Contact mechanisms

[Scott.]

Hi All,

I am hoping to get some advice on how to proceed with prospects and request for information, etc. Our main business is dealing with the end consumer. It’s all B2C.

We are building out our customized version of ofbiz and we have run into a question with regards to the way we handle prospects, leads and general information requests. We currently use a web form on our existing site to handle requests like more info on a specific product, etc. We also receive typical emails that we would also like to convert into ofbiz based contact mechanisms as well as 3rd party referrals. Obviously there are short term marketing possibilities with these requests but not necessarily any long term benefit if we don’t convert them to a customer.

So, if I’m understanding correctly and we use the request feature bundled into ofbiz, then we are able to see the information but there is no way to assign it to salespeople, customer service, etc. The ideal way looks like it would be to create a prospect for each request and be able to follow it through and use the info for short term contact, marketing and incentives to purchase, etc but even at the best of times, we struggle to get more than a name and email address. Obviously, we would have to change the field requirements that are currently necessary in the prospect portion of ofbiz but we also get a lot of spam too.

So I guess the question is, if we do use the prospect type contact, are we able to purge unconverted items after a set period of time. I know we can expire things in ofbiz but spam and unconverted contacts would just take up unnecessary space and be nothing more than clutter in the long term. Is there a better alternative that we are not seeing?

I would really appreciate any opinions on this. Thanks in advance for the help.

[Adrian Crum]

Scott. wrote:
> So, if I’m understanding correctly and we use the request feature bundled
> into ofbiz, then we are able to see the information but there is no way to
> assign it to salespeople, customer service, etc. The ideal way looks like it
> would be to create a prospect for each request and be able to follow it
> through and use the info for short term contact, marketing and incentives to
> purchase, etc but even at the best of times, we struggle to get more than a
> name and email address. Obviously, we would have to change the field
> requirements that are currently necessary in the prospect portion of ofbiz
> but we also get a lot of spam too.

I agree that the prospect screen requires too much information. If enough people agree, I can change
it to just require a name and contact mechanism.

-Adrian

[BJ Freeman]

you might look at opentaps implementaion of CMSFA
http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=559063

Scott. sent the following on 9/19/2007 3:51 PM:

> Hi All,
>
> I am hoping to get some advice on how to proceed with prospects and request
> for information, etc. Our main business is dealing with the end consumer.
> It’s all B2C.
>
> We are building out our customized version of ofbiz and we have run into a
> question with regards to the way we handle prospects, leads and general
> information requests. We currently use a web form on our existing site to
> handle requests like more info on a specific product, etc. We also receive
> typical emails that we would also like to convert into ofbiz based contact
> mechanisms as well as 3rd party referrals. Obviously there are short term
> marketing possibilities with these requests but not necessarily any long
> term benefit if we don’t convert them to a customer.
>
> So, if I’m understanding correctly and we use the request feature bundled
> into ofbiz, then we are able to see the information but there is no way to
> assign it to salespeople, customer service, etc. The ideal way looks like it
> would be to create a prospect for each request and be able to follow it
> through and use the info for short term contact, marketing and incentives to
> purchase, etc but even at the best of times, we struggle to get more than a
> name and email address. Obviously, we would have to change the field
> requirements that are currently necessary in the prospect portion of ofbiz
> but we also get a lot of spam too.
>
> So I guess the question is, if we do use the prospect type contact, are we
> able to purge unconverted items after a set period of time. I know we can
> expire things in ofbiz but spam and unconverted contacts would just take up
> unnecessary space and be nothing more than clutter in the long term. Is
> there a better alternative that we are not seeing?
>
> I would really appreciate any opinions on this. Thanks in advance for the
> help.
>

[Scott.]

Thanks for the response guys.

BJ, I have avoided using opentaps because of the HPL license but I do appreciate the info.

BJ Freeman wrote

you might look at opentaps implementaion of CMSFA
http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=559063

Scott. sent the following on 9/19/2007 3:51 PM:
> Hi All,
>
> I am hoping to get some advice on how to proceed with prospects and request
> for information, etc. Our main business is dealing with the end consumer.
> It’s all B2C.
>
> We are building out our customized version of ofbiz and we have run into a
> question with regards to the way we handle prospects, leads and general
> information requests. We currently use a web form on our existing site to
> handle requests like more info on a specific product, etc. We also receive
> typical emails that we would also like to convert into ofbiz based contact
> mechanisms as well as 3rd party referrals. Obviously there are short term
> marketing possibilities with these requests but not necessarily any long
> term benefit if we don’t convert them to a customer.
>
> So, if I’m understanding correctly and we use the request feature bundled
> into ofbiz, then we are able to see the information but there is no way to
> assign it to salespeople, customer service, etc. The ideal way looks like it
> would be to create a prospect for each request and be able to follow it
> through and use the info for short term contact, marketing and incentives to
> purchase, etc but even at the best of times, we struggle to get more than a
> name and email address. Obviously, we would have to change the field
> requirements that are currently necessary in the prospect portion of ofbiz
> but we also get a lot of spam too.
>
> So I guess the question is, if we do use the prospect type contact, are we
> able to purge unconverted items after a set period of time. I know we can
> expire things in ofbiz but spam and unconverted contacts would just take up
> unnecessary space and be nothing more than clutter in the long term. Is
> there a better alternative that we are not seeing?
>
> I would really appreciate any opinions on this. Thanks in advance for the
> help.
>

[BJ Freeman]

scott the one I am working on for ofbiz is not close to being done
http://www.elance.com/p/?q=eolproviderprofile&view_person=BJFreeman&catid=10182#tab=1
click on java CRM
I have made this into widgets but have not fleshed out the code yet.


Scott. sent the following on 9/19/2007 5:15 PM:

> Thanks for the response guys.
>
> BJ, I have avoided using opentaps because of the HPL license but I do
> appreciate the info.
>
>
>
> BJ Freeman wrote:
>> you might look at opentaps implementaion of CMSFA
>> http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=559063
>>
>> Scott. sent the following on 9/19/2007 3:51 PM:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I am hoping to get some advice on how to proceed with prospects and
>>> request
>>> for information, etc. Our main business is dealing with the end consumer.
>>> It’s all B2C.
>>>
>>> We are building out our customized version of ofbiz and we have run into
>>> a
>>> question with regards to the way we handle prospects, leads and general
>>> information requests. We currently use a web form on our existing site to
>>> handle requests like more info on a specific product, etc. We also
>>> receive
>>> typical emails that we would also like to convert into ofbiz based
>>> contact
>>> mechanisms as well as 3rd party referrals. Obviously there are short term
>>> marketing possibilities with these requests but not necessarily any long
>>> term benefit if we don’t convert them to a customer.
>>>
>>> So, if I’m understanding correctly and we use the request feature bundled
>>> into ofbiz, then we are able to see the information but there is no way
>>> to
>>> assign it to salespeople, customer service, etc. The ideal way looks like
>>> it
>>> would be to create a prospect for each request and be able to follow it
>>> through and use the info for short term contact, marketing and incentives
>>> to
>>> purchase, etc but even at the best of times, we struggle to get more than
>>> a
>>> name and email address. Obviously, we would have to change the field
>>> requirements that are currently necessary in the prospect portion of
>>> ofbiz
>>> but we also get a lot of spam too.
>>>
>>> So I guess the question is, if we do use the prospect type contact, are
>>> we
>>> able to purge unconverted items after a set period of time. I know we can
>>> expire things in ofbiz but spam and unconverted contacts would just take
>>> up
>>> unnecessary space and be nothing more than clutter in the long term. Is
>>> there a better alternative that we are not seeing?
>>>
>>> I would really appreciate any opinions on this. Thanks in advance for the
>>> help.
>>>
>>
>>
>

[Scott.]

So any opinion on the idea that would allow us to delete these unconverted prospects? I know that the idea of deleting things is frowned upon but after a couple months, this stuff would be useless I would think.

Thanks.

BJ Freeman wrote

scott the one I am working on for ofbiz is not close to being done
http://www.elance.com/p/?q=eolproviderprofile&view_person=BJFreeman&catid=10182#tab=1
click on java CRM
I have made this into widgets but have not fleshed out the code yet.


Scott. sent the following on 9/19/2007 5:15 PM:
> Thanks for the response guys.
>
> BJ, I have avoided using opentaps because of the HPL license but I do
> appreciate the info.
>
>
>
> BJ Freeman wrote:
>> you might look at opentaps implementaion of CMSFA
>> http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=559063
>>
>> Scott. sent the following on 9/19/2007 3:51 PM:
>>> Hi All,
>>>
>>> I am hoping to get some advice on how to proceed with prospects and
>>> request
>>> for information, etc. Our main business is dealing with the end consumer.
>>> It’s all B2C.
>>>
>>> We are building out our customized version of ofbiz and we have run into
>>> a
>>> question with regards to the way we handle prospects, leads and general
>>> information requests. We currently use a web form on our existing site to
>>> handle requests like more info on a specific product, etc. We also
>>> receive
>>> typical emails that we would also like to convert into ofbiz based
>>> contact
>>> mechanisms as well as 3rd party referrals. Obviously there are short term
>>> marketing possibilities with these requests but not necessarily any long
>>> term benefit if we don’t convert them to a customer.
>>>
>>> So, if I’m understanding correctly and we use the request feature bundled
>>> into ofbiz, then we are able to see the information but there is no way
>>> to
>>> assign it to salespeople, customer service, etc. The ideal way looks like
>>> it
>>> would be to create a prospect for each request and be able to follow it
>>> through and use the info for short term contact, marketing and incentives
>>> to
>>> purchase, etc but even at the best of times, we struggle to get more than
>>> a
>>> name and email address. Obviously, we would have to change the field
>>> requirements that are currently necessary in the prospect portion of
>>> ofbiz
>>> but we also get a lot of spam too.
>>>
>>> So I guess the question is, if we do use the prospect type contact, are
>>> we
>>> able to purge unconverted items after a set period of time. I know we can
>>> expire things in ofbiz but spam and unconverted contacts would just take
>>> up
>>> unnecessary space and be nothing more than clutter in the long term. Is
>>> there a better alternative that we are not seeing?
>>>
>>> I would really appreciate any opinions on this. Thanks in advance for the
>>> help.
>>>
>>
>>
>