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Tag Archives: During

TIBCO4Good and She Loves Data Offer Free Data Skills Workshops During a Time of Vulnerability

January 20, 2021   TIBCO Spotfire
TIBCO SheLovesData e1611075446577 696x365 TIBCO4Good and She Loves Data Offer Free Data Skills Workshops During a Time of Vulnerability

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New to designing meaningful, interactive data visualizations and dashboards? Want to learn how to better understand and prepare your data? Then TIBCO4Good™’s recently launched “Back on Your Feet” program is for you. Built in partnership with Singapore Management University (SMU) and She Loves Data, this global program can help you up your data visualization and dashboard building skills and stay competitive in today’s professional job market. 

Back on Your Feet Program: Empowering Individuals Impacted by the Pandemic  

The “Back on Your Feet” program was designed specifically to help educate individuals affected by the global COVID-19 pandemic. It offers a series of workshops and training sessions to empower individuals who may have lost their jobs due to the pandemic and want to increase their competitiveness in an increasingly tough marketplace. 

SMU, a premier university in Asia, internationally recognized for its research and distinguished teaching, has developed the course content, including discussions on how to design, develop, and deploy analytic dashboards. “The pandemic has upended the lives and livelihoods of many around the world. As an engaged city university with a strong suite of expertise in computing research and education, the School of Computing and Information Systems is keen to contribute to this meaningful program by TIBCO through our partnership with She Loves Data to upskill and re-skill individuals impacted by the economic malaise, thereby creating a positive impact on the community in Singapore and beyond,” said Professor Pang Hwee Hwa, Dean of SMU School of Computing and Information Systems.

 TIBCO4Good and She Loves Data Offer Free Data Skills Workshops During a Time of Vulnerability
From left to right: Nina Conseil, Global Certification Programs at She Loves Data, Bernard Tay and Justin Choy are Teaching Assistants and Rafael J. Barros is Senior Lecturer at the School of Computing and Information Systems, Singapore Management University

Program Benefits and Session Structure

Upon completion of the workshops, participants are certified as dashboard and forecasting specialists and receive a free TIBCO Spotfire® license for a year. The program began in APJ in November and December 2020, will extend to the U.S. in early 2021, followed closely by EMEA.

Here’s a quick overview of the program structure:

  • Module 1: Dashboard exploration as an end user; Marking and filtering concepts 
  • Module 2: Asking the right questions by understanding what data is important; Foundations of charts and basic visualizations
  • Module 3: Basics in data cleaning, advanced visualizations, and connecting to multiple data sources
  • Module 4: Designing the dashboard for end-user consumption 

Your Chance to Up Your Dashboarding Skills

Join us for the second edition of a series of four training modules designed to help you become a dashboard specialist. In the first session, 230 attendees participated actively in the program. Register now for the next event on February 20th!
And to learn more about other TIBCO4Good initiatives helping communities around the world, head to www.tibco.com/tibco4good.

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How to Continue Winning Business During a Pandemic

November 10, 2020   CRM News and Info

Today, change feels more common than stability. On top of all the uncertainty, sales professionals face increased demands while rebuilding the pipeline. Yet it’s clear that there is still business to be won.

Around the world, sales teams are trying to figure out how to adjust to what has changed and also keep up with what is still in flux. But first we must assess the new realities this pandemic has brought on.

Here are five ways the sales world has changed and what teams can do to adapt and prosper.

1. Creative Deal Packaging

Payment terms have faced a dramatic shift in the past few months. Back in March, 30-day payment terms were extended to 60 or 90 days as companies were shrinking budgets. Even though we have started to see a return to more standard agreements of 12-months, payment terms are up for discussion much more than they were pre-COVID.

Longer terms are being asked for more and more — and while this wasn’t an option before, there has been an increase of quarterly or monthly payment terms.

This means many businesses have been forced to confront their deal structures. What once worked for our customers may not work now, so we must evaluate what can be refreshed to meet the new needs and capabilities of our prospects.

Buyers should recognize and appreciate any efforts made to meet them where they are in these challenging times.

2. Develop Organized Discovery Calls to Fully Understand the Prospect’s Needs

Understanding what stage your buyer is at in their journey is key in the sales process. That goal may not be as easy as it once was since everyone’s process has shifted in some way, so you are likely going to have to learn something new.

Directly calling out the “new buying process” over an organized, in-depth discovery call is the best way to do this. It may call for questions to be asked early about budget, timing, competitors, priorities, etc. So ensure your reps are fully coached on messaging to navigate these items.

3. New Messaging Is Required

It should be a given that you will have to adjust your messaging with new packaging and new faces in the buying process. Assuming that every sales pitch you make is going to reach a C-level desk is a good habit to get into. So if your messaging doesn’t speak to the C-level, it’s time to change that.

Keep in mind, a CFO is going to have a completely different perspective when looking at a pitch than a director or executive. One thing that should be answered by your pitch no matter who is reading it is: why now? Answering how your service can provide an immediate benefit to your customer’s business is a pressing question given today’s climate.

Stay up to date with current events in their area.

Many sales reps have a general understanding of what their prospects do at work, but no one fully knows the inner workings of someone’s day-to-day. This gap makes it difficult to sell or engage, and the problem is exacerbated by issues outside the pandemic.

Currently, there are many factors impacting our lives outside of work. Knowing what may be affecting your customers can serve as potential talking points to connect on a more human level or points of contention to avoid mentioning during calls.

Having this awareness could also explain why you may not hear back from someone right away. Either way, it’s important to know what may be affecting your customers and embrace empathy.

Ask people how they’re doing before talking business.
Connecting on a human level and showing empathy for others before talking business can establish a deeper sense of confidence and trust between them and your company. Personalizing selling helps a business stand out from the noise but these extra steps add another level.

Ernest Owusu, senior director, sales development at 6sense, believes that people have become turned off by generic outreach
so much that good first impressions have become the expectation. He says, “strike while the iron is hot here with hyper-personalized efforts that will guide the prospect toward a meeting.”

4. Set Aside New Blocks for Research

Staying up to date with all the changes happening may seem like a daunting task, but it has its benefits. Setting aside blocks of time to research these few things can help your sales efforts tremendously.

Review what the prospect is saying on LinkedIn.
Social media platforms give us ways to update our connections all at once. LinkedIn is a useful tool when you have a professional update such as announcing a new role or your departure from a company. You can also use this as another avenue to research what is important to the prospect, what they are focusing on, and how they are coping. It’s an opportunity to get a sense of where they are at before a call.

This may feel like snooping or spying to some, but instead, it’s effectively using your resources and ensuring you can lead with empathy on your first touch point.

Market research on new challenges.
Problems have changed and priorities have shifted, but at the end of the day, sales is about being a problem solver. We are selling something to solve the problems of our prospects. We need to ensure we know what changes our customers are facing so we know what to address in the sales process.

5. Dedicate Time for Call Review and Coaching

Training side by side may no longer be an option as many are working from home. But you still want to be able to ensure reps are taking the proper steps to close deals.

Prior to COVID-19, coaching actions included reviewing calls, commenting, and reviewing scorecards. You could sit next to someone and give them immediate feedback. The shift to remote doesn’t need to hinder coaching efforts.

This is especially important as sales calls are seeing increased executive participation. From the sales side, their role on these calls is not always intended to close deals but to provide confidence and good faith. From the buying-side, executives are likely seeking data-driven answers to their questions that tie back to ROI. Our data shows that since January:

  • Buying-side Leaders join 108% more meetings
  • Selling-side Leaders join 65% more meetings
  • Buying-side CFOs join 92% more meetings
  • Selling-side CEOs join 29% more meetings

This involvement shows a level of dedication on all levels of the organization.

It is also necessary to tell reps what they’re doing great rather than just telling them where they need to improve. Morale may be low, and only around one-third of the comments are positive and encouraging, while the rest tend to be suggestions for improvement. Even while people are away from their desks, it’s important to offer feedback and encouragement.

Presuming that there isn’t any business to win is the biggest mistake to make in this uncertain market. You will likely find selling during the COVID outbreak more difficult than usual, but times like these not only reward persistence, they reward the progressive-minded, too. Nowhere is that truer than in your sales team.

Lessons Learned

We must remember to believe in what we sell during these unprecedented times. You won’t stop selling if you have an offer you truly believe will help people. The lessons we’re learning now will be applicable in the future because many of the changes we are seeing are here for good.

To ensure we don’t fall behind, we must be flexible with our offerings and deal structures, creative in how we package them, meet buyers where they are, and not allow ourselves to get too caught up in terms. This also means we must conduct better discovery calls and adjust our messaging.

Just remember to enter with a mindset that you are there to help your prospect and their company be the best version of themselves.
end enn How to Continue Winning Business During a Pandemic


Thiago%20S%C3%A1%20Freire How to Continue Winning Business During a Pandemic
Thiago Sá Freire is CRO at Chorus, where he oversees the global customer success, implementation, rev ops, sales, solutions engineering, and technical support team. Thiago is a native of Brazil.

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Aclima: Bay Area skies were the worst on record during wildfires

September 22, 2020   Big Data

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The San Francisco Bay Area’s skies were the worst on record for decades during the recent wildfires that produced a blanket of smoke and turned the skies orange, according to pollution measurement firm Aclima.

Aclima has placed sensors on a fleet of electric cars to collect daily pollution levels on a block-by-block basis in the Bay Area. For the past month, six of the largest 20 fires in California history poured smoke into the atmosphere, and new fires in Oregon and Washington also contributed to pollution levels that were the worst on record. This analysis is based on regulatory data showing a record number of consecutive Spare the Air days which go back to 2001.

Ash coated cars in Silicon Valley, and entire towns in the fire zone had to be evacuated. More than 3.5 million acres have burned from 7,900 wildfires. More than 5,800 buildings have burned, and 26 people have died.

Aclima said the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels on the ground had dropped some from late August to September 9. But PM2.5 concentrations quickly increased the second week of September as the blanket of smoke above mixed into the air we breathe on the ground.

Above: Aclima’s daily average pollution by county in the Bay Area.

Image Credit: Aclima

The company’s mobile sensing network measures and analyzes air pollution and greenhouse gases block-by-block (hyperlocal), weekdays and weekends, day and night, covering more than 5,000 square miles throughout the Bay Area. The analysis you see in the video draws from an aggregation of billions of preliminary data points Aclima generated. The PM2.5 concentrations over time were quite variable from August 16 onward.

The skies above San Francisco turned orange on September 9 (delineated by the orange bar in the graphs). Between counties, there tended to be more variation in maximum daily levels than in daily averages. Often, the readings of real-time sensors operated by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Air Now, and Purple Air didn’t match what people saw in the skies. On the day that the sky was orange, for example, the air was relatively clean.

That’s because, in the Bay Area, an inversion layer of cool marine air blew in from the ocean and was trapped beneath a layer of warmer air. The marine layer was stable, meaning there is no exchange of air between this lower level and the air above it. That trapped the bad air high in the sky, according to Aclima chief scientist Melissa Lunden, in an interview with VentureBeat.

Above: Aclima shows county-by-county spikes in Bay Area pollution.

Image Credit: Aclima

The sky was orange that day because the smoke particles scatter sunlight differently depending on the wavelength of the light. Normally, the gas molecules in the air scatter the blue light in all directions, and this scattered blue light is what we see. The smoke particles completely filter out the blue light while the longer-wavelength orange and red light gets through to our eyes.

While the orange glow was gone quickly, the smoke remained. Similar daily averages and maximums were found across all Bay Area counties, suggesting that the smoke was evenly dispersed across the entire Bay Area during this time period. The downward trend from September 14 to 15 continues through today.

In most California counties, both daily averages and maximums stayed relatively low compared to previous weeks until September 6. After that most levels rose, coinciding with several rapidly spreading fires including the Creek Fire and the Bear Fire, as well as fires outside of California.

Average daily ozone levels actually decreased as the smoke blanketed much of California. As PM2.5 levels rose, ozone levels began to drop on September 9 throughout the state. Ozone is typically elevated in summer due to photochemical reactions in the atmosphere triggered by sunlight and heat that generate ozone from other gases. In this case, the blocking of the sun and the subsequent cooling of the ground and air beneath the massive blanket of smoke likely contributed to declining ozone levels over the past week in many parts of the state.

Despite these decreases in ozone concentrations, sustained unhealthy levels of PM2.5 have prompted alerts from air quality agencies to stay indoors and avoid outside activities. The Bay Area experienced its longest sustained period of unhealthy air on record, emerging on Thursday from a 30-day streak of consecutive Spare the Air days.

The lightning storms, fast-moving wildfires, orange skies, falling ash, unhealthy air, and even declining ozone levels all serve as a stark reminder of the compounding impacts and unintended consequences of environmental destabilization, Aclima said.

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Researchers find people are more receptive to social robots during the pandemic

August 13, 2020   Big Data

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In a preprint study published on Arxiv.org, University of Waterloo researchers find the pandemic has affected people’s perception of social robots and that feelings of loneliness can drive the purchase of these robots. It’s the coauthors’ belief the shift resulted in a higher level of attention to the consequences of isolation, which in turn emphasized the benefits of having a companion robot.

Social isolation isn’t uncommon among older adults (especially those with disabilities), and it can affect both health and quality of life. In point of fact, lack of social support can lead to loneliness, which is associated with depression, anxiety, and increases in cardiovascular risk. Pandemics increase social isolation; shelter-in-place mandates, quarantine orders, and business closures prevent loved ones from seeing each other. And while social robots like Romibo and Moxi can help allay loneliness, they can only succeed if society has a positive attitude toward them.

In an attempt to gauge the public’s perception of social robots during the pandemic, the researchers designed an online questionnaire that asked subjects to report their loneliness, stress levels, adherence to lockdown rules, and the overall effect of the pandemic on their lives, as well as their attitudes toward social robots (specifically whether their perception had changed as a result of the pandemic and the likelihood they’d buy a social robot). Drawing on studies that suggest a relationship between loneliness and the “big 5” personality traits — neuroticism, agreeableness, extroversion, conscientiousness, and openness — the researchers also had respondents, who were recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk, complete a brief personality assessment.

 Researchers find people are more receptive to social robots during the pandemic

Though the number of subjects was relatively limited (102 people from Canada), the researchers say it was statistically significant enough to draw several conclusions, like that experiencing a pandemic-related change in lifestyle led to a change in perception about the benefits of robots. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they also found that changes in emotional stability (as measured by the personality test) were a strong predictor of perception changes, implying those with higher emotional stability were more likely to consider purchasing social robots. Lastly, they found that respondents who experienced loneliness were likely to consider purchasing a robot even if they showed little interest before.

The researchers make clear that the results of the survey don’t support replacing human contact with social robots. Rather, they show robots might play an important role in situations where direct human contact is prohibited (e.g., during pandemics) or impossible (e.g., for socially isolated adults). “While companion robots are shown to be effective in reducing loneliness, concerns such as using companion robots may lead to neglect from family members and reduce human interactions have negatively affected society’s attitude towards the companion robots, especially among the older adults,” the researchers wrote. “Our results provided evidence about a change in perception.”

The study’s results agree with those from a Pompeu Fabra University report earlier this year, which identified 66 different kinds of “social” robots that have been piloted in hospitals, health centers, airports, office buildings, and other public and private spaces in response to the pandemic. The coauthors of that report noted that social robots have the potential to reduce the workload and ensure the safety of care workers.

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D.L. Hughley Hospitalized After Passing Out During Stand-Up Set

June 21, 2020   Humor
 D.L. Hughley Hospitalized After Passing Out During Stand Up Set

Comedian D.L. Hughley was hospitalized Friday night after he passed out on stage while performing a stand-up set.

Hughley’s representative confirmed that he was “suffering from exhaustion after all the week’s work and travel” and that he “was kept overnight at the hospital for tests under doctor’s orders.”

However, the comedian is doing better on Saturday morning.

“He is awake and feeling better, and wishes to thank everyone for the very kind prayers and thoughts,” his rep said.

Hughley was performing at the Zanies Comedy Club in Nashville when he passed out. A Twitter video shows him performing a comedy routine when his speech begins to slur. He slumped over on his stool and his manager tried to steady him, but he fell to the ground and appeared unresponsive. Two people carried him off the stage as an announcer told the shocked crowd to stay calm. An ambulance was called to take Hughley to a nearby hospital.

Source: Variety

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17 CRM/ERP Experts Talk About 9 Creative Ways Microsoft Dynamics is Helping Businesses Pivot During Crisis

June 21, 2020   Microsoft Dynamics CRM

During times of uncertainty, innovation is crucial to survival. More and more organizations are looking to Microsoft Partners to help them pivot quickly by combining the power of Microsoft Dynamics ERP and CRM with their years of experience.

Dynamics Partners are building pathways through uncharted territory by bringing innovative approaches to problems no one expected, all while working on the fly to stabilize, reopen and respond during an unprecedented crisis.

In this eBook, 17 ERP and CRM experts working with Microsoft Dynamics share their advice and show how organizations can solve challenges and build on opportunity creatively.

Download the eBook: 9 Creative Ways Microsoft Dynamics is Helping Businesses Pivot During Crisis

Thank you to these contributors:

AKA Enterprise Solutions

BroadPoint, Inc.  

CAL Business Solutions

Columbus U.S.

Crestwood Associates

Dynamic Budgets

Enavate, Inc.

ICON

Integrity Data

Intelligent Technologies, Inc.

MetaViewer from Metafile

OTT, Inc.

Rimrock Corporation

RSM US LLP

Sana Commerce

Synoptek, LLC

TrinSoft, LLC

Does your business need advice on how technology can help during these difficult times?  Contact one of the Microsoft Dynamics Partners above or browse our directory of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Partners around the world at www.crmsoftwareblog.com/members.

Request a free Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM Quick Quote with license and estimated implementation costs at www.crmsoftwareblog.com/quick-quote.

By CRM Software Blog writer, www.crmsoftwareblog.

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AI Weekly: Autonomous vehicle companies pivot to charitable deliveries during the pandemic

June 1, 2020   Big Data
 AI Weekly: Autonomous vehicle companies pivot to charitable deliveries during the pandemic

Early on, the pandemic — which passed a grim milestone in the U.S. this week of over 100,000 dead — motivated the shuttering of businesses deemed nonessential out of concern for workers’ well-being. One industry heavily affected was self-driving vehicles, whose operators and developers were forced to pause pilots under guidance from state and local officials. Several companies resumed tests, however, after implementing a series of new precautionary safety protocols. And in something of a bright spot among a torrent of bad news, they’ve repurposed — or plan to repurpose — their vehicles for deliveries to those in need.

Some experts predict the coronavirus outbreak will hasten the adoption of autonomous vehicles for delivery. A study published by CarGurus found that 39% of people won’t use manually driven ride-sharing services post-pandemic for fear of insufficient sanitation. Despite the public’s misgivings about driverless cars and their need for regular disinfection, they promise to minimize the risk of spreading disease because they inherently limit driver-rider contact.

Beep Mobility, which provides autonomous, fully managed mobility solutions like driverless shuttles to private and public communities, tells VentureBeat that it’s ferrying food to frontline workers at the Orlando Veteran Affairs Medical Center and Nemours Children’s Hospital near its headquarters in Lake Nona, Florida. In partnership with real estate developer Tavistock Development and Park Pizza and Brewing Co., a local restaurant, the company says, it’s been able to provide contactless meal delivery to enable health care workers to remain on campus.

Separately, since March 30, Beep has been working with the Jacksonville Transportation Authority at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida to transport COVID-19 tests from a drive-through site to another facility at the hospital for processing. It says the collaboration has provided the Mayo Clinic a “safe and reliable” means of transporting the tests while freeing up workers for more pressing tasks.

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“During our pause in service, we at Beep mobilized our team quickly to repurpose our shuttles to help the community in transporting COVID-19 tests to making food deliveries to health care workers on the frontline of this pandemic,” a Beep spokesperson told VentureBeat. “Our goal is to relaunch in June. Since the pandemic, we have … been awarded multiple new contracts to provide autonomous mobility services in several new markets.”

Another autonomous vehicle operator — Optimus Ride — this week announced that three of its vehicles will begin making deliveries at the Yards, a waterfront development in Washington, D.C., beginning this week. From D.C.-area restaurant and brewery Bluejacket, they’ll ferry boxes containing a week’s worth of food and ingredients furnished by the Neighborhood Restaurant Group and the Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture to families in need. Recipients are identified by Pathways to Housing, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending homelessness.

Earlier in the year, ​Optimus Ride kicked off a deployment within Paradise Valley Estates​ — a private 80-acre assisted living community located in Fairfield, California — and adapted the program to deliver 50-80 meals a day to residents during the pandemic. It also offers package delivery via autonomous shuttle to the residents, many of whom can no longer congregate in the community’s common areas.

“Despite COVID-19, Optimus Ride has made tremendous progress … We have strongly added a new market vertical in logistics which includes the delivery of prepared meals, groceries, and other types of packages as part of our self-driving system,” the company said. “Optimus Ride is continuing operations during the pandemic currently with a focus on logistics. In fact, we believe the pandemic has accelerated some deployments in our extensive pipeline of clients.”

For its part, Gatik — a startup that moves goods between fulfillment centers to retail stores, distribution centers, and offices with autonomous Ford Transit vans up to 7 days a week, 12 hours a day — plans to expand to Michigan. (In July 2019, it inked a deal with “multiple” retail partners including Walmart for on-demand and scheduled freight transportation.) In collaboration with one of the state’s largest retailers, it says it will operate its trucks, which are equipped with multi-temperature compartments to accommodate fresh food, refrigerated and frozen food, and medical supplies, on predetermined, fixed routes to facilitate online ordering and contactless delivery for residents.

“As a result of COVID-19, Gatik’s solution has never been more important. Retailers are grappling with major logistics challenges and a dramatic rise in online orders. Gatik’s business model and product offerings ensure a resilient supply chain and enhance public health and safety via contactless delivery,” a spokesperson said.

Beep, Optimus Ride, and Gatik aren’t the only autonomous vehicle companies applying their technologies for good during the pandemic. Cruise redeployed its vehicles to deliver meals for the SF-Marin Food Bank and SF New Deal, two food banks serving low-income families in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Hyundai-Aptiv Autonomous Driving Joint Venture, a collaboration between Hyundai and Aptiv to develop driverless vehicle technologies, is using driverless vehicles in Las Vegas to deliver food to families in partnership with the nonprofit Delivery with Dignity. And Nuro is using its shuttles to transport medical supplies around the Event Center in San Mateo and the Sleep Train Arena for people stricken with COVID-19.

Encouragingly, it appears to be only the tip of the iceberg for a technological use case that’s making a difference.

For AI coverage, send news tips to Khari Johnson and Kyle Wiggers — and be sure to subscribe to the AI Weekly newsletter and bookmark our AI Channel.

Thanks for reading,

Kyle Wiggers

AI Staff Writer

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Virtual Training During Covid-19: 5 Tips for CRM Professionals

May 23, 2020   CRM News and Info

The world is adjusting to a new reality that was unimaginable three months ago. COVID-19 has altered every aspect of our lives, introducing abrupt changes to the way businesses and communities operate. Everyone is adapting to virtual work and plans have certainly changed for in-person conferences, trainings, and seminars across all industries.

The COVID-19 crisis offers an important reflection point for CRM trainers to question the status quo and explore new, virtual approaches for delivering quality training programs. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your virtual CRM session or class.

Virtual CRM Training Tip #1: Set a strategy for format and questions

  • Unexpected questions should not create undue pressure. Call on other resources within the training session. If there is a participant who can answer a question better than you, ask them to answer. Adding in a new voice also makes the call more interesting.
  • Hypothetical questions can also be answered by those on the call who understand their processes better than the host of the virtual training session. Redirect the question to the asker or other participants with something like, “Excellent question; how would you handle the situation?”
  • Clarify your strategy before the training by providing attendees with guidelines at the start. For example, ask for questions to be submitted in the chat window after designated sessions, while leaving enough time for Q&A.

Virtual CRM Training Tip #2: Reduce the Training Time

Virtual meetings should not go for more than an hour or two at a time. What would’ve been a day-long training might need to be shortened into several 2-hour sessions over a period of several days. Always include breaks for those exceptions where you need to go over the 2-hour mark.

Virtual CRM Training Tip #3: Murphy’s Law – Plan Accordingly

“Anything that can go wrong will go wrong” – Murphy’s Law. Technology works most of the time, but it seems like the ideal time for things not to work is when you have 100 participants tuning in to your virtual training session. Test well in advance to resolve issues before showtime:

  • Internet connection: If you have poor connections, consider plugging in. Invest in long ethernet cables and if possible, secondary WiFi access points.
  • Mic quality: Computer sound or headphones can be unreliable. Ask someone to listen as you test prior to your go-live session. Purchase an external plug-and-play mic to ensure the best quality possible on important calls and videos. This inexpensive investment can make all the difference to your participants.
  • Computer updates and notifications: Calendar reminders or external chat notifications can be distracting and can impact the overall effectiveness of your virtual training session. Eliminate these distractions in advance by shutting down the necessary tools and turning off notifications. “Focus Mode“ is available on most PC computers and helps to automatically mute most notifications.
  • Computer updates: How often do you click the “update later” button when a computer software or application update notice pops up? Yeah, me too. In fact, I once delayed these updates so long that my computer initiated an automatic restart in the middle of a call. Take my word for it, go ahead and make those updates well in advance of your online training session.

Virtual CRM Training Tip #4: Get to Know Your Virtual Platform

The virtual platform you will use for your training session will include features you need to know to run the call effectively, such as: mute all participants, mute SPECIFIC participants, attachments, group chat, whiteboarding, presenting only specific programs, etc. Understand where the presenter options are and how to use them. If possible, secure a facilitator to assist you who can be responsible for muting / unmuting people and tracking incoming chat questions.

Virtual CRM Training Tip #5: Embrace the Unexpected

In any virtual training call, you are sure run into unknowns. Just go with it and embrace the unexpected. Be confident and handle any hiccups calmly.

Apply these helpful presentation tips from AKA, and you are sure to host a successful virtual CRM training session. Want more tips for your virtual workforce? Read these blogs:

How to Go Remote When You’re Not a Remote “Type” of Business: 3 Tips for CIOs

The Sudden Need to Work Remotely: How This Company Transitioned 500 Users in Just One Weekend with a Cost-Effective Solution on Microsoft Azure


ABOUT AKA ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS
AKA specializes in making it easier to do business, simplifying processes and reducing risks. With agility, expertise, and original industry solutions, we embrace projects other technology firms avoid—regardless of their complexity. As a true strategic partner, we help organizations slay the dragons that are keeping them from innovating their way to greatness. Call us at 212-502-3900!


Article by: Matthew Case | 212-502-3900

Matthew Case has worked with CRM for 9 years and with Microsoft Dynamics since CRM 2011. Specializing in CRM architecture, interface design, user adoption, and change management, he is driven by the desire to help users find ways to easier, more efficient work through software innovation.

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Automate cloning of multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record in 1 click – Popular feature voted in Poll during our Webinar Series!

May 5, 2020   CRM News and Info

614x351xClick2Clone.jpg.pagespeed.ic.4Th2Oz2ohQ Automate cloning of multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record in 1 click – Popular feature voted in Poll during our Webinar Series!

As the world is forced to stay indoors and is maintaining social distancing, we as a community should strive hard to make the best out of this difficult situation. Inogic, to contribute to the Dynamics community, has come up with a webinar series that will help in understanding various Dynamics 365 CRM concepts and applications. And thanks to our generous community, the webinars have been a huge success.

Our webinars are providing insights into the various features of our Dynamics 365 CRM apps and how they help you to be more productive. One of the webinars that had the maximum number of attendees was on our Click2Clone app (Preferred App on AppSource). As the name suggests, this apps clones Dynamics 365 CRM records in just one click along with related records. And with each passing year every new feature of Click2Clone brought by Inogic has increased the productivity and efficiency of Dynamics 365 CRM users.

According to a poll conducted by Inogic during webinar, one of the most liked and important feature of Click2Clone is ‘Cloning Multiple Copies’ which is one of the new features of the application. In this blog, we will walk you through this new feature of Click2Clone solution.

  • Clone Multiple Copies in a single click
  • Automate Cloning of Multiple Copies.

Clone Multiple Copies in a single click

This latest feature of Click2Clone enables you to create multiple copies of any given record at one go. Earlier, you were able to create just one copy of a record but now you can save time and effort by creating multiple copies of records as per your requirement. All you have to do is to duly fill the required fields while configuring templates to clone records and you can create as many copies as you want.

x1multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record.png.pagespeed.ic.sf2h7248au Automate cloning of multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record in 1 click – Popular feature voted in Poll during our Webinar Series!

618x159x2multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record.png.pagespeed.ic.wRvHHLTE9v Automate cloning of multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record in 1 click – Popular feature voted in Poll during our Webinar Series!

Image info: Purple Box is for the source record and Green Box is for the multiple copies created.

Automate Cloning of Multiple Copies

This is an extension to the above feature. Using this you can automate the task of creating multiple copies. Let’s take an example of Opportunity entity. Here, you have a field called Create X Copies and whenever the Opportunity is Won based on the value in the aforementioned field you need to create those many copies of the Opportunity automatically. This is where our feature comes in.

All you have to do is create a workflow on Status Change of Opportunity, use our assembly, choose the Click2Clone Template you’d want the process to follow and add Create X Copies field in the parameter. Just like that you can easily create multiple copies as per your requirement.

618x337x3multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record.png.pagespeed.ic.GuAk5BlKAG Automate cloning of multiple copies of Dynamics 365 CRM Record in 1 click – Popular feature voted in Poll during our Webinar Series!

With these new amazing features, be it office or home, you can manoeuvre your day-to-day CRM activities with ease.  In this hard time, we just want to lessen your burden with these small and effective features of our most popular productivity app – Click2Clone.

Reduce your stress of repetitive data entry and download Click2Clone now from our Website or Microsoft AppSource. With the free trial, experience the seamless cloning of records yourself.

To register for our webinar series, click here. We also have provided video links to our concluded webinars. Click here to watch them.

For any suggestions and feedback, mail us at crm@inogic.com

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Act-On Has Your Back During the COVID-19 Pandemic (And Beyond)

April 26, 2020   CRM News and Info

by Kate Johnson

Last updated April 23, 2020

As it’s been a few weeks since our latest status communication, we want to remind you of the ways in which we’re making our platform and our Account, Support, and Customer Success teams more accessible and available when you need them. Additionally, we want to share a few unique measures we’re currently taking to ensure the success of your marketing efforts and the safety (and sanity!) of our team.

COVID Response Blog Act On Has Your Back During the COVID 19 Pandemic (And Beyond)

The Importance of Marketing Automation During COVID-19

Marketing automation plays a critical role in any holistic marketing strategy during the best of times, but it’s become even more vital as we move into the second month of social distancing practices related to COVID-19. As businesses look to increase efficiencies with fewer resources and maintain revenue with fewer leads, digital marketing initiatives have become more important than ever. As such, Act-On is here to continue our role as the primary vehicle through which you plan, develop, and deliver all of your traditional and crisis communications.

Digital Marketing Strategy and Support

There’s so much more to digital marketing success than traditional KPIs, so if you need any assistance updating your strategy or technical skills to achieve a deeper and broader sense of business value from our platform and for your customers, please reach out. Our account management and customer support teams are the very best in the industry, and they continue to provide around-the-clock service for all of our customers worldwide experiencing critical issues and obstacles. 

Marketing Automation Speed and Quality

Delivering timely and effective internal and external communications is paramount right now. We are working day and night to deliver permanent and consistent service while also increasing our platform’s capabilities and improving the functionality of our core features.

Optimize the Customer Journey CTA Act On Has Your Back During the COVID 19 Pandemic (And Beyond)

Special Offers for Active Contacts and Crisis Communications

If you have a specific need concerning crisis communications, we are providing additional Active Contacts at no extra cost to help you deliver those critical messages. Please reach out to your account manager to discuss potential options. 

Safety, Transparency, and Goodwill

As a company, we continue to follow shelter-in-place measures by working remotely across all of our offices. The safety and health of our employees is our top priority.  We are closely monitoring new developments and will keep our employees and customers apprised of any operational updates. So far, we’re very pleased and impressed by our employees’ dedication to safe and productive remote-work practices. We’re even doing our best to have a little fun with a series of remote “Spirit Days” (today is Tie Dye Day!), hilarious Tiger King digital conferencing backgrounds, and a regular cadence of virtual happy hours.

Convert More Leads Into Customers CTA Act On Has Your Back During the COVID 19 Pandemic (And Beyond)

Act-On Remains Your Trusted Marketing Automation Partner

The novel coronavirus COVID-19 is testing our resolve. It’s testing our relationships and our familial bonds. It’s testing our friendships and our trust in one another. Most importantly, it’s testing our civic duties and our responsibilities as citizens in a modern and deeply connected world.

These are difficult tests, to be sure. They’re unlike anything we’ve ever dealt with in the past. But despite the struggles, fears, and uncertainties we now confront on a daily basis, we know that we will emerge from this challenge stronger and more united than ever — if we believe in one another and work together to accomplish our goals. 

At Act-On, we’re doing everything we can to strengthen our customer relationships and support all of our clients as they navigate these strange and turbulent tides. We know that our marketing automation platform plays a critical role in your digital communications, and we are here to make sure you don’t miss a beat.

Optimize the Customer Journey CTA Act On Has Your Back During the COVID 19 Pandemic (And Beyond)

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Posted on April 23, 2020

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