If you are new to the Zoho Suite of applications, then you will understand what I mean when I say there are a LOT of options - so many that it can be overwhelming at times. What's more challenging is that you can find similar features and functions available in different Zoho apps, and they are used in slightly different ways.

Over the years of learning as much as I can about this suite of software tools, I have often enjoyed the variety of challenges. Other times, I just want a straight answer. Among the apps that the Beckmann Collaborative team has learned (and will continue to learn about) is Zoho Analytics. What a powerful tool for a business!

What is Zoho Analytics?

This is a business intelligence (BI) data analytics platform. It lets you create beautiful charts and reports to easily analyze your business data. Who doesn't love data visualizations?

I can get what I need from Google Analytics and my individual marketing channel analytics. So why would I...

Welcome to the third and final installment of our CRM Best Practices series.  These articles walk you through how to evaluate, setup, and properly use your CRM software. If you missed the first article, then you can get started with your CRM evaluation. The second article includes valuable tips on CRM user best practices.

This article covers important tips for your CRM workflows through both initial setup and recurring maintenance of your database. These tips can help the growth of your business and improve decision making.

What is a Workflow?

A workflow is simply a routine or recurring process used to get the best results in the most efficient amount of time. It can be illustrated as a series of steps in a diagram or a checklist showing what needs to be completed and the sequence.

Read more about marketing workflows in this previous article: Creating a Marketing Workflow. 

A key piece of your CRM workflows is starting with a detailed CRM...

Since so many of us have been bummed about Zoholics being canceled, I decided to host a virtual Zoho CRM user group.  As luck would have it, a fellow partner (Josh Wagner, Stratosphere Sales) enthusiastically agreed to join me and offer his Zoho insights too. My only expectation was for a few people who already know me to show up. The response was great, and the user group itself was even better. 

About 13 of us showed up in a virtual meeting last week. We got to know each other, shared experiences about CRM best practices, and I think we all learned a few useful things.  

Some of our big takeaways:

• While Zoho offers a fantastic suite of products, it is a challenge to know enough about all of the apps.
• We are all looking for resources to learn more and get our questions answered.
• There are several online communities that are helpful to know about: 
  • Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1634640983443827/
  • LinkedIn group: ...

Dear Fellow Entrepreneur, Business Owner, Marketer, and Salesperson,
(I currently am all of these roles in my business) 

    Some salespeople appear to have a secret formula or to have inherited their natural sales traits, right?  There's more to sales than raw talent.  You don't need to be born into sales. The truth is that companies offering proper training and support are much more successful than competitors who expect their natural-born sellers to carry the load.

If you feel the pressure and fear making silly mistakes, then check out our Top 10 list of sales fails and CRM pitfalls. You can circumvent these issues in your business, as long as you have a plan and plenty of practice. 

Why Are You Struggling to Sell?

What are your Sales Fails?

Let's start with the list of possibilities. Click any of the phrases below to read more about it or just scroll through the list. 

1. Unclear Process from Marketing to Sales
2. Poor...

Written by Randi Zimmermann

In my previous blog post, I outlined what Zoho Projects is and some of the key features Beckmann Collaborative uses in the application. This article dives into some of the features that you'll notice upon first logging into Zoho Projects. The first time you log in to any project management platform, it might be intimidating. Zoho Project has feeds, projects, dashboards, and task lists. No need to fear, I've got some helpful directions for you here. 

Zoho Projects Dashboard

When you log into Zoho Projects, you will either be directed to your 'feed' or your 'dashboard'. The feed can be useful for team communication. Today, I want to cover the features and cards available in your home dashboard. At Beckmann Collaborative, we use the dashboard to give us a high-level overview of what is happening across all projects with clients and what needs to be done on a daily basis. You'll find your dashboard by clicking the 'Home'...

This is the second post in our series about Zoho CRM setup. If you are still looking for a basic understanding of definitions and CRM strategy, read the first post. This post is focused on more specific logistics of setting up your CRM account so that it's customized to your needs. We'll touch upon the most important settings including:

• Personal Settings
• Company Details
• Email Integration
• Phone Bridge
• Social Integration
• Custom Fields - Modules and Fields
• Email Templates

How do you get to your settings? Click on the wrench and screwdriver in the top right corner of your screen, similar to the screenshot below.

1. Personal Settings

In the General section, you'll find Personal Settings. Fill out all of the fields in the Personal Settings - most important will be your email signature. Your email signature will show up in any emails you send out from the CRM.

2. Company Details

The things to update in your company details include your logo, Fiscal Year, and...

If you're new to either Zoho or project management software, you might not be familiar with Zoho's popular project management tool, Zoho Projects. Zoho Projects is a cloud-based application that enables you to assign and manage tasks for multiple projects in thorough detail. It is primarily designed for small and mid-sized businesses, and it keeps all of your projects conveniently in one, user-friendly place. In a review from PC Mag, Zoho Projects was labeled an outstanding choice for both small businesses and mid-sized businesses.

Key Features of Zoho Projects That We Love

Time Tracking

For Beckmann Collaborative, one of the most convenient features of Zoho Projects is time tracking and reporting. We use time tracking for EVERYTHING. It helps us continually learn and improve our marketing operations. 

First, we can export comprehensive and well-organized timesheets which makes invoicing a breeze. Alternatively, timesheet data...

If you are currently shopping around for the right CRM System, chances are that you already understand the value of customer relationship management. Right? 

Have you come up with a clear plan or strategy for HOW you will use Zoho CRM in your business? New technology is fun and the idea of automating processes is very appealing. The hitch is that planning work needs to be put in before you start uploading contacts and setting up workflows. 

If you already have a CRM Strategy, then you can jump down the page to the "Intro to Zoho CRM" section.

Offer Value + Listen, Watch and Ask.

Clients ask me about how to write social media posts that will connect with their customers or emails that will get opened because of a good subject line.

The first thing I tell them is to be sure they are offering something of real value. Offering value is through your marketing is called a  content marketing strategy and it's a powerful tool.

The second thing I...

The following information is sourced from the Zoho CRM help guide. I found it to include helpful insights, so I'm sharing it with you. 

While customer relationship management is an important aspect of running a business, it can often become overwhelming due to the extensive amount of work involved. You must always ensure you are keeping in touch with your customers through email and over the phone so you don't miss out important leads or a potential deal. In the meantime, it is also crucial to stay on top of your projects. Sometimes such multitasking may show downside effects on the overall functioning of your business.

Zoho CRM aims to make this easier for you by providing multiple features under a single platform. Collectively, these features can help you a great deal in enhancing communication with your customers.

Email: You can send emails to your customers from your Zoho CRM account. You can also integrate your personal email accounts with CRM to make sure the...

What do you do when your business requires 30+ documents from the client for them to work with you?

Do you email them a list of all the documents and wait for a reply?

Do you repeatedly call the client and ask for the documents to be sent by a specific date?

This is a problem I recently faced in a marketing operations improvement project. The reason I describe it as marketing operations is because the client communication channels is key to the company’s reputation, which is their number one way of marketing themselves – strong processes and communications. The company was already a user of Zoho CRM, so making sure that the marketing operations improvements worked with that platform was important.

The Project Requirements:

• Collect 30+ forms and documents ranging from a simple contract to detailed personal financial information
• Get digital signatures on some of the documents
• Make it easy to collect the documents
• Make it easy to submit the documents
• Create email...