customer service – user's Blog!

April 24, 2018

Converting Sales Intelligence into Stellar Software Features

As the founder of a successful software company, I’m sure you’d agree that some of your most impactful feature ideas have originated as customer requests. And, with thousands of users relying on your app each day, it’s safe to say that you never run short of ideas.

The big question is this: What’s the best way to ensure that customer sales intelligence is fed to your development team – without getting lost in the shuffle?

In this post, we’ll explore a few ways your CRM can help.

Saving (& Tagging) Email Conversations

I’d wager that most of your company’s customer interactions occur through email. For example, your customer success team is constantly responding to questions that hit your support inbox. Likewise, your ticketing platform, which is also email-based, is packed full of bug fix requests, training inquiries, and feature enhancements.

With so many emails to respond to, it’s no wonder why feature requests sometimes get overlooked. The customer success team is primarily focused on solving issues and reducing churn. Noting new feature requests, although important, is rarely at the top of their to-do list.

One simple way to begin harvesting feature ideas – without disrupting your support team’s workday – is to save a copy of each email into your CRM. If you’re using Insightly, there are several ways to accomplish this, one of which includes the use of the Insightly Sidebar (specifically the use of the orange Insightly send button). As your team follows up with a customer, a copy of the email is saved securely into your CRM and linked to the appropriate contact record.

Assuming that you’ve adjusted your settings so emails are visible to others, your product team can now begin auditing support emails for viable feature requests. Although this may seem daunting at first glance, keep in mind that email records are searchable in Insightly. In the search box, just key in the word “feature,” and Insightly will display a few search options. (Obviously, other keywords may be more appropriate for your business.)

Voila, you now have a filtered view of emails correlated to that search term.

From there, each email can be reviewed for its usefulness and viability. If a feature request has merit, applying a feature-related tag could be a logical way to organize ideas for sequencing into development.

Forwarding to a Dedicated Project

If you’re concerned about saving every single support email into your CRM, I don’t blame you. On one hand, it certainly would be nice to save every customer interaction in one location. On the other hand, doing so could cause frustration among your sales reps (who are the primary users of your CRM).

A less invasive approach might involve forwarding select emails into your CRM. Granted, with this model, you’re still facing the same issue you face today. That is, your support team is just too busy. For this approach to work, you may need to create some type of gamification or incentivization program.

Here are a few possibilities:

Award a $25 bonus for each feature captured by a customer service rep (you might want to set a cap on this).
Create some type of competition, offering certain perks for the person who sends the most features each month.
Offer a larger bounty if a feature is put into development and deployed. Would a $250 bonus get their attention? Probably so.
Set a minimum requirement per month, similar to how banks place credit card minimums on tellers. Same basic concept.

Once you’ve gotten the team’s attention, it’s time to put this initiative into practice. But, how can you keep it easy for everyone?

I would recommend setting up a dedicated project in Insightly titled, “Feature Requests.” In doing so, you’ll notice Insightly creates a project-specific email address. Now, any correspondence forwarded to that inbox will be saved and automatically linked to the project.

Before going any further, it might also be wise to host a brief training session. During the training, be sure to show users how to mask the lengthy Insightly mailbox address. This can be done by creating a contact in the user’s email address book, such as: “Feature Request.” Once configured, users can simply begin typing “Feature….” into the “To:” subject line to quickly pull up the mailbox address. This is much easier than constantly copying and pasting the email address from a notepad or spreadsheet.

As ideas are submitted to the linked project, your product development team will enjoy instant access to a streamlined view of all feature inquiries.

If a feature is worth adding to the development backlog, the email can actually serve as the starting point for a new task or project. Converting the email to a task or project can be done in just a few clicks. (Conversely, if something seems redundant or not worth pursuing, the email record can be deleted to avoid clutter.)

Check Out Integrated Solutions, Too

So far in this article, I’ve focused primarily on using your core CRM functionality to get customer ideas into the development pipeline. Although I won’t go into extensive detail, it might also be wise to explore third-party integrations between your ticketing software, email inbox provider, and your CRM. Insightly users can check out the list of available integrations here. In addition, you could explore building your own integrations with a tool like the Zapier platform, which has dozens of connectors to popular support apps.

Connect the Dots Between Customer Feedback & Development

Your customers love your software, which is why they’re so passionate about being part of the development cycle. By capturing and reviewing their feedback in a more systematic way, you’re sure to capitalize on the free consulting work that they’re essentially providing you. 🙂

Matt Keener is a marketing consultant and President of Keener Marketing Solutions, LLC. Matt specializes in content marketing and strategic planning, having helped numerous Saas (software as a service) companies and other small businesses worldwide. Read more of Matt’s work, get his book, or connect on LinkedIn.

December 21, 2016

Are You Forgetting to Thank Your Customers?

Customers are the soul of any business, but you don’t automatically get to build lasting relationships with them. A solid relationship between a buyer and seller is likely rooted in mutual trust, respect and appreciation. Like any other relationship, these qualities form over time – and with proof – so don’t forget to thank your customers.

As a vendor, going the extra mile for customers in terms of providing service, personalizing experiences and offering loyalty rewards can help cultivate relationships that pay off in the long run. However, the most effective ingredient for a positive customer relationship is often the simplest action you can possibly take: saying thank you in a genuine, human way.

This year, skip the mass-produced thank-you card. Or at least, couple the card with a creative action that shows your customers your honest gratitude. Below are a few ideas to help you get started:

Reach out with a gratitude email. Don’t wait for the holiday season to check in with customers, contacts or even colleagues. Sending a quick, personal email in your own voice – such as “I’d love a quick update on what you’re up to these days” – gives your recipients a chance to connect and share on a one-on-one level. Checking in with others and showing your active interest is an act of gratitude in itself.
Engage with customers (and their feedback) on social media. Few customers would be surprised if their tweet praising your company received engagement from your brand’s account. However, a “like” or “favorite” directed at a customer’s vacation or pet photo is another story. By respecting your customers’ passions and interests, you’re showing that their value exceeds their spending activity with your brand.
Personalize your thank-you cards. As mentioned, there’s nothing wrong with a holiday card. It’s also the first step of many visual engagement ideas and tactics. Free design programs, such as Canva, can help you create beautiful graphics that are tailored for their purpose and recipient. Using personalized background photos and phrases such as “Happy birthday!” or “Congrats on your promotion!” help go the extra mile.
Acknowledge service workers. Showing your gratitude doesn’t need to stop with your customers. Going the extra mile by sharing cards or small gifts with people you interact with in the service industry, such as gas station attendants and cashiers, is a chance to recognize their work while brightening both of your days in the process.

Learn how a CRM can help your team effectively engage with customers.

At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a variety of verticals. Learn about Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.

August 29, 2016

How To Take Your Customer Service Beyond Your CRM

If you’re in any kind of business, customer service is an important part of your team’s daily responsibilities. And in today’s demanding market, answering the phone is no longer enough. Businesses are expected to communicate on every level, from extensive informational content on their website to responsive social media.

Trend-Spotting

Taking your customer service way above and beyond calls for fast, intuitive response to questions and issues, and that means knowing what they’re thinking before they even think to ask. One way to predict what your customers will ask is to analyze your data and find questions customers have already asked.

Predictive analysis is great for customers stalled in your sales pipeline as well. If leads hit a certain point and drop out, you’re failing to provide what they need to make the decision to buy. To figure out what you lack, look at what customers consistently ask. If your staff is well trained in CRM use, a keyword search should turn up all the information you need to fix the problem – and plug the hole in your funnel.

Trends can include anything from seasonal buying patterns, related items, or the desire for updates to existing products. Learning from your customers requires two things: staff who are well-trained to record and tag input from customers, and the ability to retrieve and use the data to your advantage.

With Insightly’s custom reporting features and built-in search functions, gathering the data you want is easy. Then all you have to do is figure out how to use the information. The answer might be in providing additional information on your website, allocating targeted web ad spend, or sending a timely email with the information that will land the sale or anticipate a complaint.

For example, let’s say you’re selling a software with a learning curve, and your data shows that customers inquire about more features 90 days from purchase. That probably indicates it takes 90 days to get comfortable with basic operation, and after that, they are ready to learn more advanced use.

Adequate customer service is training your staff to walk customers through the features when they call.
Good customer service is a tutorial on your site.
Great customer service is a video or interactive slideshow delivered to their inbox 90 days after purchase. Hit it just right, and you’ve delivered exactly what they want, exactly when they want it.

Be Everywhere Your Customers Are

Part of stellar customer service is fast responsiveness. Whether they have a problem, a random question, a request, or a compliment or comment, they want a fast answer. Social media helps you connect with your customers and answer every mention as fast as they are posted.

The key to efficient social media is not trying to be everywhere, it’s being where your customers are. Using their emails, Insightly attaches links to your customers’ social media profiles into their customer records, making it easy for you to determine how many customers you have on each of the major platforms. With that information, you can decide where you need the most active presence.

Personalize Your Contact

Before CRM and the web, personalization was almost impossible. Now you can send out emails with the customer’s name and a personal message – maybe a happy birthday and a special gift or deep discount. Who doesn’t like to get an email that says “Happy Birthday, Lisa! Since you recently bought a stand mixer, we’d like to help you celebrate with a cheerful set of rainbow mixing bowls. Click here to collect your free gift.”?

You can also personalize your customer service calls with knowledge of past history and last contact. With information stored in your CRM, your CSRs can say, “I see the last time you called, you had trouble logging into your account. Did we resolve that for you?” or “Looks like you haven’t had an update in a while. Have you heard about our new services?”

CRM integration lets you carry on a conversation right where it left off, even if a call is dropped and another rep picks up the callback. Everybody hates having to repeat a story. Comprehensive CRM records save your customers from telling their story again when they are transferred to a manager or another department.

Passive customer service just doesn’t cut it anymore. You no longer have the luxury of expecting your customer to call in and leave a message, then getting back to them when you feel like it. You have to be available, responsive, and proactive to stand out from your competitors. Your growth depends on your brand reputation…and your brand reputation depends on what customers say about you.

Check out Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial of the best CRM around.

August 3, 2016

How Pipelines Help SMBs Leap Hurdles Like an Olympian

Every sport has an element of chance that’s impossible to predict. Outdoor games take place regardless of weather conditions, injuries are always a possibility, and many other factors could enter the playing field and swing the odds toward a given team. That’s why professional athletes train to deliver their best performances in any situation. There’s simply too much at stake to leave variables to chance – and for every pro sales team member, the same level of training, dedication and focus pays off.

When you nurture sales prospects through your company’s pipeline, planning in advance will help maintain a lead on your competition. Below are three ways to take a cue from the Olympics, up your sales training schedule and go the extra mile for your customers.

1. Know the course by heart.

When members of the U.S. Olympic track and field team take their starting positions in Rio’s first races, they’ll have memorized the course – twists, hurdles and all. Think of a sales pipeline as a racetrack. By outlining stages and milestones in a new customer’s journey and planning how you’ll benchmark progress, your team will be prepared to track new leads, assign activities, manage workflows and break records.

2. Connect with your audience.

According to McKinsey, 70 percent of buying experiences are affected by how customers feel they’re treated. Just like an athlete winning over new fans, make your customers feel special by connecting at every stage of the pipeline. Whether you’re capturing leads from your website, assigning them to sales team colleagues, converting them into customers or following up with reporting, invoicing and payment, establish a one-on-one relationship that wins over the customer’s loyalty.

3. Simplify the pipeline for your customers.

There’s a reason you’ll see nonstop Olympics coverage on nearly every media and social channel this summer. If following the 2016 Games required too much end-user investment, the Olympics would likely lose viewers and fans. The sales process is no different: when companies centralize prospect information, pipeline status and marketing efforts in one place, it makes being a customer feel like a breeze.

A customer relationship management (CRM) tool can be the unifying force your sales team needs to achieve its goals. Using a CRM to track and organize data as it moves through the sales funnel – and prospect information as leads turn into customers – ensures that every member of your sales team has access to assigned tasks, scheduled events and critical milestones. That level of organization can be a game-changer for a company of any size, but for a small business, CRM can be the difference between placing in the Olympic qualifying trials and bringing home the gold. That’s why Luke Freiler, CEO of Centercode calls his CRM solution a “strategic asset” and its results for the company’s sales pipeline “invaluable,” and why AR&L Managing Director Alex Rhodes notes that her company’s client base increased by 200 percent when it began using a CRM.

Start creating sales opportunities with your pipeline today.

At Insightly, we offer a CRM used by small and mid-sized businesses from a variety of verticals. Learn about Insightly’s features and plans on our pricing page or sign up for a free trial.