Jackson Media Launches Company on Salesforce CRM; Grows from Zero to $500K in First Year

Challenge

• Jackson Media, a North Carolina-based media services provider, needed a way to manage prospects and clients during the launch of its business
• As a small company with no IT department, Jackson Media had neither the budget nor resources to maintain its own software and servers
• Limited seed money demanded that Jackson Media become profitable in a very short time frame; therefore, it was absolutely critical that the sales tool helped to maximize customer interaction
• It sought to launch an integrated email marketing campaign without additional software or setup fees

Solution

• Having extensive experience with GoldMine and an unrelated opportunity to research salesforce.com, Jackson Media chose a free personal edition of salesforce.com to help evaluate the business opportunity and start prospecting for new clients
• Salesforce CRM proved to be a key tool in generating new business, and the owner soon upgraded to Salesforce CRM Professional Edition for its marketing capabilities, such as mass email and lead management
• Customized dashboards keep the company focused on growth: ‘closed sales to date’, ‘prospects added in the last 60 days’, and ‘customer touches’ help track all key metrics for success
• Via the ‘neglected accounts and open opportunities report,’ the company can focus on potential sales which may have otherwise been forgotten
• By easily adding and subtracting licenses, the owner can provide contractors with access to Salesforce CRM on an as-needed basis

Results

• Business growth from zero to half-a-million dollars in 12 months is due in part to Salesforce CRM’s ability to keep the owner on top of all opportunities with minimal cost and maximum efficiency
• Mass email functionality helps maintain communication to an ever-expanding customer and prospect list
• A central system to house customer data and track progress organizes sales activities and provides an engine to drive continued outreach
• Future plans to add workflow functionality will track business progress and further weave Salesforce CRM into the heart of the company’s business success