discover unforeseen uses to improve your business practices. If an employee comes to you with an idea, pursue it. CRM offers many possibilities, and you may not recognize one until you launch. A lot of your implementation success may depend on what you do before launch, but the first few days after are another huge factor. You need to give your team the tools to succeed, and the best way to do that is through education. Rather than simply showing your team the part of your CRM bicycle, you need to show them how to ride it. Another important component of flow is what Csikszentmihalyi calls the “autotelic experience.” Autotelic means that you view what you’re doing as an end in itself and find the work intrinsically rewarding. If you find meaning in the activity at hand, rather than relying on external motivators, it’s easier to throw yourself into a project. The next time you find yourself going through the motions or watching the clock at work, don’t write it off as “one of those days.” Instead, take a step back, plan out your task list, and approach your assignments with vigor. Flow doesn’t strike you like a bolt of lightning; you have to work for it. Once you find a routine that puts you in the zone, stick to it, and great work will follow. Pillar 6: Launch
We’ve reached the end of our exploration of the six pillars of CRM adoption. This month’s article explores the final pillar: launch. You’ve made it through all of the preparatory stages — from creating a process with a defined purpose to engaging with your staff about areas where CRM can provide them the most help — and now it’s time to implement. Launching CRM may be the end of adoption, but that doesn’t mean you should view it as the end of learning about software. When organizations view launch through this lens, they usually offer a one-time training designed to get employees up to speed. They demonstrate features, create a workflow, and call it a day. This style of training never results in the most successful implementation, because it assumes that CRM goals will never change and that Handle itself is explainable through a single lens. Successful organizations focus on education instead. What, you might ask, is the difference against one another. When the challenge is too low relative to skill, boredom follows. When it’s too high, anxiety overwhelms the ability to reach flow. Just the right proportion of challenge and skill, and your mind becomes totally engaged in the task at hand. So, how do you get yourself into flow state? The first step is to set clearly defined goals. Once you know what you are working toward, it becomes easier to maintain the focus required to reach optimal flow. The next step is to eliminate distractions that will divert your concentration. Flow is easier to maintain than it is to build up to, and you don’t want your flow broken by something that could’ve easily been put off. Use smaller activities as a way to break up larger ones, and you’ll find a more consistent work rate.
THE 6 PILLARS OF CRM ADOPTION
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HUTSON’S AGDATAWORKS FORM
Options, Details, and Calculations
In this month’s cover article, we talked about how we worked alongside Hutson to create a form that generates agreements for their Ag DataWorks service. In this space, we’ll get a little more into the nitty-gritty about how that formworks. Handle automatically generates an agreement number the second the form is opened, making tracking the agreement simple. There are also four statuses — pending, quoting, submitted, and canceled — that give a clear indication of where the customer is in the process. As the agreement is being created, a number of variables can be altered. Hutson’s Ag Data Works services are available in one- and three-
Once the form is submitted, Handle calculates not only the total cost, but the cost of each payment and when those payments are due. From there, Hutson can generate a PDF, with one click, that’s easy to print off and give to the customer. This PDF has all of the agreement and payment information, as well as a page to sign. While the data is specific to the customer, each form comes on Hutson’s leaderhead and is presented in an easy-to-comprehend format. Hutson’s Ag Data Works form makes a complicated set of services understandable quickly and concisely. It removes any confusion and allows customers to benefit from data services without getting mired in complex agreement calculations.
year agreements, and there are also multiple payment plan options. Both of these are selected through drop-down menus. In terms of the actual services themselves, Hutson offers a wide variety of options and tiers. All of these are listed in a menu under the “Deliverables” section of the form. For services that are calculated on a per-acre basis, you can input the number of acres and Handle will generate a price. There is also an option for multiple services to be combined. In addition to codes for each service, there are detailed descriptions of what each service provides. A client can be provided with a copy of these codes and descriptions so that they have a thorough understanding of the services to be rendered.
ON US! HAVE A LAUGH
WINNING Apple Crisp
Ingredients
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1 cup sugar
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1 cup all-purpose flour
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2 tablespoons cornstarch
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3/4 cup rolled oats
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1 cup water
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1 cup packed brown sugar
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Vanilla ice cream, optional
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1/2 cup butter, softened
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4 cups chopped, peeled apples
Directions
1. Heat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Cut in butter until crumbly. Press half of mixture into a greased 2 quart baking dish or a 9-inch square baking pan. Cover with apples. 2. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, water, and vanilla. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thick and clear. Pour over apples. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. 3. Bake 60–65 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve warm, with ice cream if desired.
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www.CustomerTrax.com 763-548-0828
INSIDE
this issue
1 2 3 4
Product Enhancement, Customer Engagement
Find Your Flow
6 Pillars of CRM Adoption
Hutson’s Ag Data Works Form
Winning Apple Crisp
Our Tech vs. Star Wars Tech
OURTECHVS. STARWARSTECH Yeah, They Can Destroy Planets, but Where’s the LED?
The first time you watched Star Wars, you probably wanted nothing more than your very own lightsaber. Of course, you were probably a child, so it’s a good thing the lightsabers in our galaxy are collapsible and plastic. Many a mind was blown by tech in the 1977 Star Wars, and the upcoming “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”will certainly have its fair share of cool gadgetry. But in the 41 years since the former was released, Earthlings have come up with some technology that makes Star Wars gadgets seem—well, old school. Take R2-D2, a small robot that “beeps” and “boops” its way into our hearts. The droid carries around vital information in a credit card-sized data device. Today, a card that size could carry your entire music library. Or, better yet, that information could have been beamed over by Google Drive, not chased around the galaxy. (But where’s the fun in that?)
right in front of us, whereas he was telling the story from a long time ago .
That information includes the now-iconic choppy hologram of Princess Leia pleading for help. The tech giants in that universe worked out how to blow up planets, but
they sure are short on proper display screens. The few display screens shown in Star Wars were simple and outdone when the first home Nintendo was released in 1985, let alone the bezel-less OLED display of the iPhone 8. Speaking of displays, check out all those clunky levers and tall square buttons on control boards in the spaceships. Touchscreens and voice command would have made the cockpits of those ships much more slick. We’ll forgive George Lucas for being shortsighted. After all, we can see the future of technology
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