7 Bottlenecks that a CRM for QuickBooks Clears up for Good!
When it comes to running a business, not everything will go as planned. In fact, many companies find themselves repeating the same tasks over and over again, trying to track down exactly what another employee may have done; ultimately costing the company time and money that could have been avoided with the right tools. Rinse and repeat tasks as well as status updates can be automated within the organization by implementing a CRM for QuickBooks.
Bottlenecks can kill productivity within an organization. The key to unblocking bottlenecks is fixing unbalanced processes. Process bottlenecks occur when data received (input) is delivered quicker than the following step can use it to create the output. There are short-term and long-term bottlenecks and both must be identified. Short term examples are if an employee goes on vacation and there was not backup staff to perform the work while they are gone so a backlog of activity occurs. Long term bottlenecks are created when a single person or department can’t complete the required tasks in a timely fashion and the process they are holding up is a recurring task.
A CRM for QuickBooks solution can address these issues as well as help to identify them:
Bottleneck #1 Leads
Leads are the foundation of your business’ future growth. Without leads, you will never identify prospective revenue. Many organizations have “sellers” (often times the CEO or owners of the business) that meet with someone, give them a business card and then follow up once, or forget to call. With a CRM for QuickBooks solution you can easily capture leads as they come in and then assign them to other members in your team to follow-up and close.
Bottleneck #2 – Information Overload
Multi-tasking has become synonymous with the average work day. We have so much information coming at us from all different directions, it is easy to forget things we may have remembered in a previously disconnected time. With a CRM, you can easily gather all of the information in one place, scan through the information that is important to you and still have reference points to refer to when needed. You can also make quick notes regarding the prospect or client that help you connect with them upon the next encounter (their daughter was about to get married, or they were planning a trip to Hawaii). When using the right tools you can avoid information overload fairly easily and build relationships that really foster engagement.
Bottleneck #3 – Communication Chaos
It is easy to have communications with a client, prospect, partner or vendor lost when dealing with everything in email only. Some people will miss out on something important that they should have been cc’d on, and others are
buried in emails that don’t matter to them because of cc abuse. On top of the email chaos that only proliferate bottlenecks, we add communication via messengers, social platforms, in-person and phone contacts. Nobody can pick up where another left off. With a CRM for QuickBooks solution, all messages and communications are self-contained. It is the nucleus of the organization and all client records. The system can be setup for quick logging of tasks. CRM email integration helps so a manual log of the contact isn’t necessary, and notifications can be established for other individuals so status updates don’t have to be requested. If these communications are somehow overlooked, an employee can easily log into the CRM for quick access review, make notes, and mark as completed.
Bottleneck #4 – Missed Opportunities
Did you know that within the first hour of contacting a company with no response, a lead begins to lose interest? Probably already looking for alternative solutions. And within the first 24 hours of no call back, the prospect is 50% less interested than when they first inquired. With a CRM for QuickBooks solution missing opportunities is now a thing of the past. The prospect and lead is assigned to a sales rep with corresponding reminders for lead harvesting. Any overdue contacts can be seen by management to stop sales process bottlenecks in their tracks. This helps increase your sales conversions but also gives more visibility to the executive team in identifying problems before they cost the company lost revenue.
Bottleneck #5 – Employee Performance
CRM systems don’t just provide insight into bottlenecks and work-overload; they report on those employees that can take some of the weight off the overworked ones to create scalability. With a CRM we can see what jobs have been assigned and when. We can see how long it takes for jobs to be completed, and if the jobs are being held up at any stop-gaps. Employee performance is easier to gauge when there are benchmarks of peers and data to support activity.
Bottleneck #6 – Resources
A CRM for QuickBooks provides a full snapshot with dashboards of how the business is performing. You can see what products are selling, what clients are creating revenue, the projects of the day, and how sales funnels are projecting. These informed views provide resources that help us predict bottlenecks but also reassign based on future needs.
Bottleneck #7 – Transferring Data
When QuickBooks is your accounting software, it is essential that you have a CRM system that integrates with it. This not only solves the headache of manual double entry of data, but ensures human error and bottlenecks don’t leave one system outdated. When we work with a CRM for QuickBooks solution we keep data flowing smoothly and provide the data visibility needed to manage the full business relationship.
Since QuickBooks is your main invoicing and customer portal it makes perfect sense to have an award winning CRM for QuickBooks solution as your initial contact point for the business. Contact Us today for a free trial to get started.
The Basics of Email Marketing with Small Business CRM
It is often thought that email marketing is dead; this is not true though. In fact, a recent report showed that over 50% of respondents open most of their email. The problem is that small businesses don’t know how to track what works with email campaigns, and further, they don’t have their email tool integrated with their small business CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system.
Every small business needs a CRM system to track client and prospect data. A small business CRM allows the business owner to manage every aspect of the company, including email marketing. When we talk about email we are not talking about SPAM; to the contrary, we are referring to the education of individuals and organizations who have requested to hear from you through an opt-in list. So here are some basics about email marketing with a small business CRM to get you started on the engagement process:
Messaging
The first thing that you want to do is have a clear and concise message in all communications with clients whether that be via an email client (like Constant Contact) or sent directly from your small business CRM. One of the biggest mistakes companies make when trying to communicate with their prospects is information overload. Many people feel that they need to give them everything at once when in fact, in marketing – less is more. You want to give them just enough to make them want more.
Compelling Subject Lines
In order to get the receiver to open the email, you need to have a compelling subject line. The subject is the first thing that people will see when looking at your message and as such will be the
main thing that attracts them to read on. If you are sending a text based email through your small business CRM, a compelling subject line would include the word “Secrets” or “How To” in it. If you are sending a visual email, preferably HTML, via an email client then numerical numbers included in a heading that sparks interest for more is best as it is direct and implies something quick to digest (example: Top 3 Ways to…).
Ease of Navigation
The next component of your email setup is to ensure you have a well-structured message. You want to have a clear path from start to finish and mark points of interest with bullets. When creating a message, bullet points are one of the most underused and neglected aspect of a message. Try to create your message in a way that it has actionable steps and solves a specific problem. The last thing you want to do is make things difficult, complicated, or unachievable.
Image to Text Ratio
In today’s era of technology, we are lambasted with information everywhere that we look. It is hard for the eyes to digest all of the data coming at us, so in turn, we have trained our eye to skim text and find a focal image to reset. It is especially important in email messages sent via an email client that we use a good image to text ratio. The most well received emails have images inlay with the text to break up the data and aid in digesting the content. For text based emails sent from your small business CRM, usually used as a sales follow-up or drip campaign, bullets will suffice over images.
Mobile Optimized
Over 80% of all emails are read on mobile devices. That means your message needs to not only be mobile-friendly but that it should be tested on multiple different mobile devices to ensure ease of reading. You never want a reader to have to scroll in or out to be able to read the text as it didn’t format properly for their device. When creating a mobile friendly message, make sure to not over clutter your message with fancy graphics, fonts, layouts and other aspects that will draw people away from the primary message.
Integration
Using a small business CRM email integration system with your email client is imperative so that you reduce manual entry and have a single point to view client data.
And finally, take your time; do A/B tests to see how different messages work among different groups. One message may resonate better with one group than another. Send your message several times to ensure maximum exposure. Remember, it takes on average seven touches before a prospect will take action. This provides multiple opportunities to fine-tune the messaging and then create templates within your small business CRM out of those with the highest click through rates.
At Results Software , we understand how important email marketing is, which is why we partnered with Constant Contact to provide a turn-key solution. You’ll love how our award-winning small business CRM delivers effective email marketing management …give it a try for free today!
Top 7 Features of a CRM for QuickBooks
Starting and running a business can be a dream of many people. Developing a product from scratch or offering a service that is filled with benefits can be beneficial both personally as well as monetarily. One aspect of this process however is being able to manage the customers you have, leads you encounter, and ensure that everyone is taken care of. The easiest way to accomplish this is to implement a CRM, Customer Relationship Management software program. If your business is like the top 80% of SMB’s in the U.S. then your accounting software is QuickBooks, by Intuit. To ensure accuracy and reduce double data entry, the ideal solution would be to integrate QuickBooks with a CRM software seamlessly.
CRM is a software program that allows you to track and manage a wide range of aspects related to your customers, prospects, employees, and the overall health of your business. Using a CRM solution can be the difference between growing your company or watching it wither and die.
So what should you look for in a CRM for QuickBooks solution?
Feature #1 – Simplicity
When running your business you want tasks to be simple. Overcomplicating tasks for yourself or your employees will lead to mistakes. Choosing a CRM solution that is simple to use and easy to manage is vital. When evaluating simplicity, you want to look at the user interface; is it clean, documented well, have a defined collection of features that are useful and not cumbersome? These are all questions you need to ask yourself as well as your employees. Get your employees input on what is most comfortable and user friendly for them since they will be the ones using the CRM most of the time.
Feature #2 – Accessibility
When looking at a CRM for QuickBooks you want to find something that is accessible anytime, and anywhere. Since QuickBooks has an online version, you will want a CRM that you can connect 
to via a mobile device. No matter where you are in the world or from what type of device you are using, you should have the capacity to allow your employees the ability to login whenever and wherever they need. We are in the age of internet and disabling this function is no longer an option.
Feature #3 – Campaign and Project Management
Depending on your company, you may have several different people working on the same project. In fact they may be working on several different projects within different groups and with people from all over the world. Finding a CRM for QuickBooks that allows designation of campaigns and projects will ensure everything is organized and tasks are completed in a timely manner.
Feature #4 – Flexibility and Customization
The world would be a perfect place if everything worked straight out of the box. The truth however, is that each business is unique and the CRM that you choose will need to be flexible as well as customizable. These customizations can be as simple as creating user accounts with different permission levels to provide protections from sensitive data being seen by the wrong staff member.
Feature #5 – Leads and Customer Conversion
When dealing with customers, not everyone will jump at the chance to purchase your products or services. These leads may have a specific barrier to entry such as budgets, employee constraints and even contracts that need to be renewed. When it comes to leads and the process of converting these prospects, your CRM for QuickBooks solution needs to be able to handle all aspects of the sales process. Your CRM should have intelligence to note when the conditions are met and your lead converts into a client; you want to be able to click a few buttons and integrate them directly into QuickBooks without having to duplicate data or manual entry.
Feature #6 – Pricing, Users and Migration
Budget constraints are a real concern for businesses of all sizes. When selecting a CRM solution you want one to find one that has an affordable price point. Open source solutions are great but may not be the perfect fit for your organization. Another feature you will want to look at is the number of users you can have per license. The final aspect you want to look for is the migration challenge. Once you start entering data into the CRM, the last thing you want to do is switch. Running a small company with three to five employees and data being entered in on a daily basis can turn into a large chunk of information that would be a nightmare to migrate over into another CRM. This is why selecting a CRM for QuickBooks solution that you have vetted thoroughly is a wise move. Since you are already using QuickBooks for your bookkeeping, adding in this solution just makes sense.
Feature #7 – E-mail and Communication Support
The final feature that you will want to look at is its integration with email and communications between the office, other employees, and possibly even clients and prospects. When researching CRM for QuickBooks solutions you want to ensure the application will be able to have e-mail notifications sent to employees if there is a change in a scheduled appointment or other reason. The use of communication between all of your departments is a well desired asset and one that should be heavily considered when choosing your CRM.
Finally when it comes to choosing your CRM for QuickBooks test several of them out. Make sure that they really fit your company’s needs. Jumping into a CRM that will only become outdated in six months is not a wise investment. The CRM for QuickBooks solution you choose will act as the nucleus of your organization, so choose wisely. One QuickBooks CRM to try is the award-winning Results Software.
It’s Official: Results Integrates with TSheets!
We just announced our official integration with TSheets!
As Sam Saab explains in our Press Release, “We are extremely pleased to add the TSheets integration to our list of built-in popular integrations. This new integration is yet another way that we help businesses grow and prosper by delivering a complete and flexible approach to business information management from anywhere at any time.”
The Results and TSheets integration boosts productivity by allowing users to clock-in and clock-out in either TSheets or Results, using their desktop or mobile device. Field Service technicians and mobile users will be able to automatically clock-in/out of each service/work order and capture before-and-after pictures and signature making the updating of their timesheets a seamless part of their work and keeping the timesheet content accurate for client-billing and employee and vendor compensation.
Checkout the complete integration announcement here.
Free Webinar! Increase Sales with Your QuickBooks Data
Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 3:30pm Eastern
Did you know that integrating a CRM with your QuickBooks can not only save your business valuable time but can streamline workflow with automation and generate revenue through up-sell opportunities?
Join us to uncover the top six integration benefits and take a deep dive into the powerful integration between CRM and QuickBooks. The presentation covers how your QuickBooks data can be used for more than just accounting purposes.
Attendees will learn how to:
- Respond quickly to client questions or concerns regarding order status, purchase order history, payment information, invoice balances and more.
- Work within the application of choice. Contact information, employee calendars, important emails, important documents, order history, payment history, and the sales pipeline will all be centralized in one database.
- Quickly identify and assign up-sell opportunities with comprehensive reporting and access to the order history of each account.
- Ensure accuracy by automating “pipeline to invoice” workflow. With a click of a button, quotes can be converted into sales orders and sales orders into invoices, ensuring no details are missed.
- Improve information accuracy by ensuring that contact information is always up-to-date. This way, invoices and purchase orders will always be mailed to the correct address.
- Eliminate double entry. It shouldn’t matter if information is updated in Outlook, QuickBooks or a CRM application; contact information, calendar entries, sales orders and invoices should only need to be entered once.
Results and QuickBooks Online Integration
The Results 2015 Q3 Beta release includes the highly anticipated QuickBooks Online (QBO) integration with Results CRM, Results Business Suite and Results Enterprise.
Similar to the current award-winning Results QuickBooks Desktop integration, the Results QBO integration synchronizes customer, vendor, employee, estimate, sales order, sales receipt, invoice, payment and inventory data between QBO and Results. It provides full visibility of the financial status and history of each customer, including invoices and associated payments – regardless of whether the data was entered in Results or QBO.
Click here to learn more about the Results and QuickBooks integration.
We're Head Over Heels for TSheets!
Announcing the Integration of TSheets with Results
TSheets is a powerful mobile time-tracking tool designed to effectively manage timesheets for payroll.
Benefits of the new TSheets and Results integration:
- Clock-in & Clock-out in either TSheets or Results, using your desktop or mobile device
- Who’s Working allows you to see who is clocked-in, in real time
- Multi-level Timesheet Approval (i.e. keep employees capped at certain hours, review and approve overtime, etc.)
- Notify Staff via TSheets Messaging sent through Results to any individual(s) in the company
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Send TSheets Timesheets to QuickBooks for payroll processing
Join our Beta Team for the Results 2015 Q3 Beta release!
Use, test and provide feedback on this exciting new release. Email Beta@Results-Software.com or call your Results Advisor at 800-713-7013, for more information.
Benefits of CRM Outlook Integration
A Closer Look at the Results CRM Outlook Add-in
When Results CRM and Outlook connect, business relationships, activities and email conversations are easier to track. Since the two systems work together, it does not matter if contact or calendar information is updated in Results CRM or in Outlook – the information stays in sync, making sure everyone has the right information to work with at all times.
One-click Results CRM Outlook Add-In.
Click the Results CRM Outlook add-on in your Outlook menu bar to add emails (and their attachments), contacts, appointments from Outlook into Results CRM.
View emails in context of the business relationship.
Capture emails, including attachments, and save them within Results CRM. Email conversations are neatly filed under each contact’s record so no matter who was on the original email thread, all Results CRM users will be able to see (and remember) the conversation history.
View a company-wide calendar.
The Results CRM Outlook add-in allows employees to quickly update the Results CRM company calendar with their Outlook appointments. Appointments created in Results CRM can also be into Outlook.
Boost productivity and eliminate duplicate data entry!
Update contact information or calendar entries in either system and always have the most up-to-date changes of your contact’s information in Results CRM and Outlook.
6 Time-Saving Benefits of Smart Integration
What Happens When CRM and QuickBooks Talk
Did you know that integrating a CRM with QuickBooks can not only save a business valuable time but can also streamline workflow with automation, generate revenue through up-sell opportunities and improve business relationships by 
providing visibility into client and vendor information to all staff?
When a CRM solution is designed to be fully integrated with QuickBooks, it provides everyone in the company visibility to the customer and vendor information they need, without giving them access to sensitive accounting data. In fact, when a CRM system properly integrates with QuickBooks (meaning bi-directionally and at the transaction level), Sales and Management teams have up-to-date account information at their fingertips so they can immediately identify up-selling opportunities and respond to customer and vendor inquiries, and it also saves Accounting from needing to respond to these inquiries and from needing to generate and send periodic sales reports.
When CRM and QuickBooks integrate bi-directionally, businesses can expect to save time by being able to:
1. Respond quickly to client questions or concerns regarding order status, purchase order history, payment information, invoice balances and more.
2. Work within the application of choice. Contact information, employee calendars, important emails, important documents, order history, payment history, and the sales pipeline will all be centralized in one database.
3. Quickly identify up-sell opportunities with comprehensive reporting and access to the order history of each account.
4. Assure accuracy by automating “pipeline to invoice” workflow. With a click of a button, quotes can be easily converted into sales orders and orders into invoices, ensuring no “human-error” in re-entering information and there are never any details missed.
5. Eliminate double entry. It shouldn’t matter if information is updated in QuickBooks or the integrated CRM application; contact information, sales orders and invoices should only need to be entered once.
6. Improve information accuracy by ensuring that contact information is always up-to-date. Integration automatically makes sure the latest changes are reflected in both systems, thus ensuring all your communications, including invoices, purchase orders and sales promotions will always be sent to the correct address.
Every organization faces competing priorities and automating the way you do business should not be overlooked. An integrated CRM solution will provide any company with competitive advantages and improved customer satisfaction – two things that are particularly important to grow your business. Now is a better time than ever to consider the many ways your organization would benefit by implementing an integrated CRM solution.
Educational Webinar: What Happens When QuickBooks and CRM Talk
Did you know that integrating a CRM with your QuickBooks can not only save your business valuable time but can streamline workflow with automation and generate revenue through up-sell opportunities?
Our recent educational webinar uncovered the top six integration benefits as attendees took a deep dive into the powerful integration between Results CRM and QuickBooks. The presentation discussed how your QuickBooks data can be used for more than just accounting purposes.
If you missed the presentation, make sure to view the webinar here and learn how to:
- Respond quickly to client questions or concerns regarding order status, purchase order history, payment information, invoice balances and more.
- Work within the application of choice. Contact information, employee calendars, important emails, important documents, order history, payment history, and the sales pipeline will all be centralized in one database.
- Quickly identify and assign up-sell opportunities with comprehensive reporting and access to the order history of each account.
- Ensure accuracy by automating “pipeline to invoice” workflow. With a click of a button, quotes can be converted into sales orders and sales orders into invoices, ensuring no details are missed.
- Improve information accuracy by ensuring that contact information is always up-to-date. This way, invoices and purchase orders will always be mailed to the correct address.
- Eliminate double entry. It shouldn’t matter if information is updated in Outlook, QuickBooks or a CRM application; contact information, calendar entries, sales orders and invoices should only need to be entered once.