The OnePage team is expanding!
We currently have two open positions to fill; a Growth hacker (Digital marketeer) and a Ruby on Rails developer.
See the full details on our website here.
Please spread the word – we’re looking for a-listers!
Michael.
Cool! We’ve been nominated for the “Top CRM Solution” again this year! If you have a minute, please click on the graphic above and give us your vote. Should only take a minute or two. Thanks a million.
Email dropbox
Now you can automatically store emails sent to contacts in OnePage!
When you click on a contact’s email address (opening your default email client), OnePage places an address in the Bcc field that sends the message to your OnePage account and associated with that contact.
Find contacts on LinkedIn
As you know OnePage is really suitable for business to business service organisations. And where do business customers hang out? Yep, LinkedIn.
We’ve just make it super easy to find your prospects on LinkedIn and save their profile.
Usability improvements
It might be only a small change (technically), but adding a popup to show a contact’s full history, their email dropbox etc. has made the world of a difference.
Now you get a consistent and fast view of contacts from any area of our app.
See for yourself when you log in.
Public API
We’ve released the power of OnePageCRM to the public. Our API has been made public, have a look…
onepagecrm.com/api/sales-crm-api.html
Using RESTful API with XML, JSON or YAML over HTTP.
It’s just after mid-day and among a slew of other tasks, I’ve followed up on about a dozen customers who owe us money.
Some of them are only just due to pay, some are slightly overdue, and some are annoyingly way past the point at which my patience is guaranteed.
Each one of them has received previous communications about their account from me – either an invoice with a note, a reminder, or a series of progressively more pointed emails amounting to a plea with a veiled threat of consequences.
Even with only a dozen such ‘flagged’ accounts, though, among all the other bits and pieces that I have been doing as a small business owner this morning, it would have been impossible to keep track of who said what, when, and how I’m meant to follow up, without a very good system.
I remember a really nice fella, Willie, I think, was his name, used to do the credit control with Smurfit Communications when I worked there many years ago. And I remember him explaining to me, over lunch in Dobbins one pre-Celtic Tiger day, what made him good at his job – it wasn’t rocket science, and it didn’t require you to be a ‘heavy’ with ‘reluctant clients’: what it needed was detailed notes.
He used to have a large diary open in front of him at all times on the desk, and in it he’d note everything a client who owed money would say during his conversations with them. He’d also forward-note next actions to be taken, having agreed with the client that on a certain date or by a certain time a particular piece of the jigsaw would be in place that would move the issue (payment) along to resolution.
Come that day or time in his diary when, according to his notes, such-and-such was meant to have happened, Willie would duly ring the client back and based on his notes he’d be able to see how much truth there was to the client’s story and respond accordingly. He proved that politely calling a client’s bluff on a cheque-is-in-the-post type porky was far more effective in getting an outstanding balance paid than threats and accusations.
He was methodical. Old fashioned in the tools he used, but fully up to speed with the job. Unfortunately, even though I learned the theory from Willie that day of how to keep bad debts down and credit stretch to a minimum, I never applied it thoroughly enough.
I used to have terrible trouble in this area, forgetting to invoice, forgetting to follow up, forgetting what the customer said, forgetting to check statements, and ultimately losing a lot of money because of my sloppiness.
I always had the diary open. I always took the notes. But amidst all the other tasks and scribbles and thoughts that I generated as an owner-manager, the diary system just didn’t work for me. I was, like so many solo-managers, overwhelmed by the multitude of tasks I had to perform just to get jobs done and keep the whole thing ticking over.
Finally, though, I have it under control. In fact, I have it down to such an art that my customers are asking me how I’m so on the ball with credit control. OnePageCRM is the answer – it is where I keep all the notes and enter all the diary information for future actions on each and every account, and even though it is slick, dynamic and very helpful in how it presents the information and in how I can focus on the one activity by filtering out other tasks, it is really Willie’s approach that underlies it.
Guest blog post by at Penhire www.penhire.blogspot.com
Latest updates to OnePageCRM!
Custom filters
The much requested Custom filters has been added. This gives real focus on a subset of your contacts when required. So if you need to see “Pending deals in London”, it’s only one click away. Do it by Status, Tag, Location and Deals!
GTD’s “Waiting for”
As you know, our app has a GTD gene- Uncluttered focus- Upfront decision making, and- Encouraging the “next action”
In true GTD-style we’ve also added the well-known “Waiting for” concept, for when you’re “Waiting for prospects to get back to you”
New filter mega menu
Just when you thought the OnePage interface couldn’t get any cleaner!
Now all your contact focus is now under one menu and only one click away. Including the new Custom filter and Waiting for options.
Quick open for Full Details
It’s just a small thing, but we know it’s the small things that make an app one you’ll love using.
Last month we enhanced the Full Details page (on each contact), well now you can open it directly from your action list, just click the arrow on the right hand side of the row.
Thanks for your continued support!
Michael.
Happy Selling.
We’re still listening…
OnePageCRM is getting a makeover to meet your needs, you the small business owner.
In today’s updates we’ve added:
Contact Management
Contact Management is only the start of the new “Manage area”, which will include in future updates Company management and Email Marketing integration. This new feature is great for checking contacts that don’t have a Next Action – the cornerstone of our app.
Themes and User Interface
OnePage gets a new cleaner interface. The header is a little more compact and a minimalist footer that auto-hides when you view contacts. We also display your daily back-up, giving you the reassurance you need.
Top tabs and Full details
Now you can open and leave open all day prospects you might be actively working on, or maybe waiting for them to call you back. Clicking on the tab brings you directly to our redesigned and richer Full details page.
Google Contacts import
We know that many of our users are Gmail or Google Apps Email users, so I’m sure this is an important addition to our app. You can now import Google Contacts directly and match Google’s ‘Groups’ to our ‘Tags’ for a seamless kick start!
More to come…
We’ve already started and making progress on:
- Custom filters (Create lists by status, tag, location and deals)
- Multi-User OnePage
- Company management (Multiple contacts per company)
- Bcc Email integration
- Social feeds
- iPhone App
Because of all of the great feedback, we have been very busy this summer making changes and adding features that you have requested…
Pawel, our tech lead, is coding for new features and integrations that have been requested by our users.
Kaatya, our desiger and UX guru has been brightening up the OnePage application as well as working hard to build an all-new marketing website.
Tom (that’s me), the new Business Development Manager, is creating a set of screen-cast video tutorials to help users get the most out of OnePageCRM.
Gosia, in Customer Support and Subscriptions, has been priortizing all the feedback we have received and ensuring we are meeting the needs of our customers every day.
Michael, founder and CEO, is keeping everyone else busy and making sure that OnePage remains the low admin, action-based sales tool that gets results for small business!
Below is a brief overview of what to expect over the coming months…
While we’re keeping the dynamic list of actions everyone has come to love, there will be some great new features to enhance OnePage. Features and product changes that you will see over the coming weeks include:
From September there will be more features activated that will include the following and more:
Thank you to all for your feedback and comments. Please always feel free to drop us a line through twitter (@onepagecrm, @micfitzgerald, @thomaslangan), email (thomas (at) onepagecrm.com or support (at) onepagecrm.com) or in the comments below.
Happy Selling!
Tom
You have a small business or you are working for one. Whatever your objectives, a blog may be a part of your strategy, whether it is to increase visibility or to drive traffic to your site. Deciding on blog content can be tricky, particularly if you are new to blogging.
So maybe this picture will help. List down the problems and needs of your target market. Then list the skills or expertise you have. For both of these lists, do not hold back, write down every skill you have and every possible problem or need you can anticipate.
You will find there will be an overlap. This is where you can create good, relevant content that will be of interest to your target market. You might actually be surprised at how much you have to offer!
Happy Blogging!
Thanks to guest blogger Paul O’Connor of Penhire.ie for the great advice below on brochures.
Brochures and flyers are often seen as “preparing the ground” for the sales harvest. But they can be expensive to produce and deliver so they need to work well to be justified.
My advice to all clients is: Consider it carefully before going ahead with anything of the sort. Ask yourself: do you really need a brochure at all? What are you trying to achieve? Are you just bored? Too lazy to get out there and deliver the message yourself? Too shy to do some hard-selling yourself?
Consider altenatives: Would a simple letter not suffice? A 1-page information sheet? What about email marketing? Some face-to-face meetings? Phone calls?
Consider the fate of the brochure: We tell clients not to start any work on the brochure itself until you have the envelopes ready, with address labels and stamps affixed. (We’ve seen one of the most expensive brochures ever produced in Ireland sitting in boxes in the corner of a client’s office, unused.)
Consider your list of leads/recipients: Make sure that you have them all in a well-organised database/spreadsheet, and most importantly that the address of each recipient is broken up into at least 3 fields – street, town/area & county/postcode. You’ll also want the name of the right person in the company to send it to; no use using just the company name, and better to have the full name of the person than just their title/position in the company.
Consider follow-up: There’s little or no point sending out a brochure unless you plan to follow up on it; how are you going to encourage the recipient on to the “next level” on to becoming a client. Don’t make the brochure do all the work on its own; it’s got to have a cover letter and a response mechanism. Some form of offer might be a good idea: reply to us by the end of the month and enter a draw for a holiday. And of course, each recipient should be in your OnePageCRM prospect list waiting to be upgraded to customer.
Consider the printing: How many brochures do you need printed and how much are they going to cost you? Do you have the budget for it?
Consider other costs: Don’t forget photography, graphic design, writing, envelopes, cover-letter printing, stamps, phone calls organising it, the time you spend on it yourself.
Consider the format: A4 is the old reliable, perfect for most informative communications. Other formats aim to overcome the predictability of A4, to grab attention with the unusual, but they can distract and detract from a simple message.
Consider the finish: Plain is fine for many communications, but steer clear of straying into cheap. The effects that unusual paper and treatments can bring about are well worth considering, depending on what impression you want the recipients to take away. If you’re asking them to spend significant sums of money, you ought to be seen to be spending significant amounts of money; if you are asking them to believe in your attention to detail, you ought to be exhibiting an attention to detail in the brochure.
Consider the content: Sit down with blank paper and start sorting out what you want to get across, in what order. Eventually, staple a bunch of paper (say 4 sheets) and starting with the cover, see if you can figure out the best layout of the content.
Consider getting a writer involved: If you’re not great yourself at writing, don’t stress yourself struggling with it; get a professional in to help, and what you’ll also get then is a fresh, outsider perspective on what you’re trying to achieve, which might just give you the insights you need to prevent wasting a lot of money achieving nothing but wasting time!
Consider which graphic design service to engage.
Consider the truth of the saying: If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
Business needs are becoming increasingly specific and purchase decision makers have to consider large amounts of variables and solutions from a wider range of suppliers.
Getting attention in a loud and crowded market place can be a challenging task in itself so it is important to make it easy for the leads that are generated to make a purchase decision. Communicating USP’s to the various segments is still important but it is also necessary to make it easy for potential customers to say yes. This is accomplished by creating a set of Decision Support Tools (DST’s) that communicate and demonstrate the features and benefits of the products to the user, favourably of course!
Identify the tools that best suit your target market and product. Consider your sales funnel and the touch points between the marketplace and your communications. Simplify the decision making process by providing consistent and clear messages. Clearly demonstrate product features and their benefits to the consumer. Here are a few areas you can start with.
Website
Your website will host a range of DST’s from FAQ’s, product demonstration videos, feature/benefit tables and market orientated content. The website itself will communicate the professionalism, tone and usability of your product. Ensure that it is user friendly, clean and that it demonstrates your expertise and quality.
Content
Content is King for many reasons. When it comes to influencing a decision, create white papers and have relevant up to date blog entries that communicate your selling points and demonstrate your knowledge and expertise.
Tools
If you are leading with low cost include a calculator that benchmarks you against the competition. Develop an web or mobile application or widget that will assist a user in matching their requirements with your features.
Testimonials
If you have a good product then you will be able to ask your existing customers for great testimonials. Ideally a good testimonial will be specific, stating the problem and how it was solved. Also, let your existing customers show the love!
Community
Online communities will be an honest source of information about your product. Ensure that you are responding to your existing customers; demonstrate that you resolve issues and that you respond to feedback.
Sales
Manage your funnel well. Plan it out, considering all the touch-points from lead to retention. Get it right at the start so you can move leads along to a purchase decision. Closely watch the effectiveness of your automation, such as emails from initial enquiry or sign up. Make sure your telesales are helping leads to say “Yes, I’ll buy it!”. I got a sales call yesterday during lunch for a B2B product I had trialled. At no point did the representative try to help me, rather they followed their script for each of my responses. Not once did they ask why I signed up for the trial! How can you help someone buy your product if you do not know why they are buying it?
The Trial
Is your product good? Then let your customer try it. Help them discover new features along the way. It is a great opportunity to engage with a prospect and it will be the ultimate DST. Be sure to manage the trial period effectively. If it is web based monitor the analytics on the automated mailing during the trial period, review the features that are used during the trial and how long is being spent online with it. If it is physical product, be sure to keep in touch. Offer to call in to do a refresher demonstration or assist in choosing the best operating policy. Whatever you are selling, use this time to let your potential customer know how attentive you are to their needs.
The Proposal
If you are required to prepare a proposal, customise it to their needs. Focus on their requirement and the features you provide that solve their problems. If your proposal template doesn’t but it, then scrap it and start a new one. Include their logo, but keep the content focused on providing the information they need to make a purchase.
And remember to be sure to respond quickly and comprehensively to your customers own DST’s such as specification and pricing request forms. Treat these as if they were your own sales tools and follow up accordingly, offering any relevant support. If their request seems vague, it is a good opportunity to ask more questions and exceed their expectations in your response.
Back to Basics
Most of us intuitively implement DST’s without considering them as such, but when you take the time to consider these tools and their role in simplifying the decision process, more can be added to your arsenal. Remember the foundation of marketing – segmentation, targeting and positioning. Use these to understand your customer and what they really need.
Sometimes they might just want someone to do all the work for them. In that case, be sure you are the first salesperson there to do it and the sale is yours!