Custom Functions in Zoho CRM allow you to extend the functionality of the CRM by adding your own custom code. This can include things like custom calculations, validations, or automation workflows. Custom functions are written in Deluge, an easy-to-use programming language specific to Zoho, and can be triggered by events like record creation or update.

When you create a new Custom Function, you will need to provide a name for the function and then enter the Deluge code that you want to use. Here is an example of a Custom Function you may find useful, as it rolls up the total revenue from all Potentials (Deals) to the associated Account, whenever a Deal is closed successfully.

The Deluge code behind this function is shown below: Once you have created the Deluge code, you can test the function by clicking on the Save and Execute button. If the function is working properly, you will be able to see the results of the function in the Execute Script pop-up.

Once you have created and tested a custom function, you can add it to a workflow rule by clicking on the Add Function button in the Workflow Rules page. When you add a Function to a Workflow Rule, the Function will be executed whenever the Workflow Rule is triggered. Below is the Workflow Rule I have set up to action the above Custom Function. The Action(s) can be instant or scheduled.

Custom Functions can be a powerful tool for automating tasks and adding new features to Zoho CRM. By using Custom Functions, you can customize the CRM to meet your specific needs and improve your productivity.

Get in touch if you'd like to apply automated functions and workflows to your Zoho CRM!

Workflows can replace many manual tasks, saving time, effort and ensuring data integrity. Let us take an example of; Updating the Account status when a Deal is progressed in Zoho CRM, as this can provide several benefits, such as:

1. Improved visibility: Updating the Account status can provide better visibility into the overall status of the customer account. This can help sales reps understand the customer's current status, preferences, and needs, and make informed decisions accordingly.
2. Streamlined communication: When the Account status is updated, all stakeholders involved in the account, such as sales reps, managers, and support staff, can be informed of the change. This can help streamline communication and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
3. Better forecasting: With the Account status updated, sales reps can better forecast their sales pipeline, identify potential roadblocks or issues, and plan accordingly. This can help improve sales performance and achieve sales targets.
4. Improved customer experience: By updating the Account status, sales reps can better understand the customer's needs and preferences, and offer personalized solutions accordingly. This can help improve the customer experience, build trust, and strengthen the customer relationship.

Overall, updating the Account status when a Deal is progressed in Zoho CRM can help sales teams work more efficiently, improve communication, and ultimately drive more sales.

So, how do we do this? Well, recently, Zoho CRM enabled workflows to update across different modules, which is exactly what is needed, as in this example, we have both the Deals module and the Accounts module in play. So, let's take the above scenario a step further and define the requirement, which is to Update the Account status to 'Customer', when any related Deal is Closed and Won. The logic and the Workflow I am going to use is illustrated below:

The Rule will be executed 'when' the Deal is Closed and Won, which means the Probability will be 100% and the 'condition' is to include all deals with an Instant Field Update Action! The exact action is illustrated in the next image:

I don't have to rely on someone manually updating an Account status, whenever a Deal is successfully closed! The Workflow will then be enabled as shown below:

This is a simple example of a Workflow, but be assured that complex requirements can also be met, so get in touch if you wish to automate repetitive manual tasks and reduce administrative bottlenecks.

We are excited to announce our integration between two well-respected world-class solutions, Zoho CRM and Constant Contact.

Quick introductions before we get into the functionality provided.

Constant Contact is a purpose-built Campaign Management platform and is very popular for Email Marketing, with the ability to share posts to FaceBook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Zoho CRM is one of the 50+ Apps in the Zoho ecosystem and provides modules to manage Leads, Contacts, Deals, Invoices, Cases etc. with workflows to automate your Sales, Marketing, Support and other operations.

Both products are from different Vendors, both are cloud based and can be subscribed to, with trial versions being offered below:

Constant Contact Trial
Zoho CRM Trial

We have successfully developed and implemented a bi-directional integration between Constant Contact and Zoho CRM with the following feature set:

List management

1. Creating a List

Constant Contact has multiple Lists, each of which can have subscribed Contacts. Our integration enables these Lists and subscribed Contacts to be created from within Zoho CRM! Simply specify a Custom View in the Leads or Contacts module, map the fields required (First Name, Last Name, Email Address, Account Name etc.) and hit the ‘Create List’ button – refresh your Constant Contact page and you will see the Custom View as a List with subscribed Contacts!

All steps are illustrated below starting with a custom view called Internal Team in Zoho CRM with four contacts and the new Create List button:

Give the List a meaningful name that you can relate to, select a View (All Contacts/Leads or a Custom View), and map the required fields from Zoho CRM to Constant Contact, which will be automatically saved:

You can then see the List in Constant Contact along with the subscribed contacts:

2. Updating a List

Any contacts added to (or removed from) the same Zoho CRM custom view will be automatically added (or removed from) to the associated Constant Contact List based on a time interval specified in our scheduler. Your mapped fields have been saved so you can be assured of data consistency as the same information will be uploaded! You can of course choose to update immediately by clicking the ‘Update CC List Now’ button for that Campaign (from our new Constant Contact List module in Zoho CRM – please see Pt 4 below).

3. Managing an existing List(s)

You may already be using Constant Contact and consequently have existing Lists with subscribed Contacts. In the Settings button of our integration, you will have the ability to import these Lists from Constant Contact to Zoho CRM, and create the Subscribers in either the Leads or Contacts Module.

4. Constant Contact Lists

We have provided a new module in Zoho CRM called Constant Contact Lists, which clearly shows all your Lists and can be filtered and sorted, as illustrated below. Clicking on a List will take you into the Details and show you the associated Leads or Contacts.

Campaign Management

1. Get New Campaign

In the Zoho CRM Campaign module you will find a new button ‘Get New Campaign’ which when clicked will download summary information of your Constant Contact Campaigns. There is also an automated scheduler that will do this for you based on a specific time interval.

This provides a list view of only those Constant Contact Campaigns initiated through Zoho CRM. Drill down into each Campaign Summary, where there are two Tabs for Details and Report .

The Details Tab will give you an overview of the Campaign as shown below:

The Report Tab will show you the Constant Contact analytics with Open Rates, Clicks, Bounces, Did Not Open etc. all from within Zoho CRM, so users don’t have to toggle between the two applications!

2. Update Subscriber Status

With any Constant Contact Campaign, the engagement refreshes over time and therefore there is a need to update the subscriber status, so you have the latest analytics in Zoho CRM. The CC Subscriber Status button will enable you to update at your convenience, or you can leave it to our scheduler to automatically fetch and update your CRM.

The above integration has been well tested and we are presently onboarding customers individually, so we can cater for any specific change requests.

Please email me on ravi@mercerlal.com or call/message on +44 7747599294 to get this integration working for you.

Quotewerks, a purpose-built quotation management tool, has just released Ver 5.7 with some amazing new features for Zoho CRM, making the integration so much better!

How QuoteWerks Integrates with Zoho CRM

• QuoteWerks leverages your existing Zoho CRM Contacts so you can pull in information to the Sold To, Bill To and Ship To fields
• QuoteWerks will create a Zoho CRM Activity so you can track your Quote Follow-up Call and ensure there are no gaps in the sales process
• Automatically creates and updates Zoho CRM Deals, saving you time and ensuring your pipeline is updated and accurate
• Automatically creates and updates Zoho CRM Quotes, again saving you time and linking with the Deals module
• Creates Products and Services in Zoho CRM and attaches them to your Zoho CRM Quotes, so your Item Master is updated and consistent
• Use your Zoho CRM Products & Services in your QuoteWerks Quotes where you also have the flexibility to connect multiple product sources including spreadsheets
• Attaches PDFs to Zoho CRM so people in your organization without QuoteWerks can view quotes directly in the CRM

Don't hesitate to get in touch on ravi@mercerlal.com to schedule a no-obligation friendly chat!

Canvas is in two words, simply brilliant, and enables you to change the User Interface (UI), increasing user adoption and enabling faster navigation to the more important information held in your Zoho CRM.

You don't need to be a coder, techy or even a painter, as it is a drag and drop design editor! Start from scratch or choose a template to give you a jump start!

Canvas empowers every customer to cut through the clutter and deliver data as your team would like to visualise it. With a wide range of formatting options, you can dive into the finer details and create a truly personalised UI, in harmony with your Brand image.

The fun doesn't stop there, as you can assign views based on roles, create Canvas rules, Edit fields in-line, Utilize widgets and create that 'Wow' factor, that might actually help your users fall in love with your CRM!

Check out the video below and you will realise that I am not exaggerating. You know the best part of it all? Canvas is FREE with all paid editions of Zoho CRM, from the Standard to the Ultimate and everything in between.

Get your creative juices flowing, get designing and get in touch for a free consultation!