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…


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Autotask helps Datrix improve customer service and reduce reporting burden

Professional Services Automation as SaaS helps IT channel clients increase profitability

RICHMOND, UK - May 16, 2012

 

Autotask Corporation, the world’s leading provider of hosted IT business management software, today announced details of how its customer Datrix, a UK provider of IT business solutions has improved customer service and profitability.

Established in 1994, Datrix provides end-to-end business solutions and consulting services to both the private and public sectors in the UK.  The firm had struggled to grow its helpdesk systems due to limited integration across messaging platforms and inefficient systems for tracking and reporting contracted hours.
Since implementing Autotask, Datrix has noticed major improvement in its business and client relationships. “We’re now logging 60% more calls,” explains Desiré Cilliers, Service Manager at Datrix, “As well as increasing our revenue; we are also providing more detailed reports for our customers which show just how much work we are doing for them.”

With over 80% of its business generated through existing clients, it’s vital that Datrix continuously improves service delivery and demonstrates on-going value to its clients. ”We can see which contracts are profitable and which are not, as well as which areas need more support. We can even see where we need to provide extra training or additional resources for our engineers,” Cilliers adds.

Autotask provides deep integration with Microsoft Exchange resulting in a ‘live’ view of engineers’ activity. Datrix can now benefit from better reporting such as the ‘Block Hour’ facility, which provides reports on customers’ pre-paid hours. Overall, the switch to Autotask has helped reduce the time taken for reporting by 80% while ensuring reports are accurate and presented professionally.

“Autotask is the cornerstone of our business,” adds Mahmood Chaudri, Managing Director of Datrix, “We use almost every aspect of it to help us improve our efficiency, retention of customers, cost structure and productivity”.

Autotask software is currently used by thousands of IT service providers, value-added resellers (VARs) and managed services providers (MSPs) in 54 countries.  Autotask is a true multi-tenant SaaS that is accessible anywhere, any time with nothing to maintain, install or update. The software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, human resource scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability.
Autotask also integrates with leading financial software vendors including Sage, Microsoft Dynamics™ GP and Quickbooks® to help provide a complete picture of the business. The software is also available in six languages; German, Chinese, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese.

About Autotask Corporation
Autotask Corporation provides the world's leading hosted IT business management software to streamline and optimize business processes for technology solution providers. The software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability.
Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet and features a world-class API that seamlessly integrates with the other systems and tools that providers rely on to run their businesses.
For more information about Autotask Corporation and products, please visit http://www.autotask.com or call 518-720-3500 Ext. 1

Delivering Title-Winning Support to Manchester City FC

How Synergy Technology uses Autotask to deliver premier league IT support

RICHMOND, ENGLAND - June 27, 2012

 

Autotask Corporation, the world’s leading provider of hosted IT business management software, today announced how its software has been used to support the continued success of Manchester City Football Club.  In addition to winning the Premier League, Manchester City Football Club is an ambitious organisation with a state-of-the-art football academy and a programme of high profile concerts from the likes of Coldplay, U2 and Take That.

Synergy Technology, a leading IT outsourcing and business solutions provider, has been working with Manchester City Football Club for over ten years. However, the plans and investment of the club’s Abu Dhabi-based ownership – have increased their demands on IT and infrastructure into the premier league.Manchester City is a football club looking to compete at the highest level, anoperation that employs 350 staff worldwide and welcomes nearly 50,000 fans every matchday.

Synergy Technology supports Manchester City Football Club’s IT from back-office to front-of-house on a 24/7/365 basis. In addition to call-centre support, the company has 5 staff on-site to support the club’s Directors, players and operational support. Synergy Technology partners with the club to ensure current needs are met and adequate preparations are made to support future growth.

Sanjeev Katwa, Head of IT at Manchester City Football Club has increased focus on monitoring performance against a service level agreement covering data reporting and analysis. The focus on data extends to capacity planning and prioritising investment. The club demands data and insight to ensure they make targeted strategic business decisions.

Tony Poole, Managing Director of Synergy Technology; “In order to support Manchester City Football Club and Sanjeev Katwa’s ambitions to monitor current performance and predicting future needs, we wanted a solution that could evolve and flex to different scenarios. We knew our needs and the needs of our customer were going to change significantly over time.”

The role of a managed service provider (MSP) software platform in service delivery
To meet the needs of customers, a high-performance business like Synergy Technology needs be able to collect and analyse a range of data about its service delivery and its customers’ IT. In order to guarantee service delivery and make informed decisions, this data needs to be accurate, timely and visible.
Synergy Technology needed a system that would collect data giving a holistic view of service provision and effectiveness. This visibility would enable Synergy Technology to provide information to Manchester City Football Club to enable the client to make well-informed business decisions when focusing their investment to support future operations.

An effective MSP software platform was required to help improve the user experience of the company’s service, streamline issue reporting and management, maximise uptime, resolve issues quickly and report with greater clarity.

During its procurement process, Synergy Technology reviewed 10 systems before selecting Autotask. The key decision factor was Autotask’s ability to develop and adapt to real-world situations.

“We were impressed with the vision behind Autotask, their approach and understanding of our type of business – managed service provision," confirmed Tony Poole. “We were impressed with the ‘Autotask Ecosystem' and felt that it was a platform that would allow us to grow business success. As our customer requirements evolve, our use of Autotask can evolve.”

Autotask’s customisable workflow means that it can be adapted to suit each customer, reflecting their business, their processes, their helpdesk set-up and their customers. “Autotask is a purpose-built platform specifically designed for managed services providers,” commented Mark Banfield, Managing Director International at Autotask. “We’ve built a dynamic solution that grows with our customers and is strongly positioned worldwide. With over twenty-five staff in Richmond supporting accounts, implementation and support, our clients receive an outstanding level of service from initial implementation to ongoing training so that they can grow their business profitably.”

The model has certainly worked well for Synergy Technology and MCFC - both have provided excellent feedback on the service.

About Autotask Corporation
Autotask Corporation provides the world's leading hosted IT business management software to streamline and optimize business processes for technology solution providers. The software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability.

Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet and features a world-class API that seamlessly integrates with the other systems and tools that providers rely on to run their businesses.

For more information about Autotask Corporation and products, please visit http://www.autotask.com or call 518-720-3500 Ext. 1

Autotask Establishes New Regional Headquarters in Australia

Sydney-Based Operations to Service Increased Regional Demand,

EAST GREENBUSH, NY & SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - April 11, 2012

Autotask Corporation, the world’s leading provider of hosted IT business management software, today announced the opening of its new Australia and New Zealand regional office based in Sydney.  The new office will meet strongly increasing demand for Autotask products and services from IT systems integrators (SIs), value added resellers (VARs), managed services providers (MSPs) and other technology solutions providers in Australia and New Zealand.

“Several months ago we announced our commitment to better serving and supporting our clients and prospects in Australia and New Zealand, and I am very pleased to announce the opening and staffing of our new office in Sydney,” said Mark Cattini, Autotask President and CEO.  “From Perth to Wellington and all points between, we have enjoyed a partnership with thousands of loyal users over the years, and we know how important it is to build out our team on the ground to ensure their continued success.”
Autotask is a software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that integrates a broad range of critical business systems including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability. The software is designed and optimised for a broad range of technology solutions providers
. 
Because it is a cloud-based application, Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet and features a world-class application programming interface (API) that enables integrations with other tools technology solutions providers commonly rely on to run their businesses, including remote monitoring and management, backup and disaster recovery, product quoting, email hosting, billing applications and more.

According the Adam Ross, Autotask’s Regional Sales Director for Australia, sales of the company’s software have increased dramatically since he began heading up regional efforts in November last year.
“We believe we are the only company of our type with a physical presence in the region, and establishing this regional office allows us to work much more closely with our partners and get a much better understanding of the business conditions affecting their operations, their service delivery and their customers’ demands,” said Ross.  “Working directly with our partners makes it easier for us to identify solutions to help them overcome the day-to-day management challenges they face, so they can focus on better serving their clients and growing their businesses.”

Autotask software is currently used by thousands of IT service providers, value-added resellers (VARs) and managed services providers (MSPs) in 54 countries, and the company recently launch new editions in multiple languages, including German, Spanish, French, Italian, Chinese and Japanese.
Parties interested in learning more about Autotask or in scheduling an online demonstration of Autotask software are encouraged to email the company at sales@autotask.comor to call +61 (02) 8103 4001.
Autotask’s Sydney offices are located at 89-97Jones Street, Ultimo, NSW 2007.

About Autotask Corporation
Autotask Corporation provides the world's leading hosted IT business management software to streamline and optimize business processes for technology solution providers. The software integrates a broad range of critical business systems, including customer relationship management (CRM), service desk, tech scheduling, project management, billing and reporting, and provides real-time service delivery intelligence to help users understand the factors that drive their business and their profitability.

Autotask is accessible from virtually any computing or mobile device connected to the Internet and features a world-class API that seamlessly integrates with the other systems and tools that providers rely on to run their businesses.

For more information about Autotask Corporation and products, please visit http://www.autotask.com or call 518-720-3500 Ext. 1

Measuring Digital Marketing Performance

Establishing goals and measuring results is a critical element for you to maximize your MSP marketing efforts. Join digital marketing experts, ClikCloud's Dan Shapero & Autotask’s Rich Akullian to learn their secrets on how best-in-class managed service providers get more from their digital marketing programs.

In addition, Rich Akullian will take you through Autotask’s CRM module to show you how to efficiently manage and sell to new leads as you grow interest in your company’s offerings.

In This Must Attend Event You Will Learn:

• What tools to use for your website, email marketing, pay per click and social media campaigns
• What key metrics every managed service provider should know
• How to use analytics to improve performance  
• Tips for finding top keywords attract new customers for SEO and Pay Per Click campaigns

This event is the second in a series of digital marketing educational webinars designed to help you grow your business. REGISTER NOW

Bonus: Attend this event and you will be eligible for a Free Website Evaluation from ClikCloud

Effectively Using Social Networking to Build Your IT Business

It's nearly impossible for any business to refrain from social networking. But to make sense of all the different methods, recommendations, and tools can be a real challenge.

In this one-hour webcast, independent IT business consultant Richard Tubb will present an introduction to social networking focused specially for IT business owners.

Rich Akullian from Autotask will be on hand to talk about how to incorporate social media in the IT business management platform's CRM module.

Register now for these key takeaways:

• Principles for using social networking
• ROI of social networking
• Social networking vs. social media
• Tips for Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
• Business reasons to blog
• What are content loops and how to use them
• Third-party tools to better manage social sites
• How social networking differs from traditional business networking

Effectively Using Social Networking to Build Your IT Business

It's nearly impossible for any business to refrain from social networking. But to make sense of all the different methods, recommendations, and tools can be a real challenge.

In this one-hour webinar on Thursday, February 16 at 11 AM US ET, independent IT business consultant Richard Tubb will present an introduction to social networking focused specially for IT business owners.

Rich Akullian from Autotask will be on hand to talk about how to incorporate social media in the IT business management platform's CRM module.

Register now for these key takeaways:

• principles for using social networking
• ROI of social networking
• social networking vs. social media
• tips for Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook
• business reasons to blog
• what are content loops and how to use them
• third-party tools to better manage social sites
• how social networking differs from traditional business networking

Register now!

Overcoming Road Blocks in the IT Sales Cycle

When most technology solution business owners first open their doors, they often don't think about the many potential marketing hurdles potentially blocking their path to success.

However when these obstacles do arise, most entrepreneurs roll up their sleeves and go to work trying to devise a way forward.

Well then what could ever stop these extremely ambitious IT professionals in their tracks? A well-known phrase is 'you can be your own worst enemy'. It's possible you might inadvertently be creating some self-inflicted marketing challenges!

To find out the top five most common roadblocks technology firms impose on themselves, register now for this upcoming webinar on Tuesday, February 14 at 1 PM US ET!

Join John Black of MSP Telemarketing as he reveals several marketing 'patches' that can be applied to your current marketing campaigns. Rich Akullian of Autotask will also present on how to use the Autotask CRM to track your relationships better with an integrated IT business management platform.


Register now!

Keys to a Faster, Easier, More Accurate Sales Pipeline

Do you feel frustrated when you analyze your sales pipeline? Do you struggle with your salespeople on creating quotes as part of the sales process? Can you accurately forecast your revenues to make intelligent business decisions?

Remove these roadblocks with the newly announced integration between QuoteWerks' sales quoting and proposal solution and Autotask's IT business management software!

Join us on Wednesday, June 8, at 1 PM ET when Autotask Corporation Senior Vice President Jay McBain and QuoteWerks Vice President Brian Laufer present key benefits of the Autotask-QuoteWerks integration. You'll learn:

• How to save time, save money and limit errors when creating quotes by easily comparing costs with vendors in real time
• The importance of creating professional quotes and proposals
• How creating opportunities in your CRM by generating quotes can automatically populate your pipeline, freeing up your sales reps
• Powerful workflow and approval stages to easily manage your sales activities

Register Now!

Increasing Business Efficiency: Nine Questions You Need to Ask

By: Bob Godgart, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Visionary Officer

To follow the ideas I presented in my January blog post, Getting Ready for the Rebound, we’re all looking to do more with less in 2010. That’s easy to say, but executing the concept in your day-to-day-operations can be a challenge. Here are nine questions you need to consider as you strive to make your business more efficient.