Web Sales with the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace- Case Studies - Story From: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog
PowerObjects is a Microsoft partner with deep expertise in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Although the company focuses on providing consulting and implementation services, its add-on solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM remain attractive to customers and partners alike. When Microsoft launched the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, PowerObjects was quick to recognize the opportunity. After making its add-ons available on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, PowerObjects now receives around four to six trial subscriptions per day, of which 3 percent convert to sales and even large-scale deployments of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Through the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, the company aims to drive recurring revenue of U.S.$50,000 per month and has made an effort to do so without having to build a new sales channel or changing its business model as a value added reseller.
|
Business Opportunity
With a team of 70, PowerObjects focuses solely on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. As a Microsoft partner, PowerObjects has a gold competency in Customer Relationship Management in the Microsoft Partner Network and achieved 2011 Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics for its year-over-year revenue growth with the solution.
Although PowerObjects is a value-added-reseller (VAR) and drives revenue primarily though consulting and deployment services, the company also develops a range of add-on solutions for Microsoft Dynamics CRM that help meet specific customer needs. When Microsoft launched the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, an online lead generation tool that helps partners showcase and sell their best add-ons for Microsoft Dynamics, PowerObjects saw it as a perfect opportunity to market its solutions directly to customers.
“Customers and partners alike were always approaching us to use our add-ons, but as a VAR, we didn’t have the resources or sales channel needed to effectively deliver,” explains Jim Sheehan, COO and Partner at PowerObjects. “After the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace launched, however, we had a solution. It provided a place we could market our add-ons. And, we didn’t have to build out a sales channel, which let us continue to focus the efforts of our team on our consulting and implementation services.”
Online Strategy
To get the most out of the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, PowerObjects chose to offer a free, 30-day trial for its add-ons. Potential customers can register for the trial by clicking a button that appears in the listing for each solution. After they click, they can download the add-on and install it themselves.
To maximize conversions of the leads generated though the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, PowerObjects added a subscription reminder to the trial versions. When using the add-on, an initial pop-up window prompts customers, asking if they would like to continue with the 30-day trial or subscribe to the full solution.
Driving conversion to the full solution, PowerObjects also priced its solutions competitively at only U.S.$1 to $2 per user per month. And whether customers try the trial or subscribe, the add-ons send information back to PowerObjects’s own Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution, where staff track and analyze leads and sales for future sales and marketing efforts. And to support customers of its add-ons, PowerObjects has also set up a LinkedIn group.
“Customers who are buying add-ons online have a certain expectation: They don’t want to talk to a salesperson and they want to be able to click to try the solution, install it themselves, and then, if they like it, click again to buy it,” says Sheehan. “With the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, we were able to provide that experience.”
Benefits
By providing its add-ons on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, PowerObjects now receives four to six trial subscriptions per day, of which 3 percent convert to sales. Although this may seem like a small number, it fits well into PowerObjects business model. Says Sheehan, “As a VAR, we’re really looking to provide consulting and implementation services. What we have found with the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is that even our small $1 to $2 sales can lead to 100-seat to 1,000-seat deployments of Microsoft Dynamics CRM.”
Sheehan goes on to note that the company is seeing exponential growth in the sales of its add-ons through the marketplace, however, and expects the add-ons themselves to become a healthy stream of recurring revenue. He says, “Our plan is to control 10,000 seats of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and earn $5 in revenue per seat per month through our Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace listings, and we’re on track to get there in the next year.” This comes to a total of U.S.$50,000 in monthly, recurring revenue.
About PowerObjects
Founded in 1993 as a two-person development and consulting firm, PowerObjects has since grown into a multimillion-dollar product and service company specializing in Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Headquartered in Minneapolis, PowerObjects has satellite offices in Dallas and St. Louis.
Today, PowerObjects has more than 70 employees and is one of the largest Microsoft partners that focuses exclusively on Microsoft Dynamics CRM. Attributed to its success, PowerObjects focuses on educating and listening to its clients. From this success, the company established itself as a member of the 2011 Inner Circle for Microsoft Dynamics.
Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace Listing: dynamics.pinpoint.microsoft.com/en-US/PartnerDetails.aspx?PartnerId=4296455411 
About the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace
The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is an online service designed to help customers find trusted Microsoft Dynamics experts, applications, and services that enhance and easily integrate with Microsoft Dynamics solutions.
Powered by the Microsoft Pinpoint platform, the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace provides greater visibility to Microsoft partners. With the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, customers can search partners, applications, and services by product, business issue, or location. With listings to serve customers both locally and worldwide, finding the right Microsoft Dynamics expert, application, or service is easier than ever.
For More Information
To learn more about the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, visit: dynamics.pinpoint.microsoft.com/GetListed
Categories: CRM, CRM Online, Microsoft Dynamics Tags: CRM, CRM Software, dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm
Fast, Efficient Growth for Project Management Solution – Case Studies - Story From: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog
When presented with the opportunity to feature CRM-Project, the fourth module for project management in Microsoft Dynamics CRM, in the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, itara acted immediately. The company built a consistent marketing strategy to ensure the optimal visibility and effectiveness of its solution listing. In that effort, customer reviews and ratings are key. CRM-Project also received Certified for Microsoft Dynamics status, which greatly helps in highlighting the soundness and effectiveness of the solution. With CRM-Project ranking at the top of several Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace country sites, the company generates 70 percent of its new business through this resource. The increasing traffic from potential customers and business partners helps itara in taking CRM-Project to new markets around the globe.
|
Top-Ranked Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace Solution
Many of the Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers who come to try out, purchase, or use CRM-Project through the solution’s listing in the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace , are not even aware of itara, the company that created the solution and that continues to enhance it. That is just fine with Bernd Lachner, Managing Director at itara. “We want to be known for CRM-Project,” he says. “That’s how we deliver value to customers and other Microsoft Dynamics partners.” CRM-Project, the fourth module for Microsoft Dynamics CRM, extends the solution’s sales, marketing, and customer service capabilities with richly featured project management functionality. Lachner explains, “Customers come to us with one of two motivations: Either they are seeking project management capabilities to enhance Microsoft Dynamics CRM, or they want to add more value to their implementation of Microsoft Dynamics CRM and they recognize that project management is one way to achieve this.”
More than 70 percent of itara’s prospective customers find out about CRM-Project through its Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace listing. Currently, the solution has the top ranking on the U.S. and several other country sites. After reviewing the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace listing with a thorough overview of the solution, customers and Microsoft Dynamics partners interested in building a business relationship predicated on CRM-Project can visit the CRM-Project site to learn more, download a trial version of the solution, or purchase it. As a horizontal solution that is Certified for Microsoft Dynamics and available in localized versions, customers in many industries around the globe have adopted CRM-Project.
Consistent Marketing Strategy
Generating that much business through a Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace listing takes commitment on itara’s part. Lachner says, “The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is the most cost-effective marketing channel we have. Our marketing team dedicates the equivalent of one full-time employee’s time to managing the listings on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace sites, and the payback on that is simply enormous. Since April 2011, we’ve gone from an average of 2 inquiries a day to 10 or more.”
Reviews and ratings are critical in the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace strategy to support CRM-Project. Lachner explains, “We were one of the first partners to participate in the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace and were listed among the top five partners from the first hour. A key element of that is our consistent, successful engagement with our partners and customers. We ask all of our customers and partners to review and rate our solution as soon as they have had a chance to test the solution or have signed a contract with us. The reviews are usually highly favorable, because customers find the solution to be valuable for them, and we also make it very easy for them to get in touch with us and implement the solution without requiring assistance.”
In addition, itara is meticulous in managing details of the solution listing. The company’s marketing writers ensure search engine optimization for all languages that the listing and the solution site appear in. itara marketers also optimize screen captures for effective display on the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace listing. Lachner and his team keep close watch on their website traffic and referring sources to ensure that the listing remains effective in bringing visitors to the CRM-Project site.
Emphasis on Certification and Horizontal Value
It’s very important to itara that CRM-Project is Certified for Microsoft Dynamics. “For customers, certification of the solution means it is credible and sound,” says Lachner. “Without certification, we would not see anywhere near the level of response we are experiencing today. The certification also helps us to achieve good visibility with the Microsoft field and potential business partners.”
Currently, itara and Microsoft are achieving more and more software-as-a-service license sales to customers who use the solution in the cloud in integration with Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. In the cloud and on-premises, the breadth of CRM-Project helps its adoption in a wide spectrum of organizations. “CRM-Project is a horizontal project management solution, effective for organizations in many different market segments, and the potential for adding value is very high,” says Lachner. “The Microsoft Dynamics partners who connect with us through the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace and are interested in going to market with CRM-Project also appreciate this. Some of our partners take advantage of the opportunity to enhance CRM-Project by building vertical solutions that integrate with it.”
According to Lachner, much of the credit for CRM-Project’s success is due to Microsoft. “We know that Microsoft promotes the value of the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace to customers and partners every day, and we see the results of those efforts,” he says. “That helps us free resources to focus on other business development channels and take our solution into new markets.”
Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace Listing: dynamics.pinpoint.microsoft.com/en-us/applications/4th-module-for-project-management-in-microsoft-dynamics-crm-crm-project-12884910148
About itara
Headquartered in Würzburg, Germany, itara serves Microsoft Dynamics CRM customers worldwide with a horizontal solution, CRM-Project. As a fourth module in addition to the sales, marketing, and customer service functionality that Microsoft provides with Microsoft Dynamics CRM, CRM-Project offers a full set of project management capabilities for organizations in any market segment. Customers purchase CRM-Project directly from itara or from one of the company’s more than 100 partners worldwide.
About the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace
The Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace is an online service designed to help customers find trusted Microsoft Dynamics experts, applications, and services that enhance and easily integrate with Microsoft Dynamics solutions.
Powered by the Microsoft Pinpoint platform, the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace provides greater visibility to Microsoft partners. With the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, customers can search partners, applications, and services by product, business issue, or location. With listings to serve customers both locally and worldwide, finding the right Microsoft Dynamics expert, application, or service is easier than ever.
For More Information
To learn more about the Microsoft Dynamics Marketplace, visit: dynamics.pinpoint.microsoft.com/GetListed
Categories: CRM, CRM Online, Microsoft Dynamics Tags: CRM, CRM Software, dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm
Can you get the CRM you want without customizing, getting a vertical solution or going DIY? - Story From: CRMOutsiders
Lauren Carlson used her Software Advice blog to ask an interesting question: when picking a CRM application, should you go vertical, customize or integrate? I think she’s hit upon something important here: if you plan on gaining a competitive advantage from CRM, you can’t use only the functionality that comes standard in the box (or … Continue reading »
Categories: CRM, SugarCRM Tags: CRM, CRM Software, SugarCRM
What is CRM? - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
The term CRM means different things to different people. In fact, if you ask ten people what is CRM you will probably get ten different answers. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management, but its roots date back more than almost two decades to what was then called Customer Interaction Software or CIS. Other than a [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, CRM, CRM Software, Commence News, Customer Loyalty, Customer Service, process management, sales force automation Tags: Commence CRM, CRM
Service Cloud Basics: Auto-Response Rules - Story From: Popular Ideas
Every now and then I like to use this blog to take our readers back to basics and visit parts of the Salesforce.com application that they may have overlooked. Today's topic is none other than good old Auto-Response Rules.Auto-Response Rules are a...
Categories: AppExchange, Dreamforce, salesforce content, salesforce.com Tags: AppExchange, Chatter, Dreamforce, salesforce, Salesforce CRM, salesforce.com
Sales Management Benefit the Most from CRM Software - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
Experienced well trained sales managers understand the importance and value of CRM software and how chaotic their world would be without it. Anyone who has managed a mid-size to large sales organization knows it is no easy task. Sales people often come from all walks of life, from college grads to mature people who may [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, Commence News, Sales Effectiveness, Sales Management, process management, sales force automation Tags: Commence CRM
The customer’s role in CRM: speak up - Story From: CRMOutsiders
By Chris Bucholtz When you work with CRM all day, you start to look at your interactions through CRM-tinted glasses. Sadly, much of what you see encapsulates the way CRM is either misused or ignored. For instance: Dear business that sends me too much junk: I appreciate that your email marketing system is integrated with … Continue reading »
Activity Feeds Solution & Development Environment - Story From: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog
This article focuses on the engineering behind the Activity Feeds solution and explains how to use it safely in your Development environment where you plan to build and export your solutions.
If you are new to the term Activity Feeds and would like to learn about it and install it, then follow this article Introduction to Activity Feeds solution.
How is Activity Feeds Feature any different than regular CRM Feature?
Traditionally features within CRM were always part of the core product, with no options available for the end user to choose which features they wanted. CRM 2011 provided the Solution framework which allowed ISV’s, Partners to build solutions that can isolate their customizations, business logic from other others.
Activity Feeds is the first certified solution that the CRM team produced that abides by the same policies set by the Solution Development Model. What it means is that you can enable or disable this feature in your organization by installing or uninstalling the solution.
I. Activity Feeds Feature is split into 2 parts, Platform and Solution.
- Platform is delivered as part of the UR5 release. This means you get Entities like Post, Comment, Follow and the SDK Messages that retrieve posts as part of UR 5 update.
- Solution is available as MicrosftCRMActivityFeeds.cab from the Dynamics Marketplace. It contains:
-
UI Components to:
- Display posts via What’s New & Record Walls.
- Enable Entities for Activity Feeds.
- Choose which Auto Post Rules to enable.
- ActivityFeeds Security Role
- Auto Post Rules on some OOB entities like Task, Appointment, Phone Call, Recurring Appointment, Lead, Opportunity, Case,Dialogs
II. Online and On-premise differences
- For On-premise and existing organizations in Online, you would need to install the solution by getting it from market place.
- For New Online Organizations, we install the solution as part of the provisioning so you have it all ready to go.
How does the solution work in my environment?
The Activity Feeds solution allows you to enable / disable an entity for Feeds. For example, you can enable feeds for Account and disable for Contact.
When you enable an entity for feeds we do the following on behalf of the end user:
1. Create the following Saved Query’s to the Entity
- Accounts Being Followed
- Accounts I Follow
2. Customize the Entity FormXml
- Add “Record Wall” Tab to the Form
3. Enable Auto Post Rules for each entity if available
- Register Plugins so Auto Posts get created when changes happen in the system
You as an Admin can also go to each entity for eg: Account and Create the Views, Customize the Forms. But we wanted this to be as few clicks as possible, so we do that on your behalf when you create a new active row in the Activity Feeds Configuration section. We also clean everything up when you Disable the entity for feeds by removing the row from Activity Feeds Configuration section.
What should I know if I am developing another Solution in this organization?
I think this is the main reason why you are reading this article. So let’s cut the chase.
Remember the Solution development model where Managed solutions create components as managed and all end user customizations are treated as Un-Managed. (Read more about solutions model here. About Importing a Solution)
If you go through the last section, I showed you that we create Saved Queries, Customize Form Xml on behalf of end user. So this means those are Un-Managed customizations.
If you try to export Account entity, you will get those customizations exported within your solution. So if you export and import in customer organization, you will be trying to take ownership of those customizations in target organization. This is likely not what you intended as you did not directly make these customizations, effectively you do not own those customizations. When you export your solution, you need to make sure you export only the changes you intend and nothing else.
I understand this brings back the memories of CRM V4 where we have to worry about other ISV’s customizations in the system... I understand…
Here are the steps to remove Activity Feeds Un-Managed Customizations from your development org:
- Go to Settings-> System-> Activity Feeds Configuration ->
- Delete all the entries except User
- Delete User at the end
- Publish all customizations
- You can optionally uninstall the Activity Feeds solution in your Development Organization after the above 2 steps are done.
- Note: All New Online Orgs Provisioned after UR5 will have Account, Contact, User, Opportunity, Lead, Case automatically enabled for Activity Feeds. If you are developing against an Online Org you will need to Unconfigure these entities even though you did not manually enable them.
Now you can Export your solution - it will not export the components from Activity Feeds.
Thanks
Developer – Microsoft CRM
Categories: CRM, CRM Online, Microsoft Dynamics Tags: CRM, CRM Software, dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm
Online CRM Made Easy - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
Every company looking for an online CRM system wants one with the most functionality, but it’s also got to be easy to use; kind of an oxymoron I think. There is clearly a correlation between robust functionality and ease of use. Standalone or what’s known as point solutions that do one or two things very [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, CRM Software, Commence News, Sales Effectiveness, crm solution, online crm Tags: Commence CRM, CRM, CRM Software
“The Big Bet” - Story From: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog
Business applications, as I see them, are a critical component of business success. Throughout my 20+ years in the industry I've worked with countless customers of all sizes around the globe that would absolutely agree that their core business infrastructure is essential to their long-term viability. Yes, talented, dedicated people are critical. And, yes, great products and sound processes are crucial. Competitiveness, focus, and quality sure help, too! And so goes the list of basic ingredients for a successful business (let's not forget the ability to survive through tough times). But I am firmly in the camp that cutting-edge business applications are an absolute necessity, not just nice-to-have ingredient, but something you can bet your future on.
There are some basic facts about the CRM market that I hold fast. First, it is an active market that is flourishing. Businesses of all sizes and with requirements that range from mild to extraordinary are investing in CRM at a very rapid pace. The competition is strong (and some might say "noisy"). The capabilities in Sales Force Automation, Customer Care and so forth that businesses demand are asking all CRM providers to create products and provide services that must be increasingly robust every day. This is a beautiful signal to me. It tells me CRM is undeniably at the "bet your business" level of investment for success. And at the risk of already sounding like a company man I believe that bet is best made with Microsoft. The broad range of capabilities that Microsoft brings to the game to enable our customers to connect in meaningful ways with their customers is unmatched. And it is now my job ...to ensure you can clearly arrive at your own conclusion that Microsoft is the obvious choice for your business needs. I already have.
Frankly, I have always respected Microsoft's business. As a competitor they were consistently tough. As a partner they were disciplined and professional - and marvelously committed for the long haul to their products and customers. When Microsoft called and asked if I would be interested in helping drive a very important solution into a global market, they had my attention. But once I had the opportunity to sit down with the leaders of the team and talk through where the Microsoft Dynamics business had come from, where they intend to go and what the vision is that fuels that drive I was absolutely IN! The sheer magnitude of everything Microsoft has to offer for the CRM customer is awe inspiring!
I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the great work that came ahead of me. The Dynamics team and the Microsoft people and Partners around the world that work with our customers have created an enormous amount of success to-date. I marvel at what I have learned about what the combination of our technology, capabilities and community have done for business around the world. My hat is off to all those that have contributed to this legacy.
Thus begins our journey together! I have a lot of ideas to share and I look forward to our future dialog. And I am intensely interested in your feedback. Criticism is just as welcome as good ideas.
Yours in a great business bet,
Categories: CRM, Microsoft Dynamics Tags: CRM, CRM Software, dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm
CRM 2011 Chart Enhancements - Story From: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog
With the advent of R7/Update Rollup 5 from CRM 2011. The ability to modify charts within the CRM 2011 interface has grown. However, if you want to take the user chart experience even further, there are still some modifications that you may want to make by exporting the chart out to an .xml file and modifying it in Visual Studio and reimporting it back into CRM. Below are a few basic examples for various chart types with screenshot examples and the code snippets with the areas highlighted in yellow that you need to modify.
In creating this blog, I found the following resources helpful…
CRM SDK - View Data with Visualizations (Charts)
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg309647.aspx
Chart Types (Chart Controls) - MSDN
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd489233.aspx
Microsoft Chart Controls Add-on for Microsoft Visual Studio
http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=23903
Microsoft Chart Controls for .NET Framework Documentation
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=EE8F6F35-B087-4324-9DBA-6DD5E844FD9F&displaylang=e&displaylang=en
Enjoy!
1. Bar & Column Charts
a. Cylinder
<Chart>
<Series>
<Series ChartType="Bar" IsValueShownAsLabel="True" Color="149, 189, 66" BackGradientStyle="TopBottom" BackSecondaryColor="112, 142, 50" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40, DrawingStyle=Cylinder">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
b.Emboss
<Chart>
<Series>
<Series ChartType="Bar" IsValueShownAsLabel="True" Color="149, 189, 66" BackGradientStyle="TopBottom" BackSecondaryColor="112, 142, 50" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40, DrawingStyle=Emboss">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
c. LightToDark
<Chart>
<Series>
<Series ChartType="Bar" IsValueShownAsLabel="True" Color="149, 189, 66" BackGradientStyle="TopBottom" BackSecondaryColor="112, 142, 50" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40, DrawingStyle=LightToDark">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
d. Wedge
<Chart>
<Series>
<Series ChartType="Bar" IsValueShownAsLabel="True" Color="149, 189, 66" BackGradientStyle="TopBottom" BackSecondaryColor="112, 142, 50" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40, DrawingStyle=Wedge">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
e. 3D
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea BorderColor="White" BorderDashStyle="Solid">
<AxisY LabelAutoFitMinFontSize="8" TitleForeColor="59, 59, 59" TitleFont="{0}, 10.5px" LineColor="165, 172, 181" IsReversed="False">
<MajorGrid LineColor="128, 128, 128" />
<LabelStyle Font="{0}, 10.5px" ForeColor="59, 59, 59" />
</AxisY>
<AxisX LabelAutoFitMinFontSize="8" TitleForeColor="59, 59, 59" TitleFont="{0}, 10.5px" LineColor="165, 172, 181" IsReversed="False">
<MajorGrid Enabled="False" />
<MajorTickMark Enabled="False" />
<LabelStyle Font="{0}, 10.5px" ForeColor="59, 59, 59" />
</AxisX>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="True" LightStyle="Realistic" WallWidth="5" IsRightAngleAxes="true" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
f. No Values show on the bars
<Chart>
<Series>
<Series ChartType="Bar" IsValueShownAsLabel="False" Color="149, 189, 66" BackGradientStyle="TopBottom" BackSecondaryColor="112, 142, 50" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
g. Instead of Stacked… 
Go with 3D Cylinder
<Series>
<Series ChartType="Column" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PointWidth=0.75, MaxPixelPointWidth=40, DrawingStyle=Cylinder"></Series>
</Series>
<ChartAreas>
-and-
</AxisX>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="True" LightStyle="Realistic" WallWidth="5" IsRightAngleAxes="true" />
</ChartArea>
2) Pie/Doughnut Charts
a. Pie Chart
b. Pie Chart – 3D
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="True" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
c. Pie Chart – Concave
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PieLabelStyle=Inside, PieDrawingStyle=Concave" ChartType="pie">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="False" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
d. Pie Chart – Soft Edge
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PieLabelStyle=Inside, PieDrawingStyle=SoftEdge" ChartType="pie">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="False" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
e. Doughnut Chart
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PieLabelStyle=Inside, PieDrawingStyle=Default" ChartType="Doughnut">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
f. Doughnut Chart – 3D
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PieLabelStyle=Inside, PieDrawingStyle=Default" ChartType="Doughnut">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="true" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
</ChartAreas>
g. Doughnut Chart – Concave
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PieLabelStyle=Inside, PieDrawingStyle=Concave" ChartType=" Doughnut">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="False" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
h. Doughnut Chart – Soft Edge
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" CustomProperties="PieLabelStyle=Inside, PieDrawingStyle=SoftEdge" ChartType=" Doughnut">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
<ChartAreas>
<ChartArea>
<Area3DStyle Enable3D="False" />
</ChartArea>
</ChartAreas>
3) Funnel Charts
Circular Base by Default
YIsHeight by Default
a. Square Base 
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" ChartType="Funnel" CustomProperties="FunnelLabelStyle=Outside, FunnelNeckHeight=0, FunnelPointGap=1, FunnelNeckWidth=0", Funnel3DDrawingStyle=SquareBase">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
b. Neck
<Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" ChartType="Funnel" CustomProperties="FunnelLabelStyle=Outside, FunnelNeckHeight=3, FunnelPointGap=1, FunnelNeckWidth=5">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
c. YIsWidth
- <Series>
<Series ShadowOffset="0" IsValueShownAsLabel="true" Font="{0}, 9.5px" LabelForeColor="59, 59, 59" ChartType="Funnel" CustomProperties="FunnelLabelStyle=Outside, FunnelNeckHeight=0, FunnelPointGap=1, FunnelNeckWidth=0, FunnelStyle=YIsWidth">
<SmartLabelStyle Enabled="True" />
</Series>
</Series>
Categories: CRM, Microsoft Dynamics Tags: CRM, CRM Software, dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm
Sales: Question and Answer #7 - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
This is a Question and Answer article for sales people from guest poster Dave Kahle, author and leading sales educator. Follow Dave’s latest Tweets at @davekahle. By Dave Kahle Q. Dave, I am finding it difficult to manage my personal finances. As a commissioned sales person, my income varies from month to month. It seems like I’m always struggling with finances. [...]
Categories: Commence News, Sales Training, sales force automation, sales forecasting Tags: Commence CRM
The Service Cloud Console: Where’s my Home Tab? - Story From: Popular Ideas
The Service Cloud Console was designed for high volume call centers (Tier 1 customer service/ Tier 2 & 3 product support). In these environments, agents work primarily on the Case and Contact entities, moving quickly from one call to the next. Much...
Categories: Dreamforce, salesforce.com Tags: CRM, CRM Software, salesforce, salesforce.com
Which CRM System Should You Choose? - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
How to select CRM software
Categories: CEO Corner, Commence News, crm vendor Tags: Commence CRM, CRM, CRM Software
Commence Helps Desktop Customers Migrate to Hosted CRM Service - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
Commence Corporation, a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management software (CRM), is offering traditional desktop CRM customers the option to migrate to the company’s new online CRM hosted service. “The economic environment has hit many small to mid-size businesses very hard” says Todd Pape, Chief Information Officer at Commence. Many are working with dated hardware [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, CRM Online, CRM Software, Commence News, crm vendor, hosted-crm, online crm, sales force automation Tags: Commence CRM
Autocreating A Contact From Web To Case Or Email To Case - Story From: Popular Ideas
Today's post is not for everyone. There's a very good reason why Salesforce.com does not autocreate contacts from Web To Case or Email To Case, and that reason is that one generally does not know enough about the person to associate him or he...
Categories: Dreamforce, salesforce.com Tags: CRM, CRM Software, salesforce, salesforce.com
Commence Takes Contact Management Software to the Next Level – Attracts Users of Act, Maximizer & Goldmine - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
CRM software provider Commence Corporation has added new functionality to their cloud based CRM software that is attracting users of traditional contact management products. What is unique about Commence is the ability to manage information at the account level or the contact level with the click of a button. Traditional contact management software products require [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, CRM Software, Commence News, Contact Management Software, act-software, goldmine-software, online contact management, sales force automation Tags: Commence CRM
Small Businesses CRM Software – Stop Looking for a Bargain! - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
Small business owners are smart operators. They traditionally have to do a lot with very little, wear multiple hats and position their companies to be competitive in a rapidly changing environment. Software tools and applications like CRM software can help them to automate the internal processes that can make them a more effective sales and [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, CRM Software, Commence News, Sales Effectiveness, crm solution, customer-management-software, sales force automation Tags: Commence CRM
Tips and Tricks in Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Dialogs-Part I - Story From: Microsoft Dynamics CRM Team Blog
How to create Page-less Dialogs?
In Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011, we introduced the concept of UI Scripts (otherwise known as Dialogs) which are essentially workflows with the provision to accept inputs from the user. We call these as “Prompts and Responses”. I use the word provision lightly simply because it’s not really optional; rather it is mandatory to have at least one page with at least on Prompt and Response item in any given Dialog. If one didn’t then one would see the following error message on activation of the Dialog.
Screenshot: Error on activating a Dialog without any Prompt and Response Step
Why would one want to have Dialogs without pages instead of using Workflows?
- Well, for starters, Dialogs have Variables and Input Arguments that gives the flexibility in authoring the business processes.
- Once a Workflow is linked from a Dialog, one will not be able to call back into a Dialog.
- In addition, Workflows are asynchronous whereas Dialogs are synchronous.
Think of the scenario where in one needs to obtain some inputs from the user, do some backend processing before displaying the resulting information. In this case there would be a couple of Dialogs which require pages and there may be many more that only do some backend processing. The backend processing Dialogs are modules that do some unit of work and pass on the information to other modules. Authoring Dialogs in this modular fashion increases their re-usability.
Having more modules implies having more Dialogs which in turn implies we end up having more pages since each Dialog needs to have at least one page. Bummer!
Not anymore! Here’s a simple trick that you probably already knew.
- Add a Variable, say “Dummy” of type Single Line of Text. Set some default value, say “myworkaround”.
Screenshot: Add a dummy variable
- Add a Check Condition step. The condition should read like this:
If Dummy’s Value is Not Equal To “myworkaround”.
Screenshot: Check Condition : Is Value of Dummy Variable Not Equal to “myworkaround”?
For the steps of the condition above add the following steps:
- Add a Page.
- Add a Prompt and Response with more dummy values.
Screenshot: Add a dummy page and dummy Prompt and Response
Activate this Dialog as a Process Template. Henceforth, when one wants to create a new module Dialog, one creates it out of this template. Voila! We now have “Page-less” module dialogs.
Okay, why do we call them “Page-less” when we have added a page and a “Prompt and Response”? You guessed it right; the page is never shown as the condition to show the page is never true. However, one is allowed to activate the Dialog because the authoring tool is satisfied with the presence of the “Dummy Page”.
Now if only I could also get rid of the “Finish page” – I would have a truly “Page-less” Dialog. So close, yet so far…
More to follow soon, till then happy UI-Scripting!
Categories: CRM, Microsoft Dynamics Tags: CRM, CRM Software, dynamics, microsoft dynamics crm
Top CRM Software - Story From: Commence CRM Blog
CRM software comes in all different sizes and flavors from basic contact management programs to comprehensive solutions for managing front office business processes such as sales, marketing and customer service. What makes one CRM solution better than another is not necessarily apparent to the consumer whose focus is primarily on features, function and price. The difference [...]
Categories: CEO Corner, Commence News, Customer Service Software Tags: Commence CRM, CRM, CRM Software
