Partner Hosted CRM and LIVE CRM definitely has its benefits!

Most companies know they need it and many have looked into CRM applications over the years to better manage their business. Getting into the CRM mix can be difficult though, with substantial costs in software, infrastructure and, with ongoing resource costs for some are not a possibility. Many have developed homegrown applications that meet only a portion of their needs or they use excel spreadsheets to manage customer interactions. This is not the most efficient or secure way to run your business so let’s look at LIVE CRM and its benefits.

Microsoft’s release of LIVE CRM will provide more options to the small and mid size companies. It is all about the “Power of Choice” which means an offering of the following services: On Premise, Partner Hosted or LIVE CRM. One of the benefits is giving customers the flexibility to switch between deployment models as their needs change and evolve.

LIVE CRM will be integrated with Microsoft’s Windows Live and Office Live—online services geared toward small businesses. The Microsoft LIVE CRM service will share the same configuration tools used in on-premises CRM and hosted CRM offered by partners. Let’s look below at the top reasons why a company would choose LIVE CRM.

Top 12 reasons for choosing Microsoft Dynamics Live CRM or Partner Hosted Microsoft Dynamics CRM

1. Low upfront costs and low monthly payment plan per user.


2. Reliable solution geared toward small and mid market businesses.


3. Companies do not have to worry about an infrastructure.


4. Comfortable web based environment – if you are already running MSN then you have already been introduced to the MS live environment


5. Companies who have a limited number of people who need to use crm.


6. LIVE CRM will be up and running quickly so if you are a growing company who eventually will need on premise , this will be a good solution.


7. Peace of mind with continual software upgrades as Microsoft releases them.


8. Integration into MS office products for easy exports to Excel and MS Word.


9. Runs out of Microsoft Outlook - no need to manage multiple calendars and inboxes.


10. Reduced training costs- if you are using Outlook today then the learning curve is cut by 50%.


11. Offers a multi language and multi currency offering should your business require it.


12. With LIVE CRM, companies can sign on and test drive the software before deploying it.

As you can see there are many benefits to LIVE CRM but it is always important to look at your options, do your homework and choose the best solution for your company, LIVE CRM is just one of many.

CRMGURU@CRMLIVELAB.com

Visit us at http://www.crmlivelab.com/

Does the pizza man need fancy CRM software to sell?

The other day, after picking him up from his part-time job, my son and I were looking for something to grab for dinner. I was heading to our regular pizza shop, when my son suggested that we try someplace new.

The place he suggested was a tiny hole-in-the-wall pizza joint in a strip plaza. I had never seen an advertisement for, or heard of, this place.
It was approximately 10:30 at night; we walked in the door and stood in line behind 4 other patrons. I was amazed at how busy the place was; the location wasn’t convenient: far from bars, the mall, or any form of evening entertainment. The pizza was not necessarily all that good, and the sanitation was somewhat substandard. There were also 15 other large franchise pizza facilities within 2 miles of this place, in seemingly better locations. So why were people lining up?

My son ushered me over to a large wall full of pictures of students his age. The owner had taken the pictures when the students dropped in for lunch and at other times throughout the day.

That's when it dawned on me; that’s why we are here because of these students .The owner of the establishment had built a sales force of students who bring their parents in. In exchange for bringing their parents, the students get a sense of community, their picture on the wall and possibly a student discount.

What's brilliant about it, no fancy technology, no expensive advertising, no gimmicks or coupons: just simple networking and viral marketing.

I tip my hat to that pizza man. He chose to embrace the students instead of, like other establishments, send them away. As a result, he built a customer base to generate more income in addition to his lunchtime revenue.

As a professional technology salesman, this is a simple reminder that, as good as I think all my technology tools are: they are only tools. CRM stands for “customer relationship management”. Ultimately it's the people that build the relationships.

Steve
Certified Microsoft Dynamics CRM Business Professional
crmguru@crmlivelab.com

We can now offer partner hosted Microsoft CRM and SharePoint

CRM Live Labs and Pelagic Solutions now provides hosting and select complimentary services that allow Executives, Information Workers and IT professionals to realize the full potential of Microsoft CRM to perform in their roles. CRM Live Labs and Pelagic Solutions has a goal to maximize the end customer’s potential with their selected solutions. Hosting can provide a critical link between the seller, the buyer and technology. Software and hardware is increasingly more complex, and as a part of our value proposition to our customers, we provide hosting as a way to assure the whole business solution provides tremendous value. We have carefully identified an Microsoft HSP (Hosting Solution Partner) partner with CRM hosting capabilities within our domain expertise.






We are truly now able to offer the power of choice

1. Microsoft Dynamics CRM - On premise
2. Microsoft dynamic CRM - Partner Hosted
3. Microsoft Dynamics LIVE CRM

Our hosted sites average uptime of 99.99% per year and is fully secure.

for more information drop by our website at http://www.crmlivelab.com/