Accessing information on your smartphone is integral to your career success. Think about how much you would miss if you couldn’t respond to email through your iPhone, check sales forecasting through your Android, or take that important phone call from your car? The number of mobile phone users in the world is predicted to pass five billion by the year 2019, which means businesses are increasingly building new apps and integrations for smartphones.
That’s why Zoho Reports is now giving you access to read and review on your iPhone and Android!
“Shut the front door!” you’re saying – and we’re serious. Zoho Reports on mobile is finally here.
Exciting Arrival: Zoho Reports on iPhone & Android!
1. Because you are no longer restricted by time and place.
Have you been asked, “Hey Joe – how did that email campaign perform against my prospect list?” and you’ve had to respond with, “Oh hey Laura – I’ll get back to you in an hour when I’m at my desk”?
Say goodbye to time and place restrictions. Now, you’ll know how your campaigns performed, who it performed well against, and what you can do to optimize next time- all from your phone!
2. You can collaborate with your colleagues on mobile.
This functionality performs exactly the same way as reports on desktop. You and your colleagues can collaborate and work on reports together, in synchrony, even on mobile. View data, share data, and update your filter on-the-fly.
3. Safety and security remain paramount.
Just because Zoho is bringing reports to a new platform doesn’t mean they’re skimping on safety and security. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. Two-factor authentication for your account is still an option – when downloading the app for the first time, you will have to verify your account through your registered mobile phone number.
4. Favorites make it easier than ever.
Use certain reports more frequently than others? You can favorite your frequently used databases, which will then be listed in the Favorites tab in your home page. With a simple tap of the app and click on the Favorites tab, you will have access to the reports you need quickly and efficiently.
5. Edit and share easier than ever.
Of course, it’s great to have the ability to view a report on your mobile – but what about editing and sharing?
Yes – Zoho Reports for iPhone and Android can do that, too.
Within the app, you can collaborate with colleagues and clients to edit various data points, then share with the email address of specific users. Make changes on-the-fly and share them on-the-go.
We couldn’t be more excited to witness the unveiling of Zoho Reports on iPhone and Android, and we know you will be, too. To learn more about this latest app, click here or schedule a consultation with our ZBrains team today!
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Some CRMs simply don’t live up to expectations – that’s a fact. Many of our clients come to us with the frustration of, “X isn’t doing what I want – so we need another solution”, and we help introduce them to the solution they need (*cough* Zoho). If you have made the decision that your current CRM isn’t working for you, you might wonder whether migrating to Zoho is worth all of the pain and effort. Well, we’re here to tell you that migrating to Zoho is way easier than you thought!
In this blog, we will walk you through the three major areas of migration that will set your CRM up for success, so you’ll get over that hump and get Zoho ready quickly and efficiently.
Easier Zoho Migration: Data, Email, and Inventory
Existing CRM Data
One major worry for most sales and marketing teams is data – when migrating over to another CRM, what happens to your data? Until everything is loaded into your new program, many of us would be sweating bullets.
Not with Zoho. Migrating data from your existing CRM to Zoho is simple. Zoho has a great step-by-step guide here to migrate data, giving you everything you need to bring your information over with ease. Within Zoho, you can map modules like users, leads, and accounts to vendors, quotes, and products. The existing fields you have in your current CRM will transfer over. Zoho’s de-duplication process also help to avoid bad data.
Email
For email accounts and data, migrating to Zoho is also a simple process. Migration can be done with many different types of files – if your current CRM is providing EML or ZIP files, these can be uploaded to Zoho Mail. You can also use the Migration Wizard to migrate emails to accounts within Zoho Mail.
Zoho Mail is a webmail interface, just like Outlook or Gmail. It helps keep all of your contact synced with the Zoho CRM, Campaigns, Inventory and more.
Inventory
If your business relies on the tracking of physical inventory, we are sure you will be pleased to know that Zoho offers incredible inventory tracking – and can migrate all of your current data to Zoho. Avoid double entries and safe time by migrating everything over – even if it’s on an excel sheet.
With inventory migration, you can transfer modules such as contacts, items, sales orders, invoices, bills and more. Zoho offers a great cheat sheet on how to prepare and import your files here.
We are proud of how easy it is to migrate your data to Zoho. Regardless of the CRM you are using now – Salesforce, Pipedrive, Highrise and more – we can transfer your data, email, inventory and more into Zoho. Also, with the several integrations and add-ons available, you can customize it to fit your business.
If you are ready to learn more about how you can make the switch to Zoho, our team is ready to help you along every step of the way. Schedule a consultation with one of our Zoho certified consultants, to learn more.
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When new clients come to us at ZBrains, we often hear one of two things – either they have faced significant challenges with a previous CRM software they have used and they’re ready to move on, or they have just signed with Zoho and are unsure where to start. With these two challenges, you could say that we’ve heard it all – from A to Z; so, you can be sure that we have answers to your common CRM issues.
After thousands of conversations with various clients, we’ve wrangled our experts at ZBrains to tell us their top 3 most common CRM issues from new clients. If you’re brand new to CRM management or perhaps you have questions about your current CRM, we’re sure you’ll identify with one (or more) of the challenges below.
Here are the top 3 common CRM issues (and their solutions).
Challenge: I can’t access my CRM on-the-go.
Imagine you want to access a client contact history while en route to a meeting, or away from your desk – but you can’t access your CRM through your phone. Ugh.
Solution: Discover a CRM that works on-the-go.
Challenge: My team does not know how to use my CRM properly.
Whether it’s because of lack of process or lack of training, your team just doesn’t understand or know how to use the major features of your CRM, it can be difficult to get your employees on-board entirely with your CRM.
Solution: Educate, Track, Customize.
Save time by tracking everything- from emails to phone calls, and meeting logs in between. Zoho has it all – enabling your team to make the most of your CRM. Have a program that educates your team on the benefits and use-cases before diving in head first. In our experience, this has truly made a difference in overall adoption and usage. Develop a solid process for your team and have customizable solutions for your business processes. Get started on the right foot by signing up for one of our Zoho implementation plans.
Challenge: My CRM doesn’t integrate with the software I use every day.
Are you always flipping through tabs, browsers, applications and spending far too much time logging-in, or recovering lost passwords?Is it just another application that you need to manage?
Solution: Find an all-in-one solution.
This is especially true for sales and marketing teams, who certainly use many, many applications on a daily basis. From CRM to email, social media posting applications and more, it can be a challenge to keep track of it all. Zoho One has 35+ integrated applications that encompass everything from CRM, email newsletters, documents, inventory, and more. Here at ZBrains, we offer additional add-ons and custom integrations for your favorite business products, such as QuickBooks, Magento, and more.
It’s important to find a CRM that can integrate with a variety of solutions to optimize the potential of your business. It will keep you on-track and ready to close more, win more, and earn more.
From employees using your CRM (properly) to finding software that works for all teams in your company, these are our top 4 common CRM issues and their solutions. They’ve been compiled by our Zoho certified consultants here at ZBrains who are here to help you with your burning questions. Feel free to drop us a line!
Information technology and developed software are growing and innovating at remarkable rates. IT jobs, in particular, are expected to grow by 20% through the year 2020; it’s no surprise that this is faster than average. So, as we look at software in particular, the question to ask ourselves is – do we consider it to be a utility, or a commodity?
What is software as a utility?
The definition of a utility is the state of being useful, profitable or beneficial. In relation to technology, software can be positioned as something that holds immense value. It is technology that provides revenue and shows a true source of ROI for businesses and brands. It is a software that can manage a plethora of business applications under one system.
What is software as a commodity?
Traditionally, software has been considered to be a commodity. As a refresher, the term “commodity” refers to a basic good used in commerce that is interchangeable with other commodities of the same type. Consider the way in which many software vendors have approached you, a decision maker. You receive hundreds of pitches per year – perhaps even per month – mostly landing in your inbox. The sales person on the other end is treating their product as a commodity, as an economic exchange.
Which would you rather – the software you select to be used as a utility, or as a commodity?
When it comes to Zoho One, we know that it is shifting away from the traditional perception of software as a commodity. Zoho One is a true example of a utility – a useful, profitable and beneficial product that provides unmatched ROI for your business. Here’s why…
Zoho One is affordable.
Unlike the commodity of economic exchange – those darn cold emails that are floating in your inbox right now – Zoho One is truly affordable per user. Software is traditionally expensive, which is why the thought of it as a commodity has often been true. Instead, Zoho One starts at $45 per employee, per month.* The price point positions this software as one that lends itself remarkably well to profitability. *Pricing updated June 2021
It increases efficiency – and efficiency means additional revenue.
The beauty of Zoho One is that you can manage a multitude of business applications under one system. This means no more flipping through tabs, browsers, applications and spending far too much time logging-in, or recovering lost passwords. Saved time means increased efficiency – and increased efficiency means additional revenue. It means that your team can spend more time doing their job instead of performing administrative tasks each and every day.
It can run your entire business in one suite.
If you haven’t checked out Zoho One, now is the time – because we’re sure you’re going to love that this software can run your entire business through one suite. Seriously.
With one administrative log-in, you can work through over 35 applications, including your CRM, email newsletters, documents, inventory checks and more. Your team can send emails to your prospects, engage with your clients, and check to see which of your prospects are checking out your website. This is all through one software with a variety of applications.
It was once thought that software was a commodity exclusively, mostly because of the steep price tag that many companies have set. Instead, with the introduction of Zoho to the market, the mindset has truly shifted to that of software as a utility; a solution that generates revenue through increased efficiency, and truly proved profit and benefit.
We know you’ll love Zoho One, and we’re confident you’ll realize just how much of an impact it will have on your business. We here at ZBrains are Zoho Certified Consultants, as well as a Zoho developers with a handful of powerful Zoho integration tools. To learn more about how Zoho One can work for you, connect with us!
If you could manage a plethora of business applications under one software system, you would, wouldn’t you? (The answer is yes – of course you would). Instead of flipping through various tabs, opening multiple browsers, and downloading too many applications that you’ve now lost count of, the solution is to find just that – a solution. A solution that can increase your efficiency in all facets of your business practices. That solution is Zoho One.
What is Zoho One?
With an ever-expanding array of software tools available, finding the right solutions to streamline your operations can prove daunting. That’s where Zoho One comes in—a comprehensive suite of applications designed to empower businesses of all sizes. In this Zoho One review, we’ll delve deep into the world of integrated software and explore how this all-in-one solution can transform your business.
It is a truly revolutionary suite that can run your entire business – seriously. It has 40+ integrated applications that encompass everything like CRM, email newsletters, documents, inventory, and more. You simply need a username and password, integrate your applications, and you’re set; one dashboard to rule all.
A Multifaceted Solution
Zoho One boasts an impressive range of applications, catering to virtually every facet of business management. Here are some key highlights:
Zoho One includes apps like:
Zoho CRM: Efficiently manage customer relationships, from lead generation to conversion and beyond.
Zoho Books: Simplify your accounting processes, encompassing invoicing, expense tracking, and financial reporting.
Zoho Projects: Keep your team on track through collaborative project management tools, ensuring deadlines are met and objectives are achieved.
Zoho Marketing Hub: Streamline your marketing efforts with automation and analytics, enabling data-driven decisions.
Zoho Analytics: Harness data’s power by transforming it into actionable insights with potent reporting and analytics tools.
Zoho Desk: Deliver exceptional customer support with a unified helpdesk and multi-channel support.
Zoho Creator: Customize applications to meet your unique business needs without extensive coding knowledge.
This exceptional software suite can be used across all areas of your business, from sales and marketing to customer support and accounting. This means that everyone can log in, and everyone can use various applications that suit business needs to go about daily tasks.
The Power of Integration
Zoho One’s standout feature lies in its seamless integration of applications. By using Zoho One, you will no longer need to toggle between multiple software platforms or fret about data inconsistency. You can instantly utilize customer data captured in your CRM for your marketing campaigns, project management tasks, and financial reporting, creating a holistic view of your business.
Cost-Effective Scalability
Zoho One’s pricing model emerges as one of its most attractive features. Rather than paying for individual applications separately, you pay a fixed monthly fee per user. This model proves cost-effective, especially for growing businesses, as it allows you to access the entire suite of applications without breaking the bank.
User-Friendly Interface
Another aspect of Zoho One that stands out is its user-friendly interface. With a clean, intuitive design, even those with minimal technical expertise can swiftly learn to navigate the various applications. Zoho’s commitment to user experience ensures you can start using the software effectively from day one.
Customer Support and Training
Zoho Corporation places strong emphasis on customer support and training. You gain access to a wealth of resources, including webinars, documentation, and a responsive customer support team, all aimed at helping you make the most of Zoho One.
Here’s why we love Zoho One – and why you will, too.
It provides unmatched security across your business.
Zoho One gives account administrators one secure account for applications and overall control. This means that you’ll have one account to access all of your programs – such as the CRM, email, and more. Gone are the days of different login credentials for each program – which increases the potential of lost or stolen passwords.
In addition, this Zoho suite gives owners and managers complete control over business data. Only these individuals can access programs containing sensitive data, ensuring the information stays in the right hands.
Zoho won’t stop here.
45+ applications in the suite already sounds impressive – and it is. Yet, Zoho is always focused on innovation and improvement, which means that it won’t stop at 45.
The developer ecosystem ensures this application suite is enhanced regularly. This means that technology partners can truly customize applications to meet their needs. So, if an application that is customized to your business needs to be included within a certain means of framework, it also provides developers with the ability to make this happen. That goes for everything from workflow rules in the CRM, custom functions in Zoho Books, or even an entirely new Zoho ERP app developed on Zoho Creator.
Zoho One pricing
Pricing starts at $45 per employee, per month (or $37 per employee, per month*, when paid on an annual basis). This includes all integrated business apps (everything you need), mobile and native apps, centralized administrative control, and more. *Prices updated June 2021
Consider the ROI for this solution. How much time would it take one employee to move between tabs, including logging in and waiting for each application or associated software to start? 10 minutes? 20 minutes? Now, consider your billed or internally set hourly rate. How much time can be saved by consolidating your business applications? Is this worth $45 per month? (We’ll say yes).
Zoho One Implementation
Now that you know the key features of the one Zoho suite, you’re probably asking: What does it mean to implement an entire suite of business software? Do all the apps turn on at once? What about permissions? What do I do to prepare?
Taking the first steps
First of all, as soon as you know your organization is going to implement the suite of apps, I would do a quick poll and see who, if anyone, has implemented a Zoho app on their own. This is not because you want them to spearhead the deployment process for your company! Rather, it’s to make sure you don’t have any issues when adding all of your employees to your organization. It can be a bit of a chore to add people who are already recognized as Zoho app administrators to your org.
Has anyone gone rogue and deployed their app, be it CRM, Campaigns, or People? If so, kindly have them switch their email from their company email to a personal email address. (Conversely, if your employee is using their Zoho app to conduct actual company business, that can make things a little more complicated. Contact us for some help!)
Getting Apps Configured
Second of all, don’t fear! Turning on Zoho One does not mean your employees can suddenly run amok and access all the different apps in Zoho; in fact, they give you great control over what your staff can and cannot do once you begin implementing the suite. Here’s what we can tell you:
Firstly, the apps you’ve already activated in your existing Zoho organization will come pre-selected when you arrive at the main implementation screen
You can configure exactly which additional apps your employees can access
However, even if you don’t activate certain Zoho apps during the initial configuration, you can always come back and turn the other apps on when needed
Finally, your company’s settings, records, and other work stored in the a la carte Zoho apps will not be disturbed when you switch from the a la carte apps to the bundled option
Selecting the Right Licensing
Lastly – and this is more of a caveat – remember that all of your W-2 employees need to be members of your organization, per the licensing agreement. (They say you can buy “flexible user pricing” if you don’t want to have all your employees as org members, but this is $105/user/mo.)
Having Zoho One Licensing Issues?
We’ve heard from quite a few company reps who love the idea of a software suite like this, but don’t want to have to buy licenses for all their W-2 employees – because maybe half or more of their employees don’t ever touch computers for their jobs! This is especially common with people who use Zoho for manufacturing, or Zoho for field services and construction.
Now, we know what you’re thinking.
You may be tempted to… have employees share logins, or…
Just do not buy licenses for all your employees.
Well, please take this word of advice: Don’t go that route.
Zoho reserves the right to audit your books if you use Zoho One, and they have the right to impose penalties on you (likely monetary ones) if you don’t comply with their licensing agreement. Instead, just contact ZBrains and we may be able to help you out.
Thank you for stopping by, as always. If you have any questions or comments, connect with us any time, and explore some of our expert consulting options.
The evolution of marketing and business development has grown leaps and bounds over the last few years. As software has offered increasingly more features and benefits, the days of disconnected CRM software and email management systems are over. You can now have information, data, and reporting at your fingertips through multi-platform accessibility. Zoho Campaigns, for one, has not only grown with the evolution – it has led the way in terms of features and functionality. From creating emails with beautiful customizable templates to tracking and reporting what content your prospects are engaging,
Zoho Campaigns allows you massive insights into your email marketing campaigns. Best of all, the integration with Zoho CRM offers unparalleled visibility into those engaged with your content and pipeline.
Here are 4 reasons why you’ll love the power of Zoho Campaigns and CRM integration
1. Reach out to your leads, prospects, and customers with ease.
With Zoho Campaigns and Zoho CRM integration, you can track engagement and email exchanges all-in-one. Your entire marketing team can use Campaigns to send email messaging through a multi-user account, which means that visibility into all activities is second-to-none.
Efficiency is key when it comes to this integration. If you have customer lists in Zoho CRM (of course you do!) you can see these campaign results within each prospect record – so the next time you’re on a sales call, you won’t need to switch between multiple applications to find answers to your prospect’s questions. Everything is in one record through your CRM.
2. You’ll know how well your campaigns performed against your sales contact list.
When deciding who to actively prospect and who to set aside, for now, the data and subsequent decisions will be right before your eyes. Email marketing provides a detailed look into who’s interested – and who isn’t. After all, for every $1 spent, email marketing generates $38 in ROI. Now that’s impressive.
Within Zoho Campaigns, you can also customize your lists to reach the right audience. You can segment your lists based on specific criteria, such as business type. This makes custom, targeted engagement a very simple task.
3. Your data will always be up-to-date.
The advanced sync between Zoho CRM and Zoho Campaigns allows users – you – to maintain up-to-date versions of contact and lead information. When a prospect engages, this data will pull into your CRM. When a prospect opts-out, they will be automatically unsubscribed from your mailing list and you will receive a notification. You won’t be working with old data, meaning quality will be assured every single time.
4. Your sales staff won’t need to toggle between various software.
Your sales staff have other, more important tasks to worry about – like closing deals. That’s why they won’t spend time toggling between various pieces of software. They won’t need to pull open your CRM alongside your email marketing software while trying to make sense of the data. Instead, Zoho Campaigns gives your sales team one unified platform to monitor and provide all of the information in one place, making them more efficient – and closing more deals – in the meantime.
We love the integration between Zoho Campaigns and Zoho CRM – and we are sure you will, too. To learn more about how this will work for your business you can contact us. Or you can enable your team today by signing up for a private Zoho CRM training support session! Lastly, for even more great, integrated marketing features, we strongly recommend checking out Zoho Marketing Automation, the latest marketing funnel management app from Zoho.
When it comes to optimizing your CRM, having a clean set of data is extremely important. You should ask yourself a few questions: Are your customers receiving duplicate emails? Have multiple sales reps reached out to the same lead? If these sound familiar to you, then you know these situations can cause you to lose both existing and potential customers.
What is the leading cause for mistakes like this? Duplicate or bad data – records with the same email or phone numbers, stored under different names.
Ways Duplicate or Bad Data Affects Your Business Operations Solutions
Lower Sales Productivity, Higher Consumption of Resources. Bad data affects everyone from sales to IT. Often, are not made on the spot but instead overlooked in order to complete the task on hand. Once left uncorrected, it can cause a lead to be contacted multiple times, issues to be overlooked, and upset customers. Bad or uncorrected data can create a ripple effect within your business – a “Hidden Data Factory”- where knowledge workers waste 50% of their time identifying and trying to correct errors in data. This bad data costs the US economy about $3.1 Trillion Dollars a year. Don’t lose money or allow a hidden data factory to grow within your business.
Duplicate Data means Duplicate Emails, Higher Unsubscribe Rates. Bad data can also have a damaging impact on your email marketing campaigns and your reputation. With bad or duplicate data affecting your system, your customers may be receiving duplicate or incorrect emails leading to higher unsubscribe rates. While you want to stay at the top of your customers’ minds, you don’t want to bombard them. 48.3% of people who unsubscribe from emails list cite receiving too many emails as the reason. When you customers unsubscribe, you fall off their radar.
A business spends on average about $14 million on data quality. Zoho CRM is able to improve data quality by eliminating duplicate data, because businesses should not spend large amounts of money on maintaining data quality.
Zoho CRM solves your data problems 2 ways
Zoho CRM Unique Fields. Through the layout setting option, you can choose to mark certain fields as unique (name, phone number, etc.). Any time a new record with the same variable in any of those fields is being added to the CRM, a prompt will appear saying that a duplicate is about to be created and the action will not be allowed. This ensures that no duplicates are created in Zoho CRM.
De-Duplication option for existing data. If you already have duplicates in your data, Zoho CRM has a solution for that as well! The de-duplicate option is present under the “more options” ( the button with three dots) in the Leads, Contacts, Vendors, and Accounts module. You decide upon the fields you wish to check, then an automated de-duplication process will run in the background. It will merge records with completely identical variables in the selected fields. If there is a conflict between the duplicates, you can resolve it and manually merge the records.
Using Zoho CRM’s built-in tools can drastically reduce the number of duplicate records you have in your system – and, using the tools on a schedule is a surefire way to eliminate duplicates entirely. Maintaining good data quality can improve your efficiency, and have a direct impact on your revenue.
If you would like to learn more about how Zoho CRM can optimize your business, reach out to us! At ZBrains, we are proud to be a leader in experience and industry knowledge with Zoho, CRM management, business processes, and integrated solutions. You never have to feel like you’re alone in the Zoho universe with Zoho-certified consultants around – we’re here with you every step of the way. Contact us today!
Published on: September 28, 2017Category: Zoho CRMLast Updated: July 20, 2023 Comments: 0
When it comes to software for your business, the opportunities are endless – from CRM to ERP, accounting software to marketing automation, you’re likely receiving cold calls and email outreach every single day. Yet, when it comes to baby boomers, there is a shift happening – a significant change in their business habits. They are leaving their legacy systems behind. Why? Because they are finding new solutions – practical, efficient, and cost-effective solutions – that they were previously unaware of. And when it comes to CRM solutions, we’re finding the now more than every that baby boomers love Zoho CRM Automation. Of course, we knew they would love what Zoho has to offer – but perhaps you have to hear it (or read it) to believe it yourself.
Embrace the Change: Why Baby Boomers Choose Zoho CRM
1. Because their legacy systems lack efficiency.
It’s not surprising, but it needs to be said. Legacy systems aren’t getting updated as frequently as CRM solutions, like Zoho CRM, are. We are constantly focused on innovative software and updates. We are always introducing new integrations, and we hear you when feedback is expressed.
Here are just a few of the Zoho integrations that we are proud to offer:
2. Legacy systems aren’t always adapted for mobile.
Can you imagine not being able to access your email on your iPhone or Android? It sounds archaic, right?
Now, imagine not being able to access your CRM on mobile. Let’s say you’re on a conference call while traveling, and your client asks for an update on invoice 0001. Imagine having to respond with, “Sorry, Joe – I’ll have to get back to you when I’m in the office on my desktop.”
You won’t run into this problem with Zoho! It’s so important that your desktop and mobile software solutions work in synchrony, and we shouldn’t expect anything less from a CRM.
3. They make Millennials skeptical.
By 2025, 3 out of every 4 employees globally will be within the Millennial market. So, we need to pave the way for Millennials to take over – because they will.
Millennials need on-the-go, mobile solutions. They need to have data in the palm of their hand, 24/7. Don’t let your outdated legacy systems drive away Millennials, your future employees.
4. Training and Support are nonexistent.
Legacy solutions lack training and account management representatives – because no one uses them anymore! Innovation is key to new software solutions. Baby boomers are quickly realizing this, and understand the importance of having account management by your side.
Innovation is truly integral to business success. Using software that is efficient and effective for your business means impacting your bottom line and generating ROI for your team. When searching for new software and systems, find a solution that will work with you – helping your company every step of the way.
When hiring a new vendor or signing a contract with a software company, there can be feelings of both excitement and fear – excitement at the opportunity to have such a solution make your life easier, and fear at the concern that launching such a service or platform might take hours upon hours to get off the ground. Well, we’re here to tell you that when it comes to Zoho, you can launch Zoho CRM in as little as two days. Yes, you read that right. Two days.
How can we make this happen? Because here at ZBrains, we have the magic formula to launch your CRM quickly and efficiently – simply because we’ve done it hundreds and hundreds of times for our clients.
Zoho CRM Tutorial: Four Easy Steps to Launch Zoho CRM in Two Days
1. Plan.
During the planning stage, it is important to define your sales and overall business process, with both the data and actions at each stage of your sales process. Your sales manager and lead sales people should know this process like the back of their hand – they just need to put it on paper.
For example, consider the following:
What happens when a lead comes through your website?
Who should be on the initial introduction call?
What are the steps you need to take when a prospect turns into an opportunity or proposal?
Who signs off on a won deal?
You certainly have all of this information in your head – your team simply needs to integrate such plans into documents.
2. Specification.
Once you have documented your sales process, you should convert your process into a specification document, which lists each field by module, action, trigger, and user. Start with all the standard fields in Zoho CRM, then add your own custom fields, as well as remove the fields you’re not going to use from your specification document. Go through this process a few times as you’re specifying just to ensure that you haven’t missed a step. It always helps to document in the initial planning and specification stage as much as possible.
3. Build.
Now is the time to build and customize your CRM from your specification document. Granted, if your process involves custom programming, or if you don’t have any of the content, it might take a longer than 2 days to build, but just to get started, 90% of companies do not need custom programming for their sales process.
But that’s just an aside. Building the process and framework typically takes two days alone – and remember, you can always customize as your team learns and adapts the Zoho CRM platform.
Which brings us to…
4. Train.
After the system is actually built, you should conduct a Zoho training session with your users, as well as help them get acquainted with the new system. We always recommend recording training sessions as much as possible, so that your team can go back and re-watch after your official training sessions are held.
If your team is wondering how long an implementation process takes, you can rest knowing that the response is two days. To launch Zoho CRM within this timeframe takes into account that your team has come to the initial planning meeting with an idea of the sales process and other marketing content that is available. All information is good information! We can turn this into actionable strategy and tactics for your team while using Zoho CRM.
When you are searching for the ideal CRM that will suit your business, there are plenty of criteria that must be considered – such as price point, features and functionality; yet, one point that is not always considered is the ability to scale. Arguably, this is one of the most important criteria points that your team needs to review before signing on the dotted line. Why? Because most businesses want to scale and grow, which means that you need to find a CRM that will scale with you. When it comes to the Zoho CRM, the benefits of this software are many and, rest assured, it’s a CRM that will scale with you and your business.
Did you that Zoho is used by the likes of Amazon, Benchmark, Mogl and Selectra?
They all have one thing in common. They’re huge.
All of these brands (and so many more) are massive in nature, and global in business reach. They rely on Zoho, and Zoho has scaled with them along the way.
#2. Zoho add-ons and integrations will expand your team.
There are many integrations that Zoho offers, and many that we offer here at ZBrains. Below are our favorites:
This calculator is something we offer here at ZBrains. The calculator helps determine commission calculations, approvals, statements and payroll integration. You can learn more here.
Need to update customer purchases, sales orders, invoices and more? Integrating QuickBooks with Zoho CRM allows you to know where your clients are at in every point of the cycle.
The SmartScheduler from ZBrains gives you the ability to search through employee information such as calendar availability, proximity to client, area of expertise, and any other data that can be collected from Zoho. This gives you, the business manager, the ability to set appointments with others in as easy as 1,2,3.
#3. It’ll remind you when your calls and meetings are coming up.
Instead of adding new team members as soon as you see growth occurring, why not consider working smarter? We love the ability to get reminders and make calls with the Zoho CRM. With the Zoho PhoneBridge, you will receive reminders to attend every scheduled call; you can also make calls from the CRM, which means you can stop wasting time by dialing phone numbers.
#4. Automation is key.
Much like working smarter with phone calls, automation will make you work smarter.
You can automate follow-up emails, processes and new meetings. For example, when you finish a call with a prospect, you can automate an email sequence to follow in order to move them further down the funnel, or develop a proposal.
#5. New clients and employees mean you need higher security.
As you scale, you need to have the highest level of security with new clients and processes. After all, it’s difficult to scale when security is a challenge.
Zoho is ideal for a team of any size. Though the company focuses on small to medium businesses, should your team expand and revenue explode, Zoho will always be there for you. The benefits are plentiful, and the ability to scale delivers far beyond what other CRMs provide.
Challenge: I can’t access my CRM on-the-go.
If you haven’t checked out Zoho One, 
