Page 1 - GS181001

October 8, 2018 • Issue 18:10:01
High-tech holiday planning

for MLSs, merchants

BigCommerce researchers noted. Customer relationship
management (CRM) system reports and tools make these
insights accessible in real time. Dimitri Akhrin, CEO of IRIS
CRM, said. He further set for the following five examples of
how CRM systems can streamline critical tasks:
1. Holiday-themed gifts and greeting cards: CRMs
can match appropriate gifts with clients based on
profitability, relationship longevity and marketing
brand recognition. Residual reporting tools make these
metrics accessible.
2. Seasonal outreach: CRM reporting and scheduling
tools can ensure merchants are contacted at the right
times, a critical feature during high-peak seasons.
3. Backup equipment: Ensure that your high-volume
merchants have a way to process when your office is
By Dale S. Laszig closed. Consider deploying backup devices that run on
cellular signal.
part from buoyant crowds and festive displays,
the holidays are serious business for merchants. 4. Out-of-office alerts: Companies need a way to alert
A recent study by Womply found that small clients of office closures, with instructions on back-up
A retailers pulled in 11 percent of total yearly sales support. Email-enabled CRMs can send alerts to clients
between Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2017. Additional ahead of time, so they're not surprised. This will help set
data from The 2018 BigCommerce Holiday Readiness Survey expectations and put you ahead of the pack.
Report and Checklist, shows growing demand for advanced 5. Personalized messages: CRM systems automatically
technologies among 1,000 retailers surveyed. keep track of customer milestones. Setting up notifica-
tions that are sent to sales and support teams or directly
"As retail competition increases due to the growth of new to merchants is a valuable gesture that merchants won't
channels and the ease of reaching customers around the forget.
world, many online retailers have started holiday planning
earlier to make the most of the busiest, and most prosperous,
time of the year," BigCommerce researchers wrote.
Contributed articles inside by:
The Green Sheet asked payments industry leaders and
third-party service providers for advice on how advanced
technologies can help merchant level salespeople (MLSs) Steve Norell ............................................................................................32
and their customers prepare for the hyper-competitive Bill Pirtle ...................................................................................................34
holiday season. Recommendations are organized into four Mike Camerling .....................................................................................36
essential elements of holiday planning: boost engagement, Jeff Fortney .............................................................................................38
leverage big data, reinforce security and manage cash flow.
Boost engagement
TOC on page 3
Effective planning begins with understanding how, when
and where customers shop and what motivates them to buy,
Continued on page 30