A View from the TopLine

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 is the latest innovation in CRM technology from Microsoft.  They listened to feedback from thousands of users to improve the CRM experience.  By bringing in full multi-browser compatibility, a true smart phone experience and a complete tablet experience, Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2013 has paved the way for a complete CRM experience.

As we approach a new year, many of us are planning our budgets and setting goals for the coming year.  This is a great time to evaluate CRM for your organization.

There are several important considerations when including a CRM initiative in your budget plan.

In the book Good to Great, author Jim Collins introduces us to the concept of the economic denominator as a tool for measuring a company’s success.  An economic denominator for your company can be defined in many different ways.

Continuing our discussion on Outlook integration, another favorite CRM feature I would like to introduce is the “Convert To” option located in the CRM group of the Home ribbon in your Outlook inbox. 

This feature allows the user to take immediate action on a specific email message.

Did you know that you can do a trial run of almost any CRM software or addon? It’s a great way to test out the product first-hand and see whether it will work for you.  During the trial period, you can install the software on your computer or test it on your web browser using real scenarios that you may encounter in your line of business.

Before importing data into your Act! or Microsoft Dynamics CRM system, you should always make sure the data in the Microsoft Excel spreadsheet you are importing does not contain duplicate records.

For example, if you look at the sample import file below, you will notice that Lance Parker is listed twice.

Today we will review how to restart the SQL Service when you cannot access your database.  SQL Service is simply the engine which powers the relational database within Act!. 

When you log in to Act!, this error pops up and you cannot access your database:

There is an easy way to restart the SQL Service.

With the release of Act! v16, TopLine Results has implemented new upgrade procedures for TopLine Dash, TopLine Designer and TopLine Alerts.  If you are an existing license holder, you will be required to purchase an upgrade in order for your addons to be compatible with Act! v16.  Upgrade pricing for TopLine addons is 50% off MSRP.  Upgrade pricing can be found on our eStore.

A carefully cultivated and well-maintained database is one of your best assets.  It allows you to reach out to existing and potential customers with information about your products and services.  With effective and consistent communication, you can often uncover new sales opportunities within your own database.

TopLine Dash, the premiere dashboard tool for Act!, includes two new major features with the release of Act! v16 which will greatly enhance your analytic abilities within Act!.

The first new feature is our most frequently requested feature — the ability to choose colors for your dashboard charts.