No, it’s not like playing a video game. No, it doesn’t replace the classic sales funnel. It enhances the experience by employing gaming mechanics so that users are engaged.

Let’s be realistic about something. The so called next generation has widely different expectations when it comes to “user experience”. Actually that idea applied to business applications didn’t even really exist when CRM systems as we know them today were created.

You are welcome to sit in front of the playground with your shopping bags and complain about the disastrous “instant gratification generation”. Okay, your complaint has been acknowledged.

But what are you actually going to do about it? Well if you’re hanging out drooling on a park bench screaming, you sure as heck aren’t part of the solution.

Lets stop hissing and face the reality. Times are changing. And we need to radically adapt.

The kids swinging from the monkey bars are going to be a heck of a lot smarter than you or me. Their average IQ will be higher. They will have massive amounts of information coming at them in all directions. The world is going to be a different place.

Business applications that anticipate the cultural changes will succeed. Those that ignore them will fail.

As the author of this post, I’m writing right now because I want to. Not because I have to. There really is nothing else I’d rather be doing at the moment. Sure I’m going to have to do some tedious boring stuff later on, but if I could just retain an ounce of that “want to” mentality with my work, then my results will be so much better.

Traditional CRM systems are like perfect petri dishes where the infectious “have to” mentality breeds and rapidly kills off the “want to” state of mind. We want to change that with Zurmo.

If you believe work doesn’t have to be horribly boring and awful all the time; If you have faith that even things like maintaining data can be be turned into a positive experience, then you’re at the right place. Welcome to Zurmo.

The post This isn’t your Grandfather’s CRM appeared first on Zurmo.

Record Cloning

This feature is especially useful in scenarios where a new record needs to be created that is very similar to an existing record. Let’s look at an example.Remember that during a typical sales cycle, a lead converts to a Contact when more meaningful engagement is on the horizon. Contacts are associated with Accounts. Generally, an Account will eventually have multiple Contacts. Let’s look at the screenshot below and imagine we are negotiating a deal with an IT Director, Betty. Betty introduces us to her boss, Sardi, who is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Betty and Sardi share much of the same information. Rather than take the time to tediously enter in Sardi’s information, I can simply “Clone” Betty. When I press the “Clone” button under options, a new Edit View appears with each field populated with Betty’s information. All I have to do is change the differentiating details like name, title, etc. Everything else, like Account, address, fax number, website, etc., remains the same.

Contact Address Pre-Populating from Accounts

Along similar lines as record duplication, we have introduced another time saving feature. When a new Contact is created in the system, her address fields are pre-populated with those of her Account (AKA the organization she works for). We do this because it is highly likely that an individual who is associated with a certain Account will share the street address of that Account. So we save time having to re-enter the same information. The reality is people are lazy and unlikely to fill out the address field on a Contact if they know it is already included in the Account record. We’re all about data stewardship, so this is just one more way to make it easier on users to include as much information about records as possible.

Automatic mapping of Opportunity Probability based on Sales Stage

When we create an Opportunity, it is necessary to indicate the probability of its closing. This is represented by a percentage. Why is this important? It helps us when we generate reports for forecasting anticipated sales.

For example, George has three open opportunities. The first one is for $100 worth of coffee beans. George is still “Prospecting” this deal, so the probability of its closing is only 10%. His second Opportunity is for $200 worth of candied walnuts. At the moment he is “Negotiating” the deal and there is a 50% chance it will close. Finally, his third Opportunity is for $300 worth of frozen bananas. He has reached a “Verbal” agreement with his buyer and there is a 75% probability George will win this deal.

So what can we safely consider to be in George’s pipeline for closed won opportunities right now? Coffee beans = $100 x 10% = $10. Candied Walnuts = $200 x 50% = $100. Frozen bananas = $300 x 75% = $225. George can forecast $335 worth of closed won Opportunities.

Up until recently, users had to manually indicate the probability of an Opportunity close winning. But as Zurmo delves into deeper reporting capabilities, we need reliable metrics. Manual selection of probability stage is not an easy or reliable methodology on which to depend. So we have come up with the following percentages, which map automatically according to Sales Stage:

Prospecting = 10%
Qualification = 25%
Negotiating = 50%
Verbal = 75%
Closed Won = 100%    :)
Closed Lost = 0%    :(

Here is what it looks like in the app:

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1) Advanced Reporting

Create Reports from Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Meetings, Notes, Opportunities, or Tasks. Report types include Matrix, Rows and Columns, and Summation. A Report Wizard guides users through the process of creating reports that they can save and generate as needed.

2) Workflow

Create rules that trigger alerts or actions in the system. Workflows are divided into two main categories:

“On Save” –  appropriate for keeping track of events as they occur, such as a won opportunity.

“Time-Based” – help users keep track of upcoming or elapsed events. A wizard also aids in the creation of workflows, where users drag and drop triggers and rules.

3) Marketing Lists

Allow users to segment Leads, Contacts, and Account records according to parameters set by advanced searches or reports. With the release of Zurmo 2.0, Marketing Lists will be employed in sending mass emails.

4) Email Templates

Both plain text and HTML Email Templates can now be created in Zurmo. Users have the ability to include reader-specific dynamic information into emails. For example, a salutation in an email is personalized according to the recipient’s first name.

5) Full Mobile Accessibility

Responsive design makes Zurmo accessible on tablets, mobile, and other small displays. Additionally, users can switch to mobile view while using the application on a desktop sized display. This is useful in scenarios where a user needs to run other applications, but still maintain minimal access to Zurmo on the side.

6) Enhanced Language Tool

The Zurmo Language Tool is powered by a Drupal l10n server. It integrates with the Zurmo.org Community Forums, where members can contribute within teams corresponding to specific language translations. Suggestions are actively checked and moderated by other team members. Thanks to the tool, Zurmo is being translated into over 20 languages.

7) Unified Inbox

All Conversations, Missions, and Notifications are aggregated in the Unified Inbox. Designate inbox items as read, open, or closed. Search through communication objects.

8) Upload Company Logos

Organizations can personalize implementations by uploading their own company logos.

The post Everything to Know about Zurmo 1.5 appeared first on Zurmo.

Users can now create reports in Zurmo based on virtually any CRM data stemming from Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Meetings, Notes, Opportunities, or Tasks. Filters are simply dragged and dropped to create a report structure. Custom reports can be saved, shared with other users, and generated on demand.

Use Case Example: A Marketing Manager would like to closely gauge the ongoing progress of a campaign targeting healthcare companies in Chicago. He creates a report based on opportunities that have “Closed Won” for Accounts located in the specified region. He selects “Insurance” as the filtered industry. He includes the campaign in question and sets other parameters including dates, amounts, etc. He runs the report on a regular basis to ensure sufficient Return on Investment is being achieved through the campaign. Now he has a clear visualization of sales fluctuations based on the criteria he has selected, and can tweak his campaign as needed.

The post Advanced CRM Reporting in Version 1.5 appeared first on Zurmo.

Features like reporting, workflow, and mobile are usually only available in paid versions. We set out on a mission 2.5 years ago to bring a robust CRM application that anyone in the world can freely use. Today marks a pivotal day in accomplishing our mission.

Zurmo Release 1.5.0

• Enhanced language management
• Reporting
• Workflow
• Mobile
• Unified Inbox
• Upload Company Logo
• Menu Customizations
• Email Templates
• Marketing Lists

The post Zurmo Open Source CRM Releases 1.5 appeared first on Zurmo.

The post Mobile and Minimalism appeared first on Zurmo.

Oh well… It simply can not be avoided that we talk about Amit here. Not (just) to tease him, but also to tell the story of how Zurmo mobile transformed from a pipe dream into a reality. You see Amit is a big believer in simplistic, elegant design. Like many modest sorts, he is a Minimalist. And that is one of the reasons why he is the perfect person to spearhead anything related to Zurmo design.

Amit is a strong believer in HTML 5 and the power of responsive design. I remember sitting with him in his apartment in Buenos Aires one day when I saw responsive work for the first time. I never knew anyone could be so enthusiastic about browser windows. “See, when I make the window smaller, the page responds by rearranging objects so that they can fit. When I expand the window, the objects become larger and more spread out,” Amit told me, as if he were showing an airplane to someone who was just learning man could fly. “Eventually, as the window gets even smaller, things that are less relevant disappear. You are left with the bare necessities in the smallest view. It doesn’t matter what device you are using – it’s all based on the size of your browser. It’s brilliant!”

“One day, Zurmo will behave the same way.” When Amit said those words, I started to pay attention. That was a couple of years ago. And today, I share Amit’s enthusiasm and can’t help showing off his work. It really is a pleasure to say that with the release of Zurmo 1.5, we are fully mobile. And we have Amit and Responsive Design to thank.

The Zurmo Dashboard in iOS:

A chart on the dashboard:

Creating records is a cinch. No need save business cards after events. Enter new Leads, Contacts, Accounts, etc. on the fly:

What would Zurmo be without Gamification? Get mobile recognition for your achievements:

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Why would you ever need to create a list? If you work in Marketing, you’ll know the answer. Marketing is all about campaigns. Campaigns are all about segmentation. And segmentation is all about lists.

List members, who can essentially be any record with an email address – Leads, Contacts, Accounts – are added to lists either directly through advanced search, or through custom reports.

Let’s suppose I am a marketing manager working for a company that services photocopy machines in California. We would like to further expand into the state of Oregon. I know that there are Oregonians who have contacted us in the past who we were unable to service. However with our new initiative we will be able to meet their needs now. So I should create a list and contact these people, letting them know that we’re now expanding into their state.

First I will create a report. It’s a pretty straight forward rows and columns report. The variables are essentially “Leads and Contacts in the state of Oregon who have an email address”.

The report runs and I find 157 records. I save the report as “Leads and Contacts in OR”

Next I create my list. I add members by simply selecting the report I have just created. By default the records are subscribed to the list, but if I so desire, I can manually unsubscribe anyone I need to. Maybe I need to exclude a few people from the list who are unqualified or I know would not be interested in hearing from us.

Now, voila, I have created my list. Whenever I want to send an email to people in Oregon, I simply select the list. If people request not to hear from me anymore, I unsubscribe them from the list (once I have gone through an entire box of Kleenex).

The post Marketing Lists appeared first on Zurmo.

It might sound kind of boring but, Ned’s job is to answer the sales phone at the school. He’s not complaining though because he is training to be an instructor himself and answering the phone is getting him ramped on the kinds of questions students ask.

Ned is sharp however and after a couple of months he has realized that the vast majority of calls can be broken down into 4 categories:   1) Absolute beginners asking about courses 2) People who need to get re-certified or have had some classes, but need a refresher 3) Certified divers who want to join an expedition 4) Certified divers who want to become instructors.

After answering the same questions over and over, Ned realized he could write up and send a template response in all four situations. This not only helps Ned finish up early so he can make the afternoon dive, it also helps him be certain he is remembering to offer all the relevant bits of information to the people calling.

Let’s review Ned’s use case and how templates help him do a better job as a sales rep. His primary responsibility is to get the sales process rolling with incoming leads. Through the initial conversation Ned asks questions that help him categorize each lead. He takes notes during the call and creates a lead record in Zurmo. Next he sends a follow up email to the caller. To do this, he has a neat list of template emails that he can send to each category of caller.

Let’s suppose he gets a call from Erik, an absolute beginner. Ned learns that Erik will be visiting the island next month and would like to get certified. Ned takes down Erik’s information and when he’s off the phone, he drafts an email based on template #1 (beginners).

The template looks something like this:

Dear Name,

It was great talking with you today on the phone. I am sure you will get a lot out of scuba lessons. We have a beginner’s class during the time you will be here in fill in month. The class will be taught by instructor and will depart our docks every morning at 8AM….

Ned fills in the blanks and presto, Erik has all the information he needs.

This is a pretty straightforward use case, but the same process can be used in just about any organization. Whether you have 4 categories of customers or 400, templates help your team save time and ensure delivery of relevant information to your prospective and current customers. With our 1.5 release, we are pleased to announce that you too can create your own email templates and store them in Zurmo for easy access.

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We have heard it countless times from our forgiving and loyal early adopters. But let’s face it. It is a lot easier to keep a house uncluttered when you have nothing in it but a bed, a sofa, and a couple of chairs. But what happens when you need to use the kitchen and you don’t have any silverware? What happens when you want to pick up something to read, but your bookshelves are empty?

As we add to Zurmo, keeping the house uncluttered becomes a whole new kind of challenge. But it’s the kind of challenge we love. It is the kind of challenge that gets us going in the morning.

There is an architect in Hong Kong named Gary Chang. Chang has the unique ability to turn a small apartment into 24 rooms while adhering to a strict minimalist principle. He does this by taking the same space and redefining it according to the changing requirements of the occupant. For example when it is time for dinner, Chang transforms his living room into a dinning room. When he has a guest visit, a bed folds over his bathtub. In this video, Chang says “I realized that at one moment, I am performing one task only,” and rather than move around the apartment, he has it move around him. Minimalism is beautiful. But that beauty comes at the cost of great decisions. Often times our question is not what to include, but what not to.

We are attempting a rather similar approach as Zurmo expands. Rather than add rooms to our house, we are simply making it more adaptable. We are encouraging our users to continue being minimalists by pulling the levers, sliding the drawers, and changing the walls of their online work space.

Recent changes to our menu are a great example of how our design team is practicing minimalism. In this screenshot, you can see that rather than add more shelves to our bookshelf, we have hidden it.

Want to see more books? Adapt. Expand. And maintain this universal truth throughout Zurmo – a clean UI that people will actually use.

Rather than add more “shelves” to our menu, we made it expandable. Users can select the ordering of menu items displayed.

Collapsed:

Expanded:

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