Thursday, October 11, 2012

Top 7 Ways to Retain Customers & Increase Revenue with Autotask



For many companies it is easy to fall into complacency when times are good; everything is under control, there are effective systems in place, great staff and a booming customer base. However, the most successful organizations are always looking for the next opportunity to make business even better. 

Resting on your laurels could put your existing customer base at risk, and you’re less likely to attract new business. Worse still, your current customers may even start to drift away, attracted by the latest offerings from competitors.  

We’ve outlined the top seven tactics you can take to maximize your existing staff and services to retain customers and increase revenue:


1. Find out what your customers like and dislike


Obtain timely, actionable feedback on your products and services through immediate and on-going customer surveys, integrated with your business management software and processes. Make surveys a regular, automated function. 


2. Use your findings to improve customer retention


Customer satisfaction research from surveys can be used as a proactive tool for managing customer relations. In other words, make sure you make use of your findings and act upon any feedback you receive. Your customers will feel listened to and looked after which will help build loyalty and minimise attrition. 


3. Track, understand and communicate with your customers


Prospecting, contact management, sales process, quoting and opportunity management should be managed in one central business tool. Ensure effective, consistent communication with your base by giving all relevant parties in your organization easy access to all customer touch points.   


4. Analyze and upsell


Data is power. You have intimate understanding of your customers’ IT resources and can proactively manage them by simply analyzing what they have currently, identifying what needs updating and compiling a proposal for them. Better yet, become their strategic partner and help them map out their future needs based on their growth plans. 


5. Stay in touch


Rely on your CRM to ensure you never leave an account too long without paying them a face-to-face visit, or giving them a call just to catch up. Regular communication builds lasting impressions and can open up new opportunities. 


6. Be aware of buying cycles


Target customers when you know they have money to spend, at the end or at the beginning of their financial year for example.  Timely targeting can easily be managed in a comprehensive business management system.


7. Remind customers of everything you offer


Does your website clearly show all your products and services? Do you have brochures and product sheets to leave behind after meetings?  Are your sales teams well versed in everything you can offer?

HOW CAN AUTOTASK HELP?


1. Comprehensive, fully integrated Customer Relationship Management


Autotask’s CRM module includes everything you need to build and understand your client base; including tools for prospecting, contact management, sales force automation, quoting and opportunity management - even an integrated survey engine and benchmarking tools. You have a 360-degree view of everything for each client including to-dos, notes, sales opportunities, individual contacts at the company, service tickets, configurations on their installed assets, account billing information, and attachments such as contracts, proposals, and more.

Everything is completely integrated. That means that once your prospects become customers, you continue to work out of the same system to service, support, manage and grow them. From right inside the same account screen you have complete and real-time access to all customer information. 


2. Surveys & Benchmarking


Autotask’s built-in Survey and Benchmarking features are a great way to monitor customer satisfaction in real-time, improve service delivery, maximize customer retention and win new business. Since customer ratings are immediately available in the Accounts and Contacts views, you get instant visibility where you need it most. 

And, our opt-in, service benchmarking program leverages the huge Autotask user base so you can compare your performance – anonymously – with similar service providers and make adjustments or adopt best practices as needed to improve your business. So you can see how your peers are getting on, to make sure your services are up to scratch. 

Once you have the automation tools, the building blocks are in place to retain customers and increase revenue. The motivation is then up to you…


Find out more about the benefits of Autotask
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Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How to Stop Being Such a Whiner and Start Obeying Process


If you are serious about growing your business, you have to pay attention to the details, lead by the numbers and make the tough choices.

In this business-building session, Tom Clancy, Vice President of Valiant Technologies will show you which metrics you really need to pay attention to, the traits to watch out for in your staff, and the way you can get over yourself and improve your business.

By attending this webinar you will:
  • Be inspired to make recurring live reports
  • Understand the secret phrase to ease termination (of staff, vendors and even pesky customers)
  • Get enthusiastic about metrics (no, really).
  • Be reminded that you're not alone in your daily challenges. Every one of us struggles with the same things every day. We are all works in progress.
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Friday Coffee with Autotask: Want to keep projects on schedule? Project automation ensures team alignment and productivty


Workflow rules and notifications are at the heart of automation, efficiency and process.  Our June release brought the same level of automation to projects which is currently available to Service Desk.

Join us for a fast-paced overview of Project and Task workflow rules.  Grab a cup of coffee and take 30 minutes with Autotask's Joe Rourke. He'll demonstrate project workflow rules, task workflow rules, notification templates and client portal options.

What can workflow rules do?
  • Notify team members of changes to tasks or projects
  • Notify team members of pending or overdue tasks
  • Keep clients up to date on projects
  • Update tasks or projects
  • Update successor tasks based on changes to predecessor tasks
  • Create to-dos for a task
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Managing a SBS Server Migration project Using Autotask


Whether you are managing projects and tasks using Excel spreadsheets, a combination of disconnected and costly tools, or nothing at all, you will want to sit in on this enlightening webinar.

In this session, Karl Palachuk, Senior Systems Engineer at America’s Tech Support, will give you a framework for managing your projects using Autotask’s integrated IT Business Management solution. You’ll learn how to manage projects using service requests and tickets as well as the project module. In this presentation, Karl will walk through managing a Small Business Server Migration project to highlight key features and functions in Autotask that simplify and automate the way you work.

Key features you will see include:
  • How tickets and workflow rules work together to automate communications and activities
  • How drag and drop dispatchers workshop simplifies assigning work
  • How project tasks and phases are used to organize work and assign resources
  • How time and expenses can be easily collected for billing and profitability analysis

Karl W. Palachuk is the author of nine books including The Super-Good Project Planner for Technical Consultants and The Network Migration Workbook.

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Building The Perfect Strategy: The 5 Surefire Steps To Winning More Customers


Increase sales and gain more customers faster than ever before with this easy to follow sales and marketing roadmap!

Join renowned sales guru and president of MSP Sales Pros, Mark Woldman, and Autotask’s Business Development Manager, Rich Akullian, as they reveal the keys to winning more customers with higher close ratios and shorter sales cycles, and how Autotask can help you streamline everything from the initial call through servicing your new accounts.

You’ll learn how to create a compelling offer that will propel you past your competition and get you recognized as an industry expert every time, including:
  • Key Elements – how to create a repeatable process that delivers results
  • Loud and Clear – how to leverage compelling messages that make prospects want to talk to you.
  • Demand Generation – Put an end to " We already have an IT company" for good
  • Pipeline Management – how to identify hidden obstacles in every deal
  • Closing - How to be seen as the front runner every single time

Register Now!