When you’re evaluating CRM software, there's no better way to appreciate a product’s features and understand the benefits it will deliver to your business than by trying it for yourself. That's why Microsoft Dynamics CRM business partners will be more than happy to work with you if you sign up for a free trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online.
If you decide to take a trial, you’ll be able to work your way around Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, use its key features and functions, explore its different areas, and even download extras to customise your trial. You’ll really be able to get to grips with the software’s ‘look and feel’, and you can do all this at your own pace and in your own time.
Strictly speaking, you can sign up for a trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online and not work with a business partner. There are a variety of materials available to help you find your way around Microsoft Dynamics CRM. However, you’ll get a lot more from the trial, and the product, by engaging with a business partner from the start.
Here's how a Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online trial typically works. Using a short and simple online procedure, you sign up for the trial from the dynamics CRM website relevant to the country your business is in. During the sign-up process, you may be asked for your Microsoft Partner of Record (this usually refers to your current Microsoft business partner, if you have one). You’ll need a Windows Live ID and Internet Explorer 7 or later. There’s no software installation, and your data is held on a secure website and you’ll have an area specifically allocated to you. Towards the end of the sign up process you’ll be given a URL from which you access the trial. Trials usually last 30-days, and you can have several users within your business included.
The sign-up process is pretty straightforward, but if you don’t want to do it yourself, contact a local Microsoft CRM business partner and they will be able to sign up on your behalf.
So why work with a Microsoft Dynamics CRM business partner during your trial?
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is easy to use, but there’s a lot you can do with the product. The way you use the software can vary depending on the nature of your organization. It’s also extremely powerful, and the features and functionality of Microsoft Dynamics CRM are numerous. So if you’re new to it, an introduction to the product by an accredited and experienced business partner early on will not only get you up and running far more quickly, it will also make sure you are approaching the trial in the right way for your particular requirements.
If you work with a business partner, they’ll be on-hand at all stages of the trial. At the start of your project, you can talk to them about your aims, objectives, and what you’re looking to get from a CRM system. You’ll find the overall trial experience significantly more productive.
An accredited business partner can help you get started by providing an overview of Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Online, show you the areas most relevant to what you’re aiming to achieve, as well as demonstrating how some of the key features work and what the main areas do. They can focus in more closely on particular areas to match the nature of you and your colleagues’ job roles, and be able to quickly share tips, expertise, and advice.
Engaging with a partner during your trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online gives you access to on-hand expertise, experience, help, and advice. You’ll have someone to call up or send an email to if you have a query or need guidance. From simple ‘how do I…?’ type questions to ‘would you be able to configure the system to do this process …?’, you’ll be able to get a relevant, quick, and informed answer.
Once you’ve completed your trial, if you then decide that Microsoft Dynamics CRM (either online or on-premise) is the right CRM software for your organization, you’ll find that having worked with a business partner will save you time and money. They’ll have built up a good understanding of your business and what your objectives are. They’ll already know the business issues you’re using the CRM system to solve, and how best to adapt the product to meet your requirements. They’ll have a good idea of your training needs, how much support you’ll need, and your project requirements.
The results? Quicker implementation time, better quality implementation, better service delivery, and lower costs.
By Concentrix TSG, UK CRM specialist and Microsoft Business Partner
The post How to Get a Free Trial of Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, and Why You Should Engage With a Business Partner Before You Start appeared first on CRM Software Blog | Dynamics 365.