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May 2017
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A CRM SUCCESS STORY How Goldman Equipment Gets the Most Out of Handle
S ince our
Through Handle, Goldman has been able to manage inventory and create consistent processes around trades and trucking.
inception here at CustomerTRAX,
we’ve had countless companies implement our Handle software to great effect. I thought it would be a good idea to share a CRM success story with you to provide an example of the results of smart implementation. As you’ve heard us say before, every company is different, but there’s still a lot you can learn from businesses that have increased profitably with Handle CRM. This month, we’d like to share the story of Goldman Equipment. Goldman has been using CustomerTRAX for a very long time, and they’ve been able to do a lot with a software over the years. Handle is now a crucial part of many of their processes and a daily part of how they do business. Of course, they didn’t start out with such The first function of Handle that Goldman was eager to implement was our account management features. They wanted to have all of their account information in one systematized location — multi-faceted functionality.
ways. Knowing the exact details is critical to providing the right price and not leaving money on the table. The form Goldman created allowed them to track the additional information they needed to provide an accurate value and be able to look back and see what something was historically valued at. Not to mention it streamlined the input for their people. Goldman has continued to search for new ways to get value from Handle, and they’ve demonstrated they use the software to improve their team. They’re always looking forward to avenues to increase efficiency and achieve the goals they have on the horizon. Next month, we’ll cover another facet of Handle Goldman made great use of: delivery and service requests. We love working with them, and we are really impressed with all they’ve accomplished using our software. – Gordon Hilleque
somewhere where it would be easy to access and understand. They also wanted to automate the follow-up process with their clients so that customers didn’t feel that Goldman disappeared once a sale was completed. Handle’s fulfillment and follow-up features allowed Goldman to keep its messaging consistent and its service top-notch. From there, they began using Handle for inventory management. They sought a detailed, easy-to-access inventory that was not only simple to search, but also easy to update. Through Handle, Goldman could manage all of their inventory information in a centralized location that kept each team member informed of stock updates. Next up for Goldman was integrating their sales process into Handle. Goldman deals with a lot of used equipment trades, so they wanted to create a form for evaluating these trades. Equipment can be specialized in many different
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THIS IS HOW SKY PIRATES ARE BORN
Amazon’s Drone-FriendlyWarehouses (Might) Take to the Skies
It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a … really predictable intro for talking about Amazon’s giant floating warehouses. In 2016, Amazon was granted a patent for what the company is calling “airborne fulfillment centers,” or AFCs. Using what would essentially be a massive zeppelin with a storage warehouse hanging beneath, the online shopping giant aims to make fulfilling orders even faster. A crew of human employees would man the warehouse with drones flying to and from the
customer information, along with pricing details, and send it directly to JDQuote software. With this feature, all information is automatically sent to a quote and linked back into Handle for reporting. Outlook (Exchange)/Google Calendar If your company uses Outlook or Gmail, you can integrate themboth with Handle CRM. Synchronize any customer and contact data along with any calls scheduled in Handle. You can even display appointments created in Gmail or Outlook within Handle and convert them into customer and prospect calls. Integrated User Authentication Why add another username and password for an employee to remember?With Handle’s integrated user authentication, you have a number of options for streamlining this process. You can tie Handle to a user’s Google or Yahoo account. If you useWindows authentication, our LDAP authentication will allow you to sign in using yourWindows username and password. That being said, don’t expect to look up and see a massive Amazon logo floating among the clouds anytime soon. Drone regulations are still extremely tight, especially in the United States, and most places demand drones remain within the line of sight of their pilot at all times. Additionally, Amazon has a habit of taking out patents that never see the light of day. This idea could change in the future, but at the moment, Amazon’s patent is more “plan for the best” than an actual business model. than currently possible — perhaps two-day delivery will soon become two-hour delivery!
ready to be integrated with other services you may use, so you can get the most out of your CRM experience. Here are a few of the programs that Handle can easily interface with. EQUIP EQUIP is a John-Deere-specific enterprise resource planning tool (ERP) that houses customer and inventory details. Integration with Handle allows users to update customer and equipment details without changing systems. MachineFinder Pro MFPro is John Deere’s official source for evaluating used trades. You can start used trade assessments fromHandle, automatically linking them to your customer records, and utilize our advanced search tool to create reports on trade assessments. Our integration also allows you to jump directly from a stock unit in Handle to the pictures and trade details in MFPro. JDQuote If you need to quote a price to a customer via JDQuote, you won’t need to exit Handle to do it. Our software will allow you input These AFCs wouldn’t carry everything to be found in Amazon’s online catalogue. Rather, the company states their floating warehouses would focus on high-demand items. With the power of flight, an AFC could station itself above an area with “expected demand, and/or actual demand.” Once stock has been depleted or demand in that area has died down, the AFC would move on, navigating to a new area or returning to some main processing center. With this technology, certain orders could be delivered much faster AFC, picking up packages before flying them to their destinations.
Get the Most Out of Handle
Integration With Popular Programs
Handle CRM software is an effective tool for managing your customer relations and identifying opportunities for sales, but it doesn’t have to be the only weapon in your digital arsenal. Handle comes
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THE SECOND PILLAR OF CRM ADOPTION Define a Strategy
Last month we discussed why outlining a detailed and compelling purpose is the critical first step in successful CRM adoption. It seeps into everything you do with Handle software from that point forward, and it creates consensus within your operation. Once you’ve crafted a purpose, you need to define a strategy for how precisely you will use CRM, whichmakes“strategy”the second pillar of CRM adoption.
As a starting point, we encourage companies to begin their focus on a single screen. We urge them to ask two crucial questions of themselves: What do I need to see or have access to that would make my job easier? What information do we need to keep track of and share as a team to satisfy our customers and to further identify where team members need help to grow? One manager, for instance, told us he needed to know“what was in the way of moving a sale forward.”We created a field for it, and every customer interaction from that point forward included a pointed discussion on this topic. Once it was ready at hand, it could be executed on, improving relations immediately. With a well-defined strategy that fits your overall purpose, you’ll be well on the way to meaningful CRM implementation. The key is to identify what information you need and how you’ll use it moving forward.
The biggest mistake that companies make when it comes time to define a strategy is that they begin by asking what the software does. They cherry-pick cool features andmake them the focal point for their future plans. The problemwith this strategy is it may not be aligned with the most important and impactful goal in your business. Another issue we see is companies focusing toomuch on the quantity of a certain type of interaction. Every organization has a little different
idea of what a“sales call”means, but the bigger problem is the difference in definitions between your teammembers. Youmust be clear about your purpose —what you are trying to improve, what information you will require your team to share, and what will be done with it. Simply telling employees to load sales calls leads to different interpretations of what should be entered.
BRAIN! TRAIN YOUR
Perfect
STEAMED ARTICHOKES
Ingredients
• • •
1 lemon, halved
•
4 large artichokes (about 2 ½ pounds) Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick butter, melted
•
1 garlic clove, finely minced or grated
Directions
until leaves pull out easily and hearts are tender (test by inserting a paring knife; it should meet no resistance), about 70-80 minutes.
1. Trim artichoke stems,
leaving about ½ inch. Snap off and throw away any browned leaves. Remove and discard top fourth of artichokes. Use kitchen scissors to snip any thorns.
3. Remove from heat and
sprinkle with lemon juice.
2. Bring 2 inches of water to simmer in a large pot. Put artichokes in a steamer
Recipe inspired by bonappetit.com. 4. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve with artichokes.
basket and place basket in pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and steam
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INSIDE
this issue
1 2
A CRM Success Story
Are Floating Warehouses the Future of Online Shopping?
Get the Most Out of Handle
3 4
The Second Pillar of CRM Adoption
Perfect Steamed Artichokes
Book Review: ‘Run Your Business, Don’t Let It Run You’
THE DOC METHOD’S PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR PROFESSIONAL GROWTH BOOK REVIEW: ‘RUN YOUR BUSINESS, DON’T LET IT RUN YOU’
When Clay Mathile, owner of the Iams pet food company, sold his business for $2.3 billion, he still had decades of business experience to offer. Eager to share the professional management systemhe developed in the face of owning a private business, Mathile founded Aileron, a nonprofit dedicated to helping private businesses establish sustainable growth.“Thinking and planning is an ongoing business process,”Mathile states.“And it requires a leader to focus on three key areas: direction , operation , and control [the DOCmethod].” Direction Leadership: To start, a business manager must always be transforming themselves into an effective leader. They do this by being self-aware, staying respectful of others, and holding to their personal values. Strategy: Rather than follow a strict process, true strategic planning relies on in-depth • •
thinking, talking, reviewing, and learning to “prioritize resources and retain a sustainable, competitive advantage over the competition.”
“a respectful workplace setting and provide a sense of purpose to workers.” PerformanceManagement: An outside board comprised of impartial, third-party individuals can focus on“big picture”issues, monitoring individual and collective performances that can be improved when needed.
•
Operation
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Business Structure: An amazing strategy means very little without effective operations to manage resources. People Development: Employees are the driving force of every company, and by fostering talent through expanded responsibilities, educational opportunities, and accountability, leaders can create a passionate workforce more aligned with their vision.
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“Run Your Business, Don’t Let It Run You”is a valuable resource to all business leaders, regardless of industry or the current size of their business. Mathile’s blueprint for long-term goals offers strategies for greater focus, sustainable growth, and an end to 16-hour work days.
Control
•
Culture: An important step in creating a team, specific choices must be made to foster a unique and cohesive environment to build
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