Summary

In this chapter, a brief introduction to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 was presented. Each of the three main modules—sales, marketing, and service—were covered at a high level, along with business scenarios centered around a fictitious organization called Race2Win Insurance Company. Race2Win Insurance Company's inside sales team uses CRM to track the leads they've generated. They use business rules to qualify the leads and hand them off to other sales representatives who manage accounts. The leads, if needed, can be converted to an account, contact, opportunity, or a combination of the three. Accounts allow Race2Win to manage organizations they do business with; contacts are individuals that may or may not be tied to an account; and opportunities enable the tracking of potential sales to their customers. Opportunities can also track estimated and actual revenue. To get a more accurate measure of revenue, opportunities can reference Race2Win's products, prices, and discounts. Quotes can be used to give a customer an estimate of costs. Once a customer agrees to make a purchase, Race2Win's order entry team can generate an order and/or an invoice. As Race2Win continues to grow its business, the competition will grow stiffer. Dynamics CRM allows Race2Win to analyze a competitor's sales strategies, products, and the business they win. Lastly, the sales module can help Race2Win to set up goals for their employees, such as sales goals. These goals can also be rolled up to a larger goal.

To grow their customer base even more, Race2Win's marketing team can use the Dynamics CRM marketing module to create marketing lists. These lists group accounts, contacts, or leads into a list for use in marketing campaigns. The campaigns can be very simple with one communication channel and an abbreviated timeline. They can also be more complex, tracking planning activities, campaign costs, and even targeted products. If a potential or existing customer would like to learn more about a specific product, Race2Win can send them sales literature, including marketing collateral around products or services.

Every organization, including Race2Win, must keep their customers happy. Race2Win must ensure that any issues with the quality of their products, the level of customer service, and billing get resolved efficiently. CRM's service module allows Race2Win to open up cases any time an issue arises. Knowledge base articles can be created or referenced throughout the life cycle of a case, allowing cases to be resolved more efficiently. If Race2Win has set up any service contracts (for example, a contract limiting the number of cases that can be opened for a customer), these can be referenced as well.

The second half of the chapter revolved around Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 training and certification. There are several Microsoft courses you can take, from learning about the application itself, to installing, configuring, and extending it. These courses are not mandatory, but can help, along with books like this, to pass the related certification exams.

Dynamics CRM 2011 has four certification exams:

If you pass any one of the four exams, you will be a Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS). Certifications can help to validate the knowledge you've gained in your training, as well as bolster your resume.

Specifically about the Dynamics CRM application's certification (MB2-868), there are different ways to pass the exam. You can take any of the instructor-led or e-learning courses mentioned earlier in this chapter. You can also download the official courseware from Microsoft CustomerSource or PartnerSource if you have access to either. In conjunction with this, or alternatively, you can use this book! With that said, one of the most important tools to supplement your learning is hands-on experience to help reinforce the knowledge you've attained.

Once you feel confident and are ready to take the exam, you can book it online at Prometric (http://www.prometric.com/Microsoft/Dynamics.htm). The exam is written in different languages, such as Spanish, French, and German, and usually costs USD 150.

Once you are at the test taking center, some helpful exam taking tips are: quickly accept the legal statements at the beginning of the exam and move on to the questions as quickly as possible; read each question carefully, paying attention to phrases that indicate how many answers are required; answer each question as best as you can in sequence; and if you are not confident in your answer, mark the question for review at the end.

This chapter has provided you with an introduction to the Dynamics CRM application, and the MB2-868 certification exam. In the next chapter, you'll learn how to track interactions between other users and customers by using activities and notes.