The CRM Lifehackers! Georgina Hopkins and Christy Cormac University of Bristol

1. C re a t i v e w a y s t o u s e C o n n e c t
The CRM Lifehackers! Georgina Hopkins and Christy Cormac
University of Bristol
London, UK | February 2016

2. The Benefits, Challenges, and best of all….
Tips to make things actually
work the way you need them
to.

3. From invites to newsletters and everything in
between. Both simple and dynamic.
For our visit days and interviews for
applicants to the University.
Personalised content for enquirers and
applicants.
1 Fulfil requests from interest page, open day
data and phone.
Contact all of our offer holders using just
Connect.
Sent by programme and personalised by
academics.
2
3
4
5
6
Mostly: Email communications Prospectus Requests
Events & Interviews
VIP pages Offer letters
Telecampaigns
What do we use Connect for?

4. # H U E M E A 1 6
Data and filters: the good bits
• Multiple data sources allow you to have several stages of
customer lifecycle in the system.
• Easy import functions allow data to be automatically
processed.
• Attributes are easy to create and manage.
• Bulk edits and suspect duplicate checks allow the
management of data integrity.
• They can be saved as templates and easily copied.
• They can be used across the system, in emails and VIP
pages, to drive an email or segment the content blocks.
• With training anyone can build a filter in Connect, no need
to be a data expert.
• It’s a quick way to identify your target segments.

5. # H U E M E A 1 6
Filters and data: the scary bits
It can all be very confusing – multiple attributes, multiple data
sources, timings, groupings, ands/ors...
You can quickly end up with multiple records for the same
person.
It’s easy to get a tiny bit of a filter wrong (e.g.. and/or) and send
an inappropriate message to the wrong group of people, with
disastrous results!
The database in Connect is non-relational, so with up to seven
course choices for each applicant, it requires much ongoing
duplication in work but it can be mitigated and helps with
dupes.
“No! ….please make that not have happened!”
What? I have to do that 7 times?!

6. # H U E M E A 1 6
Data and filters: what we did
• Make template filters to copy and edit for new
work.
• Establish a naming convention for filters.
• Write process documents for future users, for
every new thing you do with your CRM system.
• Set up robust duplicate checks that run every night
and process these every day.
• ALWAYS test filters when amending , especially if
they are ‘or’ based.
ConnectSchool Newsletters
Secondary school staff
contact details
iPad app
Used for data
collection in UK and
Internationally
Interest Page
For prospectus
requests and
enquiries
Applicant Import
Overnight SITS
import of UCAS
applicants and IFP
Open Day
Data transfer from
live Open Day
booking form
Access to Bristol
Direct applications
to the scheme
Summer Schools
Applicant contact
details
Our data sources:

7. # H U E M E A 1 6
Custom iPad app

8. # H U E M E A 1 6
Custom iPad app

9. # H U E M E A 1 6
Emails
Good – So many personalisation options are open to
us with the dynamic filtering of content in Connect
emails. There is no excuse for bulk mailing!
Bad – work intensive with content gathering, filter
building and proofreading
Workaround – Keep a standard into and outro. When
schools don’t supply content, the newsletter can still
be sent.
Tip – use responsive emails. Over 53% of emails are
opened on mobile devices*
*https://www.campaignmonitor.com/blog/email-marketing/2016/01/email-marketing-best-practices-for-the-new-
year/).

10. # H U E M E A 1 6
Events and Interviews
Good – allows many automated elements that enable
events and comms to run with little intervention after
set up.
Bad – one essential feature is missing – people cannot
let us know if they can’t attend.
Workaround – We use the E&I module for some visits
which are essential for an application to be progressed.
Although messy, we added a fake event that people
‘register’ on if they can’t attend.
Tip - We link to an in-house pdf guide from the email
invites to limit the need for people to call the enquiries
team.

11. # H U E M E A 1 6
VIP page
Good – tailored content specifically for each applicant and
enquirer, acting as a signpost to further content
Bad – content means time spent maintaining relevancy
Workaround – Use timed header images, RSS feeds,
twitter, video, and short content which can easily be
updated.
Tip – Maintain a comprehensive content schedule which
can be queued in advance and updated when needed.

12. # H U E M E A 1 6
Prospectus
Good – Can feed orders via multiple data sources by
tailoring filters. We have: interest pages, open day import,
iPad import.
Bad – not much, just the time taken in fulfilment.
Complicated if people want more than one prospectus.
Workaround – Use fulfilment house and run an automatic
data export onto sftp.
Tip – Add a timing element to the filter to only include
contacts who haven’t been in the export(s) within the past 6
months.

13. # H U E M E A 1 6
Telecampaigns
Good – Easy to use, and the whole campaign – from set up, to lists,
call jobs, calling and reporting – can be run through Connect.
Bad – very time consuming to set up depending on the way the data
is to be split. Long loading time.
Workaround – We needed to call people all offer holders split by:
course, country, outreach activity, offer or firm offer. We scoped all of
this out, and between the team and Hobsons, build hundreds of
filters. Each call job then appears to the caller independently and
allows them access to specific data sets. Our telecampaign has been
noted as a success every year since it began.
Tip – Ensure all requirements are agreed at the outset. Going back
and amending filters is very time intensive.
Employ additional staff to copy and amend filters.
Email applicants to let them know you’ll be calling.

14. # H U E M E A 1 6
Offer letters
Good – can set up letters with mail merge fields customizable
with any attribute in Connect. Academics wanted to send
letters including personal feedback to all offer holders.
Bad – have to do a version for each school and each course
choice
Workaround – We added a ‘feedback’ attribute for academics
to add in the personal feedback, putting the onus on them to
maintain the letters. We made the filters work so that the
letters would only generate if the field was not empty.
Tip – Downloading and printing all letter versions is pretty
time-intensive. Ensure the school admin staff are trained to do
this for their letters so you don’t have to!

15. # H U E M E A 1 6
So now your turn… tell us your problems and workarounds to solve them using Connect or
Radius! Let’s share.
What’syourproblem?

16. Questions?
Georgina Hopkins – georgina.hopkins@bristol.ac.uk
Christy Cormac – christy.cormac@bristol.ac.uk
University of Bristol
www.bristol.ac.uk