Appointment Scheduling

Among the many cool technologies and solutions we saw at NRF 2018 Retail’s Big Show & EXPO, one over-arching theme stood out: artificial intelligence (AI) can help retailers achieve their ultimate goal of intelligent customer engagement. This is true no matter what the interaction – mobile, online, or IRL (“in real life”). All the buzz […]

Now that the new year is finally here, Engageware is ready to help salespeople hone their skills and be even more successful in 2018. In that spirit, here are the next pair of tips from my best-selling book The Pocket Guide for Sales Survival. The book features “161 Vital Rules for Selling Anything to Anyone, […]

Here are two more tips for sales people from my best-selling book The Pocket Guide for Sales Survival. The book features “161 Vital Rules for Selling Anything to Anyone, Anywhere” organized for beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert salespeople. Rule 79: Always Check In Is that fair? May I proceed? Should I continue? Does that make […]

Last week, I introduced you to the best-selling book The Pocket Guide for Sales Survival coauthored by Randy Bernard, Engageware’s vice president of sales, and Jason DeAmato. The book features “161 Vital Rules for Selling Anything to Anyone, Anywhere” organized for beginner, intermediate, advanced and expert salespeople. Each week, the Engageware blog is going post a pair […]

Engageware is dedicated to helping our customers engage with their prospects and customers to drive more business. That’s why we’re always trying to provide insights to sales teams about how they can use Engageware—especially Scheduler, our solution for Salesforce users—to create more conversations that lead to more sales. Now, we’re going to take a slightly […]

One of the great things about the members of the Salesforce community is their willingness to help users get the most out of the platform. When I was at Dreamforce recently, there were incredible learning opportunities. Hundreds of experts were available and ready to walk you through any area of the Salesforce product and guide […]

Dreamforce is huge. Attempting to summarize an event with 170,000 people, more than 2,700 sessions, 50 parties, and a myriad of partner locations, special events, and extra-curricular activities is a challenge. From my perspective, Salesforce draws three main audiences to Dreamforce: investors, customers and partners. As an investor, wherever you went in San Francisco, you […]

The Financial Brand published an interesting article this week titled “5 Major Emerging Trends in Retail Banking.” All of the points—from how consumers share data with their banks to which channels people use for online banking—were interesting. But the one that stood out to me was #4: “People Still Want That Personal Touch.” Since you’re […]

A new Department of Labor (DOL) Fiduciary Rule goes into effect April 10, 2017 that will have a major impact on financial advisors, including wealth managers, brokers/dealers, and asset managers. There are rumblings that the incoming Trump administration or the Republican-controlled Congress could roll back or delay this new DOL ruling on financial advisors. However, […]

Everyone loves a good list, right? I’m going to assume you said “yes,” and dive right in. This is a list for sales professionals of 10 proven ways to shorten the distance from lead to sale by using online appointment scheduling. Since you’re reading this on the Engageware website, you shouldn’t be surprised to learn […]

It’s that festive time of year once again. A time for families to gather for Thanksgiving dinner, followed by rich desserts, conversation, watching football and… at least some members of the clan racing away from the table to get in line for Black Friday sales. Ah, tradition. With some retailers opening Thanksgiving night and others […]

Customer loyalty programs and memberships have been around for decades. Consumers love the idea of saving money, receiving exclusive offers, and getting priority service from their favorite retailers, banks and service providers. But are these programs causing businesses to actually miss out on key opportunities that truly build customer loyalty? There is a misalignment between […]

According to Engageware surveys of consumers across various verticals (retail, banking, healthcare, etc.), the average person is not willing to wait more than 10 minutes for service. In an age when many products and services are technical and complex, sales associates are spending more time explaining things to consumers. And while that’s happening, other consumers […]

Last week on the blog we talked about the importance of customer engagement, and while few would argue against its importance, actually executing it is usually easier said than done. Companies that have truly mastered customer experience have one thing in common, they have put themselves in their customers’ shoes and figured out what customers […]

LinkedIn has recently announced that it has expanded its Pro Finder service to even more freelancers and other small business professionals. This will no doubt help make it easier for users to connect with service providers and help fill open projects and opportunities faster than before. And the timing couldn’t be more perfect for LinkedIn. Ever since […]

On October 5, BAI will launch its all-new BAI Beacon conference, and the Engageware team will be there in Chicago to share how we help leaders in the financial services industry create conversations that drive their business. Events such as BAI Beacon are a great opportunity for attendees to discuss best practices with colleagues and […]

“A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all,” – Michael LeBoeuf In today’s on-demand economy, consumers have nearly limitless choices of where to purchase products and services. With choice comes power, and few would argue that in the majority of industries, consumers, not businesses, now hold the power. Taking this one step further, […]

There are fewer B2B conferences as valuable or as intimidating as Salesforce’s annual Dreamforce conference, held this year from October 4th through the 7th in downtown San Francisco.  Intimidating?  Why would a conference be intimidating?  Well, perhaps not for the seasoned Salesforce pro, but for most attendees, the significant volume of events can be daunting.   […]

Here at Engageware, we’re prone to the occasional “crush”—especially on companies that disrupt traditional business models. Basically, when we see a dynamic business simplifying dated processes and solving problems, our heart goes aflutter. So when we recently had the chance to work with LogMeIn, well… let’s just say they had us at “hello.” In many […]

According to consulting firm Deloitte, by 2020 millennials (defined as those born between 1980 and 2000) will make up an estimated 50 percent of the global workforce and are expected to control between $19 trillion and $24 trillion on a global scale. As the transfer of wealth shifts to this generation, they are looking more […]

The ongoing impact of the 2008 financial crisis, along with expanded federal regulations and compliance requirements are shaking up Wall Street and the financial advisory market. While many financial advisors are unhappy with strictures associated with the new Department of Labor fiduciary rule, one New York-based firm, Client Focused Advisors sees the change as an opportunity […]

The medical and diagnostic lab industry is growing rapidly, as the range of available tests and services—and the quantity ordered by doctors—continues to increase. Companies in this industry collect blood, take images and perform a range of other procedures, the results of which help doctors diagnose and treat their patients. Among the many factors contributing […]

On July 20, Microsoft introduced a new feature of its Office 365 suite called Bookings. It’s a scheduling application designed for small business and is slated to ship later this year for Office 365 Business premium customers. The key features for small business owners include the ability track their customers, add appointments, set rules for […]

This week marked Amazon’s second annual Prime Day, a day when the retailer promises “amazing” deals to its most loyal customers (i.e., those who pay $99 annually for Prime membership). Last year’s inaugural Prime Day shattered Amazon’s Black Friday sales record by 18 percent. Customers ordered 34 million items across Prime-eligible countries at a rate […]

Engageware’s appointment-driven personalization solutions were a big hit at the Future Stores 2016 trade show in Seattle this month. At a show that reimagines the future of retail, Engageware was a natural fit for retailers who are looking for new, more effective ways to engage with their customers and drive more sales. Great topics from […]

Two weeks ago, Engageware had a great recipe for fun at Boston TechJam, an annual get together for established and emerging tech innovators. Sponsor companies try to outdo each other by setting up carnival-like games as a way to meet as many attendees as possible, recruit new talent and build brand awareness to help drive […]

Virtual agents, assistants and chatbots belong to a family of programs that use artificial intelligence to provide a humanlike representation of an organization. They are designed to not only answer questions, but to try and hold conversations and manage discussions on issues relating to a company’s services and products, and aid in overall customer service. […]

It’s time to reimagine retail in today’s society, and explore what’s next. With just five weeks until show time, the Engageware team is gearing up to head to Seattle, the Coffee Capital of the World, for Future Stores 2016. This past quarter, Engageware was excited to share our State of Retail 2016 report, which surveyed […]

It’s been a busy year so far for the Engageware team, and as April comes to a close it’s time for us to hit the road once again. We’re heading to Bloomington, MN next week for Barlow Research’s Business Banking Conference, May 2nd and 3rd, 2016. The show agenda is packed with two days of […]

According to the New York Federal Reserve, 44% of college graduates are currently underemployed, meaning highly skilled but working in low paying jobs. And, as graduation season approaches, today’s students are spending a lot of time with their academic advisors and at campus career centers, as they search for post-graduation opportunities. At the same time, […]