No matter which eCRM program you choose for your business, you aren't making the most of eCRM if you aren’t using all the services offered by your provider. Training should be part of your online customer management software program.

If you haven’t fully implemented the online CRM tool, be sure to use everything that is available to you as part of your fee and make sure everyone with access to the eCRM has the proper training. Making the most of eCRM also means developing a plan to use it. In order to do that you need to:

1. Devise an action plan to put the full services of the online customer management system into operation.

2. Monitor the eCRM regularly to gather the data you need for your business.

3. Analyze the eCRM services periodically to make sure you are getting the data you need specifically for your business.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Hire eCRM consultants to help you make the most of the program

Let online customer service experts help you set up your program. They can also train your staff. In some cases the host of your online CRM service may provide these services. Make sure you take advantage of this if they do.

I recommend: Trinity Business Management offers consultancy services for online customer relationship management. Use its free marketing and sales audit tool to assess the efficiency of your sales force. You can also hire the eCRM consultants at Access Sciences to make sure you are getting the most value from your customer management online services.

Gain knowledge of e-CRM principles

Apply this knowledge to your particular business. No matter what online CRM program you use, if you're still not getting sales, something is not right. Learn what it takes to make the sales you need.

I recommend: Read the article on implementing e-CRM at Vendor Guru. The editors from CRM Magazine list 12 steps on implementing a successful off-line and online CRM program. The information is available on its destinationCRM.com website.

Be ready to use innovative new ideas with your online CRM program

Gather ideas of what is working for other companies. Try it for your business. If it doesn't work, keep looking. If it does, continue to fine-tune your program to make it work successfully for you.

I recommend: Marketing Direct features innovative ideas for making the most of eCRM. Data Management Review and SourceMedia offer ideas for measuring the success of your customer relationship management online program.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  If your eCRM online program allows you to create multiple databases, use the eCRM to manage other files in addition to sales. For example, you can use it to manage accounts receivable as well as accounts payable. With a detailed database function, you can track any vendor you buy goods or services from.

Attracting and retaining customers is a key challenge for any business. Fortunately, online CRM (customer relationship management) solutions are rapidly becoming more functionally rich, viable ways to mine this area. The upshot is that Web-based programs can save you time and money, and are an excellent way to track customers versus more costly on-premise versions.

Online CRM solutions:

1. Sate customers' desire to interact through multiple channels
2. Deliver insight into customers' needs through click-stream data
3. Offer users more chances to send emails and interact online
4. Use online Web-training materials for staff

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Get up and running quickly

Most hosted solutions are functional within weeks. Conversely, the on-premise version takes at least six months to be installed. Also, hosted versions can even be downloaded from the Internet with a credit card. The upshot is rapid ROI (return on investment), since implementation time is much faster.

I recommend: Some of the biggest names in software have turned to hosted solutions. Go to Oracle and SAP to research their offerings, such as ROI, speed to market and other key factors.

Lower cost than installed versions

By virtually outsourcing your CRM, IT costs are substantially cut. Start-up fees are minimal, and the monthly fees are straightforward and generally low. (Most of the fee is comprised of licensing costs.) Because software maintenance and support are outsourced, there's little need for a sizable staff.

I recommend: Sites like CRMBuyer.com and SearchCRM.com post articles and guidance on the cost of eCRM versus the installed versions. It pays to compare cost, line item by item.

Easily personalized

These days, CRM solutions fit easily into existing networks because they're highly flexible. The Internet is the backbone of the system. Some big enterprise companies like SAP and Oracle offer hosted services beyond just CRM that you can expand into.

I recommend: For useful information on personalization, go to CRMProject.com. And to find out which companies are expanding their hosted offerings, check out DestinationCRM.com.

Flexibility leaves room to grow

Upgrading an installed CRM solution can be costly. But the hosted solutions are highly scalable and can be easily upgraded.

I recommend: Gather more information on scalability at CRMGuru.com, where you can use its moderated discussion groups and peruse its CRM Knowledge Base of 1,000 tips and articles. Also, SharedInsights.com has valuable discussion boards and white papers on digital CRM.

Low risk tests

Not only are hosted solutions cheaper to implement, some even offer free trial periods so that you can test them.

I recommend: Sign up for a free 30-day trial at SalesForce.com, a market leader in hosting.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Ease of use is key. Does the program have an intuitive interface?
• •  Look for Web training — the ability to track which staff members are using the system and why.
• •  Benchmark the reams of data you're collecting with charts and graphs.
• •  Knowing your goal, such as connecting with customers, helps you choose the right online CRM solution.

If you use an online customer relationship management program to manage your business contacts, you need to have your entire staff trained in using the program. By doing so you not only find ways to make more sales, but you also make better use of the money you spend each month for the online customer management software.

People who receive eCRM education and training go through the process for a number of reasons. There are a number of ways to take eCRM training classes, including:

1. Online customer relationship management training for managers who wish to pass the information on to their staff.

2. General training aimed at all staff members who use eCRM programs to keep track of their customers.

3. Specialized IT training for technical staff.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Attend in-house training for e-CRM

A number of online customer service companies offer classes to your employees on your premises or at a conference center. This is a good way to introduce your staff to eCRM services and what they can do to simplify business.

I recommend: Salesforce.com offers eCRM education and training on a number of topics. These courses can help you achieve a certificate so you can also teach others how to use online customer management tools. Echopass trains your e-CRM trainer. It also offers training for your entire staff to get the most from your online CRM service.

Use a webinar to learn about eCRM

You can set up individual webinar sessions for your sales team or you can host a webinar in your office's conference room. These courses cover similar topics to hands-on training, but you don't always get the interaction you would have if the instructor was actually in the classroom with you.

I recommend: CRM OnTarget offers a number of webinars for training in eCRM products. You can also view the customer relationship management online webinars from PowerObjects.

Find videos to learn about your online customer relationship management tools

Some companies provide these videos free of charge or as part of the monthly cost of the e-CRM product. Others offer videos as stand-alone training modules that you purchase as needed to implement various phases of e-CRM in your business.

I recommend: Salesboom.com offers a number of free online CRM videos to help you learn more about using online customer relationship management products in your line of business. Winstructor.com offers a package of videos you can use to train your employees to make better use of your online customer management system.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The training of your staff on the use of online CRM can only go so far. To get the most value from your investment, each and every staff member needs to use the online CRM program every day with every customer.