Account doesn't want servkces

[tha_nick]

I have a question. I have been cold calling people for my business. I'd like to keep these people my CRM so I don't bother them again. What is the usually way to handle these type of accounts? RIght now I just append " - NO INTEREST" to their name.

[esforim]

Hi tha_nick,

Welcome to the Espo and CRM in general. There is a step by step process that you suppose to use and go through the loop, it just something you have to learn, then teach other to do the same. At the end of the day, that is too much work for some business to do. There was a previously good guide in using CRM but I can't find it. So here is some from a quick search:

Here is a couple of flow chart of a CRM system:
https://softnovation.wordpress.com/2...ss-life-cycle/
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b6/3d...d5222fa823.png

Most business would put those information into the "Leads". It a section where you have little information to go on, and it is possible to "Sell or Engage" with them. Once they are more interest, you would do other thing such as Quotes and Opportunity. After you are successful with them (that is they want to buy what you sell/use your service) then you would convert that Leads into an Account.

In term of the "No Interest" people, I would say; whichever way is best and easy for you to retrieve the information, most people would use the field "Status", either as default status that is available such as "Reject" or "Dead". or you can create a new status call "No Interest", "DO NOT CALL THEM AGAIN", or something.

It not good to write in "No Interest" for each person because you have to keep typing that MANY time for each no interest. In description you can write a bit further why they not interest, for example, "They have one", "Too expensive.', etc. Or if it a common enough reason you can create a new field for that.

Modify the CRM to work for you and give you information you want to retrieve from it. If you want to go down the path of using CRM "the right way" it might take a while before you can get started.

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Anyway here is what I been doing with my CRM, I believe I will regret the setup later stage and will need to revert and transfer data over but at least it is populated and have save me a trip to the office and look for information. I won't write everything because no time to do that.

1) Account - Any group of individual (friends, family, referral, etc), Company, Business, Entity that is not a single person itself. Create new entity such as "Company Code (e.g. SIC)", company logo, gallery to upload image. Alias name (sometime company don't add in Pty Ltd, or they use the shortcut word such as EspoCRM Group become EspoCRM.

2) Contacts - Individual, it can be any person, it doesn't need to have an account, it doesn't need to have too much information, usually as long as there is an unique information I will add it here (I should be using Leads). For example if I got the first name and phone number, or first name and email, or first name address, first name birthdate, etc. This make it easier for me to just go into Contacts and find a person, rather than checking "Account, Contact and Leads" before getting someone.

3) Case is where I do most of my work, I link everything to case. In CRM Case is a single time use for matter that customer need help with. But instead of using Opportunity I'm using case to do my work (I think I might regret this). Everything is done in case, and I link Contact, Account and Email to case.

Meeting, Calls and Calendar is quite straight forward. But I create another entity call History & Events. I find it necessary to separate it from Meetings because these "Events" are not meetings, it more of a history of anything. For example, if I have an old paper file/case I would add a "File Opening on 1/1/2000", "Closed on 3/1/2000", etc. Rather than clogging up "Meetings".

I also create two more entity names: Receipt and another name Voucher. Receipt is use when there is a payment exchange. I know invoice (Paid Extension though) is available and you can probably mark off "Paid" on the invoice, but in our country Receipt is a formal paper to say "Yes you pay me" or "I paid you, here my receipt". But I use it for more than just Money related, I added a Digital signature to it, so I also use it when Important documents is exchange, "Here you signed that you receive it last year".

The Voucher one is just make so if I were to give out anything I can track it, such as Flyer, Brochure, Gift Cards, or Redeemable voucher.

Finally an Assets entity, which is use to link to an Asset, Asset can be anything that is of value or valueless. For example: their cars is an asset. Membership of a Club/Community is an Asset. Or a "Congratulation Certificate" from us is considered as Asset. But I duplicate this Congratulation certificate in Voucher sometime as well.

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So at the end of the day, use it how you want to use it. Fix it as you goes along, having the UI and a good forum community, documentation should allow you to do most thing. More advance stuff that is not available or (need to pay for) shouldn't stop you from starting.

[tha_nick]

That you so much for the reply that was exactly what I was looking for. On a side note is there a way to log TXT/FB messages? I know there was a extension a while ago, but it appears the link is dead.

[esforim]

I never seen any extension that supported that, previously there was an Mobile apps but that is dead and no longer working. A few user on the forum got their own mobile app but it private or not yet ready for public release (hopefully soon it be ready).

In term of logging, I believe it would logs call if you have the PBX extension (pay to use and pay to install). Not sure if you can do SMS through that. But you probably can log outgoing through that. And if the PBX support it then incoming as well.

Previously I have explored into running my own SMS server through an Android Apps but have no luck yet and no time to do research and test.

One user (I think it was telecastg) did provide a "Email to SMS" system, using this he tracked SMS, basically his email system will send through SMS through an email.

As for the "FB", I assume that is Facebook? Probably not. If you can find either of these two extensions, there might be a small chance of it being revive if the code is open-sourced.