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Tag : Zoho Integrations

Zoho SalesIQ: 3 Reasons to Upgrade Your Sales and Marketing Strategies

Just How Far Does a Little Chat Go?

zoho salesiq

Zoho SalesIQ is a fantastic way to get your customers talking and drive your sales up.  It might not be obvious why that is right away, though.  Here’s what’s going on:

Every day, thousands of people crawl the web searching for businesses just like yours.  Maybe they even find them.  …Maybe they even find you.  But, then, what do you do?

Maybe some of those customers convert without you lifting a finger.  Your website could look gorgeous, attract all the right traffic, and even have a logical path that potential customers can follow, one that can (and sometimes does) lead to a conversion without any intervention on your part.

But, the tacit approach isn’t going to win everyone over.  Some people need a little push in the right direction.  A little conversation.  You’re going to need to chat them up to make them yours.

Enter Zoho SalesIQ.

Why Zoho SalesIQ?

Zoho SalesIQ is Zoho’s prospect communication module.  It allows people in your company to chat directly with people viewing your website, which, when done at the correct times, can mean the difference between a few curious (but ultimately indecisive) lookie-lous and a few purchases.

But, why use Zoho SalesIQ specifically?  There are tons of other chat modules available.  Why choose this one?

zoho salesiq prioritized leads

1.  Zoho SalesIQ allows for prioritizing (scoring) your leads

For businesses that attract a good deal of traffic, this is huge.  For want of a better example, imagine for a moment that it’s 1998 and you’re the owner of a Furby distributorship.  You’ve just opened the doors to your very first retail outlet, and, it’s causing a huge commotion in your strip mall.  With all the fanfare, not only are serious buyers heading in in droves, but everyone off the street is also stopping by to witness the chaos.  You’re selling quite a few Furbys, obviously, but, you’re running into a bunch of people in your store who aren’t really sure what Furbys are, don’t have the money to buy them, or, are planning to take your Furby quote to the next-nearest retailer and demand a price match.

You think to yourself, Life is pretty good today, but, it would be even better if I only ran into serious buyers and other people carrying more than $50 on them, and, none of these other people!

In effect, by using lead scoring from Zoho SalesIQ, this is exactly the type of situation you’re helping to create.

Lead scoring is a way of separating the wheat from the chaff, as it were.  With Zoho SalesIQ, everyone gets to see your website, of course – but, lead scoring lets you prioritize your potential customers in a way that’s completely up to you by giving them points for each criteria of yours they meet.  The more points they have, the closer they’re allowed to come to you, and, if you’re getting bombarded, you’ll know to engage the good visitors first and get to the others later, if you want.

Here’s how scoring might work:

Did you just start an email campaign?  You can give people who accessed your page from one of those messages a higher score to denote their interest in your products.  Want to go after people who’ve spent more than two minutes looking at your website?  More than five minutes?  You can also give those visitors a higher score.  The more criteria your customers meet, the higher their score, and, the closer they get to you, figuratively; you can spend more time engaging those people on Zoho SalesIQ instead of engaging people who have less potential to buy from you at all.

zoho salesiq integration

2. Zoho SalesIQ plugs directly into Zoho CRM

Any time you can integrate one customer-oriented part of your business with your main customer hub, your CRM, you’re going to reap benefits.  SalesIQ’s CRM integration ability lets you do a couple of things that aren’t possible with a standalone chat module:

  • Start sending emails and alerts right away
    • With an integration to Zoho CRM, Zoho SalesIQ can transfer customer data directly to your CRM, making it easy to add them to email campaigns, and otherwise keep track of their progress through your pipeline in a more universal sense than would be possible with a standalone chat system.
  • Save a great deal of time
    • Zoho CRM integration means you spend more time interacting with customers and less time – well, no time at all, precisely – manually entering lead information into your CRM, because Zoho SalesIQ transfers information to your Zoho CRM with the click of a button.  For businesses with many qualified customers finding them every day, this feature is absolutely invaluable.
  • Recall and analyze the past with ease
    • Memory a little fuzzy on that last conversation you had with the 20th prospect of the day?  Zoho SalesIQ’s chat logging feature combined with access to past data from Zoho CRM allows you to make decisions you couldn’t have made before, such as placing your customer into an “interested” email campaign list from a “lukewarm” list.  Perfect for anyone who has more than a couple of conversations each day.

3.  Zoho SalesIQ’s mobile compatibility means you’ll never miss a potential connection

Obviously, almost anything can be made better when you’re doing it from the comfort of your living room as opposed to the unyielding chair of your office.  Engaging your customers is certainly no exception to this rule.

With Zoho SalesIQ’s mobile compatibility, you can have conversations with your customers outside of work, too – during a walk outside, a TV commercial, or even a lousy date.  (Priorities!)  Combine this mobile capability with aforementioned lead scoring and CRM integration, and it really is like bringing your customer base – the core of your entire business – with you, right in the palm of your hand.

zoho salesiq einstein

Zoho SalesIQ is clearly a wise choice

Hopefully this sheds a little light on a common problem some businesses have: Even in the best of times, they might be wasting lots of valuable resources talking to the wrong people, manually entering data, or missing lots of good connections – or not talking to potential customers at all!

Zoho SalesIQ takes the mystery out of your process.  Whether or not to engage your customers smartly (by prioritizing), efficiently (by integrating), or easily (by using mobile capability) shouldn’t be decisions you have to make – they shouldn’t even enter the equation.  Leave those details to Zoho SalesIQ and you’ll find you’ll focus less on the things slowing you down and more on what you do best: communicating with customers who really want to buy from you.

Want to see what SalesIQ’s all about?  Contact us at (888) 207-4111 for dedicated support and we’ll show you how it works and give you a personalized training session as well.

The Zoho / Quickbooks Integration

The Zoho Quickbooks Integration

quickbooks crm integration

The integration of Zoho CRM and QuickBooks is a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, too many businesses have had a failed integration of their CRM and ERP systems in the past causing wariness of CRMs that may miss the mark. It has been proven that the front office staff is less likely to adopt the CRM if it is not connected to the back office ERP accounting software in a way that empowers them. There are several questions and concerns you need to be aware before entering any CRM-ERP union.

Integration is Key

One of the most critical pieces of the equation is ensuring that your CRM module can be fully integrated into your ERP software, like Quickbooks. If your front line customer service agents and salespeople do not have access to important data such as sales history, complaint history, communication history and have to enter information twice, once into each system; your CRM adoption is doomed to fail from the start. Only consider options such as Zoho CRM Online and Quickbooks where complete integration of the two actually automates a number of processes and provides accurate and up-to-date information to everyone that needs it.

This integration is critical to the success of the system, not only from an adoption standpoint but also to ensure that the extra cost of a CRM system is made up for in workflow efficiencies. Enabling salespeople to make sales on the road be productive in the field with information available on their mobile devices with access to documents and reports ensures increased production.

quickbooks crm integration

Red Flags

If you experience any of the following issues in your company then your current solution may actually be doing more harm than good. It may be time to reconsider your options.

Is all your information available in a central way to all the stakeholders that need it? Can sales people access customer sales information? Can customer service access customer communication histories?

Have there been issues of miscommunication between your accounting team and the sales team?

Do your sales people consistently sell items that are not in inventory, sold out, back-ordered, or discontinued? If they do not have access to inventory it may worsen this situation.

Does the sales team over sell client’s credit limit increasing your businesses risk to bad dept? Are sales being held up because of the credit department?

Are the note systems of customer service, sales and accounting integrated? Or does each department keep separate notes?

Are your salespeople helping accounting by collecting on outstanding invoices during routine sales calls? Or are they missing the opportunity because they do not have access to this information?

Is too much time being spent researching answers across multiple departments causing customer service lags because the information is not readily available?

If you have had any of these issues actually cause a loss of business, missed sales opportunities, increased labor costs, missed month end sales targets, cash flow deficiencies then you may be suffering from an integration that ended in separation with your CRM and ERP systems. Contact us today and let us help you identify the right integration solution to get your business back on track – or, take advantage of our Zoho certified consulting for any other aspect of your business with Zoho CRM.

Zoho CRM Integrations

Zoho CRM Integrations: the way to run your business to its fullest potential

zoho crm integrations

Zoho CRM

If you are researching Zoho CRM integrations, you most likely noticed that there are a lot of options for integrating your CRM with your accounting or ERP system. As you evaluate those options, here are some points to consider while doing your research. It’s always recommended to work with a certified Zoho consultant who can help with your integration after a thorough needs assessment.

1.) Do Not Enter

Why enter customer records if others are willing to do it for you? The best part about CRM integration into company websites, surveys and other apps allows you to collect information from clients by allowing them to enter their own information. It can then be assessed and included into your database. This can save large amounts of time if done properly.

2.) Enter Only Once

If you ever have to enter information more than once, your CRM and ERP integration was done poorly. Moving information or copying it from one program to the next ultimately leads to mistakes through human error. Ensure all new customers and old customers are available to all the stakeholders that require the information, such as marketing, sales, and customer service without having to acquire the information separately.

3.) Let History Repeat

In business, letting your customers repeat their invoicing and sales histories enables sales departments to better understand their client’s sales cycles. Make sure any CRM integration includes these vital areas of information.

4.) Order Processing

Any quote offered to client should be easily transferrable into your ERP system for immediate conversion into an order without extra processing. A simple quote to order process can save billing and sales departments tons of time.

5.) Proper Inventory Numbers

To be effective in selling products, your sales team need inventory information that is accurate and up-to-date on a consistent basis. Quantity of items on hand and their location will help them ensure the quickest delivery from the nearest location, enabling more sales turnovers in the long run.

6.) It Should Save $

The bottom line of a Zoho CRM integration with an ERP is to be able to produce better efficiencies and in the end save the company money in lost productivity. Yet it can also save money by keeping ERP licensing fees to a minimum and allowing those that need information get it through the lesser cost of a CRM.

7.) Let Them Roam

Road service personnel or traveling sales reps often waste time by not being able to place an order on their mobile devices while at the client’s business. Enabling this simple solution can ensure maximum sales and better production by your sales team. CRM integration with mobile capabilities can even allow payment collection on the spot. Ensuring that executives or other employees can work offline and enable syncing when they are back online allows productivity even when traveling or flying.

8.) Easy Returns

Proper CRM integration can make returns management an easy process instead of the logistical nightmare most companies are used to dealing with. Make sure your Zoho CRM can handle return tracking with ease and integrate the process with your ERP.

There are lots of other issues that can arise when implementing and integrating a new CRM system alongside your ERP. Having the right consultant that understands your business processes, asks the rights questions and can guide you to the most effective solutions makes even the implementation easier.

Zoho One: The Ultimate in Zoho integrations

zoho crm integrations zoho one

If there’s one thing Zoho has been doing lately to up the ante, it’s add software to the Zoho “family” of apps.  In 2016, Zoho began to offer all 35 or so apps in one unified package called Zoho One.  Zoho One sets itself apart from most software bundles as it can be had for less than the cost of a Zoho CRM Enterprise license.  Many apps in Zoho One integrate directly with Zoho CRM – for example, Zoho Books for managing finances and light inventory, and Zoho Campaigns for email marketing and analytics.  For companies looking to use Zoho CRM for integrations, or perhaps looking to get all their software under one umbrella, Zoho One is a fine choice.

Want to know more about how Zoho CRM integrations can help you?

Zoho CRM integrations are key to nearly any well-run Zoho system, and it’s not always obvious which way to go with them at first.  But, it’s nothing a consulting session can’t help suss out!  Contact us today to learn how our team of Certified Zoho Consultants can take your Zoho integrations experience to the next level, or, reach out for any CRM training or support questions.  Just use the Contact Us button in the upper right corner of this screen and a ZBrains Zoho consultant will get back to you within 24 hours.

 

Zoho CRM vs Salesforce — 3 Reasons why Zoho Is The Better Choice

zoho crm vs salesforce

Are you looking into options for adding an online CRM solution for your business? If so, you are most likely looking at Salesforce, along with a few other options. Did you know that Zoho is another leading solution that is just as good (if not better) as Salesforce at a fraction of the cost? When you compare Zoho CRM vs Salesforce, we feel strongly that you will find there are 3 key benefits with Zoho that will help you avoid overpaying for an online CRM solution. Let’s look at these 3 differentiators that will help you decide the winner when it comes to Zoho vs. Salesforce. In our analysis, we will look at:

  1. Overall features
  2. The total cost of ownership
  3. The ability to integrate with your back-office accounting software

Zoho CRM Feature Comparison: Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Zoho has superior inventory management functionality when compared to Salesforce. Zoho recognizes the importance of your sales team to have real-time access to open quotes, invoices, vendors and products. If you are in Sales, you know that if inventory isn’t available to sell when you need to sell it, then you can’t deliver the sale to the customer as promised. You are also at risk of missing your month end sales goals. The bottom line is: if your product isn’t available to ship then you can’t book it. Zoho CRM gives you instant access to your inventory quantity on-hand and what is available to ship from what warehouse. Visibility into your inventory availability is just one example of how Zoho helps your Sales team gain a competitive edge to meet or beat sales quotas.

Here are a few leading benefits of Zoho CRM:

  • Feature rich set with an intuitive web-based interface
  • Affordable CRM solution at a fraction of the cost
  • Available as an on-demand service accessible from anywhere – including your mobile device
  • Fully customizable user interface to match any organization’s CRM workflow process
  • Export your Zoho data anytime
  • Increase your business productivity by automating key aspects of the customer lifecycle
  • Continuous Zoho product updates without service disruptions and extra costs
  • Dedicated customer support during implementation and deployment
  • Local Zoho CRM certified consultants available for additional training and integration work

Please contact us for a more in-depth feature by feature comparison of Zoho vs. Salesforce.

Zoho Online CRM at a Fraction of the Cost: Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Zoho Online CRM is 1/5th the cost of Salesforce and has similar features that you would expect from a leading online CRM solution. Salesforce has a big reputation for being one of the market leaders for leading online CRM solution. Did you also know that Salesforce is widely known to be expensive, costly and hard to manage and implement? Zoho’s business model is to provide customers with an affordable, easy to use solution that offers the flexibility to run your business the way you need to run it. Zoho is easily customizable to capture the data you need to help your Sales and Marketing teams increase sales and profitability.

Unlike Salesforce, Zoho’s “pay-as-you-go” model clearly gives customers the flexibility of shorter or longer-term commitments minimizing the risk of being forced to use a system also known as software “vendor lock-in.” This diagram below illustrates how a 5 year investment with Salesforce compares to Zoho CRM. Clearly, the Zoho versions in blue and red are at a fraction of the cost of an investment with Salesforce.

Zoho Online CRM and Accounting System Integration: Zoho CRM vs Salesforce

Are you using QuickBooks? Zoho offers Zoho QuickBooks integration. Our certified Zoho consultants are available to help integrate Zoho with your system. Zoho also integrates with a number of robust Zoho Business Apps and the Zoho Office Suite (Mail, Meeting, Sheet, Writer, etc.). Zoho is available on your mobile device so you can take your data on the road.

Would you like to have a more in-depth comparison of Zoho CRM vs Salesforce? Our experienced, certified Zoho consultants will be happy to help you with your Online CRM selection process. If you already own Zoho, take some time to learn more about our Zoho training options! Zoho Online CRM users can join our monthly classroom training sessions and request individual appointments both on-site and remote via webinar. If you’re just starting out, we suggest attending one of our free monthly webinars. We offer both basic user level and admin training so you can harness the full potential of the software. Remote training of our boot camp as a webinar is also available. Contact us today and let our team of support experts take your Zoho experience to the next level!

Optimizing Workflow: Zoho & Google Apps CRM Integration

Zoho and Google Apps CRM – 6 Ways to Utilize Both Together

zoho google apps

 To Pair or Not to Pair?

Many people are moving to Google Apps for their personal and small businesses for online computing. If you are looking for an all-in-one system where you can sync with your mobile devices, Zoho CRM combined with Google Apps for Business is a great option. Zoho has been working to integrate its online CRM application with Google Apps for the last four years to become the leading online CRM collaboration tool. For instance, as a Zoho and Google user, you can now access Zoho CRM from your Gmail account. When you are logged into Zoho, you can access the integrated Google Apps and if you are in Google Apps, you can access Zoho online CRM functionality.

In this blog, we will cover 2 popular Zoho Google Apps for Gmail and Calendar along with 3 major benefits for Zoho customers using Google Apps. There are also additional Google Apps: Documents, Drive, Sites, and Vault which are described in further detail on our website covering Zoho Google Apps.

3 Powerful Google Apps that Help Zoho Users Save Time and Money:

1.)  Gmail Integrated with Zoho

This is one of our Customer’s favorite Zoho Google Apps and one we use heavily in our business. Our Customers find they save money when moving over to Gmail for their daily email correspondence. If you prefer to use Outlook, you can use Gmail for your backend mail exchange. All your emails are safe with Google’s secure online backup. If you need to access emails when you are out of the office or away from your computer, you can now access Outlook anywhere you have a web browser. Feeling bogged down with emails? Easily find what you are looking for with Google’s powerful built-in search functionality. Zoho and Google Apps will work with all Microsoft file types so you can open any documents while on the road.

2.)  Zoho Plugged into Google Calendar

Another favorite is the ability to coordinate your schedule with Google Calendar.  You can view all events and create multiple calendars from the same interface.  This integrates with Zoho CRM so all your events and reminders can be seen in Zoho.  Coworkers have visibility on your availability so they can easily work around your schedule.  Google Calendar allows you to set permissions so you can set the ability to view and modify your schedule.

3.) Google Drive integration for Zoho CRM

This special connection, developed by ZBrains, allows for CRM record file storage inside Google Drive.  The Google Drive integration works by creating and associating new Google Drive folders with Zoho CRM records based on a folder structure or hierarchy that you set.  When you create new CRM records – for example, for a client project – an equivalent folder and URL will be created in Google Drive, and that folder’s URL will be automatically linked to the appropriate CRM record.

zoho google apps

3 additional ways customers benefit from Zoho Google Apps:

1.)  Save money with consolidated technology

Save time and money by using Zoho and Google Apps, processing most data online in the cloud, without costly server maintenance. Integrating Zoho Google Apps also helps save time and money while traveling. Google Apps is an affordable solution to increase productivity for just $5 per user, per month, or $50 per user, per year. Sign up for a Google Apps FREE trial and see for yourself how easy it is to get started.

2.) Increase productivity with easy file storage

Google Apps’ cloud-based productivity suite lets you store files, documents, spreadsheets, and presentations in the cloud. Avoid emailing documents for revisions now that multiple users can access these documents and make edits in a central location.

3.) Secure your data with a cloud-based system

Google maintains your data securely in the cloud with world-class data centers. You don’t have to manage 2 separate passwords since with one point of access and one password to sign on. You simply log into Zoho with your GA login credentials.

Seamless Collaboration with Google Apps:


By integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM, businesses can leverage the collaborative power of Google’s suite of productivity tools. This integration allows teams to seamlessly access and share CRM data, contacts, calendars, and documents stored in Google Drive. For example, sales representatives can easily schedule meetings using Google Calendar, access customer information from Zoho CRM within Gmail, and collaborate on documents in real time using Google Docs. This streamlined collaboration enhances team productivity and ensures everyone is on the same page when it comes to managing customer relationships.


Efficient Data Synchronization:


Integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM enables automatic data synchronization between the two platforms. This means that any updates or changes made in one platform will reflect in the other, eliminating the need for manual data entry and reducing the risk of data discrepancies. For instance, when a sales representative updates a contact’s information in Zoho CRM, the changes will be instantly reflected in Google Contacts, ensuring accurate and up-to-date customer data across both platforms. This seamless data synchronization saves time and minimizes the chances of errors, allowing businesses to focus on nurturing customer relationships.


Enhanced Email Marketing Campaigns:


Effective email marketing is an essential aspect of CRM success.  strategies. Integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM provides businesses with a powerful combination of tools for executing targeted email campaigns. With this integration, users can create personalized email templates in Zoho CRM and send them directly from their Gmail accounts. The integration also enables tracking and analytics, allowing businesses to monitor email opens, click-through rates, and conversions. This valuable data can be used to refine marketing strategies and improve customer engagement.


Streamlined Document Management:


Google Apps’ robust document management capabilities, combined with Zoho Online CRM, offer a streamlined approach to document storage and access. By integrating the two platforms, businesses can store and organize customer-related documents in Google Drive and link them directly to corresponding records in Zoho CRM. This integration ensures easy access to important files such as contracts, proposals, and invoices within the CRM system, enabling sales and support teams to quickly retrieve and share relevant documents during customer interactions.


Advanced Reporting and Analytics:


Integrating Google Apps with Zoho Online CRM provides businesses with advanced reporting and analytics capabilities. By combining the data from Zoho CRM with Google Sheets and Google Data Studio, users can create insightful reports and visualizations that offer valuable insights into customer behavior, sales performance, and overall business metrics. These analytics help businesses make data-driven decisions, identify trends, and optimize their CRM strategies to drive growth.


Conclusion:

In summary, Zoho Online CRM is the best cost-effective CRM solution that works with Google Apps for Business available in the market today. Contact us if you are interested in learning more about Zoho Google Apps working for your business. As ERP and Zoho CRM consultants, our team at ZBrains provides Zoho and Google Apps customers with migration services, customizations, support escalation, webinars, knowledge-base access, system integrations, and change management for your business.


Get in touch with us to learn how our team of certified Zoho experts will help you maximize your Zoho CRM solution. Our Zoho CRM training or comprehensive Zoho implementation packages will help get your team equipped and ready to take advantage of all the critical features of Zoho CRM that are essential to help you and your team better manage existing customers and new business opportunities.