Clark Haley, CEO of BCS ProSoft, is an SWK Business Partner and a provider of business management technology solutions to small- and medium-sized businesses throughout North America. With locations in San Antonio, Denver and Houston, BCS ProSoft has been in business since 1986 and has more than 1,000 installations under its belt.
SWK Insider: What kinds of business trends are you seeing in the marketplace?
Clark Haley: Customers today expect an ERP solution to manage all facets of their business. Seamless integration between Sales, Order Processing, Shipping and Accounting are expected. Increasingly, customers extend their understanding of integration to include the integration of their ERP system with that of their customers and vendors.
SWK Insider: Why do you think MAPADOC remains popular with your clients?
Clark Haley: MAPADOC provides that seamless integration between our clients’ ERP systems and their vendors and/or customers. Being able to offer EDI from within the ERP application is crucial to our success. MAPADOC makes it easy to offer.
SWK Insider: How is BCS ProSoft using social media?
Clark Haley: We are actively integrating Social Media into our client loyalty strategy. We realize that different clients relate to different media and we are interacting with them via multiple venues in order to provide a superior level of service. Tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are great ways to provide valuable information to some clients, but we never want to lose sight of the fact that a personal phone call or a visit to the client’s office is the BEST form of social media.
SWK Insider: Your website says to think of BCS ProSoft as a “tailor.” What do you mean by this?
Clark Haley: When we meet with a prospective client, we are interested in providing the best possible “fit” based on their specific requirements. Like a good haberdasher, we tailor a solution to meet the needs of the client.
SWK Insider: One of your recent blogs, 10 Things You Can do to Build Customer Loyalty, was very well done, especially the first item, “Pick up the Phone!” Can you elaborate on how important this is to retaining business and recruiting customers?
Clark Haley: Email and Text Messaging are great ways to communicate very specific information to clients and prospects, but they cannot convey or read emotion. The most common mistake I see salespeople making in our business is they try to use email to develop a relationship with their prospect or client. Sure, there is less chance of being rejected via email, but nothing beats a phone call or, even better, a face-to-face meeting to foster loyalty and win new business.