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We're trapped in a paradigm. Many CRM systems offer APIs to enable add-on services, including SalesForce.com with their AppExchange or SugarCRM, a popular open-source CRM solution. And there are many systems integrators and service providers who are already offering integration into these CRM systems using data directly from these CRM systems—but no one appears to be doing this for non-transactional direct marketing campaigns.
There's an irony here. This isn't really a technical limitation—many vendors such as XMPie, Pageflex and others are busy touting support for enterprise-grade database systems including MS SQL, MySQL, Oracle, IBM DB2 and others, but no one is integrating direct marketing campaigns directly into their CRM systems, outside of transactional mail (i.e. bills and statements).
If it's technically feasible to extract campaign data from the CRM system at run-time, apply some filtering or parsing functions and feed it directly to VDP composition software, then why isn't anyone doing it? Alas, it appears, direct mail data preparation is still a highly-skilled craft for many which requires a host of data hygiene and preparation steps, including de-duplication, address verification, addition of postal barcodes, data sorting for postal-optimisation rates, data formatting and other menial tasks. But I'd argue that data hygiene should be happening in the CRM system, and not at campaign run-time.
And the problem doesn't stop there. Once you've exported the data from a CRM system, then you have to feed response data back into it. Yes, it's great that anyone can log-in to a MindFire/Pageflex/XMPie-powered personalised Web site and complete a customised survey or respond online, but it becomes stuck in it's little separate database until someone has figured out a way of feeding the data back into the CRM system.
OK, I admit that most direct marketing campaign workflows don't necessarily lend themselves to an integrated CRM approach. In most cases the data resides behind a client firewall in a CRM system, which then has to be extracted and handed off to the service provider. But for clients with web-based SaaS CRM systems, like SalesForce.com, it's quite feasible.
I'd really like to see vendors like XMPie, MindFire Inc and others build integration modules into web-based CRM solutions. With 47,700 SalesForce.com customers, the AppExchange would be a good place to start...
Posted on Friday, 26 September 2008 at 4:43 PM | TrackBack: http://www.veedeepee.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/180
Well, we share that vision and we're currently working on it... So, just a little more patience, please!
:)
Posted by Erik on Friday, 26 September 2008 at 8:43 PM
Eliot, have you been reading our website?
We are doing exactly what you mentioned at PrintSf.com with the filtering, parsing, and applying of Salesforce data to XMPie templates. The user can quickly select data from Salesforce Leads, Contacts, Reports, Campaigns, or a CSV file and map all that data to a VDP template. Like you suggest, our software does the mail validation so you can verify addresses and get an accurate count BEFORE you submit the records to print. We also offer a list of invalids so the user can “repair and refresh” the data by clicking live links back to Salesforce records. Our scheduled launch just in time for Dreamforce in November. Along with our launch, we are revamping our website. Until then you can visit us at www.printsf.com.
Eliot, take care and I'm sure your new consulting venture will be a hit. You bring a wealth of knowledge to the table.
Posted by Ed Kotnik on Saturday, 27 September 2008 at 1:27 AM
We're developing on this as well. We're tying our API into another's API who provides Marketing Management/Surveys/etc.
http://www.simplesalestracking.com
Posted by Shane on Saturday, 27 September 2008 at 4:55 AM
Hi Ed, I haven't come across your site before. What a great solution! You've obviously thought this through. Best of luck for your November launch, I'm sure it will be a huge success!
Posted by Eliot Harper on Saturday, 27 September 2008 at 8:13 AM
Hi All: I'm Mark, and work with Ed at PrintSf.com. We're a 10 year VDP/DM veteran that made a decision last year to completely reinvent ourselves to focus on mashing up VDP with on-demand CRM. 1 year later now we are just about to launch with a very robust solution. Have a look at what we're doing if you like at:
Data Sheet - Free Content Manager
To download this file now, click on the link below:
https://go.printsalesforce.com/Site/ViewDoc.aspx?LId=224&DId=253
Data Sheet - Web-to-Print
To download this file now, click on the link below:
https://go.printsalesforce.com/Site/ViewDoc.aspx?LId=225&DId=254
Data Sheet - Direct Mail
To download this file now, click on the link below:
https://go.printsalesforce.com/Site/ViewDoc.aspx?LId=226&DId=255
Q2 or Q3 next year as the platform matures, we'll peal off pieces of it and make it available to other DM/VDP providers..FYI. Cheers - Mark
Powered by Print Sf
Print & Mail for Salesforce.com
www.printsalesforce.com
Posted by Mark Cira on Sunday, 28 September 2008 at 4:36 PM
XMpie supports connection to SF via ODBC. for example . DBAmp http://www.forceamp.com/
powerful integration tool that lets you access and change your Salesforce.com data within SQL Server. With DBAmp, you can easily access your Salesforce objects using SQL Select, Update, Insert and Delete statements. How much is DBAmp? US$1,295 per year. The Subscription Contract Period is for 1 year and is renewable annually.
Posted by Igor on Wednesday, 1 October 2008 at 12:30 AM
Hi All: Wanted to let folks know we're now live at http://www.printsf.com
We're open for business with early adopter customers, and going truly live in November at Dreamforce and AppExchange.
We would welcome and value any feedback from the VDP community.
Posted by Mark on Saturday, 18 October 2008 at 2:33 AM
Great minds think alike... The Salesforce + xmpie (and others) just makes perfect sense from a marketing and business perspective and is something we've been looking into. Thanks for this valuable thread guys. Love what printsf are doing too.
Although there are only a few hundred salesforce user companies down here in New Zealand, it's sure to be a high growth opportunity...
Posted by Kevin Trye on Saturday, 21 February 2009 at 5:53 PM
Mail Print's marketing automation solution is tied into Saleforce by connecting APIs, allowing initiation of direct mail, email and PURLs from the user screen, as well as automatic activity writebacks into the lead record.
See the video here: Marketing Automation Video
Or check out http://www.mailprint.com/MarketingAutomation
Posted by David Vogel on Thursday, 14 January 2010 at 8:38 AM