Cloudy's Favorite Apps: SyncApps by Cazoomi

So your Salesforce org is up and running, and you are starting to think about how to connect it to other systems.

If you are like many others, Email Integration is at the top of your list. Email integration can be a big slippery subject, as there are many possible requirements, and just as many possible solutions! 

Recently, Cloudy discovered a solution that is both robust AND user friendly: SyncApps by Cazoomi offers an "integration framework", capable of connecting Salesforce with many common Email platforms (among other things). 

Let's see how SyncApps by Cazoomi is able to connect Salesforce with one popular Email Marketing tool, MailChimp.*

To get started, sign up for a free trial SyncApps account and create a "Sync Profile" for your Salesforce-MailChimp connection. 

• The setup wizard walks you through the process, where you will enter your login credentials for both platforms, and select the sync options you prefer from a list of check boxes. 
• The wizard also allows you to specify which Salesforce object to sync your lists with: Campaigns, or a new custom object called "Marketing Lists". Cloudy likes the custom object; it's nice and simple, and keeps your Salesforce campaigns less confused.
• If you choose to sync MailChimp email responses as well as lists, these will sync to Salesforce Campaigns. Each MailChimp email you send to a synced list creates a new Salesforce Campaign, with the current list members as Campaign Members, logging opens, clicks, and bounces on the Campaign Member record. The Campaign will display summary totals of opens, clicks, and bounces for that email.
• When you look at a Contact record in Salesforce, you will see which MailChimp groups they belong to (in the "Marketing Lists" related list, if you use it) and the details of their interactions with each individual email in the Campaign History related list. 

Here are screen shots of an example setup, and a chart that explains how the sync will work:

Action:	Sync result
Salesforce side
NEW Contact is added to Salesforce with NO email address, and is not added to a Marketing List.	Nothing
NEW Contact is added to Salesforce WITH email address, but is not added to any Marketing List	Nothing
NEW Contact is added to Salesforce with NO email address and IS added to a Marketing List	Nothing
NEW Contact is added to Salesforce WITH email address, and IS added to a Marketing List	Contact will be added to MailChimp Master List and added to the matching SyncApps Groups
Existing Contact Name is updated in Salesforce	FN and LN will be updated in MailChimp Contact with matching email address
Existing Contact Email is updated in Salesforce (and this contact is on at least one Marketing List)	The email will be updated on the contact in MailChimp
Existing Contact has “Email Opt-Out” Checked in Salesforce	Contact will be opted out in MailChimp too.
Contact is DELETED	Email address is deleted in MailChimp (**If this option is selected in sync settings**)
MailChimp Side
Existing Contact Email is updated in MailChimp	The matching contact in Salesforce will be updated as well.
Existing Contact Name is updated in Mailchimp	If the “MailChimp Update Form” was used, the update will push to Salesforce. Otherwise, the change in MailChimp will be overwritten by data in Salesforce.
NEW Contact is added to MailChimp but is not added to a SyncApps Group	New Contact is created in Salesforce
NEW Contact is added to MailChimp and IS added to a SyncApps Group	New Contact is created in Salesforce and is added to a Marketing List
Existing Contact Unsubscribes from all lists thru MailChimp	Salesforce Contact will be removed from all Marketing Lists and "Email Opt-out" is checked "true" (**if this option is checked in sync settings**)
Existing Contact updates subscriptions thru MailChimp - ie. Unsubscribes from one group, and/or Subscribes to a different group	Salesforce Contact will be removed and/or added to Marketing Lists, accordingly
Subscriber is DELETED	Contact will be removed from synced Marketing Lists

If you would like Cloudy's help implementing SyncApps by Cazoomi for your org, or evaluating other tools for your integration Contact Us!

*If you use MailChimp, you may have noticed they offer a free Salesforce integration. Cloudy does not really recommend using this sync, as it has some serious downsides and limitations: it does not sync opt-outs, it can only sync new subscribers as leads (not contacts), it creates copious amounts of records which can get you into a bind with data storage, and customer support is limited.

Read about more of Cloudy's Favorite Apps:
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Apsona 
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: More from Apsona!
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: DupeCatcher
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Rollup Helper
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: FormAssembly
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Conga Composer
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: FlipTop Social Profiles
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Mass Edit + Mass Update + Mass Delete

Cloudy's Favorite Apps: MORE from Apsona!

One of Cloudy's Favorite Apps just keeps getting better!

Apsona has long been one of Cloudy's top picks for enabling all kinds of easy data management tasks in salesforce.com. 
Now there is an add-on that allows easy merges to documents, spreadsheets, or email. Read on to see how easy it is to set up a merge for Thank You letters - in batches or one at a time!

(**note: this demo uses Salesforce + Non Profit Starter Pack with 1:1 model. Other data models and merge processes will vary in the details**)

First create a Word document with merge fields for the data you wish to pull in to your Thank You - this probably includes data from both the Donation record and the Contact record of the Donor. Upload this doc to the "Documents" tab in salesforce.com.

The merge fields needn't conform to any rules or format conventions - just call them whatever makes sense to you.

Next, create a report on the Donation Contact Roles tab in Apsona. Pull all of your merge field data into the report. Add any filter terms as needed, for example:

-Filter so that Donation "Stage=Posted/Closed Won"

-Consider creating a custom checkbox on donations that marks "Thank You Sent"; filter so that the report only shows un-thanked donations. 

If you don't see this tab, you must first create a custom tab "Configuration" under "Settings", then "Clear Cache" under settings to make it visible.

Run the report to preview the data. The list you see should be a complete list of un-thanked Donations. If everything looks good, you are ready to create your merge; click "Merge/Mail" at the top of your report.

Pro-Tip! If you want your Merge to *AUTOMATICALLY* update a field on a record, such as a "Thank You Sent" checkbox, you must include the ID field for that record in the report (ie. Donation ID).

The Merge Wizard that appears will walk you through the merge setup: Your uploaded Word template will be available to select, and you will be able to match your Word merge fields to the data columns in your report. Finally, note the options available in Step 4 of the merge: 

You can log a Task on each donation record, showing that a Thank You was generated. Even better, you can update a field on the record with a given value. 
For this process, check the custom "Thank You Sent" checkbox on the Donation record. You filtered the Merge report so that it only pulls donations where "Thank You Sent=False"; now you can run the Merge and it always creates a perfect set of the latest Thank Yous!

When it's time to create the next batch of Thank Yous, there is no need to go back to the report on Donation Contact Roles. Your new Merge can now be found and run under Settings>Merge Actions. 

One more amazing feature of Apsona Merge is the ability to very easily create a Merge Button on a record. For this example, a button right on the donation record can generate quick, one-off Thank Yous as needed. To create it, simply go to Settings>VF pages & buttons, look up your Merge, and click the "Generate code" button.

Copy this code into a new "Button" on Donations and add it to the Donation page layout. Now you can create a one-off Thank You on a Donation with a single click.

These Thank You letters look great, Cloudy!

If you would like some help evaluating this tool for your salesforce.com, please Contact Us!

Read about more of Cloudy's Favorite Apps:
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Apsona (Part 1!)
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: DupeCatcher
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Rollup Helper
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: FormAssembly
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Conga Composer
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: FlipTop Social Profiles
Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Mass Edit + Mass Update + Mass Delete

Big Data - Small Business : Part III

Big Data means bringing all the parts of your business into one place.

If you have followed along with Part I and Part II of this series, you are beginning to understand what Big Data means to your small business or nonprofit, and may be wondering if you are up to the challenges.  Here are some important pointers to guide you on your journey:

• Leverage the salesforce.com platform.  Not only should you bring all your data IN, but make sure you are using the tools available in salesforce.com: workflow automation, live reporting, systems integration, AppExchange add-ons, etc.
• Act: You are about to gain unprecedented insight into your business. Get ready to make changes, measure, and react.
• Bring it ALL in! Systems and departments that you thought were less important may turn out to be very important. Don't turn your back on your own data.
• Get a good implementation partner. Successful organizations agree that this is key. Talk to your salesforce.com Account Exec, visit a local user group to get recommendations, or contact Redpath.
• Invest: The cost of a major transition can be significant, but is worth it!
• Leadership Alignment: Are your team leaders trying to build the same company? Get aligned now!
• Imagine: Where is your business now? Where should it be? Accessing your big data will be a critical leap towards your business goals.
• Information: Knowledge is power. Give your team the tools to excel by putting more information in their hands.
• Keep an open mind: What is your data really telling you?
• Time: It takes time to collect big data and see results.  Be patient and don't give up now - you're almost there!

Cloudy and the consultants at Redpath have helped many salesforce.com customers on this exciting journey. To learn more, please Contact Us!

Big Data - Small Business : Part II

Last week we discussed what Big Data means to your small business or nonprofit. It is now commonly touted that "90% of all the data in the world has been created in the last two years." Even if you feel you are a tiny star in the universe of big data, you would probably agree that your own company's data inputs are growing. But if your information is segmented in different little orbits, you are not getting the benefits you should from your data.  

Salesforce.com is a standard-bearer in the big data movement.  Cloudy and the consultants at Redpath have helped many businesses consolidate their big data, simplify their business, and automate their business processes using salesforce.com.  Here is what we have learned along the way:

Challenges: What are the obstacles you may face as you integrate all your data inputs into salesforce.com?

1) User Adoption

• Big data success depends on your users to input the information.  (Read more about user adoption strategy here and here.)
• Users and departments who have previously been more independent may resent what feels like additional oversight of their work.

Bottom line: It is critical that users understand WHY changes are being made, and that they are given incentive and opportunity to buy in to the process.

2) Volume

Bottom line: How will you process and understand the huge quantities of data you will now have access to?

3) Assumptions

• Are you ready to see the truth if the data shows you that your assumptions about your business are not correct?

Bottom line: Get ready for paradigm shift.

Next time, Cloudy has some important tips for you to harness Big Data for your business.

If you would like to talk to a Redpath consultant, Click Here. 

Big Data - Small Business : Part I

What does Big Data mean for your Small Business or Nonprofit?

Big Data simply means bringing ALL the parts of your business into ONE PLACE.

No matter the size of your enterprise, you are juggling many data sources and data points:

Customers * Clients * Leads * Lists * Registrations * Customer Service Issues * Social Media Contacts * Important Relationships * Vendors * Partners * Content * Board Memebers * Web Inquiries * Marketing Initiatives * Documentation * Email and Marketing Analytics * Event Attendees * Roles and Responsibilities in your organization * Accounting and Financials * Spreadsheets and multiple databases * The list could go on...

At least a handful of these are certainly familiar to your business, and perhaps you can think of more. 

Have you brought ALL of your business under one salesforce.com roof?  Probably not! Historically, it was very common for businesses to manage their data in a segmented way. Even though it is now possible to get your Big Data into one place, many have not taken the leap.  

Why aren't more businesses managing more of their business in salesforce.com?

1) Many do not realize it is possible.  

With the salesforce.com sales cloud, service cloud, and custom cloud, along with 2,000+ Apps on the worldwide AppExchange marketplace, it is possible to manage every aspect of your business in salesforce.com. Despite the name, salesforce.com is NOT just for sales!

2) Many more do not understand the benefits.  Here are just a few:

• Efficiency: Make better use of your resources. Grow your business without growing your workforce.
• Effective project management: Catch problems and identify potential growth areas earlier rather than later.
• Visibility: Understand what is working and what is not. Identify your best customers. Put your focus in the right place. Gain insight into what is really most important.

Tune in next time for Big Data - Small Business : Part II and Part III, where we will discuss some challenges and some helpful pointers to guide you on your journey to harnessing your Big Data.

If you would like to talk to a consultant about your big data dreams, Contact Us!

Cloudy's Favorite Apps: Mass Edit + Mass Update + Mass Delete

What do you do when you want to edit the addresses of a couple dozen contacts?

Or what if you need to update the Stage of numerous Opportunities at once?

Or might you wish to quickly delete all Leads who have had no activity in the past year?

This is the type of important data management that keeps your salesforce.com vital, but if it is a hassle, it might not get done.  These jobs are too small to bother with data loader, but as you search, open, and edit each record individually, you will surely wish there was a better way.

One of Cloudy's favorite FREE apps makes this possible:

Mass Edit + Mass Update + Mass Delete -- the name says it all!  After the easy installation of this app, all you need to do is go to the Search Layouts page of the standard object where you would like to use this button.  (Step by step instructions appear in the install guide on the app)

The new buttons will appear on any list view on those object tabs. For specific data management tasks, you may want to create filtered list views that narrow down a list to the records you want to Mass Edit/Update/Delete.  ie. "All Contact with No Mailing Address", "All My Opportunities in Negotiation", or "All Leads with No Recent Activity".  You will have a chance choose specifically which records you are going to edit/update/delete from a list by checking the box next to the record.

Here is an example of a "Mass Edit" view of Contact records.  
From here it's a snap to edit all four records at once and then save!  
Use Mass Edit when you want to Edit multiple records at once, but with different information for each one.  For instance, each contact above likely has different phone and address information.

Here is an example of a "Mass Update" view of Opportunity records.  
From the list view, select several Opportunities to update, and on this page choose the field to update (Stage), and the value to update to.  Use Mass Update when you want to update multiple records with the SAME information.  For instance, I can change all of these Opportunities to "Closed Lost".

BONUS:
Once you are in the groove of using Mass Edit + Mass Update + Mass Delete for your small-batch data management needs, you might wish you could use the buttons on custom objects, or that you could customize the Mass Edit fields available.  Since this free app is an "Unmanaged Package", it is possible, and easier than you might think, to extend its capabilities in these ways. You can find some how-to help among other app users on the "reviews" tab of the appexchange listing.

If you need more customization, training, or help, please Contact Us!

For instructions on test-driving an App in your salesforce.com sandbox:
Test Drive an App in your Salesforce.com Sandbox

More of Cloudy's Favorite Apps:
Dupe Catcher
Conga Composer
Form Assembly
Rollup Helper

Cloudy's Chalkboard: Tracking the stars in your salesforce universe - Part 2

Last week we started creating a complex dashboard table that could help a nonprofit keep tabs on its most important donors. 

We created the report that will be the basis for the dashboard component.  Today we will finish by actually adding it to the dashboard!

Step 1: Add a chart to your source report

In order to create a complex dashboard table, you must first add a chart to the source report. The chart on the report itself does not have to look meaningful: in fact, it usually doesn't!  

Go to your report, click  "Customize" and then click "Add Chart":

Choose a scatter chart as the type of chart, and on the chart data tab, set all four chart data fields to the meaningful groupings of your report, as shown:

Click "OK" and then Save and Run your report. You will notice that the resulting scatter chart is not very interesting as a chart, but it allows us to create a more complex dashboard table. 

**If you want to make the chart less prominent on the report itself go to the "Formatting" tab on the chart editor and choose to make the chart size "Tiny" and the chart location "Below Report"!**

Step 2: Go to your dashboard

You probably have multiple dashboards in your salesforce org; choose the one where you would like to add this component, or start a new one.  For more about creating and editing dashboards, check out: Cloudy's Chalkboard: Creating Dashboards

When you are on the correct dashboard, click "edit"

Step 3: Drag a table component onto the dashboard

Step 4: Drag the correct report onto the component.

Note that you must switch from the "Components" tab to the "Data Sources" tab in the Dashboard Builder palette on the left side.  

(For instructions about how to build this report, see last week's post: 

Cloudy's Chalkboard: Tracking the stars in your salesforce universe - Part 1)

Step 5: Edit the table

The default settings of the table that appears will only show 2 columns.  Click the wrench in the upper right corner of the table to see more options.

On the Component Editor that appears, choose the Formatting tab and click "Customize table".  You will now be able to edit the table columns to show all four data points: 

Congratulations! You have created a complex dashboard table that will allow you to keep track of important donor relationships that might be at risk.  Consider scheduling this dashboard to refresh regularly, and/or have it emailed to interested parties automatically.

Following similar steps, you can create tables to track other parts of your business as well. If you would like help with your reporting and dashboards, Contact Us!

Cloudy's Chalkboard: Tracking the stars in your salesforce universe - Part 1

Who are your 

STAR clients?

Are any of those 

relationships at risk?

If you are using salesforce.com CRM, you understand the idea of Customer Relationship Management: you want to track the relationships and transactions of your customers or constituents and gain a 360 degree view of your business. You know that you can look at a single contact record and see all of their information, including lifetime transactions, campaign involvement, and activity history. 

But how do you leverage that information at a higher level?

Let's learn how to create a complex dashboard table that displays critical relationship updates at a fictitious nonprofit organization called Cartoon.org:

This example relies on some fields that are standard
in the salesforce.com Non Profit Starter Pack.
A for-profit company can create a metric to fit their business
using the same basic process described here.

Cartoon.org puts a high value on two types of donors:

1) Those who have donated more than $2,000 in their lifetime.

2) Those who have donated more than 5 times in their lifetime, regardless of amount.

These donors have shown, either by the amount OR frequency of their donations, that they are invested in the mission of Cartoon.org: it would be unwise to let those relationships founder!

The head of development at Cartoon.org wants to see a table of these high-value donors who HAVE NOT DONATED in the last six months. She will use this information to target these donors with some special attention to make sure they don't forget about their favorite charitable organization!


This two-part demo will show you how to create this report and dashboard for your organization.

Step 1: Create a new report

Go to Reports>New Report>Accounts & Contacts>Contacts & Accounts>Create
("Accounts" may be renamed "Organizations" in your org!)

Step 2: Set Filters and Filter Logic

Standard Filters: Show = All Accounts (/All Organizations) Date Field = Created Date Range = All Time

Custom Filters: Total Number of Gifts >= 5 Total Gifts >= $2,000 Last Gift Date < "6 MONTHS AGO"

(**NOTE: You will probably need to adjust the custom filter values to reflect donation totals, donation frequency, and time frames that are meaningful to your organization!)

Filter Logic:
Adjust the filter logic by clicking the little down arrow next to "Filters" and select "Filter Logic".
The default logic that is displayed will be "1 AND 2 AND 3".
Edit it to be "(1 OR 2) AND 3" as shown above.

Step 3: Set Columns and Summarize

You can quickly clear the default columns by clicking "Remove All Columns" Link

Add the four columns we need for this report: 
Name, Last Gift Date, Total Number of Gifts, and Total Gifts

Summarize the two "Total" columns:
Hover over the column header, click the down arrow, select "Summarize this Field" and click "Sum" on the dialogue box.

Step 4: Add report groupings

Group by "Last Gift Date" and "Name":
Hover over the column header, click the down arrow and select "Group by this Field" for both columns.

Run the report; it should look like this: 

Step 5: Save your report

Click "Save" and save your report with a meaningful name and description.  

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
This report is ready to be shared 
with your development team: 

These are your most important at-risk donors.

Make a plan to follow up with them!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Tune in next week to create a handy dashboard component with this information.

If you would like help creating more meaningful reports and dashboards for your organization, Contact Us!

More dashboard tutorials from Cloudy:

Cloudy's Chalkboard: Creating Dashboards

Cloudy's Chalkboard: Grouped Bar Charts