Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM 4 For Dummies®
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Joel Scott is the president of the Computer Control Corporation, which began focusing on CRM software in 1989. Since the early 1990s, Computer Control has been an elite dealer of GoldMine software, winning many sales and business process awards. Mr. Scott has also written the entire series of GoldMine For Dummies books.
With the release of Microsoft CRM 1, Computer Control Corporation made the decision to expand its product line and expertise to Microsoft CRM as well. Mr. Scott has been the lead author for the Microsoft CRM For Dummies series. This is now the third book in the series.
In 2007, the Computer Control Corporation merged with a friendly competitor, Core Solutions, Inc. Mr. Scott now handles GoldMine and Microsoft CRM sales and design work for Core Solutions, as well as focusing on client retention consulting, writing, and speaking engagements. Mr. Scott can be reached at joels@ccc24k.com.
David Lee is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the University of Northern Virginia, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees of Myers University, on the Board of Advisors to ECPI, and was also adjunct faculty for George Mason University.
He founded Vertical Marketing, Inc., as a home-based business in 1985 and has grown it to a force in the CRM industry, with offices in four cities worldwide. It has won numerous industry awards and certifications and has completed more than 1,000 CRM projects using dozens of CRM applications.
Dr. Lee is a recognized speaker and thought leader in the customer relationship management (CRM) industry. He is a regular contributor to several CRM publications and writes a CRM column for MSDynamicsWorld. He is certified in many of the primary mid-market CRM systems.
Before founding Vertical Marketing, Dr. Lee served as Marketing & Support Manager, Vice President of Marketing, Vice President of Sales, and President in such organizations as Rand Teleprocessing, Barrister Microsystems, and Market Wise Inc., and as an officer in the U.S. Army. He is also a karate black belt and a competition-level dancer.
Mr. Lee can be contacted at dlee@vermar.com.
Scott Weiss is president and CEO of Core Solutions, Inc., a CRM consulting firm specializing in Microsoft CRM, SalesLogix, and GoldMine. He is a graduate of Rutgers University and earned a MBA from Boston University. With over 20 years marketing and sales expertise, Mr. Weiss is authoring his first For Dummies book.
Mr. Weiss founded Core Solutions in 2000. With offices in Newton, Massachusetts, and Rocky Hill, Connecticut, Core Solutions has provided CRM solutions to hundreds of clients. Mr. Weiss hosted a weekly radio show “Winning Business” from 2005–2006. He has guest lectured to graduate business students on entrepreneurship.
Prior to founding Core Solutions, Mr. Weiss spent several years in sales and marketing management in the medical diagnostics industry. He lectured on international marketing for the Massachusetts Port Authority.
Mr. Weiss can be reached at sweiss@consultcore.com.
Joel Scott: No one writes a book alone. Perhaps it’s possible for a work of fiction. I plan to find that out shortly. But even then, a collection of editors and technicians all have some say in the appearance of the work. Bob Woerner and Chris Morris, our editors at Wiley, have consistently been there for us working hard and responding quickly.
I also need to thank my co-authors, Dave Lee and Scott Weiss. Our early brainstorming sessions about this book and continuing communications made this writing easier.
I also want to thank everyone at home for taking up the slack while I was so often sitting in my room moaning and groaning over words I had written and rewritten so many times.
David Lee: I would like to thank two of my senior engineers, Benjamin Mwendwa and Patrick Pawlowski, for their help and support in this effort. They spent many hours reviewing and checking the facts, capturing pictures of the screens, and doing technical reviews. Without their help I could not have written this book and still run my company, Vertical Marketing.
I also need to thank my friend, partner, competitor, and co-author, Joel Scott. He risked a friendship spanning more than a decade by asking me to co-author our first Microsoft CRM For Dummies book. Now, after our second round of late nights and deadlines, I still like the guy.
I could not leave out Scott Weiss, the newest member of our little team of co-authors. By taking on one third of the chapters, he cut my workload by 50 percent.
Finally, I would like to thank you, the reader, for your interest in Microsoft CRM. CRM is my passion (I am a pretty dull guy), and it is people like you who allow me to do the work that I love.
Scott Weiss: First and foremost I want to thank my wife, Rachel, and my three children, Zach, Ethan, and Stephanie, for their support and understanding during the writing process. Without them, I never would have completed my work.
I’d also like to thank Umang Vasa of Microsoft, who has been a valuable resource throughout this process. I’d also like to thank the entire Wiley team and, in particular, Chris Morris, senior project editor; Heidi Unger, copy editor; and Bob Woerner, senior acquisitions editor, for their expertise and easygoing style. I’d also like to thank our technical editor, John Straumann, for his help and insights.
Lastly, thank you to Joel Scott and David Lee for adding me to the team of authors. Their guidance and patience were and are very much appreciated.
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Title
Introduction
How CRM Fits in the Market
How to Use This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Part I : Microsoft CRM Basics
Chapter 1: Taking a First Look at Microsoft CRM 4
Tracking Your Contacts
Communicating with the Outside World
Integrating with Accounting
Setting Up Business Processes
Coordinating Microsoft CRM with Your Success Plan
Live versus On-Premise
Being Mobile
Server Editions
Using Microsoft CRM Successfully
Chapter 2: Using the Outlook Client — Or Not
The Microsoft CRM Online Outlook Client
The Microsoft CRM Offline Outlook Client
The Microsoft CRM Web Client
What’s New in Microsoft CRM 4 Outlook Client
Chapter 3: Navigating the Microsoft CRM System
Whirlwind Tour of the Screen
First Things First — Signing On
The Workplace Is Your Starting Point
Filtering and Searching for Records
Using the Resource Center
Part II : Setting Things Up
Chapter 4: Personalizing Your System
Tailoring the System to Suit Your Needs
Establishing Your User Profile
Chapter 5: Managing Territories
Setting Up Sales Territories
Managing Territories
Chapter 6: Managing Business Units and Teams
Managing Business Units
Managing Teams
Chapter 7: Using the Product Catalog
Overview of the Product Catalog
Getting to the Product Catalog Window
Creating a Discount List
Creating a Unit Group
Creating a Price List
Adding Products
Chapter 8: Understanding Security and Access Rights
Security Overview
Setting Restrictions with User Privileges
Further Defining Permissions with Access Levels
Looking at Predefined Roles
Assigning Roles
Sharing Information with Others on Your Team
Sharing and Not Sharing Data
Chapter 9: Implementing Business Rules and Workflow
Workflow Components
Limitations of Workflow
Creating Workflow Rules
Monitoring Your Workflow
Workflow Glossary
Chapter 10: Creating and Running Reports
Adding Report Categories
Navigating the Report Area
Using Viewing Options
Exporting and Printing Your Report
Accessing the Report Wizard
Report Settings
Editing Reports
Creating Excel Reports
Part III : Managing Sales
Chapter 11: Setting Sales Quotas and Dealing with Forecasts
How a Manager Sets Up Quotas
Entering Sales Forecasts
Updating Your Forecasts
Examining the Forecasts
Chapter 12: Handling Leads and Opportunities
Processing Leads from Suspects
Turning a Lead into an Opportunity
Handling Opportunities
Chapter 13: Working with Accounts and Contacts
Adding and Editing Contacts
Adding and Editing Accounts and Subaccounts
Finding and Viewing Account Information
Assigning and Sharing Accounts
Chapter 14: Creating and Managing Activities
No Outlook Here
Viewing Your Calendar
Viewing Your Activities
Creating an Appointment for Yourself from the Activities Screen
Scheduling for Other People
Assigning an Activity to Someone
Completing an Activity
Chapter 15: Using Notes and Attachments
Creating Notes
Creating Attachments
Deleting a Note or an Attachment
Chapter 16: Generating Quotes, Orders, and Invoices
Creating and Activating Quotes
Associating Opportunities and Quotes
Printing a Quote
Converting a Quote to an Order
Generating Invoices from Orders
Chapter 17: Setting Up Sales Literature and Dealing with Competitors
Adding Literature
Modifying Literature
Relating Literature to Competitors
Adding and Tracking Competitors
Chapter 18: Implementing Sales Processes
The General Principles
Planning Your Sales Stages
Part IV : Making the Most of Marketing
Chapter 19: Targeting Accounts and Contacts
Targeting the Right People
Developing and Saving Marketing Lists
Editing a Marketing List
Removing Records from a Marketing List
Merging Mail from Marketing Lists
Chapter 20: Managing Campaigns
Developing Your Campaign
Creating Campaigns
Planning Tasks
Defining Campaign Activities
Distributing Campaign Activities
Recording Campaign Responses
Relating Campaigns to Each Other
Working with Quick Campaigns
Chapter 21: Integrating Your Web Site
Sending E-Mail to a Queue
Creating Records with Programming
Creating a Web Portal
Part V : Taking Care of Your Customers
Chapter 22: Working with Cases
Case Management Overview
Working in the Cases Window
Creating Cases
Assigning and Accepting Cases
Tending to Cases
Chapter 23: Managing Your Subjects
Tips for Defining Your Subjects
Accessing the Subjects Window
Adding a Subject
Editing a Subject
Removing a Subject
Relating Subjects to Other Entities
Chapter 24: Creating and Using the Knowledge Base
Organizing Information for Your Knowledge Base
Creating Article Templates
Creating a Knowledge Base Article
Searching the Knowledge Base
Chapter 25: Managing Queues
Queue Overview
Looking at Personal and Public Queues
Creating a Queue
Working with Cases and Activities Assigned to Queues
Accepting Queue Assignments
Chapter 26: Working with Contracts
Creating a Contract Template
Understanding Contract Status
Creating a Contract
Adding Contract Lines to a New Contract
Renewing a Contract
Creating a Case and Linking It to a Contract
Part VI : The Part of Tens
Chapter 27: The Top 10 (Or So) Add-on Products for Microsoft CRM 4
Checking Spelling with Google Toolbar
Automating Processes and Generating Alerts
Increasing Your Productivity with c360
Increasing Your Productivity with Axonom’s Powertrak
Migrating and Manipulating Your Data
Accessing Instant Advice, Tips, and Tricks
Displaying Data in Graphical Formats
Upgrading Your Service Area
Chapter 28: Ten Ways to Get Help
Using Microsoft CRM’s Built-in Help
Reading the Blog
Accessing the Resource Center
Getting the Straight Story from Newsgroups or Forums
Finding an Expert
Using Technical Sites for Developers
Investing in Training
Selecting Microsoft Packaged Service and Support
Getting in Touch with Us
Accessing General CRM Resources Online
Appendix A: Converting to Microsoft CRM
Developing a Process for the Conversion
Evaluating the Current System
Defining Expectations
A Word on Reports
Designing the System
Implementing the Design
Testing the System
Cleaning the Data
Migrating the Data
Training the Staff
Appendix B: Managing Your Data
Tips for Creating Duplicate Detection Rules
To Dot or Not to Dot, That Is the Question
Defining Duplicate Detection Rules
Creating a Duplicate Detection Rule
Editing a Duplicate Detection Rule
Putting the Rule to Work
Importing and Exporting
: Further Reading
This book is about Microsoft Dynamics CRM version 4, which we refer to as simply Microsoft CRM or just CRM. We assume that Microsoft CRM just showed up on your desktop computer or notebook. Chances are, you already have some experience with one or more of the popular predecessors to CRM — ACT, GoldMine, SalesLogix, or an earlier release of Microsoft CRM. Maybe you thought your Outlook was actually a CRM system. (It isn’t.) Or maybe you’ve never had any kind of CRM system — and never wanted one either. In any event, now you have to get yourself up and running with this new software. If you relate to any of this, Microsoft CRM 4 For Dummies is for you.
If you’re a technical type looking for help with installation, integration, or serious customization, you’ll need more than just this book. You’ll need some technical references, an experienced dealer, and some time.
If nothing else, Microsoft CRM is an organizational tool. Whether you’re in sales, marketing, customer service, or management, this software will provide a significant return on your investment — whether that investment is money or time. Beyond that, if you’ve fallen in love with Microsoft Outlook and refuse to relinquish it, relax. Not only can you still use Outlook, it’s one of the primary means by which you’ll communicate with Microsoft CRM.
Microsoft came to the CRM market seemingly a little late but with a system built on a platform called .NET. With CRM, you work in networked mode or in offline mode. Networked mode doesn’t require a direct connection to your office file server. In fact, with .NET technology, networked actually means connected to the server through the Internet. Offline mode also takes great advantage of the Internet but enables you to work while disconnected by using a tool that Outlook users will find familiar.
And, now, Microsoft has an answer for all those users clamoring for a hosted version of its software. With the release of version 4, Microsoft is also offering CRM Live — a hosted version of essentially the same software you can purchase and install on your own servers.
If you have an IT department that’s comfortable with the care and feeding of servers and have Internet connectivity with good firewalls and security, you should consider installing and using CRM. Otherwise, you can have CRM hosted. The third-party hosting company or Microsoft maintains the equipment and software in return for a monthly check.
Microsoft CRM is divided into six major sections: Workplace, Sales, Marketing, Service, Settings, and the new Resource Center. This book loosely follows these themes. We describe navigating the workplace and CRM in general in Chapter 3. In Part II, you find out all about setting up the system. Then we jump into sales topics, a little marketing, and some customer service.
You should be able to comfortably read the book from start to finish, but for those of you so caffeinated you can’t sit still that long (don’t laugh; you know who you are), each chapter can stand on its own as reference material. Either way, you have a comprehensive guide to Microsoft CRM.
You’ll get the most benefit from this book by sitting in front of your computer with CRM on the screen. It’s easy to convince yourself that you’ve got it by just reading, but there’s no substitute for trying the steps yourself. Experi- menting with sample data is sometimes just the ticket to an epiphany.
We assume you have some basic computer and Windows skills. If you aren’t comfortable with Windows, you need to get yourself up to speed in this area. Find a local class or seminar, or get one of the For Dummies books on Windows. Regarding CRM, however, we assume you just returned from a long mission to Mars and need to start using CRM tomorrow.
We also assume you have a basic understanding of database concepts. If you’re comfortable with fields, records, files, folders, and how they relate to each other, you’ll be fine. If you’re familiar with attributes, entities, instances, and objects, even better. If this is already sounding bad, you can seek help at most community colleges or local computer training facilities.
If you’re going to be your own CRM administrator (backing up files and assigning usernames, passwords, and access rights), you need to understand records, files, folders, security, operating systems, and networks. If you just want to be a good day-to-day user of CRM, make sure that you understand what a file is and how to locate one using Explorer.
Some people just have a knack for organization. Our office manager is highly organized, although her desk looks like a tornado swept through it. However, she assures us that she knows exactly where everything should be. (And we take no responsibility for her actions if you touch anything.) Anyway, we digress. Organization — without it, this book would be a jumbled mess. To cure that, we’ve organized the book into six parts, each with at least three chapters. Again, you can read the book from cover to cover (who has that kind of time?), or you can refer to it section by section. Each part (and chapter) can definitely stand on its own, but we recommend that you at least skim through the basics and the table of contents before getting started.
Just the facts! Part I gives you an overview of what Microsoft CRM is all about and provides a tour of the main windows. We also show you how to use Microsoft CRM offline.
In Part II, we begin with a discussion of how to personalize your workplace and the software. The workplace is command central in Microsoft CRM. From the workplace, you can access the day-to-day stuff, such as your calendar, assigned activities, and service scheduling. You can also set up business units, security, sales processes, and business rules. Setting up workflow and reports are the topics of Chapters 9 and 10 respectively.
In Part III, we explain how to create accounts and contacts in your database and how to locate existing records. We also show you how to create and manage activities as well as leads, opportunities, and territories. You find how-to information on notes and attachments. Then we get into the nitty-gritty and discuss some of the more complex functions of Microsoft CRM, such as quotes, orders, and invoices (some of which benefit from integration with an accounting system). In addition, we talk about sales literature and how to track competitors.
Microsoft CRM 4 explodes with all kinds of capability in the marketing arena. Combining the new Advanced Find function with quick campaigns and a sophisticated campaign management system, Microsoft CRM enables you to do more than just send out e-mails and letters. You’ll be able to follow the progress of the campaign, create and delegate tasks, keep track of actual costs compared to the campaign budget, and easily catalog and maintain the responses.
Customer service is a big issue, no matter how big your company. In this part, we show you how to track and manage customer service issues using cases and the special Service Calendar. We talk about workflow and your business processes and how Microsoft CRM can easily handle incoming service calls and e-mail and their responses using queues. We discuss contracts and tiered levels of customer service and how to organize this division to handle service issues efficiently and quickly.
As new as Microsoft CRM is, third-party developers have brought many complementary products to the market. We discuss the best and most useful we’ve found. And, just in case you still need assistance, we also discuss ten ways to get help.
Additionally, two appendixes at the end of the book assist you with converting to Microsoft CXRM 4 and with managing your data.
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If you’re a first-time user, we suggest you begin with Chapters 1–3 to get a solid introduction to the basics of living with Microsoft CRM. Then check out Part III, IV, or V, depending on whether you’re in sales, marketing, or customer service, respectively. If you’re charged with setting up CRM for your company, you would do well to read Part I and then Part II. If you have questions or comments and want to contact us directly, please send us an e-mail at dummy@ccc24k.com.
In this part . . .
Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4 is technically an update to version 3, but it’s really a quantum leap beyond what first came out almost three years ago. In addition to smoothing out a few rough edges, Microsoft has added a Live — which, to most of us, means hosted — version of CRM. There are also three levels of server software, appropriate for small, mid-level, and enterprise-type organizations.
Microsoft CRM integrates with Outlook and the Web and is now much easier to use. If you’re one of the 92 million Outlook users, Microsoft CRM is the comfortable, organizational upgrade you’re looking for.
In this first part, you find a general discussion of the features and benefits of Microsoft CRM and how best to navigate through the screens, even if you’re navigationally challenged. You can even set up internal announcements; this is discussed in Chapter 3.