Tag: iPad

Low cost sales enablement apps

Given my background in implementing Sales Enablement solutions at large complex enterprises, quick and light solutions for very small companies – with only a few products and a small sales force – haven’t been the focus of this blog.

However, I have always tried to cover even vendors that target small companies in my list of Sales Enablement market players.

List of free or low cost Sales Enablement apps:

Kbee kbee.app @tryKbee Knowledge Base Software. Kbee lets anyone create a searchable & branded knowledge base straight from Google Docs. Turn your content into a fast, searchable space for you, your team, or your customers. Create instantly: Turn your existing Google Drive folders & files into a professional knowledge base. Find answers quickly: Full-text search across all of your content. Match your brand: Customize your domain, logo, color schemes, & layout. Horatio, Inc. San Francisco, CA, USA

  • Prezzi mobile for presentations / slide shows
  • Canva
  • Zoho
  • Slack (Salesforce)
  • DropBox for storing docs, images, PDFs & videos
  • box.com for storing docs, images, PDFs & videos
  • Google Drive (works for PDFs & presentations) and the stand-alone apps for docs & spreadsheets etc
  • Microsoft Office apps
  • iBooks for PDFs (without needing WiFi)
  • Apple Notes or Evernote for capturing meetings notes
  • Evernote for other use cases like scanning business cards and connecting on LinkedIn with one click
  • Paper app fiftythree.com/paper for drawings & scribbles
  • Immediately immediatelyapp.com cross-platform email tool for sales people
  • AnyDesk as a free (for personal use) alternative to TeamViewer for remote desktop at a better performance & sharper displaying of graphics (at the moment Windows only)

AnyDesk.com
http://anydesk.com:

AnyDesk is the world’s most comfortable remote desktop application. Access all your programs, documents and files from anywhere, without having to entrust your data to a cloud service. Your perso­nalized AnyDesk-ID is the key to your desk­top with all your applications, photos, docu­ments and files. And your data stays where it belongs. On your hard drive, and nowhere else.

Update November 5, 2014:

immediatelyapp.com is was a cross-platform email tool for salespeople designed to enable closing deals from anywhere, as opportunities happen. From both your phone & computer, you can track when your emails get opened, get reminders to follow up with leads, offer suitable meeting times in a couple taps, and use email templates for sales pitches. Automatically syncs your prospect emails into Salesforce, and pulls relevant contact information from LinkedIn, so that you always know who you’re talking to at-a-glance.

Sales enablement is a huge space with a lot of players and fragmentation.

If you’re a salesperson, you most likely use a CRM system, lead gen software, a campaign tool, and a bunch of email tools. Email is where the action happens, and there should be no need to have five apps opened to be able to reply to a sales prospect’s inquiry.

Sales, or closing deals in general, is no longer a 9-to-5 job. You’re always selling, always closing. If you don’t, your competition will. And so having perfectly-timed actionable information, and the right tools to take action, is the winning formula. We give you both, as opportunities happen, immediately. […]

Currently, we are free for individual users, and have a paid tier for enterprises. Very soon, we will be coming out with a ‘Pro’ version of the product, which will have a much deeper integration with CRM systems, and which will require a monthly subscription to use.

Update November 04, 2014:

Dropbox partners with Microsoft to offer Office integration in the next few weeks. iOS & Android users will be able to edit Office docs from Dropbox. Office for iPad users will access Dropbox files within apps and share via Dropbox.

Access Dropbox files from the Office app and save new files to Dropbox. You can now sync your docs and keep them safe without leaving the Office app.

Update October 6, 2014 on the evernote blog:

Scannable
[…] mobile app called Scannable […] For the on-the-go experience, our goal is to transform business cards and receipts into something immediately actionable and sharable. When you’re back at your desk, the app lets you control the desktop scanner and allows others on your network to scan, turning the ScanSnap Evernote Edition into an Evernote-friendly office scanner.

Presentation Mode
Evernote is making meeting faster and more collaborative by eliminating the need for slides. Connect your computer, click on presentation mode, and the same note you’ve been working on is now beautifully displayed on the big screen. As you talk your team through your work, the note stays open on your computer allowing you to immediately take feedback and make changes. Of course, you may want to control how text and images flow on the screen, so we’re adding handy tools to define breaks so that just the right amount of words and images appear per screen. […]

Penultimate
[…] handwriting app for iPad is getting a complete redesign. […] the app is rebuilt and reconsidered with a focus on creating the most lifelike writing experience […] also enhancing the connection between Penultimate and the Adonit Jot Script Stylus.

Continue reading “Low cost sales enablement apps”

We confuse what people have clicked on for what they’ve read. We mistake sharing for reading.

every business wants to grow

On March 9, 2014, Tony Haile, CEO of Chartbeat, wrote What You Think You Know About the Web Is Wrong:

“We confuse what people have clicked on for what they’ve read. We mistake sharing for reading.”

“In 1994, a former direct mail marketer called Ken McCarthy came up with the clickthrough as the measure of ad performance on the web. From that moment on, the click became the defining action of advertising on the web. The click’s natural dominance built huge companies like Google and promised a whole new world for advertising where ads could be directly tied to consumer action.” […]

“In 20 years, everything else about the web has been transformed, but the click remains unchanged […]”

“Myth 1: We read what we’ve clicked on” […]

“Myth 2: The more we share the more we read” […]

“Do We Read the Articles We Share”?

“[…] there is no relationship whatsoever between the amount a piece of content is shared and the amount of attention an average reader will give that content.”

6-Jun-2014, James Robinson wrote: Facebook VP insults our intelligence, argues limiting organic brand reach is not about making money:

“Over the last two years, Facebook has slowly begun cutting back on the organic reach of page posts, whittling it down from 16 percent in 2012 to around two percent now for pages with over 500,000 fans. Brands have found themselves paying money lately to get posts out to fans that they’d already paid money to acquire.”

7-Jun-2014 Jason Calacanis wrote:

“If someone follows my page I should know 100% that they are going to see it – especially if I paid for that like. In fact, there is a HUGE class-action law suit waiting to happen from people who paid for LIKES with the understanding their updates would reach those paid for fans.”

Enter Shario (Full disclosure: I was a co-founder):

The problems above, had a big impact on how our team at Shario developed our mobile app for customer referrals & customer loyalty.

With Shario we want to help small offline stores / brick & mortar businesses in times of eCommerce & showrooming.

Let it grow

In contrast with the problems cited in the beginning, with Shario the business owner sees revenues directly tied to consumers acting (inviting each other). Not the check-in into the location or the social sharing are being tracked and rewarded but those invites which have lead to new foot traffic spending real dollars.

Loyalty programs and apps that let customers collect points do not do more than keep existing customers loyal.

Whilst customer loyalty is also built in, Shario first and foremost drives customer referrals. We want to bring completely new foot traffic to small businesses: Revenues they would not have had without Shario.

iOS version

CRM features in Shario let multiple staff members in multiple store locations know what typically only the owner knows: Who to thank for bringing how many paying customers? Who is how loyal? Who gets a lot of refunds?

Contact me at @salesenablement

Loyalty and rewards programs in Canada

Shario app
Shario app (also see these visuals)

Normally, this blog is focused on Sales Enablement for b2b.

Also see my list of Canadian Sales Enablement companies / experts.

Here is my worldwide list.

As a Canada-based co-founder of Shario – mobile app for customer referral & loyalty at brick & mortar businesses – I started a work in progress list of similar apps / solutions / companies in Canada.

I also added a few eCommerce players.

Let me know what I’m missing. Last update 14-Jun-2022:

“A 2014 Maritz (Bond Brand Loyalty) report found that 90 percent of Canadians are members of at least one loyalty rewards program. We have also quickly embraced online shopping and have a high penetration of mobile usage. Almost 80 percent of Canada’s addressable population owns a mobile phone, according to a 2014 eMarketer report. These factors, along with companies like Starbucks and Tim Hortons who have tied loyalty to mobile payments, are helping to drive Canadian comfort levels with mobile payment adoption.”

AdvanTag advantag.me
Aeroplan Montreal-based Aeroplan loyalty program for Air Canada Used to be made by AIMIA. Aeroplan Membership Card. Aeroplan is a coalition loyalty program. Used to be owned by Aimia, a global loyalty management company. The Aeroplan program was created in July 1984 by Air Canada. Montreal, January 10, 2019 – Data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company Aimia Inc. (TSX: AIM) (“Aimia”) today announced the completion of the previously-announced sale of Aimia Canada Inc. (“Aimia Canada”), the owner and operator of the Aeroplan loyalty program, to Air Canada, pursuant to the share purchase agreement entered into and announced on November 26, 2018 (“the share purchase agreement”).
AIMIA (see Aeroplan). Montreal, January 10, 2019 – Data-driven marketing and loyalty analytics company Aimia Inc. (TSX: AIM) (“Aimia”) today announced the completion of the previously-announced sale of Aimia Canada Inc. (“Aimia Canada”), the owner and operator of the Aeroplan loyalty program, to Air Canada, pursuant to the share purchase agreement entered into and announced on November 26, 2018 (“the share purchase agreement”).
Air Miles by LoyaltyOne, Inc. AIR MILES Reward Program Membership Card www.airmiles.ca Airmiles is currently testing iBeacons and will be testing Android Beacon technology soon (end of 2015 / start of 2016)
Altitude – Air Canada rewards its most loyal customers through its top tier recognition program, Altitude, that offers frequent flyers
AMEX Rewards / catalogue.membershiprewards.ca American Express Rewards
Android Pay / Google Wallet app
AvidTap
Avion points – RBC’s Avion cardholders earn RBC rewards points. The most significant benefit of RBC’s Avion card is that you can fly on any airline, with no blackout periods or seat restrictions. “Two of the most popular travel rewards programs in the country are CIBC’s Aerogold and RBC’s Avion.”
belly card bellycard.com by mobivity mobivity.com @mobivity new name Hatch Loyalty: Hatchloyalty.com stuzo.com
Best Buy Rewards Best Buy Reward Zone
BMO Perks – BMO partnered with merchants for exclusive offers and savings when using a BMO MasterCard with specific merchants
Bond Brand Loyalty (see SynapzeINSTANT™)
Buytopia (Toronto’s buytopia.ca launched SnapSaves, now owned by Groupon; an app that pays consumers cash to shop) snap.groupon.com
CAA The Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) is rebranding its two-decade old loyalty program to CAA Rewards™ from Show Your Card & Save. Over the last 15 years, CAA Rewards has grown to be one of Canada’s largest loyalty programs, with the most partners worldwide – more than 164,000 locations for savings worldwide, including 110,000 retail locations in North America & popular online merchants.
Canadian Tire Rewards / Canadian Tire Money – Canadian Tire debuts mobile credit card app, game and loyalty card; September 23, 2015: “new mPay & Play mobile app available to all holders of the retailer’s Canadian Tire Options MasterCard. Allows users to pay for all of their Canadian Tire store purchases, redeem loyalty points, and unlock badges to collect bonus digital Canadian Tire money.” Canadian Tire’s new mPay&Play app for its MasterCard customers combines mobile banking payments with loyalty programs & promotional offers.
cardstar cardstar.com expresscheckoutapp.com
Carrot Rewards app. More Rewards morerewards.ca was one of four charter loyalty providers – joining Aeroplan, the Cineplex Scene movie rewards program and Petro Canada’s Petro Points – to partner with the new Carrot Rewards app, which rewards customers for making positive lifestyle choices. Toronto-based Social Change Rewards, which developed the app Carrot Rewards. Created with funding from both the federal & B.C. governments, as well as a reported $2m from VCs, the Carrot App awards points to users who make positive health & lifestyle choices, such as taking a healthy quiz or looking at a healthy recipe. The app is designed to capitalize on Canadians’ love of apps & loyalty programs. The average Canadian has 4 loyalty cards in their wallet, with more than 50% saying they frequently use them to accumulate miles & points.
Checkout 51 checkout51.com
CIBC Aerogold. Two of the most popular travel rewards programs in the country are CIBC’s Aerogold and RBC’s Avion.
CIBC mobile payment app
Clubovahi clubovahi.com Toronto, Canada
Drop Loyalty Inc. “One rewards program for all your favorite brands.” Launched in Canada on the iOS app store June 29, 2016. earnwithdrop.com https://www.joindrop.com “By linking any credit or debit card you use for every-day purchases, Drop will find your purchases as you make them. As Drop discovers your relevant purchases, it rewards you with points” (Built in Toronto, ON). “Already raised $1 million CAD in funding from U.S.-based investors like ff Venture Capital, White Star Capital, and Rothenberg Ventures.” Highline VC is the only Canadian investor. “The company is partnered with brands like Wealthsimple, Foodora, Chef’s Plate, Urbery, Thirstie, Carnivore Club, & FanXchange, […] “With some of the programs out there in market, a lot of brands that are promoted are not exactly the brands that young people shop at,””
Delta (see Marriott Rewards)
Denny’s Canada loyalty and rewards program – MyDenny’s, a new social, loyalty platform
Esso Extra
Flipp (iOS/Android) flipp.com Flipp takes the weekly flyers crammed in your mailbox and puts them on your phone or tablet in a clean, searchable app.
GasBuddy (iOS/Android/Blackberry/Windows Phone) gasbuddy.com finding the station closest to you with the lowest price per liter
Global Payments Inc. / Global Payments Canada; integrating their payment technology offerings with Virtual Next’s (see below) mobile payment & loyalty solution. Merchants will be able to accept payment via both Apple’s & Google’s digital wallets. Goal: launch the product in fall 2015.
GoodLife Fitness Member Advantage goodlifefitness.com/member-advantage/ goodlifefitness.com/rewards“Living the GoodLife is more than just a gym membership.” Introducing the GoodLife Member Advantage Program. Exclusive to GoodLife members
Groupon snap.groupon.com
HBC Rewards hbc.com/hbcrewards/ Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) Hudson’s Bay Rewards™ Card. thebay.com
hmv Canada, retail destination for music and entertainment. The company’s loyalty rewards program is called pure purehmv.com. 1.7 million plus activated members. The affairs, business and property of Pure HMV Loyalty Limited (In administration)(the Company) are being managed by the Joint Administrators. The Joint Administrators act as agents for the Company and contract without personal liability. Neil David Gostelow, William James Wright and David John Pike are authorised to act as insolvency practitioners by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Pure HMV Loyalty Limited (In administration) is registered in England No 08384690. Registered office: 15 Canada Square, London, E14 5GL. We are bound by the Insolvency Code of Ethics.
Holt Renfrew – Feb. 11, 2015 registration for Holt Icon Privileges was opened; microsite, HoltIcon.com Canadian department store chain Holt Renfrew is rolling out a new bespoke rewards program: Holt Icon Privileges
Influitive influitive.com helps companies mobilize their advocates to boost referral leads, reference calls, social media participation and more. Toronto & San Francisco. PostBeyond postbeyond.com cloud-based Employee Engagement & Advocacy Platform that enables employees & partners to post approved brand content to their personal networks in an efficient, consistent, & measurable way. $9M in revenue? PostBeyond Inc. Toronto, ON, Canada. 8-Dec-2021 Influitive Inc influitive.com @influitive (also Toronto, ON, Canada) acquired PostBeyond for an undisclosed amount.
Kangaroo Rewards kangaroorewards.com mobile loyalty and rewards program. Muscle Depot already deployed the Kangaroo Rewards program across all their locations in Montreal, Laval and Blainville. A Mobicept Product
Key To The City: T.O. Key To The City @TorontoCityKey Toronto Key To The City! Get instant loyalty perks citywide with your own key. Show The Key. Get The Perks. torontocitykey.com
KnexxLocal (with Instamonial, KnexxLocal’s free mobile app, local businesses can get more word-of-mouth referrals) Canada, Toronto, ON
Kobo Super Points aims to make reading more rewarding. Kobo launches rewards loyalty program where customers instantly earn points with every eBook and magazine purchase they make online at Kobo’s site, or via Kobo’s free reading app. They can redeem those points from a catalogue of more than one million titles across a variety of genres.
Linkett linkett.com formerly WestonEx / westonexpressions.com “Creating Consumer Engagement & the Ability to Track it”. Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Loblaw (see Ugo and PC Plus)
LoyaltyOne, Inc. (see AIR MILES)
Marriott Rewards, Marriott International’s award-winning loyalty program, is being expanded to include Delta Hotels and Resorts. Marriott Rewards members can now earn points or miles and Elite night credits, and redeem for free night stays, at twenty-one Delta Hotels across Canada, with the brand’s fourteen remaining Canadian properties joining the program in late April 2016. Delta Privilege members will also now enjoy the full benefits of Marriott Rewards membership. “Marriott Rewards’ expansion to include Delta Hotels gives our members even more choice when traveling in Canada,” said Don Cleary, President of Marriott Hotels of Canada. Delta Hotels features properties located in major Canadian centers of business as well as popular tourist destinations, including its flagship property Delta Toronto, Delta Ottawa City Centre, and the elegant Delta Grand Okanagan Resort—all of which are now available for members to earn and redeem points. Marriott International acquired the Delta Hotels brand in Apr-2015.
McDonald’s offers a McCafe sticker card for regular coffee drinkers
Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX), mobile payments venture co-owned by US retail chains. CurrentC, CurrentC & Logo, MCX, MCX Merchant Customer Exchange & Design and all associated proprietary marks are trademarks of Merchant Customer Exchange LLC
Metro (adds mobile component to loyalty program)
metro moi Program
mobilexco The Mobile Experience Company, Whitby, ON, Canada mobilexco.com Mobile marketing platform, Tether™, helps businesses build relationships with people. Fosters 1:1 connections between merchants & customers and tracks their actions across all media touch-points (online & offline). Measures everything in real-time & easy to identify actionable insights. Simplified the world of mobile marketing – No apps to download. No special hardware required. Tether-Experience-Management-Platform
mobizou mobizou.com Location Based Mobile Marketing Platform with loyalty & referrals. Calgary, AB
Mopals
More Rewards morerewards.ca is one of four charter loyalty providers – joining Aeroplan, the Cineplex Scene movie rewards program and Petro Canada’s Petro Points – to partner with the new Carrot Rewards app, which rewards customers for making positive lifestyle choices.
New Rewards – a joint program between Copeesh! and New Canadians. Coming soon.
Omnego Inc omnego.com (white-label mobile app platform that empowers mobile engagement between businesses and their mobile users)
PayRange Inc. payrange.com mobile payment solution for machines, launching the vending industry’s first mobile based rewards and loyalty platform designed specifically for automated retail. The company is distributing its BluKey device to operators in the US & Canada. Consumers can download the free mobile app for iPhone or Android.
PC Points/Plus anyone can join the new and improved PC Plus programme to earn free groceries at select stores across Canada. Besides being your actual points card, the app lets you load special offers of the week (the items that are going to earn you extra points), see your points balance, find participating stores, get recipes and create shopping lists. 1000 points equal $1 in groceries.
Perka digital loyalty marketing platform launched Apr-2011. First Data, the global payment processing company, acquired Perka after purchasing Andreessen Horowitz-backed mobile payments startup Clover
Perkopolis perkopolis.com
Perkville perkville.com
PETRO POINTS
plum rewards; Chapters plum points are collected by buying in-store at any Indigo, Chapters, Coles, Indigospirit, World’s Biggest Bookstore, SmithBooks and The Book Company locations
PunchTab
pure (see hmv Canada)
Qriket qriket.com
RBC Royal Bank of Canada grew its mobile wallet user base since moving from a SIM-based model to host card emulation (HCE). Support for gift cards, loyalty cards and digital receipts is also being added to its HCE wallet. The new features will allow customers to manage and redeem loyalty points from more than 150 loyalty programs as well as track the return or warranty period for purchased items by interacting with digital receipts stored within the app. Royal Bank of Canada Exploring Blockchain Loyalty Program
Ribitt ribitt.io @ribitt_rewards Ribitt is was a platform to discover & experience the best local shops in every neighbourhood. Be Rewarded for Shopping Local: Earn points on purchases you already make at neighbourhood shops & redeem them at any shop for anything you want. iOS & Android app. Toronto & Peterborough, ON
RBC Rewards – Redeem your Visa rewards points for merchandise, travel, gift cards/certificates, charitable donations & RBC Financial Rewards vouchers.
RedFlagDeals (iOS/Mobile web) redflagdeals.com If there is a deal to be had in Canada, it is most likely being discussed on RedFlagDeals long before you hear about it.
Referral Rock referralrock.com @ReferralRock Customer Referral Service – Design, track and manage your program to get more customers
RewardingYourself Loyalty Wallet by LoyaltyMatch Inc. loyaltymatch.com (Loyalty and Gamification Saas Platform)
RewardLoop (mobile rewards program that rewards you for spending at your favorite merchants) rewardloop.com
Richtree Market Pass By Natural Markets Food Group richtreenaturalmarket.com
Rogers readies loyalty points program in bid to keep customers from switching to rival carriers. Rogers Communications will launch the national rewards program in stages, starting in Red Deer, Alta.
Rogers Mobile Shopper solution (enables customers to engage with brands in-store through mobile offers, applications & mobile payments technology. RioCan, Canada’s largest owner of shopping centres, is first to trial the Rogers Mobile Shopper solution in select Ontario-based shopping centres)
Save On More
SCENE Card http://www.scene.ca sceneplus.ca SCENE points / Scene Plus
Scotiabank SCENE Card. Earn SCENE points by paying with your Scotiabank SCENE debit, SCENE VISA or SCENE Prepaid VISA card.
Sears Card Sears Canada Inc announced updates to loyalty program and credit card transition process; says enhanced Sears club loyalty program is set to launch before the holiday shopping season 2015. Sears Canada Inc. was a publicly-traded Canadian company affiliated with the American-based Sears department store chain. Ceased operations: 14-Jan-2018
Shario @shario https://angel.co/shario customer referral & loyalty app for brick & mortar businesses. [Full-disclosure: I’m was co-founder of Shario. It was designed by User Experience Design company MING Labs] behance.net/gallery/11853341/Shario-App
Shopify (Reward customers for each new customer that they bring to your store: Apps like Zferral and ReferralCandy automate this. Traditional loyalty programs where rewards are offered to repeat customers based on how much they buy: Apps like PunchTab & Incentify)
Shopkick
Shoppers Drug Mart (Optimum Rewards Program) Shoppers Optimum Card
Simply Good’s coupon app GetLoop
SmoothPay smoothpay.com
Snapsaves (iOS/Android) snapsaves.com now owned by Groupon snap.groupon.com
Snipp Interactive Inc. Loyalty Program Of Choice For Unilever, L’oreal, Proctor And Gamble, Kellogs
SnipSnap Coupon App by SnipSnap App LLC
SPC Card student loyalty program SPC Card with 1.1 million members; digital Student Price Card. The digital SPC Card is available via the SPC Card mobile app on iTunes and Android devices. Giving students relevant offers based on their location, making redemption easy via the Digital Card, and adding personalized offers the SPC app is engaging millennials. Soon to be accepted at all of SPC’s 15k partner locations throughout Canada, making it one of the largest mobile loyalty card activations currently in market.
Square (“Create and Apply Rewards with Square Register”)
Starbucks (My Starbucks Rewards). Starbucks has both an app & rewards card that gives free drinks & food to frequent customers. Starbucks Canada announced that it will bring the company’s innovative mobile ordering feature, Mobile Order & Pay, to approximately 300 company-owned stores in the Greater Toronto Area. Beginning in April 2016, you will no longer reach gold status with 30 stars or 30 transactions, and then score free food with 12 stars. Instead, with 2 stars awarded for each $1 spent, it takes 300 stars to get to gold and 125 stars for gold members to get freebies.
Stocard is a mobile Startup from Germany that has set the goal to make customer loyalty go mobile, thus making loyalty solutions more powerful for consumers and retailers.
Subway is expanding its Wi-Fi-enabled loyalty program to 600 Canadian stores following a successful pilot, highlighting how fast-food chains can leverage mobile to drive in-store traffic, especially among millennials. Subway has collaborated with Turnstyle to power the rewards platform, which will send a mobile coupon for a free sandwich to consumers who sign into the store’s Wi-Fi for the first time. This tactic is well-poised to bring hordes of new consumers into Subway locations and fuel a myriad of loyalty sign-ups, even among individuals who initially only want to use the complimentary Wi-Fi.
suretap wallet by Rogers Communications rogers.com/web/content/suretap
Sweet Tooth Rewards (turn-key points & rewards app for your Magento eCommerce store)
SynapzeINSTANT – 27-Jan-2016 – Bond Brand Loyalty has rolled out an innovative new solution to help North American banks lead in the competitive landscape of reward and loyalty programs, all while offering bank customers a near “endless aisle” of instant redemption with leading retail brands. Better yet, the standalone rewards app requires no large-scale retailer POS integration or associated expense. SynapzeINSTANT™: A new app-based solution for any bank with a credit card loyalty program. It was created to help ease the ever-increasing costs financial institutions endure while trying to differentiate.
Tab Payments: Canadian restaurants currently using Tab Payments will be able to upgrade to Velocity’s payment and loyalty platform
The Club Sobeys Program
The More Rewards Program
Thirdshelf (retail app & loyalty platform) thirdshelf.com
Tim Hortons added a smartphone payment option to its lineup of mobile apps across iOS, Android, BlackBerry. Called “Pay with TimmyMe” it uses a pre-registered Tim Card to allow payments from the smartphone. Also launching its own loyalty rewards program partnering with CIBC for a Visa credit card that accumulates points redeemable at Tim Hortons stores.
TimePlay the company behind Cineplex TimePlay. Platform that delivers interactive, multi-player experiences while providing a targeted portal for offer delivery & e-commerce. Turns a mobile device into an interactive gaming device enabling thousands of participants to engage together and influence outcomes on a second screen. Toronto, ON, Canada & Los Angeles, Venice, CA
Turnstyle. “Subway’s expansion of Turnstyle throughout its network will continue to help the brand learn more about its customers, increase its marketing base and grow meaningful customer engagement opportunities,” said Chris Gilpin, CEO of Turnstyle. “The platform will enable new Subway restaurants to increase customer loyalty (visit frequency) and create compelling omnichannel marketing initiatives.”
Ugo (initially allow customers to load their TD Visa, President’s Choice Financial MasterCard & PC Plus cards into a mobile wallet. PC points can be redeemed at Loblaw & banner store locations)
Velocity: Canadian restaurants currently using Tab Payments will be able to upgrade to Velocity’s payment and loyalty platform
vicinity rewards (developed by US-based company, FiveStars. Launched in Canada by Rogers Communications. Vincity is a loyalty program for small business that rewards customers when they visit their store.)
Virtualnext virtualnext.com, Toronto, Canada & US based. Virtual Next is working together with Global Payments (see above)
Wallet (part of iOS)
Walmart Rewards
WestJet Rewards

Developing and rolling out apps for b2b sales people

FatStax Mobile Apps published a document with 8 steps on implementing iPads for your sales force. Of those 8 steps I would like to share steps 3-6 below. For me many of their recommendations make sense even for app developers who target enterprises or corporate employees who need to plan the rollout of a particular app on a number of different devices. I have added fatstax.com to my work in progress list of all Sales Enablement vendors.

“[…]

Step 3: Legacy systems—know the users and the owners.

Build a cross-functional team.

Think about existing software systems and business processes that will integrate with the iPad. The owners of those systems—on the technical, operational and business sides of the organization—should get involved early in the process. Build a cross-functional team that connects internal stakeholders with external consultants and developers.

Integrate successfully.

Get key people in IT, marketing, sales and other relevant areas involved early by creating a cross-functional team. It will show others that the idea has broad-based support. Finding allies now and keeping them throughout the iPad rollout will make it easier to navigate company policies, and it may inspire a broader mobile strategy for the organization. Involving stakeholders certainly will help with the development process and ensure a more relevant outcome.

The added expense of integration should come with higher returns, including better workflow efficiencies, more satisfied sales teams and the slick look and feel of a made-to-order solution.

Step 4: Set a realistic budget.

Engaging other departments may reveal additional ways to use iPads for sales, which also may reveal additional expenses. Use the input of others to create a realistic budget. Remember to look beyond the cost of purchasing an iPad for each person. In addition to purchasing the hardware, common iPad-related expenses that may get overlooked, include:

iPad cases Sales people need an easy-to-hold case that keeps the screen clean.
Data plans Talk to current and competing data plan providers.
Support What can the company absorb and what needs to be outsourced? What support can vendors provide?
Provisioning Make the internal app accessible from the iTunes library or an enterprise-based “store.”
Programmers Internal or external, programmers are expensive. Use them to custom-design apps or assist with integration.
Security Invest in encryption and wipe functionality for when an iPad is lost.
Distribution Account for the cost of shipping “loaded” iPads to team members.
VPN Check to see if VPN access apps are included in current services.
Integrators Decide if CRM and ERP integration is required for success.
Apps Plan a budget that encompasses business and pleasure.
Pilot program Identify a subset of the budget for a one- or two-phase pilot program.

Step 5: Find or make apps that work for sales.

Unless a company has the desire and budget to build its own mobile development and support team, the fastest, easiest and least expensive way to keep pace with changing hardware and software is to rely on external developers. Developers that specialize in designing all-inclusive apps for enterprises live and breathe everything related to the iPad. These specialized vendors have worked with other enterprises, giving them a great deal of exposure to user experience preferences. They may have additional advice and ideas on the best way to securely deploy iPads, as well as their product, their product to enterprise sales teams.

Whether working with internal developers or outside consultants, make sure the people designing or customizing apps for the sales team understand what sales people need. Their understanding can make all the difference in the ultimate sales force adoption of an app. For example, does the team understand the following?

  • What do sales people in their company do on a daily basis?
  • How do they interact with customers?
  • What does the sales process look like?
  • How can sales be improved and enhanced with new tools?

Learn, adapt and deploy.

No developer team will code the perfect app the first time. An app’s success will grow over time based on user experiences from the field. The iPad is so flexible that apps can, and should, evolve with feedback. Use caution when an over-zealous IT department or developers tell the sales team what it needs or how an app “should” work. For example, sales people may discover that “standard-sized” app buttons don’t work well during customer encounters. If they need big buttons, give them big buttons!

Step 6: Test assumptions in a pilot.

A great way to test assumptions, uncover missing budget items, and reveal enterprise software integration needs is to conduct an iPad pilot. Phase 1 of a pilot might include a small group of enthusiastic users. Consider tapping people who already own the iPad for personal use or who have been especially vocal about adding them to the sales team’s tool box.

Define pilot goals.

Clearly define goals for the pilot participants, and consider how much time it will take them to provide pilot feedback. If necessary, compensate participants for lost opportunities so they can attend weekly meetings or log experiences. Let participants discover what they need to make the iPad an effective part of the sales process and daily workflow.

Don’t pilot more than four apps at a time.

Sales people have the job of closing sales, so don’t plan for users to test more than three to four apps in a pilot. Starting simple with a mix of everyday apps and one custom app is much more manageable.

 Sales people often look for app-based solutions to help:

  • Manage e-mail
  • Connect to the VPN
  • Organize and access literature
  • Navigate product catalogs
  • Participate in training
  • Update CRM systems
  • Log expenses
  • Track compensation

[…]”

Reading list – 9-Jul-2010

9-Jul-2010

The Sales Force of the Future

pixelsandpills.com/2010/07/09/sales-force-future/

By Dan Bobear (@dbobear)

A salesman has got to dream – it comes with the territory.

Playwright Arthur Miller wrote that quote in 1949, but for today’s pharmaceutical sales force, the words still ring true. As door-to-door sales have given way to more sophisticated approaches, sales organizations need to dream big with their eyes wide open. The sales force of the future is, after all, the sales force of today – but more.

More mobile: One trend that will continue is the need for mobile applications and sales force automation to improve responsiveness and provide better pharmaceutical communication and education. Pharmaceutical sales representatives will still need to make informative presentations, provide pricing and order-history information, produce all necessary forms and capture signatures during time-constrained meetings. While that won’t change, computing devices such as handhelds, wireless e-mail devices, conventional notebook computers and tablet PCs will give way to even more robust and affordable mobile devices.

Getting information to physicians quickly will be even more critical. Investing in technologies such as the iPad and physician-oriented mobile and health apps will provide new ways to sell and are easy to implement. Through more interactive content, reps will be able to provide more detailed information and deliver a richer, better and more effective sales experience.

More metrics-driven: More careful, accurate and constant campaign tracking and analysis will also shape the sales force of the future. Technology that helps reps better understand metrics such as physician prescribing preferences, patient demographics, and how many sales reps need to be assigned to a particular practice along with the resources to manage, interpret and communicate findings will increase sales force effectiveness. After all, you can’t measure what you don’t know.

Organizations need to keep pace with changes in how prescribing decisions are made and gain fact-based insight into what drives prescribing behavior. The rapidly changing drug market place and heightened regulatory requirements will require more targeted promotion activity for new Rx and OTC products. Pressure to differentiate from the competition will continue to intensify. As a result, the sales force of the future will need better insight into how promotion activity influences behavior to drive higher performance.

More reliant on hard data: However, it’s not enough to simply gather data. Organizations need to analyze it and use the information swiftly to make informed business decisions. The opportunity lies in transforming data from a support tool to a strategic weapon. A new breed of data-driven sales forces will emerge, incorporating information analysis and management as a distinctive capability. By understanding critical business trends, sales organizations can create physician-centric campaigns, make decisions based on real data and establish relationships built on value.

More social: Relationship building will also continue to be an integral part of sales success in the future, but how those relationships are cultivated and strengthened will rely on more than just in-office sales calls. Sales representatives will need to integrate more into the physician’s social stream – whether that’s through online events, webinars, or other multimedia platforms – and educate consumers through social mediums such as YouTube or Facebook applications. Videos, chat rooms and other interactive portals promote a better understanding of health and treatment options available. Supporting traditional sales activity with a digital strategy enables organizations to demonstrate thought leadership, forge discussion between doctors and patients about treatment options and exposes a wider audience to key brand messages.

The sales force of the future needs to do more than just dream. They need to embrace new technologies and find innovative ways of enhancing productivity, effectiveness and influencing behavior.

The future is already here. Are you ready?

By Dan Bobear (@dbobear)

Bloomberg:

Otsuka Pharma to Buy 1,300 IPads for Sales Employees (Update1)

7-Jun-2010

By Kanoko Matsuyama

June 8 (Bloomberg) — Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. said it will buy 1,300 Apple Inc. iPads for its sales representatives in Japan to market the company’s medicines.

Otsuka will purchase the devices from Softbank Corp. by the end of July for its sales force to give presentations to doctors and study company training materials, the Tokyo-based drugmaker said in a statement. The company is considering using the iPad globally, said Yuko Kikuchi, a spokeswoman for Otsuka.

“It’s getting more important to provide new medical information to doctors more quickly,” Kikuchi said by telephone today. “The iPad will help employees improve the quality of their work.”

Otsuka, the closely held company that discovered the antipsychotic drug Abilify, will spend about 230 million yen ($2.5 million) on the iPads in the first year, including service fees to Softbank, according to Kikuchi. The electronic device from Cupertino, California-based Apple began selling in Japan less than two weeks ago after making its U.S. debut on April 3.

Otsuka has 1,070 sales representatives as of April 1, according to the statement posted on its website yesterday. Employees who support the sales staff, including product managers, will also use the iPad, Kikuchi said.

The Japanese drugmaker and Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. jointly market and promote Abilify in Europe and the U.S. Otsuka also makes and sells the Pocari Sweat drink and Soyjoy nutrition bar.

More on Social Media and B2B Buying Cycles

How Knowledge Management Is Moving Away From the Repository as Goal
(video blog)

Transcript:
One of the interesting ways of capturing the problems with traditional knowledge management is it came at knowledge from a stocks viewpoint, a stocks of knowledge. The problem is, we have knowledge, it’s distributed and dispersed throughout the organization. How do we capture it and make it available to others?

Certainly a big challenge, I don’t want to diminish that as a value, but I think what people found as they tried to implement the various systems and methodologies to do that is there wasn’t really a lot of motivation for people to invest the time and effort to develop and define those stocks and make them available as part of a broader repository.

This kind of approach really shifts the attention from stocks of knowledge, what we know today, to defining and developing new knowledge, addressing critical performance objectives that the company, the firm, has in front of it, so that you’re driving and not by learning in the abstract, but because there is a real performance challenge in front of us; how do we identify the right people, bring them together, create the environments, and by the way; because of the digital platforms that we have now, as we create these environments, we are capturing, as a byproduct, the knowledge that’s created as part of that environment. So, it becomes available to others but it is not the primary focus. It’s a byproduct.

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