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My boss is a baby Boomer that was born at the very end of his generation, and I am a millennial born near the beginning of mine.  It has become custom office policy to rag on Millennials for being lazy. The only problem with this is that the jokes were funny at first, but now they have lost their punch and just sound like unfounded complaints. So now as a millennial I get to tease the baby boomer for being out of fresh jokes. Of course he is the boss, so I probably shouldn’t poke too hard, and show some respect, nah what am I thinking, I’m a millennial – I have no morals!

I have heard of training seminars on “How to Work with Millennials ” This seems like a scheme to prey on headlines about the newly tagged generation. You don’t need to be trained how to deal with us, just get to know us by talking like you would to any other human being.  I promise we wont bite, but you should be nice because you may be live streamed in the act, if you aren’t.

Every generation is different from their predecessors. Sometimes the changes seem alarming, but we are all humans, inherent with flaws, but mostly want the best for our society. I recall hearing the Greatest Generation being appalled by the Baby Boomers, shaking their hips like the heathen, Elvis Presley.  In today’s environment this seems like a silly thought, and they were just dancing to great music. Currently the senior generations are worried about today’s dance moves being too provocative and sexual.

No matter what generation you were born, your successors will undoubtedly perform some acts that you find disgraceful. Many people do not like change, but the younger generations always try to assert their independence, but they always turn out okay. I promise, the world will not end when inherited by the Millennial Generation… although these Post Millennials will undoubtedly bring about utter chaos.

Swiftpage has recently moved to a new pricing and sales platform for Act! CRM. While this may seem confusing at first, you will quickly realize the simplicity generated and the benefits added to only maintaining one version.

If you are realizing that you need to do a better job of keeping track of your clients, a CRM is essential, here are 7 reasons why:

1. Centralized Information – One of the most obvious reasons that a CRM is apparent in today’s work environment is having your information centralized. Customer information does nobody any good when it is stored in separate laptops, accessible only to users on that machine. Emails are usually stored in a single system, but are invisible to other people who work with the same clients. Communicating through a CRM allows everyone in your organization to see and keep up with what is happening with a given client. No one will look unprepared if they missed a discussion or critical meeting. Every piece of information can be made available to everyone who needs to know, and conversely you can keep certain files separate, by changing access privileges for users.

2. Paper Solutions are Not Sufficient – Are you one of those people who has collections of business cards and 3-ring binders full of notes in their office?  Its easy to grab a pen and paper to jot down notes quickly, but even easier to lose that scrap of crucial information. You can’t type a phrase into a file cabinet and have it arrange your information so that it shows just the contacts who meet your criteria. You can send a paper marketing mail out, but you won’t get the attention of people who check their email twenty times a day for every time they check their post. CRM technology is as critical part of any successful business.

3. No Data Loss – In addition to paper notes being mislaid, disorganized, or discarded. Data is even vulnerable when it is stored on your laptop or desktop, or on your office server. Servers can crash. Hard drives can fail. But a good CRM solution, administered by a good CRM provider, will be structured in a secure manner on servers that are maintained and backed up regularly. The advent of cloud computing brings you data anywhere and anytime, so long as you can access a connection. No matter where you are in the world, the critical customer data you gather is immediately accessible to your colleagues in every location needed.

4. Coordinate the Present – Using what you’ve learned about the relationship you have with your customers, you can make your business into a responsive and confident authority. You can design programs that give your customers the right kind of customer service experience. You can get sales and support staff talking to each other so that they can work together to give customers only what they want. You can use customer feedback to tell you where your resources are best spent. You can use past sales history to suggest what potential maintenance issues a customer might be facing. In addition, you can plan your time using built-in calendar and task management so that every process is done right the first time.

5. Quickly Understand the Past – There’s really no good way to look back into the history of your relationship with a customer without using CRM technology. If you want to look back in time and understand how things have progressed, you need a solution that tracks all of their communication, history, and issues. You’ll be able to save clients by knowing how to anticipate their needs and forestall common problems. You’ll be able to create marketing materials based on purchase and communication history.

6. Stay Organized in the Present – You can design programs that give your customers the right kind of customer service experience. You can get sales and support staff talking to each other so that they can work together to give customers what they will need next. You can use customer feedback to tell you where your resources are best spent.  In addition, you can plan your time using built-in calendar and task management so that every process is done right the first time.

7. Predict the Future – Once you understand the past, and know what to do in the present, you will have a reasonably good idea what your efforts now will give rise to in the future. You can use past sales history to suggest what potential maintenance issues a customer might be facing.  Things that used to come as complete surprises will be explainable, and you can plan for them, when you know why and how they happened. The better your data is in your history, and the better you track your campaigns, projects, and events, the more you can know about what is likely to happen.

For more information on a CRM to suit your needs call (866) 710-4228 or send us an email.

I recently started riding my bike to work, and have already seen the myriad of benefits, even though work is only one mile away.

Weight loss – The combination of cardio and resistance from pedaling has already made me shed pounds which everyone noticed right away. Plus I have built up muscles that aren’t easy to achieve from other forms of exercise.

Increased Productivity – There is a natural energy boost from getting fresh air and exercise, which generates more productivity in the workplace. Plus bicycling may be one of the most fun forms of exercise. You can either use it as a utilitarian tool to get you quickly from point A to B or you can do tricks and fun maneuvers all while the wind whips through your hair. Additionally there are fun accessories, like lights and bells.  I am thinking about bringing back the classic noise-making card attached to my spokes with a clothespin.

Save Money – Bike purchases are a relatively low cost compared to buying a car, plus there are many rental and craigslist options if you really want to save money.  Again, even with a one mile (two both ways) trek, I have noticed a substantial decrease in m weekly gasoline expenses, which also saves me from having to fill up at the pump.  Its takes about a minute more to bike than to drive, and i may even make it in the same time after I gain more stamina. There are also tax incentives to save you cash for your bike upkeep.

Good for the Environment – Not only is the gas saved easy on your wallet, but it keeps the smog and green house gases down, even a little bit goes a long way.  Plus the more cyclists on the road makes it safer for other riders because drivers are more aware cyclists as a mode of transportation.

I mainly sit down all day, except for water cooler and bathroom breaks, so the bike ride is a no-brainer when its time to leave.  Living in Houston means we never know what weather to expect, yesterday it was about 80 degrees out, now its nearly freezing.  No matter the weather, I dress accordingly; however I wasn’t prepared for today’s freezing rain for the ride home, but at least I can count on it being an adventure.

New Year’s Day is coming upon us quickly!  If you haven’t started yet, now is that time to get organized and start implementing new tools that will help your business take off in 2017.
1. Update your Website.  If you don’t have the time to do a total revamp, at least make sure that all of your links are working correctly and your information is up to date.
2. Review your Data and make sure that you aren’t holding on to material that serves no purpose aside from clutter.  You will thank yourself when your processes become that much quicker in 2017.
3. Check out how Act! CRM can help your business and sales teams organize prospects and customer details in one place, send emails, market products and services more effectively, and drive sales results.
4. Update the Look and productivity of your proposals with the market leading quote solution, QuoteWerks.
5. Get QuickBooks up and running so that your tax documents are in shape for the following year.
6. Start working in the Cloud so that you can work wherever and whenever you need.  Leaving you the ability to get more done in a time frame that works for you.  Contact us so that we can help you get setup with your Virtual Desktop to gain access to your software from any location on any device!

Email Us or Call 866-710-4228.