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Mar 17 2009
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Building Deeper Relationships with BatchBook CRM

CRM and small business are two things that should go together, but as I’ve written here before, there are so many CRM options, strategies and technologies that finding the right one is as much a matter of kharma as feature sets.

My take is that most of the popular CRM tools out there will work, the question is which one works for you to help you more easily meet your objectives. In a lot of cases that’s the one that is powerful enough to get the job done, but simple enough that you actually get it up and running.

Recently, I had the pleasure of testing driving a new small business CRM tool called BatchBook and I think this will be a great CRM answer for many small businesses.

I think the main attraction for me is that BatchBook seems to be set-up in a way that helps you build deeper relationships with the contacts that mean the most. It does manage all the contact details, to-do lists, and communication records very nicely, but the killer feature, in my opinion is the elegant way that it also gives you the ability to bring into a record that person’s social media activity.

batchbook

In this image above you can see my record with my twitter stream just below.

So, if you’re contacting a journalist to pitch a story, you have their blog feed and twitter stream right there at your fingertips as you craft your email. If you are following up with a hot prospect, you can have their Facebook status and Flickr photo stream of their vacation to the Catskills to inspire some seriously personalized responses. (Note: I am only talking about content that a person makes publicly available.)

I don’t know that this functionality is something that would go into managing 25,000 newsletter subscribers, but for lists of customers, journalists, strategic partners, prospects, and influencers this tool has some very powerful upside.

More 3rd party integration is needed but for now you can use MailChimp and GMail as your mailing engine and FreshBooks to keep billing information with your contacts. BatchBook is a very affordable tool as well. Single users get it for free and you can get up to 15 seats for only $19.95/mo. I am integrating it into a layer of my marketing efforts just as described above.

Filed Under: CRM, Social Media Tagged With:
Feb 11 2009
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Software + Service Making More Sense

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

The Software as a Service (SaaS) model has changed the way small businesses are going to work and led to the creation of thousands of start-ups offering web applications for every imaginable aspect of running a business.

Then Google Docs came along and even created SaaS offerings for the last bastion of the desktop software model – the word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and contact tools – otherwise known as Microsoft Office to most.

I do think many started questioning the viability of Microsoft’s desktop software hold. The conventional wisdom is/was that Microsoft should just cave in and put it all up in the cloud and become the SaaS that they know they should be. But then, let’s not forget the millions upon millions of individuals who aren’t computing in the cloud too much, sort of don’t trust the cloud too much, and may never really want everything there.

Microsoft’s model seems to be making more and more sense and so does their moniker – Software + Service – the notion of enhancing the desktop suite you know and sometimes love to hate with web applications that extend the functionality and reach. Look, I like Microsoft, they’ve been great to work with, but I’m also painfully aware the rudder can seem stuck when it comes to the ever changing needs of the small business, but I think they actually may be getting around to getting this right.

I caught up with Michael Schultz, head of marketing for Office Live at a recent conference and he shared his views on the changing model

Just recently they added Office Live Workspace the Office Live product and now you can:
* Access your documents from almost anywhere
* Save over 1,000 Microsoft Office documents in one online place
* Open and save directly from Word, Excel, and Powerpoint
* Control who sees and edits files; password-protected sharing

And now they are inching towards the launch of something they are calling Office Web applications. This will live inside of Office Live and give users the ability to create online documents, presentations, and spreadsheets, much like Google docs, but with the seamless ability to use those same files offline inside the Office desktop applications.

Office Web screenshot – application not available just yet

Personally, I think this will have broad appeal to many Office users who don’t want to be tethered at all times to the web, but do realize the power of online sharing and collaboration. Now, could this have been launched two years ago, probably, but the game is still evolving and this looks right, right now.

Office Small Business 2007Your bonus for reading this far: I have two full copies of Office Small Business 2007 ($450 retail) that I am going to send free of charge to the best two audio answers given to this statement: The Best Referral I’ve Ever Received was . . . Call this number and leave your answer (214) 615-6505 ext 6998 – it works like voice mail so just listen to the prompts. Make sure you add why it was such a great referral and feel free to tell us your name, business and web address. I will pick the two winners and post the audios here so you can also get some nice exposure for your business. (Send me an email with your shipping address too! john [at] ducttapemarketing.com)

Filed Under: Marketing Tools Tagged With: , , ,
Nov 18 2008
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Two Great Software Titles, One Great Price

As you may know I have partnered with Palo Alto Software to produce a marketing planning software based on my Duct Tape Marketing System and book. The software is very practical and functions more like an action planning tool than a document creation tool. It is called Marketing Plan Pro powered by Duct Tape Marketing and early reviews have all been very positive.

I’m also a fan of ACT CRM software from Sage. There are lots of choices in this category these days but ACT!2009 is still one of my favorites for small businesses.

So, have I got a deal for you! Palo Alto has bundled these two great titles and is offering the bundle at $150 off the price to acquire the two separately.

Sorry for the overtly commercial message here, but I just had to share this with you.

Buy Marketing Plan Pro and ACT!2009 for $150 off

Filed Under: CRM, Duct Tape Marketing, Marketing Plan Pro, Marketing Plans Tagged With: , , ,
Nov 2 2008
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Get Your Google Alerts via RSS

Google AlertsI’m a big fan of Google Alerts because it allows you to easily monitor all kinds of names and phrases online, including the writing of journalists you might be targeting for story ideas.

The service made what I think is a nice upgrade over the weekend. Now you can get your alerts via email, as before, and via RSS. So you can subscribe to alerts and have them delivered to your Google Reader page instead of email. I like this because it allows you to more easily file, sort and share the alerts with the built in tools, but, now that it’s RSS you can bend it some other cool ways.

For example, let’s say you are tracking mentions of your awesome product via alerts. You get it sent to your Google Reader account, you like what your read so you hit the Share feature in Google Reader and the alert content shows up on the your Facebook profile via the Feedheads application or post your RSS to Twitter via Twitterfeed.

Filed Under: Marketing Tools Tagged With: , , , ,
Sep 24 2008
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The Telephone Doesn’t Use Any Gas

Technology and data speed advances have made the use of web meeting technology a no brainer for even the smallest of businesses. In the fast paced world we live in, the ability to get a group of folks together online is such a powerful way to conduct business.

As more and more folks use this technology (and with $4/gl gas) it even starts to make sense for the local business to conduct meetings across town. Think about how many times you have jumped in the car, driven 30 minutes to make a 10 minute presentation, chit chatted for another 20 minutes, jumped back in the car for another 30 minutes and, let’s see – invested 90 minutes in that 10 minute presentation. As you utilize web and other tools such as web collaboration tools and teach your customers to use them as well, your effectiveness and efficiency will soar.

Now, I’m not suggesting that you never venture out and grab some face time, I’m just suggesting you can be smart about employing technology to help you get more done with the same 24 hours everyone has in a day.

Here are some great ways to use webinar or webcast technology

One to one seminar – When you create a webinar or sales presentation using a web technology you can invite someone who calls in to jump online and walk through the archived presentation on the spot.

Peer to peer seminar – Get two or three happy clients to agree to be panel members for a discussion about the problems in their business or industry and gently explain how your business or product is addressing this for them. The key here is transparency. Don’t let your guests sell. Make it a thoughtful, meaningful discussion among peers that you just happened to host.

Live with you – If you’ve got a workshop or seminar you are currently presenting, take it to a teleseminar. Invite clients and prospects to attend via the phone. Create an ongoing series and watch attendance climb.

Interview an expert – You would be surprised at the quality of guests from around the world you can convince to present to your clients and prospects. It’s a win for all involved. You get great content and the presenter may get added exposure for a book or other project with little time investment on their part.

Co-branded panel – Gather up a couple related businesses and put on a panel discussion on a hot topic. Everyone on the panel invites guests and everyone gets exposure.

Sponsored show – Go out and find a sponsor who would like exposure to your audience and allow them to promote in and around your teleseminars. For instance, if you are a CPA with a series of tax savings presentations for small businesses maybe a company that sell tax software would sponsor your sessions. There are lots of businesses out there that want to jump into this kind of marketing but don’t want to do it themselves. Give them the opportunity to help you.

Q and A time – Set a time each week, say Friday at 2 pm and advertise an open line to get your burning questions answered about a topic. Maybe it’s interior design trends, best software tips and trick for business or anything of interest related to your business. You promote the free time, hang out on the line and answer questions when they come in.

Another powerful benefit of systematically presenting information in events of this nature is that you can and should record the events and interviews you conduct and archive them on your website or turn them into an audio CD to distribute through other forms of marketing.

There are many choices for web meetings these days. Let me know what tools you have found and what ones you like and don’t like.

Filed Under: Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tools, Presentations, Tools I Use, Web Marketing Tagged With: , , ,
Aug 18 2008
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Tuned In On the Go

Small business owners are a mobile lot. Whether it’s going from job site to job site or opening up the Chinese market, the new tools available for mobile business owners are pretty amazing.

The following are a few resources you might want to consider if you find that your business takes you to other cities, countries and cultures.

  • Google Translate for the iPhone – on the more tab of of Google for iPhone you just type in a word or phrase and pick your language.
  • Handango – entire suite of software tools including maps and guides for cities and subways.
  • Evernote – powerful note taking software that syncs with laptop, mobile phone and online versions. Even allows you to record audio notes and photo notes
  • iPhone and iTouch applications – daily changing list of travel applications including city guides from Frommers, traffic guides, airport status alerts, local restaurant reviews and more
  • RDM+remote desktop for mobile – check files, email, anything on your PC from mobile phone

So, mobile warriors – what tools have you found useful?

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Filed Under: Marketing Tools Tagged With: , , ,
Jun 4 2008
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The Best Things In Life Are Free!

Have I got a deal for you!

One of my strategic partners, InfusionSoft, has asked me to conduct a webinar Wednesday, June 18th at 3pm CDT called “Infusionsoft & Duct Tape Marketing Reveal The Must-Know Secrets of Small Business Growth”

Duct Tape bookInfusionsoft makes marketing automation software that helps small businesses keep track of leads, lists, orders, opportunities and campaigns. I spoke at their user conference and recently converted my marketing automation effort over to the service. This company is going places.

The 1-hour session is free of course, but here’s the kicker – anyone who registers and attends (you must attend and we will know if you do!) will get a free copy of the paperback version of my book Duct Tape Marketing shipped from Amazon.

Go here and send your customers, network and prospects to enroll

Feel free to pass this link and offer along to other folks and blog about it – let’s sell this baby out, shall we?

Filed Under: Duct Tape Marketing, Marketing Tools, Small Business Marketing Tagged With:
May 4 2008
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100 most often mispronounced words

I’m guilty of some of the infractions on this list. Some are so common, it’s hard to remember the right way to handle these misused words and phrases. Great resource list and a pretty good weekend read!

Filed Under: Marketing Tools