100 Percent Visibility into Lead Source Effectiveness Maximizes Business Gift Marketing Efforts at The HoneyBaked Ham Company of Georgia

Challenge

• Following the addition of 120 people to its sales force, The HoneyBaked Ham Company of Georgia, a purveyor of high-quality ham, needed a robust yet simple CRM solution to effectively manage its business gifting and catering sales channels
• Neither the company's ACT! database nor Microsoft Excel database were equipped to scale to support its rapid growth
• The company had no visibility into sales activities or a gauge on the effectiveness of its myriad marketing efforts
• Because HoneyBaked's IT team was busy with other development projects, the solution had to be one that required minimal infrastructure and maintenance
• The company wanted a system that would not intimidate its non-technical users

Solution

• After considering developing a system in-house, HoneyBaked selected Salesforce CRM because it was easy to implement, easy to use, and provided best-in-class functionality out of the box
• The company initially tested Salesforce CRM Professional Edition, then quickly rolled out the solution to 130 users company-wide; a dedicated salesforce.com customer service manager, along with a trained in-house admin, helps maintain the system
• Personalized dashboards allow reps to track sales activities, which can then be rolled up to the district manager level, enabling them to see the company view as well as pipeline and forecast activities
• Web-to-lead functionality feeds incoming inquiries into assignments, providing a way to track lead sources
• HoneyBaked downloaded Opportunity Pop-Up Calculator, Adoption Dashboards, and Account Weather Information applications from AppExchange, extending the value of Salesforce CRM with solutions that continue to enhance the original investment
• Integration with an order POS and management system on the front end will enable users to update opportunities and accounts within Salesforce CRM

Results

• A dramatic increase in pipeline visibility gives management the ability to monitor performance, accurately forecast, and plan for success
• The company now has visibility into its 100 different lead sources, allowing managers to shift marketing and lead generation efforts in the most profitable direction
• Instant user adoption improved productivity immediately
• Because users no longer have to fish for information, conversations with customers are more meaningful and productive
• The Force.com platform enables the company to continuously update and augment the solution as it grows