April 2009

Using mobile CRM to maintain
key customer relationships
With dozens of mobile CRM products available, deciding which has the best features and capabilities can be a stumbling block. Here are some key considerations By James Wong

With the current economic turmoil in the world, maintaining strong customer relationships is more important than ever. However, sales calls, meetings and any number of other events routinely take people away from their desks, and more importantly, their computers. This limits the access they have to their customer relationship management (CRM) software and contact databases. For salespeople in particular, such distance makes success difficult because they depend on the information maintained in these systems to help them develop and cultivate relationships with key customers.

Matching product to needs
The use of a mobile device makes remote access to many valuable resources possible, but the missing link is software which can connect mobile devices to CRM databases back on the desktop or office server. Mobile CRM products bridge this gap. With the right mobile CRM software, salespeople can access important data from company servers and update information quickly and efficiently from their mobile devices.

The key is finding a solution that best fits the company’s needs. There are dozens of mobile CRM products available, and deciding which has the best features and capabilities can be a stumbling block, especially when one considers that some of these products are missing key elements that will ensure successful product implementation.

When considering which options are most important, some features should be at the top of the list, while others may not be as essential. Here are some suggested must-have features to look for when shopping for the perfect mobile CRM solution:

• User-friendliness: As with any productivity solution, a new mobile CRM product will only be profitable if it is actually used. Look for a solution that has an easy-to-use, even familiar, interface and intuitive features. Some solutions on the market are built around flashy interfaces and a multitude of features that seem impressive, but in the end, simply add clutter and cost to the product and confuse the user. Remember that successful implementation of new technology typically hinges on user adoption, and any IT administrator will say user acceptance is best achieved when the software is straightforward and familiar.
• Synchronization: Another feature a good mobile CRM product will have is the ability to synchronize with desktops and/or servers. Look for an application that can synchronize not only while in the office, but also remotely should the device have mobile Web access. This mobile synchronization assures access to the most up-to-date data for client accounts, even when the user is out of the office for extended periods of time—something that can be worth its weight in gold. This also allows salespeople to send updated records of any recent transactions back to the office so work on the order can begin right away.
• Compatibility with a desktop/server CRM: As often as people use their handheld devices, they always return to their desktop or laptop back in the office. Mobile CRM solutions that are a version of a larger, standalone desktop or server CRM application are ideal because they ensure synchronization between the mobile device and the desktop or server is achieved seamlessly and accurately. This also allows users to jump between the mobile device and the desktop without any disturbance to productivity. The likelihood of successful user adoption is also increased because users will become familiar with the same interface whether it’s on their mobile device or desktop.
• Appointments and tasks: Today, the majority of organizations choose Microsoft Outlook as their primary e-mail, calendar and task application. Choosing a mobile CRM product that also has complete scheduling features, such as those found in Outlook, and that synchronizes with Outlook, will prevent users from overlooking deadlines and missing important meetings while they are away from their computer. Quality mobile CRM applications will allow users to synchronize with their Outlook calendars and task lists and will also provide users with the ability to schedule events and set up reminders that will either e-mail or alert them about impending deadlines or upcoming appointments. This may seem like an obvious feature, but there are products on the market that do not provide these full scheduling and schedule synchronization capabilities. Better yet are mobile CRM solutions that are completely integrated and operate within Outlook. Such applications that essentially add CRM functionality to Outlook benefit the user and will, therefore, increase user adoption because users are not forced into learning an entirely new interface and feature set.
• Tracking capabilities: Salespeople live and die by their sales pipelines. A good mobile CRM application has to give users an at-a-glance rundown of where their clients stand at any given time. Going into a sales call and not being able to remember what happened during the previous meeting can be devastating when trying to seal a deal. The best mobile CRM applications on the market are those that allow users to view their sales pipelines.
• Scalability: Another item to keep in mind when choosing a mobile CRM solution is the company’s growth potential. It’s important to consider whether the software will be able to handle the anticipated increase in workload and business expansion. Adding additional salespeople increases the need for collaboration and retrieving cross-team information. A truly scalable mobile CRM should be able to operate as effectively with a whole army of users as it does for a single individual.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Another critical feature is cross-compatibility with the myriad of handheld devices currently available. In larger companies, rollouts of new mobile devices often occur in cycles so it is likely that some employees will have one device while others have another. In small companies, employees may be asked to provide their own mobile devices, and this also increases the diversity of hand helds within a single organization. It is important to look for a mobile CRM solution that works equally well across multiple mobile operating systems, such as Palm and Windows Mobile.
• -User training offerings: Finally, look for a mobile CRM application from a vendor that offers professional user training. Several of the most reputable mobile CRM software providers offer professional training programs for users, showing them how to best deploy the application to maximize their efforts and close deals. Such tutorials can go a long way in getting users to adopt the solution, meaning greater ROI in the long run.

Business doesn’t just happen at the office anymore but this doesn’t have to come at the expense of losing touch with mission critical systems and data. Mobile devices equipped with a mobile CRM solution that incorporates the features previously described can provide a user with all the resources and data they need to build and maintain key customer relationships while away from the desktop.

James Wong is a co-founder and the CEO of Avidian Technologies, makers of Prophet, CRM software for Outlook. For more information about Avidian, visit www.avidian.com.