T
he HoustonCRM package was born out of 29 years of sales
and service management experience at HTG. The software is the
collective wisdom of numerous sales and customer service
professionals managers who have helped to shape the
application into one of the most effective and easy to use
programs in the market.
The following are some of the realities about Client
Relationship Management in practice:

Most customer service people find CRM too difficult and to slow to
use. Customer sales and service is a fast and furious activity; the system
needs to be easy and fast or there will be user resistance.

The sales and marketing culture of businesses change frequently. Therefore a static CRM package holds
the firm back and users invent their own workarounds.
For these reasons, HPS has chosen Apple’s FileMaker as its database development platform because of its ease
of use, flexibility, and power. This has made the HoustonCRM package one of the easiest and most flexible
CRM packages in the market.
The software can integrate with most vehicle dealership packages in the market meaning that users can
benefit from a ‘best of breed’ CRM package without the hassle of entering data into two separate packages.
Many features within HoustonCRM are not found in other CRM packages because they are born out of the
frustration of many users of other packages. One such frustration, for example, is the difficulty of updating
data into the CRM database by users who often do not enjoy entering data or have fast typing skills.
The HoustonCRM package can be bundled with technologies that remove this impediment.
The ease of use and efficiency of the package is simply astounding. For example, the act of finding and ringing
any particular contact within the database takes no more than 5 seconds*. Likewise, filing an email from any
contact is a less than 2 seconds exercise.
Very importantly, the HoustonCRM team is not a team of mere hardware or software experts. This team is also
made up of business experts that have been in the game for many years. The team is headed by Alan Chew,
the founder of the business. Alan has in the last 29 years held a lot of public workshops and written a lot of
public articles on the subject of CRM. When you adopt the HoustonCRM package, not only would you receive
help with the technical hardware and software installation, you will also have access to the wealth of CRM
business knowledge within the HoustonCRM team.
Investigate the power of this highly customisable and easy to use software by requesting a free demo today.
With HoustonCRM, you build an irresistible relationship with your clients.
* based on running a database with
over 200,000 contacts locally on an i5
Hewlett-Packard notebook connected
to a TAPI-compliant phone system.
Alan Chew
Managing Director
17-19 Liverpool St, PO Box 9568, Hamilton 3201
142 Third Avenue,, Tauranga 3110
http://www.houstoncrm.co.nz
email: [email protected]
Benefits of the HoustonCRM System to Vehicle Dealerships
CRM technologies are particularly beneficial to businesses that drive sales and repeat
business through relationships. The business benefits of the HoustonCRM package
include:

Providing a 360° view of all clients (customers and prospects) to all team
members. This means that anybody with access to the network can easily see
all communications and transactions with all clients in one place.
With HoustonCRM, any worker that interacts or communicates with any client
can easily record all the communications and transactions into the CRM
package. This can help, for example, to mitigate situations like a client ringing
up to get a quotation from one of your salespeople and then ringing another
of your sales staff to get another quotation for the same items.



Increasing repeat sales and recurring revenues. The system helps by
automating regular touch points with the client and generating automatic
reminders for renewals of WOF, service, insurance, etc. According to the
Deloitte Dealership Benchmark Report1 only 25-30% of new vehicle buyers are
repeat customers. And only 40-52% of customers still return to the same
dealership for service by the 5th year.
Better client knowledge which is the lifeblood of business – who are your
clients, what are the client tiers, segments, industries? There are differential
values in different clients. Businesses need to react to differences in in client
values – who are our best clients? HoustonCRM helps you gather and manage
that information for better targeted selling and marketing.
Greater sales staff efficiency. HoustonCRM saves time in all the tasks that
sales staff have to perform. For instance, ringing a client’s phone number,
writing them a letter, sending them an e-mail or booking a meeting should be
a one-step operation.

Greater consistency for all salespeople. With HoustonCRM, you
can easily standardise all data, processes, documents and branding.
About HTG
HPS is part of Houston Technology
Group (HTG) which was founded on 1
March 1986. Based in Hamilton and
Tauranga, the company services clients
in the Waikato, BOP, King Country, Thames/
Coromandel as well as Auckland. Additionally
we have a nationwide network of affiliated
service centres to look after clients located
outside of these regions.


Employing 25 professional staff, HTG has its
main activities in:

IT productivity consultancy in areas like
CRM (Client Relationship Management),
speech and handwriting recognition,
digital ink, dictation, MS SharePoint and
VoIP

IT infrastructure design,
implementation and support

Outsourced managed IT services

Cloud services - including
online backups and
server hosting
HTG is a
Certified
Business
Certified
VMWare
Partner.
Page 2
Microsoft Gold
Partner,
HP
Partner, Cisco
Partner and
Professional

supply,

Time management assistance for salespeople with follow-ups
and managing leads more effectively. HoustonCRM helps them to sift
the `chuff from the wheat’ in terms of which leads or clients will bring
them the greatest return. It makes sure that important clients and
important opportunities are never overlooked.
Dramatically reducing the effort of entering sales data and producing
management reports. The HoustonCRM software gives users greater ability to
automate and manage the sales process. It lets you measure sales effort and
success. It also creates sales transparency by producing reports like sales
pipeline and sales activity statistics. These reports can be generated
automatically with little effort. Because the HoustonCRM package comes with
a flexible report generator, it is easy to data-mine the data to produce useful
business intelligence information.
Better, easier low-cost electronic and traditional marketing to all clients and
prospects. The exercise of sending out say, an e-mail newsletter, should be no
more than a two or three step exercise with HoustonCRM.
Retention of intellectual property in the client database. If a salesperson
were to leave the firm, all the information necessary to keep and maintain the
client is retained in the HoustonCRM database. A new sales person should be
able to take over the client database and hit the ground running.

Increase in equity value of the business. In the event that a
business owner wishes to sell their business, the HoustonCRM database can
enhance the value of the clientele being sold. This is because the CRM
database contains all the evidence of sustainable client relationships.
1 Motor Industry Services Dealership benchmarks 2013 © Deloitte Touché Tohmatsu
www.houstoncrm.co.nz  0800 484 4357
Customisability
Many features within the HoustonCRM software are not found in other CRM packages because they are born out of
the frustration of sales managers and salespeople who have used other packages.
Three such frustrations, for example, are:

The need to move from screen to screen in order to get sufficient information.

The difficulty of customising the package to suit the exact needs of the user.

The difficulty of updating data into the CRM database.
That is why the ‘trading desk’ screen in HoustonCRM is populated with all the information that the user will need to
do business with the client. The user does not have to move to other screens or open other applications in order to
access that information.
HoustonCRM is not just a CRM package; it is a full database programming platform that HTG has used to develop
the CRM application. It remains a full and easy-to-program database programming platform that can be used to
quickly and cheaply customise the package to suit the precise requirements of the business.
Ease of Data Entry
The difficulty of updating data into the CRM database by salespeople who often do not enjoy entering data or have
fast typing skills is in fact one of the biggest obstacles to success in implementing CRM.
The HoustonCRM package can be bundled with technologies that remove this impediment by making it easy for the
user to enter data. Briefly, these technologies include mobile dictation, speech recognition, handwriting recognition
and digital ink and paper.
Mobility and Cloud Enabled
Additionally, the HoustonCRM package can be accessed using any desktop, notebook or mobile device such as
Windows PCs and notebooks, Macintosh PCs and notebooks, iPads, iPhones, or other mobile phones. Because the
system is also web-enabled, you can access your CRM as long as you can run any web browser. The database can be
hosted in your own premises or anywhere through the cloud.
Integrates to Your Phone System
FileMaker is a TAPI (Telephone the Application Programming Interface) compliant package. TAPI is a protocol
embedded in Microsoft Windows to enable PCs running Windows to use telephone services. Thus if your phone
system is also TAPI enabled, you can program the HoustonCRM software to dial your phones or pop up client
records for incoming calls.
Full Integration with Microsoft Outlook
The HoustonCRM package comes with MS Outlook integration agent software that allows the seamless integration
between CRM and Microsoft Outlook e-mails and calendars. This means that e-mails sent to and received from any
contact in the CRM database are automatically recorded in that contact's record in CRM. Finally, appointments with
contacts in the CRM database are also automatically recorded in both Microsoft Outlook and CRM.
Expertise in CRM
With the HoustonCRM package, not only do you get technical assistance with the
implementation, maintenance and support of the software, you can also get
advice from business experts in the practice of client relationship
management. And all this is available locally.
We have been using and supporting CRM packages in one form or
another for over 20 years. The CRM support people at HPS are able to
not only provide technical help (how do I make my phone system talk
to HoustonCRM?) but also business advice on CRM (how often should
I send out newsletters, how do I generate repeat sales?).
Page 3
www.houstoncrm.co.nz  0800 484 4357
You using is the
HoustonCRM
Apple FileMaker
HTG has deliberately chosen to use Apple’s FileMaker Pro database programming platform because of its power and ease of use and
customisation. For details on FileMaker Inc and the benefits of using FileMaker Pro please see further below.
Flexibility
HPS believes that CRM packages need to fit in with the sales and marketing culture of users. The sales and marketing culture of users
frequently changes as the market changes and as the CRM culture of the firm matures. The FileMaker Pro database makes customisation
very quick and easy and therefore very economical to make changes.
Because FileMaker Pro is such an inexpensive and flexible package to program, it can be easily and cost effectively customised to each of
those levels.
For instance, HoustonCRM can be programmed with several levels of enquiry screens such as the following three:
These three screens share exactly the same information. The biggest screen in is the ‘trading desk’ panel and contains all the information
on one single screen that the user would need to do business with the client. The middle screen has most of the same information on an
iPad and the smallest screen is an iPhone display that may be used while the worker is out and about.
With FileMaker, it is incredibly easy and economical to create these screens which can be customised to individual users or departments’
requirements.
Integration to other Vehicle Dealership or ERP Databases
FileMaker is also an ODBC compliant platform. ODBC was originally developed by Microsoft and is an Application Programming Interface
that allows the easy exchange of data between databases independent of the database systems and operating systems. This means that
you can exchange data easily between the HoustonCRM package and other ODBC compliant packages. As most dealership or ERP
databases are also fully ODBC compliant, any data within these programs can be integrated to any data within HoustonCRM and vice
versa. This means that, for example, if a client changes their email address, the changed address needs
to be entered into the system only once, not once into the other packages and then again
into the CRM package. Also, any data in the other packages that needs to be reflected on the
CRM screen (such as month to date and year to date revenues for a particular contact) will
automatically appear on the CRM screen.
Page 4
www.houstoncrm.co.nz  0800 484 4357
Who is FileMaker Inc?
A Database Leader
Profitable and Dependable

Best-selling easy-to-use database software

Profitable every quarter since founding

Complete platform for rapid development

Owned by Apple Inc.

More than 18 million units shipped worldwide

R&D investment substantial and growing
FileMaker vision

Incredible ease-of-use

Fast productivity boost

Scalability – individual to large workgroup

On-going modifications without programming

Simple system administration

Easy integration with corporate & desktop standards
FileMaker Inc. Product Line
17-19 Liverpool St, PO Box 9568, Hamilton 3201
142 Third Ave, Tauranga 3110
-0495
http://www.houstoncrm.co.nz email: [email protected]
Confidential HoustonCRM Flier Page 5
www.htg.co.nz  0800 484 4357
HoustonCRM SMARTS (1)
CarJam Integration
HoustonCRM can be integrated with CarJam (www.carjam.co.nz) as well as other
websites so that information from the sites can be AUTOMATICALLY updated into your
database. For example, automatically scan the CarJam site to
find the WOF Expiry date and let the system send out a reminder
for the next WOF check.
Or extract vehicle variant data automatically from websites
and have that populated into your database without any effort.
Rapid Form-Filler
HoustonCRM allows the rapid completion of traditional hard copy forms by converting them into electronic
documents. Where the data already exists (eg the registration number of
the vehicle or the contact details of the owner) they
are prepopulated onto the forms.
These forms can then be completed using
handwriting recognition or other electronic tools.
The process can also be aided by allowing the use
of pull-down menus, check boxes, radio buttons,
fast search (through entering the first few
characters), etc.
Not only is form completion sped up but the accuracy and consistency of the data collected is also dramatically
improved. And most of all the forms do not need to be retyped into the database.
Simple 3-step Email-Marketing
With HoustonCRM, electronic marketing involves only 3 simple steps:
Step 1: design your campaign. Is it going to be a launch of a new
model of car, an invitation to a golf tournament, a special on WOFs
this month, or just a newsletter?
Step 2: choose who you want to market to. Example: choose all past
purchasers of Toyota 4WDs with vehicles older than 6 years, or all
clients/prospects in the BOP who have expressed interest in Audi used cars that are newer than 2010.
Step 3: Click the ‘Start Campaign’ button in HoustonCRM and let the system do the rest for you.
Page 6
www.houstoncrm.co.nz  0800 484 4357
HoustonCRM SMARTS (2)
MS Outlook™ Integration
HoustonCRM is integrated to MS Outlook which means that all emails , calendar and tasks generated in CRM
or MS Outlook are automatically synchronised between the two programs. Emails sent or received or
appointments made from either program are automatically saved into the client CRM records without
effort.
As emails are now the most common form of business communication this feature ensures that keeping
your client records up-to-date is easily achievable.
Rules-based Auto Reminders
Repeat business is one of the easiest sources of revenue. Once customers have purchased from you, they are highly
likely to buy from you again. However, they often need persuasion by way of
reminders and marketing. HoustonCRM comes with a rules-based auto
reminder module that allows you to send such reminders Automatically
and effortlessly. You simply set the rules let the system flawlessly
generate repeat business for you.
Whether it is WOF, vehicle servicing, insurance or warranty
renewals, parts replacements or even a customer birthday, the
rules-based auto reminder function within HoustonCRM will ensure
that no opportunity is missed.
Integration with Phone System
The HoustonCRM system is TAPI (Telephony API—a Microsoft protocol for
connecting telephone systems to software) compliant. This means that if
you have a TAPI-compliant phone system (most phone systems
today are) you can use the CRM system to interact with your
telephones. For example, to ring someone, you simply click on the
number. If a customer rings in and caller ID picks up the
customer’s phone number, this can be matched to the CRM
record. The client’s record can therefore be popped up on the screen
before you pick up the phone.
Page 7
www.houstoncrm.co.nz  0800 484 4357