CRM for non-profit organisations

It might not be instantly obvious why CRM systems have proved popular for non-profit organisations and charities.

The terminology of a 'non-profit' organisation can be somewhat misleading. After all, non-profit organisations still have to pay their staff, rent office space, pay the bills and meet targets. In other words, they still have to make money.

And, more often than not, they're under just as much pressure to do so as 'for-profit' businesses.

The primary difference lies in what they're able to do when they make that money. While for-profit organisations are free to use the money they make as they wish, not-for-profit organisations must either hold profits and/or invest them back within the organisation.

So, with the line between profit and non-profit organisations becoming more blurred in recent times, why have non-profit organisations been one of the biggest investors in CRM systems?

Non-profit organisations can cover an increasingly wide spectrum, but for many the first thought when the words 'non-profit organisation' are uttered is of a Charity, or of an organisation that is looking to contribute something to society, for no personal gain.

Either way, non-profit organisations often rely on goodwill and donations in order to achieve their goals and continue to make progress.

It's no surprise therefore, that non-profit organisations need to maintain relationships with the people that are supporting them. One way to do this is by tailoring your communication and output to individual prospects and leads, so they are always receiving (free) information that is useful to them.

It is utilising the practices of Lead Nurturing and Lead Scoring at a time when people are taking longer than ever to decide on considerable purchases.

These practices are essential for charities, and non-profit organisations, who need to know who is giving them money and where they want that money to go.

If tailoring output  to an individual prospect/lead/client is something that businesses who sell B2B or B2C products would like to do, it is something that non-profit organisations simply must do.

If an organisation is reliant on donations, they need to understand their donors, and the way to do this is to centralise data and information in one system.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 is something that allows non-profit organisations to see who is giving them money, where they want to see it spent and how they're responding to company-released information, which will tell them if they're likely to become a regular donor.

Though the concept is slightly different to a product-based 'selling' business, a non-profit organisation can use Microsoft CRM in a similar way; classifying leads into three types, and tailoring their output accordingly.

With such an easy way of ensuring that everyone is getting exactly what they want, it starts to become clear to see why Microsoft CRM has become such a hit with non-profit organisations all over the world.

After all, when you're offered something that can improve your organisation and that has the tools in-place to keep everyone happy, why would you ever turn it down?

Sound interesting? Why not call us for a no oblication, free chat and to explore in further detail how Microsoft CRM for non-profit organisations can boost your effectiveness.

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it's easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.

As 2011 draws to a close, we're left to reflect on another year in which the importance of social media in B2B marketing has grown rapidly.

We've previously discussed the four things to remember with B2B social media marketing and the overall importance of utilising social media to stay one step ahead.

But, as we get set to end another year, one thing I'd like to ask directly is:

What do you want to get out of Social Media?

Recent research has shown that, for most marketers, the primary priority of utilising social media is to increase traffic to the company website. This was narrowly followed by the desire to improve/create brand awareness.

This falls in-line with these Lead Nurturing times. Due to the internet enabling prospects to research businesses, they meet the vendor earlier than ever before in the sales process. And this makes the buying process now a slower affair.

Can marketers expect to counteract the slow sales cycle with social media?

Will social media be able to deliver direct results instead of just raising brand awareness?

As more of us become more accustomed with how to use social media, retail and e-commerce businesses in particular are frequently seeing connections, followers and contacts being converted into paying customers.

But for many of us B2B marketers, it is unrealistic to expect a wealth of customers to arrive directly from social media. Instead, we use social media to raise awareness which, as we've discussed recently, is the first step towards any sale.

The important thing to consider though, is what you want to gain from social media. Too many smaller businesses fall into one of two traps when it comes to utilising social media marketing.

1. Expecting too much too soon:- By its very concept, social media is just that. It is an advertising tool, but it is one that needs to be used carefully. The recommended amount of 'sales' tweets to be sent out via Twitter, for example, is 25% of your overall messages. If you're expecting instant customers from social media, the messages you're sending out will reflect that and, ultimately, will have the exact opposite effect to the one you wanted.
2. Not utilising it enough:- Yes, we're all busy. And time is limited. But I've seen far too many corporate Twitter accounts set-up that haven't been used for the best part of a year. If you're going to try social media marketing, set aside 15 minutes a day and actually utilise it. An unused company account will only reflect badly on your business.

Ultimately though, to get the most out of social media, you need to set definite goals and you need to have a rough idea of how you're going to reach them.

Want to see ROI? Use a tool such as Microsoft CRM and see if you're getting it. Then adapt your strategy accordingly.

With the birth of Google+, it looks like the importance of social media is only going to grow in 2012.

Which means if you've not already done so, now's the time to fully embrace it. And, most importantly, it's time to decide just what it is you actually want from it.

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it is easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.

For almost a year, blogging has been a central part of our marketing strategy here at Contact Edge CRM.

Since the end of January 2011, we have made it our goal to deliver high-quality, thought-provoking blogs centred on all things CRM on a regular basis.

Recently, I came across a very interesting Econsultancy piece which gave five great examples of product page copywriting. There, it stressed the importance of producing good, strong sales copy by adding a personal touch, in order to make your products page stand out from the crowd.

While I would agree with the sentiment that the importance of good copywriting is something that can often be underestimated by many businesses, I would argue that this can extend beyond the Products & Services pages to a company blog such as this one.

We've previously discussed how getting noticed is now the first step to any potential sale. The sales process can often be a long-winded process, as you gradually earn the trust of a potential lead.

So how do we do get noticed?

Increasingly, businesses are utilising social media to interact with potential and existing customers and as a way of building up their brand.

Social media marketing is a deep subject that we have previously blogged about in greater detail, and needless to say, it shouldn't be a stand alone practice, but something that's part of your wider marketing strategy.

Whatever aspects of social media you use, you ultimately need to be linking back to your website. While the engagement and interaction element of social media is vital, it is after all an advertising tool and you occasionally want to link back to something.

The question is, what do you want to link back to?

Will your followers or connections really respond to being directly linked to your products/offers/services page? Will that really spark any discussion or gain their trust?

This is where blogging comes in.

We've previously discussed how marketers give useful information away in a bid to entice further business down the line. It's certainly something we strive towards.

The key question, which we first mentioned in an early blog on Lead Nurturing, to keep in mind is: Is this information useful to the recipient, even if they never buy from you?

As well as the Marketing element, a blog can also be an excellent tool to vent (in a nice way), particularly if you're part of an industry that occasionally appears in the news.

Linking back to the initial news story, giving your own opinion (and relating it to your own business) and spreading the message on social media is a great way to get noticed. Which means you've taken the first step towards a potential sale.

Of course, no self-respecting company blog would be complete without a sales message, so it would be churlish of me to finish without mentioning that Microsoft CRM is the tool to use if you want to monitor the success of your social media links, company blog or any element of a wider lead nurturing strategy.

The beauty of business blogging is that it is relevant for any business. Whatever the size and sector of your company, it can generate interest in your company and, ultimately, bring in new leads.

If you've not tried it, I'd strongly recommend giving blogging a shot. It's very therapeutic. And, when it's done well, really does work.

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it is easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.

Previous Blogs you may like:

• Why 'life' rules can apply to your business
• Is Marketing the driving force behind your business?
• How are you engaging with your clients?
• Why embracing change isn't a bad thing

For many, there will always be that inner child inside of us that craves the latest 'must have' accessory.

The latest smartphone, for example. We know that when we sign that 18-24 month 'contract' to commit to a new phone, that same contract is not worth the paper it's written on.

Because, as soon as the latest model makes an appearance, we will have to have it. That's what we do; we spend our hard-earned money ensuring that we have the best model, tablet or accessory that will make our personal and professional lives as easy as possible.

This is natural behaviour. It is human instinct. For some, there is a childlike tendency of 'wanting' the newest thing out there, but the reality is that we just want something that will organise us and keep everything in one place.

With that in mind, it seems strange that many successful executives – who are extremely good at what they do – have the exact opposite mindset when it comes to their business.

We have previously discussed how executives can be resistant when it comes to changing their CRM systems, where the tendency is often to stay with a 'tried (tired) and tested' system.

But wouldn't it make sense to apply the same logic to your business as you do to yourself?

A good smartphone or tablet acts as an organisational tool for you, ensuring that everything you need is only ever one step away. Why not afford the same privelege to your employees, all whilst boosting your standards of customer service?

A tool like Microsoft CRM is not only something that has the potential to boost your sales and marketing efforts, but something that makes life so much easier. Not just for you, but for your entire staff-force.

It is something that gives them instant access to every bit of information you have on all of your leads and customers.
Something that measures their own performance and tells you if they are meeting their targets.

This is what CRM can do for your business – and so much more.

As with a smartphone, there is a initial transitional process as you adapt to the new system. And, as with a smartphone, once you've upgraded, you'll  wonder why you hadn't done it sooner!

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it is easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.

In 2011, marketing is everything. Due to changes in the buying process, it will also be everything next year, and the year after that.

In fact, its importance is only going to grow.

The internet has enabled the consumer across the entire purchasing cycle, meaning that would-be customers are more powerful - and informed - than ever before.

This has drastically changed the roles of both sales and marketing.

We’ve discussed in previous blogs the importance of employing a marketing-led lead nurturing strategy to reflect the changes in the buying process.

We’ve also written about the importance of Sales and Marketing working together, as opposed to seeing one and other as competition, or a hindrance.

But one question we’ve not yet asked is: Just where does marketing rank in the grand scheme of your company?

Is it a supportive element? Or is it at the heart of your business?

While on LinkedIn, I recently came across an excellent blog written by Marketing expert Gareth Case, which explained, as we have previously, why more Sales and Marketing teams should work closely together.

Of particular interest though, was a point Gareth made about marketing: Why isn't it the driving force behind more businesses?

Many businesses see marketing as a supporting function – a department that is an organiser, a background function.

Meanwhile, for SME’s, it is something that requires time and money that many feel they can ill afford. Marketing is therefore often ignored in favour of more traditional, direct sales.

But do more traditional direct sales really work anymore?

In bigger companies, Sales and Marketing are often completely separate departments. This can lead to rivalry, with the two blaming each other, rather than complementing each other.

For success to occur, bridges need to built and the two divisions needs to understand – and listen – to each other.

If the Sales team don’t listen to Marketing and use their material, then what’s the point? The two need to be hand-in-hand from the very start.

For bigger companies, that means giving marketing a seat at the top table, and a real say in any major decisions.

For smaller businesses, who may not have the resources to plan fully-fledged campaigns, embracing marketing means networking; it means utilising social media and above all, it means getting your brand out there as much as possible.

Today, getting known, recognised and ultimately trusted, is the first step towards any potential sale.

If you’re interested in boosting marketing efforts, our upcoming FREE seminar will show you how this can be done, regardless of the size of your business.

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it is easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.

We are all different and, as such, we will all react differently to sales approaches.

This is why many sales professionals strongly disagree with those who believe cold calling is dead. And they have examples to prove it.

The reality, of course, lies somewhere in the middle.

Even in 2011, a speculative approach can work. There are countless examples where a completely 'cold' call has resulted in big business. It'd be wrong to dismiss any practice as 'dead', simply because we're all so different.

So when people write off cold calling completely, they're just as wrong as the sales professionals who deem any marketing 'pointless'.

But we have to be realistic. What is your first reaction when you receive a 'cold' sales call? Is it to end the call as quickly as possible?

At best, you may take a look at the company in question's website – so, at least from that perspective, the call wasn't pointless. But if you knew nothing of this company before the call, you're highly unlikely to buy anything of them on the basis of one phone call.

Some of you may even be annoyed by it, meaning the call has had the opposite effect of its purpose.

Many businesses are countering the changes in the modern-day buyer by favouring a more gentle lead nurturing process. The buying process, for many, has never been slower and, as such, drip feeding information can be a way of gaining returning business. Most people today will only buy from someone who they know and who they trust.

But how do you then determine when a lead is sales ready?

Even to qualified leads, making a sales call too soon can undo all the previous good work and cost you a potential sale, while leaving it too long before making a sales approach could allow a competitor to swoop in.

This is where a scientific approach needs to be implemented, allowing you to 'score' leads based on their activity.  For example, a lead scores +1 one  for a visit to your website, another +2 for a visit to your products and services page and +5 for parting with their information.

Then, when they reach a number that you deem to be 'sales-ready', you or your sales team make the call.

Businesses measure sales statistics and they measure marketing statistics. But how about measuring the two together and helping each other out?

Microsoft CRM is one tool which can help you see who is visiting your website and what it is that they're looking at, enabling you to tailor the information you send them and give them exactly what they want.

Sound interesting? We are hosting an interactive FREE half-day seminar in Stamford on 17th November, which will show delegates how Microsoft CRM can help them Engage, Convert and Expand their clientbase. Click here to find out more.

At Contact Edge CRM, we specialise in Microsoft CRM, which helps businesses find creative ways to engage with customers.  And by accurately tracking how the first engagement was initiated, it is easy to determine which elements of your marketing strategy are working.