Does your current CRM system stop at franchisees?

Posted by Mike Snyder on May 17, 2011 in   |  Franchise CRM  |  Comments (1)

When we were at the IFA Annual Convention recently, we heard lots of talk and emphasis around franchisee profitability. It's pretty simple really, everyone knows that successful and profitable franchisees leads to successful franchisors.

We’ve been helping franchise organizations deploy CRM systems for years, and I would describe most of these deployments as franchise management systems. That is, the franchisors use Microsoft Dynamics CRM to help them manage and keep track of their franchisees. Typical franchise management systems include features/modules such as:

• Franchisee recruitment and application management
• Operations, legal and compliance
• Property development and construction management
• Franchisee customer service

Almost all of these CRM features are focused on helping the franchisor serve the franchisee, but the CRM system stops with the franchisee. However, we’re seeing a trend lately where more and more franchisors are asking about how they can provide their franchisees with a tool like Microsoft Dynamics CRM so that their franchisees can manage their customers. Some CRM systems, like Microsoft Dynamics CRM, can handle the needs of both franchisors and franchisees on one platform. By leveraging one CRM platform from start to finish, franchisors can really get the complete and integrated picture of how their franchise system is performing.

We recently spoke with PostNet's President and COO Brian Spindel about how CRM systems can help drive your franchisee’s profitability, and we wanted to share the article with you. You can read the article online here.

With Microsoft’s very aggressive pricing of just $34/per user per month* for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, there’s really no excuse for franchisors to not arm ALL of their franchisees with the latest and greatest CRM capabilities. By doing so, you’ll be putting your franchisees in the best possible position to achieve their profitability goals.

 

* Promotional pricing expires June 30, 2011.

21 Questions Franchisors Should Ask Their CRM Consultant

Posted by Mike Snyder on February 8, 2011 in   |  Franchise CRM  |  Comments (0)

Of course most companies understand the benefits of using a CRM system, but it’s not easy to know how to buy a CRM system. There are TONS of CRM systems to choose from, and there’s a lot of different factors and variables for you to think about. Considering most companies only evaluate CRM platforms once every three to five years, knowing which questions to ask as part of your selection process can be tricky! Well fear not our franchise friends, we put together a quick primer of 21 key questions franchisors should be asking about:

• The CRM system they’re considering
• The consulting company that will help them customize and implement the CRM system

These 21 questions will help you get started with a CRM evaluation, and they will also help make sure you’re not missing any major criteria.