Yes, today is my birthday! And I really appreciate all of the shout-outs you folks have sent my way. I am sure Jean will want to take me out for a nice lunch in a little while. But this morning has been a time of reflection for me.

You see, my original company, The Denali Group was formed in August 1984. We launched our first product, a paper newsletter called Computer Aided Selling, in January 1985. That means that I have been working this CRM space for more than 25 years now!

Just between you and me, I never expected to be in this business 25 years later! I am supposed to be off fly-fishing and working my way through my stacks of unread books. However, I find the CRM world as fascinating now as I ever have. There are more companies in the game than there has ever been. And too many of them still spend their time hyping outrageous claims rather than simply helping their customers Sell More Now!

To help me take a fresh look at things I am methodically updating every review in my collection. However, I have also  been working behind the scenes to shift more of our efforts to helping folks really put their CRM solutions to work to take better care of their customers. You can look forward to several new product launches from us in the new year.

It is an interesting time to be in business. I have a renewed passion for helping the hard working (and under appreciated!) entrepreneurs who are keeping this economy afloat! And I still think most CRM projects have huge unmet potential. So, that is where I will be focusing my efforts for the next few years! I hope you will continue to join me for the journey!

Everyday I get calls from folks desperate to find a new CRM solution. They are missing all of their numbers and are convinced that the under performing CRM solution is the cause of their sales woes. However, as I probe further into their sales difficulties, I usually discover some fundamental sales issues that need tending to! That is why I almost always recommend taking a fresh look at your sales training before dumping a sales solution.

That is why I was delighted to hear about a new training option from the folks at SalesNexus. The foundation of the SalesNexus Sales Institute is a multilevel sales development program based on The JF Consultancy’s Sales Academy, a unique four-stage sales competence program, which effectively progresses wouldbe salesmen and women from “foundation” level all the way through to “collaborative status.

It has been designed to make the absorption of essential skills, attitudes and the adoption of sales process achievable via a timetable which delivers modules in small digestible and easily absorbed chunks. Throughout 2010, and indeed 2011, working with Jonathan Farrington, the company will be presenting one module per week, beginning in April.   This is an exclusive opportunity for you to take part in live and highly interactive sessions with Jonathan himself.

In addition, to ensure that all the new skills and concepts are actually put to use, the company will also be running an Advanced Sales Leader’s program in April.  This comprehensive package is appropriate for anyone who has responsibility for managing frontline sales people i.e. VP Sales, sales managers, team leaders, and business owners.

Each section consists of ten modules (including the Program Review and Final Assessment) and again, participants can then decide when it is appropriate for them to progress to the next “Level.”

The SalesNexus Sales Institute offers maximum convenience, and maximum return on investment: No expensive hotel charges; no travelling; minimum time away from the frontline – just ninety minutes every week; no information overload – too many ideas crammed into a two day program; ample opportunity for revision.

I have previewed this material and it looks great! I have long been surprised that so few sales trainers offer their content over the Internet. The SalesNexus Sales Institute could really give your sales efforts the “pick me up” you might need!

http://www.salesnexus.com/SalesNexus-Sales-Community-Launch.php

http://www.salesnexus.com/assets/downloads/Sales-Institute-Prospectus.pdf

The Small Business Guide to Email Marketing: Top Tips to Get You Started

This is an excellent resource and worth your time to download!

Campaigner, a leading email marketing service provider, today released its eBook The Small Business Guide to Email Marketing: Top Tips to Get You Started. The availability of the eBook is good news for small businesses. While a survey by Hurwitz & Associates at the end of 2009, found 46 percent of small businesses were already using email marketing, and another 36 percent planned to start using it in 2010 to grow their businesses, many still struggle with how to put together an effective campaign. Published by Protus, the provider of Campaigner, the eBook seeks to answer those questions by offering insight into how to construct and maintain an email marketing campaign, and how to integrate it with other promotional efforts to retain existing and acquire new customers.

The 42-page eBook is available at www.campaigner.com/ebook/ . It was written by email marketing experts based on common questions and input from small businesses and entrepreneurs. The Small Business Guide to Email Marketing serves as a how-to primer for small businesses new to this cost-effective marketing tool. Tips include how to write and design email campaigns, develop winning messages for your customers, track what emails are working, and build and manage your email lists.

“We constantly hear from small businesses looking for an easy way to reach out to their customers and prospects via email, but they don’t know where to start,” said Steve Adams, vice president of marketing for Protus. “This book provides a total solution for businesses looking to get started with email marketing. As part of Campaigner’s commitment to helping small businesses succeed, we’ve assembled our team of email marketing veterans to cover the basics from getting started to more advanced tips, like integrating email campaigns with social media.”

Chapters and topics within the eBook include:

• Tips on what to say and how to write an effective email
• How to create eye-catching designs using custom templates or building your own layouts
• How to build email lists of contacts – customers or prospects
• How to personalize emails and segment your audience
• How to monitor the success of your emails and tools that help you improve results
• Examples of how small businesses have successfully used email
• Leveraging social media in your email campaigns

Campaigner’s award-winning customer service is available via the phone or Web 24×7 to answer questions and provide technical support. Free advice, including reference guides, tips, video tutorials and training are available in the Campaigner Resource Center. In addition, the Campaigner Community online forum allows users to help each other and exchange ideas to create more successful email campaigns.

Campaigner offers a free 30-day email marketing trial, and small businesses can subscribe to the service starting at $10 per month.

About Campaigner
Campaigner email marketing enables small, medium and large businesses to strengthen customer relationships and drive sales by connecting to their customers quickly, simply and affordably. Features include professional-looking email campaign creation, multiple ways to grow and manage lists, integration with CRM, and the utilization of campaign metrics and reports to increase results. Campaigner is part of the total Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) business communications solution offered by Protus that also includes MyFax, the fastest-growing Internet fax service; and my1voice, the cost-effective, feature-rich virtual business phone service. Additional information is available at www.campaigner.com.

I was recently interviewed by Tim Sullivan, host of Selling Geek on the future of CRM. If CRM is important to your business, you will want to play this interview. Here is just some of what you will learn:

• Just what is CRM?
• Is CRM a requirement for business today?
• Why most CRM projects fail to produce the desired results
• The impact of “Sales Cycle” on CRM selection
• Why CRM vendors hang up on “seats” hurts you!
• My leading cause of failed CRM projects & what to do about it!
• Rich’s plan to assure CRM success
• How to really improve sales forecasts
• Where all of the CRM vendors have gotten lazy!
• Why we will always need both “hunters” and “Farmers”

You can play the full interview here:

http://sellinggeek.com/selling-geek-podcast-10-crm-expert-rich-bohn/

About Selling Geek

Selling Geek is a both a blog and an Internet-based audio show (also known as a podcast), designed for busy sales professionals who want to find a competitive edge and win more business.

Hosted by Tim Sullivan, co-author of the Solution Selling Fieldbook, director of development for a leading sales performance improvement company, and a long-time student of sales and marketing best practices, Selling Geek explores cool tools that help sales pros to create value in how they engage customers. Fun as well as informative, Selling Geek seeks to entertain as well as enlighten. If you are a salesperson looking for bigger and better success, you’ll love Selling Geek.

Both the blog and the podcast are free to readers and listeners.