Everyone, whether a salesperson or CEO, wants to increase sales and achieve higher margins. There are lots of sales methodology nowadays and these methodologies requires changes to the Customer Relationship Management (CRM). A new trend is also coming up- it is to use existing CRM data to predict prospect conversion. This process can be explained as: know who is a good prospect. To know more about how CRM data can predict prospect to customer conversion, follow David Gillman (expert in CRM systems)’s article link: : http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/using-crm-data-to-predict-prospecttocustomer-conversion-62893

Customer Relationship Management is important nowadays. While considering  Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, one has to consider cost, whether the CRM software meets the standards of the users meeting users’ needs, whether it is user friendly or not, and whether the system portrays user feedback.  Price should be the top consideration while purchasing a CRM System. Return On Investment, adoption and feedback are other things to be considered. One has to listen to users and take action based on their suggestions. To know more about CRM, follow Jerri Ledford (writer of business technology)’s article link: http://it.toolbox.com/blogs/insidecrm/does-your-crm-make-a-good-first-impression-62894

According to Perry Yeatman (Principal, Mission Measurement & CEO, Perry Yeatman Global Partners), the growing significance of social value drivers for consumers is one of many changes in the marketplace that CMOs of different companies are experiencing nowadays. Differentiating a brand based on price, quality or convenience is getting increasingly difficult. However, it has led to a new meaning for all marketers to find new ways to make their products matter. One of the most promising new set of benefits is inherent social benefits. Discrete choice analysis is implemented across categories to identify the most influential social value drivers. Many leading companies are already reaping the benefits from this. The benefits range from increased revenue to improved loyalty. These new social value drivers are thus powerful, which is why CMOs must embrace them to build uniquely relevant and meaningful brands. Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/perry-yeatman/new-research-simultaneous_b_5828710.html

Organizations have numerous options to get answers from customers about their product or services. To get answers they use live-chat, speaking directly to a customer-care agent, and another gradually popular service called self-service. Self-service is becoming an important tool for any business. So, companies should keep in mind some points while implementing self-service. In her article, Jodi Beuder (Customer Experience Advocate at Impact Learning Systems), writes about those points which are to be kept in mind while rolling out self-service. To know more, follow: http://www.icmi.com/Resources/Self-Service/2014/09/The-Roadmap-for-a-Successful-Self-Service-Rollout

Jonathan King (Vice President of Technology at K2) writes in his article that a new group of applications has emerged to meet demands, and therefore, making it easier to support business activities. They are called Smart Process Applications - or SPAs. In a recent AIIM study supported by K2, it was found that information professionals weighed in on the capabilities of SPAs and eighty percent reported that automated classification, recognition and routing of inbound content would helpful for their business. To know about SPAs, follow: http://www.icmi.com/Resources/Customer-Experience/2014/09/Improving-the-Customer-Experience-with-Smart-Process-Applications

According to a recent survey conducted by Insights West and iamota found that people are using their smartphones than before. They also found that people were taking pictures (96%), accessing social media (77%), reading online news (74%), and checking or comparing prices of products while in store (57%). It was also found that 73% people use their smartphones to research products or services and 42% do it weekly. So, now it has become essential for brands to connect with their clients via mobile technologies. To know more, follow: : http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/growing-a-business/mobile-marketing-you-can%E2%80%99t-afford-not

Nowadays, word of mouth marketing is one of the strongest methods to do publicity for your products and services as it is effective and spreads very quickly. But first we need to know what word of mouth marketing is and how to increase word of mouth marketing for your own company. When someone speaks for your brand, it is known as word of mouth marketing. It can be conversation among friends or in social media.  Zack Fagan (Inbound Marketing Manager, StoreYa) writes in his article some tips to increase word of mouth marketing for your company. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/6-word-mouth-marketing-tips-get-people-talking-about-you

According to a recent report from Retention Science, 31% of online retailers in the US with annual marketing budgets exceeding $1 million do not personalize their websites, 33% of online retailers with annual marketing budgets under $1 million also do not personalize their websites and of 69% of companies that personalize their sites, 21% offer personalized offers to visitors. The most common website tactics offered by any organization include shopping cart reminders, displaying a customer's name, and social integration. The report also found out that 61% personalize marketing emails by using a customer's name. To know more, read Ayaz Nanji (research writer for MarketingProfs)’s article link: http://www.marketingprofs.com/charts/2014/25927/how-much-do-retail-marketers-personalize-websites-and-emails

The most important part in determining a company's stock growth is extremely difficult. But, by asking a few key questions, investors can improve the accuracy of their guesswork. Firstly, take some time to examine the market growth rate- For example, Apple less than a decade ago, was known only for computers, but now it has a market share on the phone and tablet market. To get some hints of their future prospects, you need to estimate the percentage of people who already have smartphones and the percentage of customers who will buy new smartphones etc. Secondly, a company's market share impacts in a big way on its future sales growth. Coffee-retailer Starbucks and automaker Honda are examples of companies that have used their brand name to grow their market share. Also, pricing is an important factor and needs to be considered as it has a big impact on sales revenue growth of any company. Read more at: : http://www.investopedia.com/articles/stocks/04/100604.asp

Amanda E. Clark (President and Editor-in-Chief of Grammar Chic, Inc.), talks about Professional Presentation in Online Marketing in her article. She also highlighted the fact that without good content, right audience and professional presentation, mistakes are bound to happen in social media management, content marketing, business blogging, boosting brand presence and reaching new customers. To know more about the tricks of professional presentation in online marketing, follow: http://www.business2community.com/content-marketing/content-marketing-presentation-everything-01002603

New entrepreneurs must develop an effective business plan in order to manage their costs and achieve their goals. Companies must employ different tactics to control their business expenses effectively. Here are some of the tips which businesses can apply to manage their expenses. They are: 1. Technology Can Simplify Things. 2. Maximize Productivity to Gain an Edge. 3. Delegate Tasks to Cheaper Locations. To know more about these tactics, follow: http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/growing-a-business/how-businesses-can-better-manage-their-costs

To be successful in any business, you need to understand your competition. We have to think why customers choose one product over another. We have to consider all types of competition to ensure success in business. Competition can be either Direct (competing by selling the same products) or Indirect (competing for the same market). To know about completion, follow Jessica Oman (author)’s article link: http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/starting-a-business/understanding-your-competition 

Market Research is one of the important tools used in business. But, what is market research? Market research is the process of gaining information about market in which you are doing business. It is the most valuable tool used in business. Market research can be Primary Market Research and Secondary Market Research. Primary Market Research can be done through Focus Group, Customer Surveys etc. and Secondary Market Research can be done through information available on the internet. To know more about market research, follow Tim Berry (founder of Palo Alto Software, co-founder of Borland International, and a recognized expert in business planning)’s article link: http://articles.bplans.com/market-research/

Market research is important for any business. Decisions are taken based on market research. Through market research, one can identify new opportunities, can minimize business risk and also helps to communicate with customers better. There are various stages of market research which all businesses should follow. To know more about the various stages of market research, follow: http://www.smallbusinessbc.ca/starting-a-business/how-research-your-market

The scenario in E-Commerce is changing at a fast pace. Patrick Salyer (CEO, Gigya), writes about some key points to be kept in mind while doing an e-commerce business. They are as follows: 1.  32% of online purchases are made over mobile. 2.   89% of consumers began doing business with a competitor following a poor customer experience. 3.  91% of eCommerce retailers saw a lift in their SEO rank thanks to social referrals. 4.     73% of consumers prefer to do business with brands that use personal information to make their shopping experiences more relevant. 5.     eMarketer predicts that worldwide B2C eCommerce sales will increase by 20.1% this year, reaching a grand total of $1.5 trillion. Read more at: http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/5-stats-every-ecommerce-business-should-know-0

Several financial services clients currently are successfully building a robust suite of information platforms to offer a superior variety of resources for its researchers. With a unique platform that offers value to users, the job of researchers to help clients with current, assorted needs for market data is enhanced. The need for robust information platform is clearly due to a continual demand for market data. Other than the immediate availability of the data, researchers also need the data to be presented in a complimentary layout that boosts the usability of the data, which is a principal requirement of platform functionality. Read more at: http://blog.marketresearch.com/how-market-research-solutions-complement-financial-services-firms%E2%80%99-existing-data-resources

TechSci Research (a global market research and consulting company), recently published a report called “India Ready-to-eat Food Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2019". The report evaluated future growth prospect of India's Ready-to-eat food market. It provides statistics and information on market structure and consumer behavior trends and also includes projections and demand forecasting. This report will help decision makers to take sound investment evaluation. Besides, it also identifies and analyzes the emerging trends, challenges and opportunities available ready-to-eat food market in India. Read more at: : http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/india-ready-to-eat-food-market-to-grow-at-22-during-2014-19-concludes-techsci-research-study-273568231.html

A European Telecommunications company wanted to lower its customer service operation costs but worried from the loss of revenue by doing so. In investigating its options, the company learned that 70 percent of existing customer-service contacts could be delivered through digital solutions that had proved effective in other industries. E-care involves the delivery of customer service via web-based user accounts, social networks, mobile phone, and the Internet rather than call centers or facilities open to the public. Such digital services are increasingly demanded by customers, who are already using digital platforms to research and review products, as well as broadcast their service frustrations. And it makes sense from a financial perspective, too. It has the potential to significantly lower the cost of customer service operations while increasing customer satisfaction. Not only this, but e-care also brings a company closer to its customers. Adopting e-care is worth the effort and that virtually every consumer-facing industry that has high customer-relationship needs can benefit from it. Read more at: http://www.mckinsey.com/insights/marketing_sales/why_companies_should_care_about_ecare

Social Media Analytics has become important nowadays. But, what is Social media analytics? It collects data from social media platforms and blogs, and do an analysis of the collected data to extract information which in turn will help any organization to take the right step. It also facilitates marketers with a detailed understanding of the consumer and also helps to analyze the sentiment of customers to augment marketing, branding, and customer service. MarketsandMarkets (a global market research and consulting company based in the U.S), have recently published a report about GLOBAL SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS MARKET - MARKET FORECASTS AND ANALYSIS (2014-2019) which will help the market leaders or new entrants in many ways. To know more about this, follow: http://www.fastmr.com/prod/871700_global_social_media_analytics_market_market.aspx?afid=302

The growth of e-commerce in present times has been a cause of worry for many analysts and they proclaim that traditional "bricks and mortar" shopping was going to extinct. But a new study shows the traditional shopping is still alive and well for many Americans. According to new study by global consulting firm A.T. Kearney, consumers continue to flock to physical retail locations and are actually crucial in generating online sales for retailers. According to the study, 90% of all U.S. retail sales conducted last year was done in a physical store versus only about 9% done online. Moreover, 95% of sales were accounted by retailers with bricks and mortar presence. Kearney noted that stores make a significant contribution to generating sales, even if the transaction is eventually done online. Through the five stages of a retail transaction - Discovery, Trial & Test, Purchase, Delivery or Pickup, and Returns - at some point along the chain, the majority of consumers will use a physical store. One could be in smaller mall operators. While Simon is the largest owner, smaller firms like CBL & Associates Properties Inc. (CBL), Macerich Co. (MAC) have all experienced faster funds-from-operations (FFO) growth than their bigger rival. The bottom line is Bricks and mortar stores aren't dead or even dying. Not by a long shot. For investors, that mean the owners of shopping malls, power centers and other retail real estate are in a prime position to continue paying strong dividends for years to come. Read more at: : http://www.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/080614/why-bricks-and-mortar-retail-remains-solid-bet-spg-cbl-mac-amzn.aspx