CRMPlus Offers a Clean CRMPLUS Offers a Clean Bill of Health to Vickie Milazzo Institute
Dubbed “The Pioneer of Legal Nurse Consulting” by the New York Times, Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD has been training and certifying legal nurse consultants since 1982 – and has been recognized for her efforts ever since. Her robust resume boasts such honors as Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Stevie Award as “Mentor of the Year,” one of Inc. 5000’s “Fastest growing private companies in America”, and Houston Business Journal’s “Top 50 Woman-owned business”.
This is just a short excerpt taken from a long list of awards and honors that Vickie and Vickie Milazzo Institute (VMI) have earned. Since Vickie pioneered this industry, where nurses can become independent consultants, earning certification to assist attorneys in medical-related cases, it has continued to grow to 26 staff members in its Houston, Texas office and hosts thousands of Certified Legal Nurse Consultants (CLNC®) through its online directory.
An outdated system puts the company in poor health
An appropriate software system is the lifeline of a multi-functional, growing business such as VMI. Unfortunately, their antiquated DOS based CRM system, combined with a separate QuickBooks program was complicating the system. They were forced to push marketing endeavors through CRM and keep the books through the isolated QuickBooks program. To be effective, the Institute needed a holistic view of their clients, which was impossible with their existing system.
The marketing component of the business required an extensive customer service department for inbound and outbound phone campaigns, complete with thorough follow through of campaigns: Prospective clients receive a series of marketing packets, followed by personal phone calls to register nurses for the CLNC® Certification Program. Every human oversight could result in fewer clients and, ultimately, a reduction of revenue.
VMI needed a front-back office system which would allow the company to see the full picture of its clients. Institute Financial Director, Steve Nazarenus remembers the days when “there was no interaction between the two systems, and there was an extreme lack of reporting capabilities. Not to mention, the company had outgrown it years ago. The list of problems that we had with that system is too long to mention!”
“Through enhanced customer service and more efficient processes, Vickie Milazzo Institute has been able to grow their business 10-15% a year, without accruing new hires and additional costs.”
Steve Nazarenus, Institute Financial Director, Vickie Milazzo Institute
CRMPLUS offers a clean bill of health to Vickie Milazzo Institute
With the decision made to invest in a new system, CRMPlus Consulting spearheaded the implementation. Charlie Kemmerer, President of CRMPLUS Consulting remembers the implementation process as being unique, considering the needs of VMI’s business. He and his team were faced with the challenge of finding an original solution which would track, in minute detail, the effectiveness of the Institute’s meticulous marketing campaigns and streamline them with an updated accounting system. “We were to create a centralized system that would track and trigger the steps of their marketing processes and give them a 360-degree view of their customers, leading to higher quality service and more sales” Charlie explains.
Charlie’s method: to define exactly what needs to be accomplished and articulate a way to make that happen. Charlie took the time to ask questions and understand the distinctive processes at VMI. The team’s careful thought process resulted in a nearly flawless implementation that was right on schedule. Charlie’s expertise made for a smooth transition from two outdated programs to one seamless system. Steve recalls, “The implementation went extremely well for a very difficult and complicated project.”
An ongoing partnership becomes the lifeline of the business
Through their work with CRMPLUS, the Institute has met their business objectives in more ways than one. Charlie managed to automate the entire marketing process into one flowing system that tracks and manages all campaigns. Through a complex series of customizations, the system monitors the distribution of information packets to prospective clients and notifies customer service representatives when to make follow-up inquiries regarding the receipt of the packets. Packets are sent out each day, dramatically increasing potential clientele and earning the best shipping and handling rates, thereby saving dollars on mailing costs. Not only is this more convenient and money saving, it allows customer service representatives to focus on the individual needs of each nurse, instead of pushing papers to figure out which packet went out when.
CRMPLUS also made the Certified Legal Nurse Consultants themselves more accessible by creating a real time online directory where they can go to personally update their profiles, more readily marketing their services to their own prospective clients. In the past, they used to go through a monthly process of sending out an updated list of registered CLNC® consultants to a web master who would update the directory.
Charlie allowed the company to cut out the middle man while improving the process to provide real time, more accurate information. Through enhanced customer service and more efficient processes, VMI has been able to grow their business 10-15% a year, without accruing new hires and additional costs. This would not have been possible with the old system. The best part, though, is the lasting relationship that VMI has developed between the Institute team and Charlie and his team at CRMPLUS Consulting. As VMI continues to expand its offerings, it is able to capitalize on all the different system features that are available.
“When we started on this path, it was very important to our CEO/owner to have a ‘partner’ in this process, not just a vendor,” says Steve. “And that is what we’ve become – a partnership with an ongoing project and relationship to keep us moving forward”.
Company Information
Name of Company: Vickie Milazzo Institute
Web address: www.legalnurse.com
Industry: Legal Nurse Consulting
Location: Houston, TX
Number of Employees: 26
System Profile:
- SalesLogix
- Mas 200
- KnowledgeSync
- Custom Programs
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