Why open source can save you thousands
I love open source software. We've built a lot of solutions utilizing open source technologies such as Bootstrap, jQuery, CodeIgniter, CakePHP, SugarCRM and many others. They have really propelled what we've become as a business over the years and we see the value...
Canadian Small Business: We can be more competitive if we used technology better
In the past several weeks I’ve been starting to do a lot more research into the impact of technology on small businesses in Canada. A lot of statistics that I’m pulling do fall in line with a lot of the perception that I have when dealing with small business owners. ...
Dealing with the falling Canadian dollar
One of the challenges that we have in Canada is that we are very much an export oriented country. Whether it is automobile, other manufacturing, farming, lumber or oil we are really dependent on the exports that our country produces for other countries around the...
10 Inspiring Quotes in Sales
This week I thought I would change it up with a few inspirational quotes that have had an impact on my career and many of those around me. If you're tackling that next big project or adventuring into new sales territory then a lot of these quotes can apply to every...
“This changes our lives”
This has been an exciting week at Eligeo CRM. We have a number of projects on the go and this week we touched 4 different customer projects in a variety of different ways. The one comment we had from one of the sales team members was "This changes our lives." This...
7 things a CRM will teach you about your company
I often meet a lot of business owners and executives that are pondering the merits of purchasing a CRM system for their company. Whether you’re a small business the size of 100 employees or very small at the size of 5 or less, a CRM can prove value to your...
Small Businesses Taking Notice of CRM
If you're a small business owner, I have no doubt that you have heard of the acronym CRM. I think I've heard the term client relations manager, client relationship management some do get it right with customer relationship management but the thing I'm most excited...
The 2 Keys for getting Sales People to buy into CRM
How do I get my sales people to use a CRM? That is probably the question that I hear the most from our customers and it isn't always an easy question to answer but there are two key areas that I really like to dive into when it comes to this. There are ways to...
Tools to Visualize your Sales Workflow
I did a blog post yesterday about defining the sales stages in your sales process so I thought I would add another piece to it to make it a bit more fun for all of you out there that dread this kind of stuff. The KanBan. For some of you you're wondering, a what?...
Technology shouldn’t dictate your business process
If you've ever been in a consulting session with me then you've probably heard me utter these exact words: Technology shouldn't dictate your business, your business process should dictate the technology. This is one of my favourite phrases when I'm introducing a...
Email and Sugar
Email is a huge important part of our busy daily lives. It allows us to easily connect with our colleagues and clients. Having all of your customer information inside of a CRM allows businesses to easily keep track of the sales progress and relationships with their...
Importing Data Into SugarCRM
SugarCRM provides an easy way to import data and records into a variety of available built-in modules. This process is all handled by the Import Wizard that will guide users on how to import the file, match the columns to their appropriate fields, or even updating...
How does Eligeo CRM do project management?
One of the things that I’ve learned over the years is that there are a number of different approaches to implementing a CRM. Eligeo CRM deploys a very simple and highly engaged agile approach to implementing CRM. If you’re not familiar with Agile methodologies let’s...
The endless possibilities of CRM
I love the business of CRM. It really is an industry that has a life of it's own. No matter what industry you find yourselves in there is always a product out there geared specifically for what you are trying to accomplish. I saw an article today...
Agile approach to CRM
As 2014 draws to a close I wanted to publish one last thought on a real great breakthrough we've had in terms of delivery of CRM implementations. That is of course Agile methodology. I've been practicing Agile project management for a number of years but only in the...
CRM Software Features to look for
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems help a business improve relationships with its customers. It can also prove to be beneficial for both small and large-scale businesses. So, if you are looking to invest in a CRM system for your business, here are a few...
Creating a Sales Process using a Swim lane diagram
Do you know why over 70% of CRM installations in the world fail? It’s because the teams implementing the CRM systems do not take the time to understand the real reasons behind the implementation of a CRM system for an organization. What are the priorities for a company when it comes to implementing the system? How will the users use the system and use it properly? What will motivate people to actually use the system?
Getting Started with CRM: The Essentials
Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee(CC Attribution) The modern business environment is defined by, and thrives upon, progressive customer relationships. All the feedback and criticism that the organizations of today depend on comes in through a large variety of channels,...
Improving Customer Retention with CRM
Photo courtesy of Alan Cleaver(CC Attribution) In an increasingly globalized and inter-connected business environment, one that is constantly evolving through new strategies and improving upon itself with rapidly advancing technology, it has become nigh essential for...
An Overview of Social CRM
Photo courtesy of Sean MacEntee(CC Attribution) The term social CRM burst onto the scene a few years ago, and ever since, it has been quite a hot topic for discussion and debate within business circles worldwide. So, what is social customer relationship management,...