Customer Support Team on Social Media?

What is the single biggest tip to convert a customer who visits your website/social channel?
No, it is NOT the request for quote form!

Be "Available", period!

Three Simple Steps to being 'Available'

A. Have your company phone number posted where visitors can easily see it on your Web pages/Content and on Social Pages.
B. Have a live chat attached to the site if possible, but phone is a must.
C. Hire Strong Customer Support Reps with Social Media Community Management knowledge who are passionate, available and empowered to respond/engage.

Done !

Most people in the world, still would like to pick up the phone or just talk/chat, ask some questions, and get answers from a human. Do all it takes to make that experience less frustrating.

Rackspace is great inspiration if you are still not convinced. They call it 'Fanatical Support' - it tells a lot about the seriousness with which they view Support.

By the way, is your Customer Support Team on Social Media (Atleast on FB/Twitter/G+/LinkedIn)?

   One out of 4 (some studies, even says the number is every 3rd user, which is a whopping 33%) users, would prefer contacting you on Social Channel than over phone! So be "Available to Engage through Social Channels"

Sources:  www.slideshare.net/sreejeshkm/understanding-chief-executive-social-customer-and-the-plan-to-achieve-social-media-goals;

 http://www.slideshare.net/Desk/the-social-customer-24253944

Hello Directors and Managers, time to engage in Social Media is Now!

Today, customers are expecting to hear from the leadership team on social media channels, as a
direct way to connect and engage with prospective service providers, brands they love, architects behind products they love and causes they support. I am not talking just about B2C consumers here, but very much about B2B customers as well.

Remember, artificially just trying to be someone else to create a larger than life persona, just don't fly in the long run, and you are not going to like that fake persona yourself, either. So be yourself, but be conscious in not disclosing confidential info, and also be aware of the damage a bad comment in Blog or else-where can cause.

A Leader's (Especially, CXOs/Directors/Managers/Architects) engagement in social media raises the brand profile and instills confidence in your company’s core team. Those who engage with strong positive commitment over a longer period, are better equipped to lead a company or a product or a Service line. Better communication, improved brand image, and higher level of transparency is the order of the social world today, and it is important for the Managers and CXOs to pull up the socks and start engaging!

So, now what Social Media channels? This is a more complex to answer, but the quick answer for a tech firm would be to start with a Blog or Active Discussions in LinkedIn Groups. Again, it is important to be yourself, and let the world know who you are, the way you are, and listen to your thoughts and ideas.

For more tips on taking your brand to next level, please read this blog

Cloud Ready Business Email is the way, if you are a start-up, looking for a head start

The Advantage of getting started with a Cloud Ready Business Email (Smart Business Email) is that, it allows you to use more and more cloud based tools and Apps as your business grow. (e.g. Tomorrow, you may want to have an Invoicing App, Or a Billing Application, i am sure there are hundreds of providers with GoogleApps/Office 365 integration, giving you that service on 'Pay As You Go' model, or sometimes even for free, for single user, forever)

     To get qualified as 'Smart', a Business Email need to be ready to harness the power of "Free" or "Pay As you Go" On-Demand Cloud Apps. Here is a quick check list to determine cloud readiness for your business email.
     a) Cloud Apps - Can i integrate productivity Cloud apps like Invoicing, Time tracking,CRM and millions of Apps right into Email, as and when i need them in the future?
     b) Powerful Search - Can i have a powerful Search, so that i never miss an email or content sent by some one in the past- how about a google like search for your inbox and for other content?
     c) Chat, Video with my employees or external vendors/clients - How about instant chat built right into my Email Inbox- so, i can decide to chat or write email or have video call, to improve efficiency? all centrally connected to your Email.
     d) Does it work like a charm on the Cloud, without me worrying about up-time, spam mails, infrastructure issues, IT personnel cost. remember, unless you are an Enterprise looking for serious in-house email infrastructure on your private data center, you would go with cloud.
     e) Can it support shared Calendar with all my employees, so that i can setup meeting more easily and even knowing their schedule?
     f) Does it allow me my Org, to go Social, and collaborate (read Google+ business integration with Google Apps) and create effective org wide social exchange and collaboration, within your office employees?
     g) Can i start leveraging more powerful Cloud Apps tied to by business email, in an easy to govern control panel (E.g. Some Apps only subset list of users/emailIds in my organization)?
     h) Can i get rid of license cost for Office productivity Apps, and turn my Capex into Opex?

    If your answer is "YES" to all the above points, you would probably need a Cloud Ready 'Smart' Business Email.

What are the Cloud Ready Smart Business Email options available today?  
     There are only very few options if you are really interested in Cloud Ready Smart Business Email
      #1 Business Email Powered by Google Apps
      #2 Business Email Powered by Microsoft Office 365 (with Exchange Online)
      #3 Zoho Email (Relatively less powerful compared to Google Apps and Office 365
         
Remember, it is NOT mandatory to have Cloud Powered Business Email, to start using Cloud Apps, but having a Smart Business Email, powered by Google Apps/Office 365 makes the cloud journey all the more easier and manageable.

How to get a Smart Business Email? Sign-up with Google Apps or Office 365 yourself, if you can handle the DNS changes and Domain verification and Setup yourself. You can alternatively contact Service Providers like TobocBiz.com or others.

A Smart Business Email is like a 'Smart Phone' for your business

Today, there are over a million reasons why you would choose a smart phone over a traditional mobile phone. The million Apps available on market places of Android and iPhone does make your life easier and more fun.
But, what about your Business Email, can it become Smart like your smart phone?  yes, it can, and it has been there for a while now, and are being used by many successful start-ups, micro businesses, SMBs and enterprises alike.

How to get a Smart Business Email?    Let us first try to understand why is it called smart!

Why is it called 'Smart' Business Email?

     To Qualify as 'Smart' a business email need to be
     a) Apps - Can i integrate productivity apps like Invoicing, Time tracking and CRM right into Email, as and when i need them in the future?
     b) Powerful Search - Can i have a powerful Search, so that i never miss an email sent by some one whose name also i don't remember now- how about a google like search for your inbox?
     c) Chat, Video with my employees - How about instant chat built right into my Email Inbox- so, i can decide to chat or write email, to improve efficiency?
     d) Does it work like a charm on the Cloud, without me worrying about up-time, spam mails, infrastructure issues, IT personnel cost
     e) Can it support shared Calendar with all my employees, so that i can setup meeting more easily and even knowing their schedule? and can it send a SMS/Text message alert for my meetings?
     f) Able to go Social, and collaborate (read Google+ business integration with Google Apps) and create bonding and effectiveness, within your office employees?

    If your answer is "YES" to all the above points, you need a 'Smart' Business Email.

    Getting a Smart Business Email is simple and will not even cost you the price of your morning news paper!
    So, It makes sense to get one.

What are the Smart Business Email options available today?     

     There are only very few options if you are really interested in a Smart Business Email
      #1 Business Email Powered by Google Apps
      #2 Business Email Powered by Office 365 (with Exchange Online)

How to get a Smart Business Email?  

Sign-up with Google Apps or office 365 yourself, if you can handle the DNS changes and Domain verification and Setup yourself.

You can alternatively contact Service Providers like Toboc.Biz or others, who will set it up free of cost.

Sales Process simplified for Startups and Small Business

No matter what you're selling, the process of converting your Leads to Customers require a process/structure.

In order to succeed and thrive in sales you would need to master each one of these below steps.

 1. Choose a Sector/Industry to focus

The product or service that you are offering is probably needed by the whole world. But, don't target the whole world yet. Choose one or two sectors with sufficient study done via channels like Surveys, Personal interview with potential buyers, Advisory board, Social Media, Blogs etc...

2. Convince yourself about the product or Service that you sell.

You can't convince a prospect effectively without knowing all about your products and services. If you don't understand the product or service OR if you are not convinced yourself, you cannot expect someone else to buy it, simple!

3. Understand your target audience 

After the step1, and once you are convinced about your products and Services, the chances are that you may start focusing too much on your brand and your products, while communicating with your audience - there is a big trouble here, as your target audience is more interested in knowing how the product/service will solving their problems.

4. Create and Manage Leads well

To succeed, you must make sure not a single lead is ever missed!, and to do that, you have to ensure that, the Leads generated through various marketing activities are seamlessly flowing into an central platform like CRM tool. Remember, setting up this integration is not a rocket science, and there are many firms that can help you get a usable and working CRM tool up and running for your small business for as low as Rs 500 ($10) a month!
While setting up CRM tool, please ensure that the 'Contact us' form and 'Request for quote' forms are bringing the data straight into the CRM Leads database. To learn more on top CRM apps for startups, micro and small business, click here

5. Identify the "Prospects"

The 'Potential' qualification stage usually takes place at the appointment itself, although you can also qualify briefly during your initial contact. The idea is to confirm that your prospect is both able and potentially willing to buy your Product or Service.

6. Set an Appointment

It's time to use those leads you collected in step 4. Many salespeople prefer to cold call over the phone, but you can also call in person, send one on one email or even use e-marketing activities to targeted Lead.
Use the right cloud based tools like Skype or Zoho meeting, which allow you to meet the prospect over a web meeting, which will help you minimize the cost.

7. Presentation(s) to Prospects

Presentation to the Potential customer is a key step. Do mock trials with a group of colleagues or friends. Personal branding and flaw-less presentation of your product/service with sufficient eye to detail is essential to generate and sustain the interest from the prospects.

During the presentation, you do get to deal with your prospect's concerns. the most common being "I may have to think about it” - prepare well to tackle this as an 'answer' during your presentation itself.

8. Ask for the Sale, Close the Deal

Once you've made your presentation and answered your prospect's questions and concerns, it's time to ask for the sale and close the deal confidently.

Ask for referrals, with or without a successful sale with your prospects, add them to Leads database of CRM, continue the process from step 5 onwards.

Hands-on review of CRM Apps for Startups and Micro businesses

A WOW for your business on web is a 3 step process

1. Web Incubation 

Website with SEO features and Content Management System on cloud
Learn more on how to incubate your (existing or new) website on web towards creating a successful business presence on Web and Mobile

2. Inbound Lead Generation 

Digital Marketing activities, Social Media and SEO activities, Outbound Marketing
Click here read my blog on 15 smart tips on Inbound lead generation

3. Conversion of Lead to customer, and retaining the Customer 

 The third step is using a the right tools for Lead Conversion and Retention.
 For example a website's contact us and request for quote forms can be powered by forms created using CRM Leads and CRM Opportunities engine, so that you get to act faster and in a more structured way.

Also, in the blog below, i will be providing a hands-on review of Top 6 CRM Apps (To simplify, don't even call this tool as CRM tool, call it a 'Lead to Customer Conversion' Application!) aimed at Startups and Micro business. I am also going to provide my recommendation which may help you make the right choice for your business.

CRM for start-ups!

"CRM for start-ups??" - is this what is going in your mind? well, i was amazed to hear some of the very successful startups were well organized from the word go, using simpler versions of tools like CRM. Agreed, no startup would like to invest thousands of dollars on CRM tools, but there are now robust Cloud or Software As a Service (pay as you go) options available that gives you the power to take on established larger businesses.

The simplest of a CRM tool that exist today could be SohoOS, but there are plenty of other options available, especially if you are running your business on Google Apps. (As i have said in my previous blogs, if you are not with Google Apps, you are really loosing out on some very good productivity tools and features, that too almost at negligible cost, which will really allow you to take on mega-businesses.)

The CRM options below are arranged below in the order of maturity they possess, starting with SohoOs which works best you are a 1- to 2 person firm, all the way to Oracle CRM recommended for small and medium businesses with over 200 employees.
As you move down my list, you will find that options get more expensive, more feature rich.

Customization is a big factor in chosing CRM, and as you go down the order, you will find that option 6 is most customizability and option 1 is least customize-able of all. But that doesn't mean that, option 6 is better option than the others. It all depends on your scenario, employees you have, the money you would like to spend in CRM, the growth you are fore-seeing in the next 6 months to 2 years etc...

Remember, most of the CRM tools does allow you to import and export of data, and hence moving from one CRM platform to another  after  a year or two is an option available, so when your business is smaller, start small which will allow your employees to "use it". The more complex and feature rich CRM tools can wait until your business grows slightly bigger.
Now, let us get the review started!

1. SohoOS.com

 SaaS based, Simple yet great, works best when you are running your micro business or startup, all by yourself or have may be one or two partners/employees. SohoOS has a built-in hand holding or walk-through that even my 6 yr old daughter may find it easy to use! you must try it, even if you don't have a plan to organize your micro business operations yet.
Biggest drawback is, you can have only one user as Agent/Administrator of the SohoOS account.
Recommended for young startups in the initial years

2. ZOHO CRM

 SaaS based,Typically recommended for Startups, Micro Business and Small Business teams of up 20 to 50 members. This option is cheaper and works quite well, when used along with Google Apps. ZOHO has huge collection of other productivity apps, which can sync well with ZOHO CRM, e.g. you can create a contact us form from ZOHO, publish on your website, and bring all the leads, right into your CRM lead view, as the customer tries to contact you.
If you have just 3 users using ZoHO CRM, it is free forever, which is found to be very attractive and i have  not seen this aggressive pricing in any other CRM apps.
Recommended for startups and micro-businesses with more than two sales personnel 

3. SugarCRM

I never used it myself, but sugarCRM does have a huge fan following due to its open source roots. The point to remember is that, you will have to setup and host the software yourself. My recommendation to small business would be to NOT TO get into hosting sugarCRM or any other CRM, as you will loose the focus from your core business, and will end up dealing with infrastructure issues. There is an on-demand version of SugarCRM, but it has not been very successful and proven yet.

4. SalesForce.com 

Sales force pioneered SaaS based CRM offerings on the cloud, truly a legend of a product, but somehow does not work well with Google Apps!, my favorite platform for startups and micro business. Also, SalesForce.com is little more expensive when compared to ZOHO CRM.

5. Microsoft CRM 2011

Organizations which is having larger than 100 employees, Dynamics CRM is a good option, especially if you have existing investment in Microsoft .NET or SharePoint technologies. Yes, as you move up in the value chain, it gets more expensive.
On-Demand version of MS Dynamics CRM also does exist, but if on-demand is what you are opting for, it is rather better to go ahead with salesforce or ZOHO CRM

6. Oracle CRM on Demand

Powerful solution meant for medium to large business. Works better for small business above 200 employees. Strong SLA suppported service, most expensive of all options listed here. 

If you are interested in learning more on setting up a Website, Google Apps Business Email and ZOHO CRM for your startup, micro or small business, please fill up the form below>

15 smart Inbound Lead generation tips for Startups and Micro businesses

Jump start tips for Inbound lead generation for Startups

1.  Pick a name that sync with your business.  Needs to be simple, memorable and unambiguous. Either a “.com” or ".biz" or ".in" domain should be available, for the name you have chosen.

2. Get a Business Email, preferably on Google Apps, on your own domain - Why Google Apps? for now, just get it done, you will surely thank for this advice later!
(Quick tip: If not opting for GApps, get a Gmail account, it helps in having G+ profile, Youtube Account, Your contacts, leads, all managed centrally via a single account)

3.  Put up a Good website.  The goal is to put enough content on the site to get your pages indexed.  Make sure to use a decent content management system (CMS) and not Dreamweaver or FrontPage, but a Joomla, Drupal, DNN, Wordpress. Wordpress would be a good choice due to sheer number of paid and free themes available. Go for Cloud hosting, it is cheap, and can grow when your business grow.

  Make sure your site is working on Mobile and all other devices, you should ideally opt for RWD+CMS+HTML5 website. For websites, you could end-up spending nothing or thousands of $$, but what you get is what you pay for. So, free website can only take you thus far.

4.  Get some links into the new startup website.  If you have a personal website or a blog, link to it from there as well. Also, ask your friends with websites and blogs, to link to your new site. Ask your close friends who participate in Answers / community / forums. Ask them clearly not to spam and instead, let them spent time and answer to queries/content if related to your site - and when they are answering via such forums, they can link it to your blog or website as a "source"

5. Create Company listing on directory portals. Look up for good b2b portals and local directories and list your company there.

6.  Setup a Twitter accounts.  Name of the Twitter account should preferably match your company's domain name.  Link to your Twitter account from your website and to your website from your Twitter account.

7.  Add a business e-mail subscription.  Allow interested people to sign-up to get an email about your product or service.  A simple email sign-up form is sufficient.

8.  Get a nice logo plus branding colors and fonts .  What looks just OK is not OK. So, please take professional help here.

9.  Setup a Facebook business page for your start-up.  You may not get many fans in the early months.  That’s just fine for now.  Just add a simple description of your startup, link back to your website, add photos of your business partners, videos if any. Do upload the logo created in step #8
 Refer the strategy to achieve Social Media Goals, refer this link  http://slidesha.re/13JGo1k
 Remember to have genuine, human touch and be yourself, share the updates about your firm, share the next big project, photos of your workforce, office etc...one share/post per week is good to start with.

10. Setup a blog. If you have a created a CMS powered website in step#3, it would have been easier to create a blog setup, but nevertheless, you can use one of the free hosting tools (like blogger.com), but not in their domain instead have it like blog.mynewsite.com but never make it mynewsite.blogspot.in.  The reasons are many, don't bother for now, i will tell you the reasons later, but you can quickly refer my other blogs (visit techbizmarketing.blogspot.in if you need the answer right away)

11. Write a blog article describing your goal and challenges you are facing as your are setting up your start-up website, twitter account, blog etc...please put it up in your own language, and DO NOT copy!
Being honest works,

12. Update your LinkedIn profile.  Mention your new Startup company's vision, and add a link to your new website. 

13. Get business cards printed. Please remember to keep the logo and branding picked in step#8 is maintained throughout.

14. Setup Google Analytics (GA) for your website and see where the traffic is coming from, and from where it is not coming.  How is it growing?  What keywords people are using to find your site?
Do spend daily at least 30mins on GA, this should become an addiction, hope you know what i mean. When you see the numbers picking up, you will get addicted for sure!

15. Device a Pull with Content Vs Push Advertisement Strategies, Content with pull works in the long term.
      You might still need Push Strategy (read Adwords PPC Ads. FB Ads, or Email Marketing in the short term to generate sudden surge of right set of audience)

For more details and for a jump start on startup incubation on web, there are plenty of trusted options like Microsoft Startup Accelerator Program and TobocBiz's Startup Starter package