Increase E-Mail Delivery Rates for E-Mail Blasts from your CRM
Before you setup any ESP (Email service provider) for your CRM, you must setup your DKIM and SPF records. You may be asking, “What in the heck does that mean ?”. I will very briefly explain it; then, cite some resources.
ESP (E-mail Service Providers) such as Act! Marketing Automation, MailChimp or Constant Contact send e-mails using their servers on your behalf. Your clients’ ISPs and spam filters will detect the ESP’s sending the email. However, some clients’ filters are setup to reject this because a hacker could use the same technique to spam you as well.
So an industry consortium created the SPF and the DKIM record. The SPF and DKIM records gets added to your DNS settings so other ISPs know that your ESP is actually legit when sending emails on your behalf.
Here are some links for a couple providers.
- MailChimp
- Constant Contact
- Act! Marketing Automation
- Zoho CRM
- Bigin by Zoho CRM
- Zoho Campaigns
- Benchmark One (Hatchbuck)
Once this is setup, this is another step closer to avoiding the junk box.
If you don’t know what a DNS record is; then, work with your I.T. contractor or website hosting provider to set this up. When we work with our clients, we partner with your I.T. contractor or website administrator to update these records.
Adding the WiredContact Mobile Site to an Android or iPhone
For Android:
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- Unlock your Android device and ensure you are connected to the internet.
- Open the Google Chrome web browser or any other browser you prefer.
- In the browser’s address bar, type or paste the website URL provided by MondoCRM or WiredContact.
For example:http://mobiledemo.wiredcontact.comand press “Go” or “Enter.” - Follow these instructions:
- Tap the three-dot menu icon in the top-right corner of the browser window.
- Scroll down to find the “Add to Home screen” option (or similar wording) and tap on it.
- A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to customize the shortcut’s name. You can leave it as the default or enter a custom name if you prefer.
- After customizing the name (if desired), tap the “Add” or “Add to Home screen” button. This will create a shortcut to the website on your Android device’s home screen.
- You may be asked to confirm the action. If prompted, tap “Add” or “OK” to proceed.
- The website shortcut will now be added to your Android device’s home screen, and you can find it among your other app icons.
For iOS:
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- Unlock your iOS device and ensure you are connected to the internet.
- Open the Safari web browser, which is the default browser on iOS devices.
- In the Safari browser, navigate to the website you want to add to your home screen:
For example:http://mobiledemo.wiredcontact.comand press “Go” or “Enter.” - Follow these instructions:
- Tap the “Share” button at the bottom center or top right of the Safari window (it looks like a square with an arrow pointing upward).
- Scroll down in the Share menu and find the “Add to Home Screen” option. Tap on it.
- A pop-up window will appear, allowing you to customize the shortcut’s name. You can leave it as the default or enter a custom name if you prefer.
- After customizing the name (if desired), tap the “Add” button in the upper right corner of the pop-up window. This will create a shortcut to the website on your iOS device’s home screen.
- You may be asked to confirm the action. If prompted, tap “Add to Home Screen” to proceed.
- The website shortcut will now be added to your iOS device’s home screen, and you can find it among your other app icon
- The website shortcut will now be added to your iOS device’s home screen, and you can find it among your other app icons.
Practical Limits on Zoho CRM Free Edition.
Practical limits of the Zoho CRM free version.
I am really impressed with Zoho offering a free edition of Zoho as it allows people to try at no risk. That’s quite unique in the CRM space. So, as with most “free-mium” offers, there are features taken out. As I work with clients on this, I will compile a list of limits that might matter right away. Here is the complete chart for complete reference. During the trial, all features are available for 14 days after the initial sign up.
- You can only have up to 3 users.
- You cannot add any custom fields to a module. So if you want a field called "ID/Status" to the contact module, you cannot add it.
- You can only have one layout.
- Anyone can delete records, but only the Zoho administrator can empty the recycle bin.
- You cannot add any custom modules (aka entities, tables or custom objects).
- You can only have two profiles (aka security profiles).
- You can only have two roles (how contacts are shared among the users).
- The tag feature is not available.
- The Deluge scripting language cannot be used to write custom functions.
- Data conversion from programs like Act! or salesforce wouldn't be available.
- The Outlook integration features are not available.
WiredContact Dialer Demonstration
WiredContact Phone Integration Sample
WiredContact, without buying a third party plugin, allows you to make outgoing calls with a click-to-dial button we program. That won’t require any VOIP programming costs. 99% of our requests from our clients revolve around outgoing calls.
For incoming calls, we’d program WiredContact to work with your VOIP provider, and those costs are on a case by case basis.
This demo video uses 8×8 with their soft phone application and their free Chrome extension.
E-Mail Tracking within CRM
The other day, I was asked to draft a scope of work for a new client after a few weeks discussing his business, his processes, his target audience and friction points along the customer journey. Every savvy sales rep or manager knows how important momentum is to matriculate prospects through the sales cycle. I’ve waited anxiously for price and scope responses more times than I care to count. And no one wants to stalk a prospect during crucial points in the business development cycle…over-eagerness is the surest way to relinquish credibility, leverage and flow. Wouldn’t it be great to know exactly when your email was opened so you can time your follow-up accordingly? Wouldn’t your follow-up conversation be stronger if you were able to say, “I see you’ve received the price quote you requested. I’m calling to follow up to see if you have any questions I can answer for you”? Definitely.
Given how sensitive my communications typically are with business leaders, maintaining confidence is essential. I was able to do just that. Unlike Act!, Zoho, Salesforce and WiredContact allow for emails to be tracked in real time. When the message is sent through the CRM, it puts a 1×1 transparent pixel in the email. If that image is “requested,” then the CRM immediately reports the email as opened. No clunky third-party apps or plug-ins.
These CRM systems are fully integrated so critical data is shared with the people who need it, when they need it. We also integrate them with company processes to ensure great and seamless customer experiences throughout the cycle. And no awkward follow-ups. This tool can be used for all emails so communication statuses are always informed, be they price quotes or support sessions or dinner invitations. Like anything else, better information = better choices. Smoother communications = fewer hiccups in your sales cycles and business processes throughout your company.
