Author: Dave J.

Happy Easter, my dear readers…A leave you with an “Easter Egg” from Google

Helpful hints

I’m not a SEO, but I like to know what its all about. Here is a list of 33 points someone posted at webmasterworld:

All I have learned from this Forum…

More classic advice…for trade ads

Photonics Spectra Magazine does a good job of sending monthly newsletters with worthwhile articles. They must know they are valuable, as the newsletter is hole-punched, ready to be saved. The lead article this month is titled “Does Ad Location Matter?”, written by Cari Brennan of Readex, an independent readership survey company.

Her basic point is that the location of the ad in the magazine doesn’t matter much. “Far front, right side” as being the ideal location isn’t really true, she says, backing it up with her company’s extensive research. What she does say in her conclusion is prime facts:

…the importance of content is neglected. The right mix of copy and illustration will grab the attention of readers. Well designed ads with compelling sales stories attract readership, even if they are in the back of a publication or next to another ad.

Classic advice

As a soon to be client of a yet to be selected brand of CRM software, I’ve gotten a couple emails offering advice. The truth is I feel I’ve done an effective job of educating myself. We aren’t looking for pie-in-the-sky, we are just looking for a tool to keep our business going. I was frustrated when I first started shopping with software with very esoteric questions about our goals–our goals are to keep track of our clients and our “opportunities”. After going to the CRM conference, I learned that many companies are looking for such software to solve a multititude of problems. I’d like to solve those problems too, but I doubt I will be given the time or resourses to do so. What I am looking at this week when I do “demos” is usability. Simplistic, yes; realistic, yes!

But, I promised classic advice, and here it is, followed with my comments:



I hope you’re not Focusing Too Much On the Technology Side of the quation – That Would Be Like Buying a Car When You Don’t Even Know How to Drive; It Looks Good, But You Don’t Really End Up Getting Anywhere With It. I know how to drive, but I may buy an SUV when a Neon may do, just to give me some level of comfort and safety. But I don’t realistically think I will be driving it off-road, but I may use it to haul a trailer once in a while.

Have You:

* Built a Business Case for your CRM Project – Without a CRM Vision, Strategies, Measurable Goals or Action Plans, There’s No Road Map for Achieving Anything Worthwhile. As other people have tried to pin on me for advertising, I don’t have the resources to accurately measure the success. The benefit to us is apparent and needed, it doesn’t need to be justified. If it becomes a competitive advantage, so much the better.

I do have a written plan and goals, divided into phases. I just hope my management sees the significance of the points it makes.

* Got Buy-in, Participation & Overt Support For Your Project From Top Mgmt – If Not, As Problems and Issues Continue to Add Up, it’s Easier to Give Up, then to Move Forward. We’ve got a software package right now that’s broken. Its easy to get your wife excited about a new car when the old one shakes every time she steps on the brake, isn’t it?

* Got Buy-in & Acceptance For Your CRM Plans From The People Who Will Become the Users of the New Software – If Not, You May End Up With a System That Isn’t Widely Used. Ditto previous comments.

* Focused Too Much on Company-Centric Rather then Customer-Centric Results – If so, You’ll Make All Kinds of Changes to Things That Will Have Absolutely No Impact on Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty, or Retention. I am the customer-centric person in our group. Yes, I’ve got to keep others focused on the customer.

Also, Make Sure You are NOT:

* Trying to Implement Change Without Managing its Impact on People.

* Trying to Do Way Too Much, Way Too Soon

* Underestimating the Time, Resources and Money Required

* Significantly Underestimating User Training and Support Requirements

The last four are good warnings for any implementation. I’ve done ERP implementation, so I understand these, but the CRM conference was a good refresher. And I fear that I will be trapped by these as my other job duties press on me and my energy wanes.