This cafe moba white paper

1. Connecting
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
and LinkedIn
How combining two popular apps
can enable a more powerful mobile
sales force.
A cafe moba White Paper
April 2013
© Copyright 2013 – cafe moba. All rights reserved

2. 1 © Copyright 2013 – cafe moba. All rights reserved
Introduction
Data is critical to salespeople. Keeping up with cold leads and prospects can alert a salesperson to
changes or updates that may signal a shift in the purchasing environment. Has a key contact been
promoted or changed companies? Does he or she have new projects, products, or customers? A
salesperson armed with timely data is better equipped to make valuable connections that could
ultimately lead to a sale. Yet long days on the
road often make keeping up to date on such data
difficult.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM is a valuable platform
for managing contacts, opportunities, and
activities associated with accounts. But from a
contact details perspective, Microsoft Dynamics
CRM is a backwards-looking medium; it only
reflects information from the time it was entered
or last updated. Therefore, Microsoft Dynamics
CRM data is only as good as the effort that goes in
to maintaining it.
LinkedIn, however, is a social media platform that,
for the most part, is maintained in real time by
its own members. LinkedIn actively encourages
its members to update, provide details, and
inform connections of work/life changes. In fact,
while members only spend around 17 minutes a
month on LinkedIn, the number of members who
updated their profiles doubled in 20121
.
Linking Microsoft Dynamics CRM accounts and
LinkedIn profiles can improve a salesperson’s
contact data quality and sales productivity. But
doing so is not necessarily easy.
1
“LinkedIn Blows Past Expectations; Revenue Soars 81 Percent To $304M, Net Income Up 66 Percent To $11.5M,”TechCrunch.
com, February 7, 2013, http://techcrunch.com/2013/02/07/linkedin-blows-past-expectations-revenue-soars-to-304m/
LinkedIn Facts & Figures
As of December 31, 2012, LinkedIn counts
executives from all 2012 Fortune 500 companies
as members.
LinkedIn members did over 5.7 billion
professionally-oriented searches in 2012.
More than 2.7 million companies have LinkedIn
company pages.
There are more than 1.3 million unique
publishers actively using the LinkedIn Share
button on their sites to send content into the
LinkedIn platform.
LinkedIn members are sharing insights and
knowledge in more than 1.5 million LinkedIn
Groups.
In the fourth quarter of 2012, an average of
27 percent of unique visiting members came
through mobile apps, versus just 15 percent in
2011.
Source: http://ca.press.linkedin.com/about

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Methods of Connecting LinkedIn and
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Accounts
There are three primary ways a mobile sales professional can interact with LinkedIn through their
Microsoft Dynamics CRM account:
Method of Connecting Advantages and Disadvantages
Access Microsoft Dynamics CRM on a
mobile browser and simultaneously open
the LinkedIn app; copy the Microsoft
Dynamics CRM contact name; switch to
the LinkedIn app and paste the contact
name into the LinkedIn search bar; and
then switch back and forth between
applications for every contact.
• Doesn’t really connect the two apps—the only thing they
have in common is that they are on the same device
• Market-leading iPad, for example, does not allow two apps
(including the browser) to be visible at the same time; not
true multi-tasking
• Zero additional cost
Obtain a LinkedIn for Microsoft Dynamics
CRM license
• Microsoft Dynamics CRM contacts are directly integrated
with LinkedIn member profiles
• LinkedIn info is not shown in a dashboard; user is still
forced to shuttle back and forth between windows
• LinkedIn for Microsoft Dynamics CRM license can be
expensive, potentially doubling monthly Microsoft
Dynamics CRM monthly costs
• Must be added by Microsoft Dynamics CRM administrator
• Users must be LinkedIn Premium Account holders to
access LinkedIn profiles, but can access premium services,
improving overall value
Use a native-built iPad or Windows 8 app
like cafe moba for Microsoft Dynamics
CRM that connects Microsoft Dynamics
CRM contacts and LinkedIn profiles
• Provides considerable convenience for mobile users. cafe
moba dynamically displays LinkedIn profiles as Microsoft
Dynamics CRM contacts are scrolled through
• Integration with LinkedIn is out-of-the-box
• No switching of apps or windows required, dramatically
improving productivity
• Native iPad or Windows 8 gestures makes for a more
natural and enjoyable user experience
• Available as a free app from the Apple App Store and
the Windows Store for Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online
account holders

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Additional Benefits of Connecting
LinkedIn and Microsoft Dynamics CRM
Accessing up-to-date contact information is not the only reason to link Microsoft Dynamics CRM
and LinkedIn. Because of its real-time, user-generated content, LinkedIn serves as an aggregator of
important business information through various sources associated with a member’s profile.
Information Sources via LinkedIn Benefit
Members’connections may reveal relationships
that are either competitive or complementary.
This signals a competing interest for a prospect
or customer or a possible advantage to a sales
proposition.
Members’daily updates may provide important
insight on interests, challenges, and milestones.
Helps the sales force develop or improve rapport
and the overall business relationship.
Members’daily updates may provide important
intelligence on their company’s activities like
product introductions, personnel changes,
partnerships, or financial performance.
Helps the sales team formulate an approach that
will maximize chances of a successful close.
Member’s group discussions may reveal ideas they
are considering, problems they are encountering,
objections they may have, or alternatives they are
seeking related to a specific product or service.
Provides salespeople the opportunity to craft a
presentation that closely aligns with the prospect’s
or customer’s current thinking.
Members’recommendations from others may
reveal insights into their personalities and working
styles.
Allows sales people to anticipate and adapt to the
tone of a meeting or negotiations.

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Conclusion:
The data experience within a mobile Microsoft Dynamics CRM deployment can only be improved with
the integration of real-time, user-managed contact information updates. Add the business intelligence
that comes from status updates and the online social activity of LinkedIn’s 200 million members, and
the value to a mobile Microsoft Dynamics CRM account holder becomes considerable — as long as the
information is connected in a way that is familiar, enjoyable, and productive.
About cafe moba:
cafe moba is a powerful mobile business platform that provides unified mobile access to and analysis
of information sources that include ERP, CRM, Cloud-based apps, and even spreadsheets. cafe moba for
Microsoft Dynamics is available as a free app from the Apple App Store and the Windows Store.
For more information, visit http://www.cafemoba.com/