By Chris Bucholtz I’ve never seen a company so willing to apologize, and so quick to both fall on its own sword with customers and be completely transparent about issues that affect them, than Hannants, a hobby shop in the United Kingdom. It’s not like they make many mistakes. This is a pretty well-run business. … Continue reading »
Lee House: 5 Essential Tips to Protect Your Data Privacy, or That of Your Customers, When Using Cloud Computing
(Editor’s note: security is often cited as a concern when it comes to cloud computing. But it’s not as if you, the user, is powerless or has no role to play in security. The reality is that a cloud deployment is as secure as you make it. Don’t believe me? Okay, then – listen to … Continue reading »
The CRM Madness Trophy finds a home (thanks to a mess of real friends and fans)
By Chris Bucholtz A couple of weeks ago, those of us in the office were excited to discover that our little company had advanced to the “sweet 16” in a round-robin “tournament” of sorts being held by Capterra. “CRM Madness” was the title given the tournament (although I think this was originally a term for … Continue reading »
Choice, Control and Conferences: Why the UnCon is Here to Stay
(Editor’s note: I was the session chairman for SugarCon, and picking the right content was tough and nerve wracking. On the other hand, John Mertic organized our “UnCon” – and seemed much less stressed! CRM conferences are starting to attract a broader spectrum of attendees – ranging from those just dipping a toe in the … Continue reading »
Letting the User Take Control
SugarCon spotlighted a kit of positive results that come from building an ecosystem, and by being part of an ecosystem. The most evident manifestation of that may have been the App Throwdown, in which six SugarCRM partners presented really neat new integrations – the kinds of things that made you sit up and think, “I … Continue reading »
Users First: the greatest “Duh!” moment in CRM history
At last week’s SugarCon conference in San Francisco, SugarCRM’s executives outlined a three-item set of ideals that their business would be built around. Two of them had to do with the idea of “openness” – an open ecosystem and an open cloud strategy. Those two items capitalize on the cultural and technical underpinnings of the … Continue reading »
If a Tweet falls during SugarCon, does EVERYONE hear it?
By Chris Bucholtz I know the Outsiders has been a little quiet this week. That’s because I’m up to my elbows in SugarCon – which is a really great show, and I’d be saying that even if I wasn’t the show chair. If you want a great stream-of-exceptionally-elevated-CRM-consciousness peek inside the show, check out Twitter … Continue reading »
InsideView’s Koka Sexton: How a few shifts in your sales process can have a huge impact on sales revenue
(Editor’s note: With SugarCon right around the corner, I was more than pleased to receive this guest entry from InsideView’s Koka Sexton. InsideView’s been a terrific addition to SugarCRM for users of that particular CRM application, and for a lot of savvy users of other applications as well. They’re also a sponsor of SugarCon – … Continue reading »
Aligning support and marketing: an idea so obvious no one thinks of it
By Chris Bucholtz I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed sometimes. I admit that. Every time I step on the cat’s food bowl and scatter kibble everywhere, and every time I smack my shin into the glass-topped coffee table I am reminded of my intellectual limitations. (I do hate that coffee table.) … Continue reading »
“Do You Know Who I Am?”: What a Jerk Says, but What a Customer Thinks
By Chris Bucholtz What’s the epitome of an obnoxious person? You might think that’s a tough and very subjective question. I don’t think it is. There’s one way in which the truly obnoxious self-identify, and I bet you’ve actually seen it in action. It’s the person, who when they are confronted by something that befuddles … Continue reading »
