Charles Tatum, Author at CRM Switch

Pardot vs. HubSpot – A Marketer’s Experience

October 28, 2020August 4, 2014 by Charles Tatum

Marketing automation software has rapidly become the “other half” of many businesses’ core enterprise customer relationship management solutions, complimenting and integrating with CRM.

Unlike the market for enterprise CRM, in which there is a wide range of opinion about the perceived value of various enterprise solutions, the market for enterprise marketing automation software has a group of close competitors that each offer high quality products and all of which are well regarded within the enterprise community.

CRM User Adoption: Directive, Not Discretionary

October 4, 2019June 24, 2014 by Charles Tatum

So here we are again with another discussion about CRM user adoption. It was only a few months ago that I wrote about how good leadership can increase user adoption, but a recent discussion we had with a prospect having difficulty getting his sales team to adopt the company CRM solution highlights another side of the issue.

4 Questions To Consider Asking Your CRM Consultant

October 4, 2019May 29, 2014 by Charles Tatum

So, you’ve just bought a new enterprise CRM system. Congratulations.

It’s a big step for any business, but it’s also only one step (admittedly, a crucial one) in the many steps required to get a new CRM system implemented and running smoothly.

When Do You Need CRM And Marketing Automation Software?

October 4, 2019April 29, 2014 by Charles Tatum

The decision to add CRM and/or marketing automation software to your business is an important consideration, and one that should be carefully evaluated before either type of system is purchased.

Depending on which solutions are chosen, integrating CRM and a marketing automation platform can present a fresh set of challenges, and so it’s a good idea to clearly understand the purpose of each one individually, and the goal of having the two systems working together.

6 Examples Of How To Use CRM Dashboards

October 4, 2019April 8, 2014 by Charles Tatum

One of the most common requirements we hear about when speaking to businesses that are beginning, or in the midst of, a CRM evaluation is “dashboards”.

It’s not an unreasonable requirement by any stretch — all major enterprise CRM vendors offer dashboards of some type — but a dashboard in and of itself is not a true requirement. The real requirement is what kind of information a dashboard should display.

Don’t Buy CRM Based On Buzzwords

October 4, 2019March 20, 2014 by Charles Tatum

It happens to the best of us. Though the CRM buying process is very different than buying consumer products, one of the common denominators is the tendency of both vendors and salespeople to pitch their products with buzzword-heavy lingo. When we, as buyers, get caught up in the pitch and start relying on fancy language and the occasional bit of sales hyperbole, it’s easy to get carried away and make a purchase that’s not entirely based on our needs.

How Good Leadership Can Increase CRM User Adoption

April 9, 2021March 6, 2014 by Charles Tatum

When a business makes the decision to purchase a new CRM solution, or upgrade an existing one, that decision almost always comes from executive management. It may come as the result of feedback and requests from employees, but ultimately it’s up to the company’s leadership team to take action.

Where things sometimes get snagged is what happens after that initial decision has been made. The end goal of implementing a CRM solution is

The Fundamental Function Of CRM Software

October 4, 2019February 4, 2014 by Charles Tatum

Over the last several weeks and months, we here at CRM Switch have written a lot about various aspects of the CRM industry: vendors, product histories, migration to and from various systems, integration with a variety of other types of software, and more.

But one thing that we haven’t discussed in awhile, and a topic that should be revisited on a fairly regular basis, is the fundamental purpose and function of CRM software for a business and it’s users.

Tips From The Pros: 3 Helpful SlideShare Presentations From CRM Industry Vendors

April 9, 2021December 17, 2013 by Charles Tatum

While we continually strive to provide useful, engaging, and insightful information about CRM, sometimes it’s good to go straight to the source.

With that in mind, we’ve put together a collection of three great SlideShare presentations from some of the top vendors in the CRM industry to provide some useful tips and best practices for your business.

Does Email Tracking Signal the End of the Cold Call Era?

October 4, 2019December 3, 2013 by Charles Tatum

Sometimes the best indicators of where things are headed at the intersection of business and technology are our own evolving habits and processes as employees. As 2013 winds to a close, I’ve noticed a trend: the shrinking number of outbound phone calls in my CRM activity log from month to month.

It wasn’t too long ago–maybe even just a few years–that it was unthinkable that a professional salesperson could be effective at their job without constantly being on the phone

7 Simple CRM Housecleaning Tips

October 4, 2019November 19, 2013 by Charles Tatum

Halfway through Q4, and with the holiday season quickly approaching, a lot of B2B and non-retail related businesses often find things starting to slow down a bit.

During this winter doldrums period, rather than taking a few extra trips to the coffee maker, now is a great time to take advantage of the lull and do some CRM housekeeping.

Developing CRM User Personas To Increase System Adoption

October 4, 2019November 12, 2013 by Charles Tatum

“You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink”. As it goes with horses, so it often seems to go with CRM systems. A common challenge we hear from clients and prospects is finding ways to maximize CRM user adoption.

The 5 Worst Alternatives To Buying CRM

October 4, 2019October 29, 2013 by Charles Tatum

Not every business needs, or will benefit, from CRM. They are few and far between, but they do exist. Other businesses don’t realize how much they would benefit from it, or sometimes don’t know what it is at all, and continue to miss a great opportunity

4 Ways To Feed Your Starving CRM System

October 4, 2019October 10, 2013 by Charles Tatum

Your CRM system is hungry. Right now, it’s hungry. It’s always hungry. For data. If you’re a sales or marketing manager, you probably spend a considerable portion of your time trying to figure out how to keep the system fed.

Salesforce vs. Microsoft CRM Video Comparison – Part Two

October 4, 2019September 24, 2013 by Charles Tatum

For part two of our Salesforce and Microsoft video comparison, we’ll be taking a look at some of the functionality used to import and organize leads.

In part one of our series, we looked at logging a call and scheduling a follow up in a lead record, but before that can happen, leads first have to get into the system.

Salesforce vs. Microsoft CRM Video Comparison – Part One

October 2, 2020September 17, 2013 by Charles Tatum

It’s no secret to anyone beginning a new CRM evaluation that Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics CRM are two of the most popular products available on the market today. On our own website, our most popular blog posts month after month are comparisons of the two solutions. Our Salesforce & Microsoft CRM comparison report is the most downloaded report we offer by a very wide margin.

5 CRM Implementation Myths

October 2, 2020May 9, 2013 by Charles Tatum

As those who have been through the CRM selection process know, once a particular solution has been decided on, there’s still a lot of work left to be done before a new system goes live and is ready to use. While careful planning, evaluation, and detailed specifications will go a long way in making the process easier, there are a host of new decisions to be made when it comes time to begin the CRM implementation process.

Five Ways to Avoid CRM Lead Stagnation

October 4, 2019November 28, 2012 by Charles Tatum

One of the biggest challenges for a sales team working with a CRM system can be managing and keeping track of leads and maintaining consistent follow up. Too often, inconsistent lead management can result in sales staff staring at lists of hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of leads with no clear way to keep track and prioritize them.