Ariba Gains a Competitive Edge with Force.com AppExchange
Ariba is a leading spend management solutions provider, with more than 500 customers in diverse
industries ranging from consumer products to healthcare to financial services.
Whenever it needs a tool or added functionality, the AppExchange is the first place the
Sunnyvale, Calif.-based company looks. On the Force.com AppExchange site, director Michele McMahon
reads the descriptions and ratings, then downloads the applications she’s interested in to take
advantage of free trials.
Salesforce’s on-demand model makes it easy for companies like Ariba to test drive an
application before purchasing. In fact, McMahon says she often downloads a new app and puts
stakeholders on the free trial to help justify the cost. This not only makes it easy to get
executive backing for a purchase, but ensures there are no surprises after the application is
purchased.
Ariba has extended the power of Salesforce well beyond CRM with the help of applications from
the software-as-a-service marketplace. With applications downloaded from the AppExchange, McMahon
has increased the effectiveness of the one of the company’s most important initiatives – online
marketing – and enhanced the company's sales efforts.
|
ExactTarget
by ExactTarget |
|
Salesforce for Google AdWords
by salesforce.com |
|
|
|
||||
|
SalesView
by InsideView |
|
GPS Radar
by The Complex Sale, Inc. |
Now, the Ariba marketing team uses ExactTarget to send email to customers. When a customer clicks through, ExactTarget automatically sends an alert to an inside sales person who can then place a timely call to that customer. ExactTarget also provides executives with key metrics such as open rates and click-through rates so that future marketing messages can be honed for effectiveness.
ExactTarget has allowed us to approach prospective customers, and also capitalize on click-throughs,” explained McMahon.
Now Ariba can manage and measure search engine marketing campaigns directly from within Salesforce—all the way from keyword selection to closed deal.
With the addition of e-mail and search marketing support to its CRM, Salesforce has truly become the backbone of the sales and marketing function for the company.
SalesView monitors thousands of verified sources that cover a company’s customers and prospects, their activities, and personnel. By integrating the Web 2.0 technology with Salesforce records, Ariba can detect key selling opportunities such as leadership changes, product launches, expanding operations, and acquisitions. SalesView sources include Hoovers, D&B, Reuters, ZoomInfo, Jigsaw, and LinkedIn.
With SalesView, Ariba now has more detailed customer data. The company can also ask for less information on their Web-to-lead forms, helping to increase the quality and quantity of leads received.
With GPS RADAR ™ for Salesforce, reps can quickly determine where they are in the sales process. A user-friendly, color-coded organizational chart enhances their understanding of where they stand in a deal and what they need to win. At a glance, they can see who is for, against, or undecided; each stakeholder’s personal power; what role they play in the decision-making process; and how to win their vote or live without it.
GPS Radar is integrated with Ariba’s opportunity object in Salesforce. Salespeople can now better gauge which stakeholders they should target for their deals and ensure higher close rates.
