Features include:

Related videos

Add a community

Scoop activity feed

Invite connections

Features include:

Related videos

Scoop activity feed

Add Scoop update

Join a community

Features include:

Related videos

Import data

Viewing projects

Setup Google sync

Features include:

Related videos

Add Scoop update

Follow connections

Join a community

Features include:

Related videos

Add a community

Join a community

Follow connections

Features include:

Related videos

Add a community

Join a community

Follow connections

Features include:

Related videos

Contact searching

Add custom fields

Import data

AIR will make Scoop available to its members at no cost as a part of the association’s suite of technology tools. “We understand how vital communication is for our members, and how their businesses depend on the constant flow of information”, said Tim Hayes, AIR Managing Director. “Scoop is the ideal platform to help our members communicate better internally as well as throughout our association. It’s the perfect solution to challenges we’ve been trying to address for years.”

“We’re thrilled to be working with one of the most established and progressive associations of its kind in the nation,” said ClientLook President & CEO Michael Griffin. “Knowing that Scoop will play such a pivotal role in the Southern California commercial real estate market is very exciting to us. As a former AIR member, I’m eager for the opportunity to re-connect with everyone again.”

Scoop, which is a stand-alone component of ClientLook’s cloud-based simple CRM solution, will be made available to all AIR members during the month of May, 2012. More details about ClientLook Scoop are available on the ClientLook website.

About AIR
AIR Commercial Real Estate Association is the nation’s largest and most respected organization of industrial and commercial real estate brokers. Founded by visionary industry leaders in 1960 as the American Industrial Real Estate Association, AIR has since broadened its outreach while distinguishing itself through two overriding and central ideas. The AIR community comprises more than 1600 brokers in 400 firms. Significantly, they constitute over 95 percent of all brokers in the five-county Los Angeles Metropolitan Area.

Walt Arnold CCIM, SIOR
Managing Director
Sperry Van Ness / WACB, Inc.

ClientLook helps us win business.

Walt Arnold is a commercial real estate broker that’s achieving success through greater efficiency and the best client service using technology. He recently provided us with this interview of how his company uses ClientLook to do all this.

What CRM did you use prior to ClientLook, and why did you switch?

Walt: We switched from REA to ClientLook due to the fact that we can use ClientLook anywhere, anytime on any device such as a mobile phone, tablet, laptop or whatever cloud-based device we choose. Tracking contacts and projects is so much easier. Converting took only minutes too. We love the feature that allows us to send emails directly to a project – now that’s simple!

ClientLook is a great collaborative system that allows the whole Sperry Van Ness/WACB office to stay abreast of everything that’s going on in real-time. We use ClientLook to manage contacts, track projects, add updates, share files and keep clients in the loop on everything in a way that’s really intuitive and easy.

How do you use ClientLook to increase productivity?

Walt: ClientLook is cloud-based and it’s easy to access from any mobile device. I can send an email to any ClientLook project and it’s recorded in the project history for the client’s report or any follow up. Very convenient and simple! This is one example of how I stay productive in more places and how my effectiveness has increased.

How do you use ClientLook to win new business and/or cut costs?

Walt: The most common complaint we get from potential clients is that “We never heard from other brokers we’ve chosen”. We respond with a description of how we use ClientLook, and that our clients have the ability to obtain real-time access to our teams’ efforts anytime online. Our clients can even add their own project updates, log comments on our teams’ posts, download files and suggest changes for any of our processes. It’s an easy two-way communication for everyone involved. We’re able to provide traditional hard copy reports for our less tech-savvy clients through ClientLook too.

ClientLook helps us win business because nobody else offers the same level of service that we do. It’s not only easier and more effective for us to manage everything internally, but our clients benefit from on-demand access to their project information. Landlords have real-time access to all of their property activity and documents. Tenants can access property reports online in advance of their tour. With every assignment we log ongoing updates, files and emails in a project throughout the transaction.

ClientLook has cut our costs by making us more efficient and I know it’s reducing our clients’ costs too since they don’t have to work as hard to work with us.

Would you recommend ClientLook to others?

Walt: I would definitely recommend ClientLook as an intuitive cloud-based all-in-one CRM system. The integrated project collaboration means that we’re able to manage contacts and manage projects together in one simple CRM. It helps us communicate better with our clients, and keeps us abreast of the internal activity within our local office and national affiliates through the internal social networking tool Scoop.

About Walt Arnold CCIM, SIOR
Walt Arnold CCIM, SIOR serves as Managing Director of Sperry Van Ness®/Walt Arnold Commercial Brokerage, Inc., which is an independently owned and operated Sperry Van Ness® office founded by Walt in 1990. The company and has a proven track record of helping owners achieve their occupancy goals and lease rates in multi-tenant business parks, office buildings and retail centers in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

As an active commercial real estate community member, Walt is a member and past president of the New Mexico Certified Commercial Investment Member, a member of the Society of Industrial and Office REALTORS, and member and past president of the Commercial Association of Realtors of New Mexico (CARNM).

This list, which is in no particular order, contains cloud computing strategies that can be implemented by anyone. They’re practical suggestions for the average person designed to help you work smarter, save money and increase business by adopting online tools. I’m sure we’ve missed some good ones. If you have any suggestions, please add a comment to let us know. We’re all looking for better ways to work.

1. Use a tablet

If you want to live in the cloud, then you have to be able to get online. Among other things, your tablet is a conduit to the cloud. It doesn’t matter which one you use, but I’ve always been a fan of the iPad. Tablets allow you to be productive in more places. The trick is ensuring that all of your business data is in the cloud. You won’t get much out of your tablet if your data is sitting back on the desktop computer or server in your office. Force yourself to make a presentation or take a business trip using only your tablet. It will quickly become apparent which parts of your business need to move online.

2. Google apps for email

Google Apps does a lot. First and foremost it is a viable alternative to hosting your own email server, and the IT overhead is almost non-existent. It’s cheap, you get to keep your own domain name, and you can continue to use Outlook if you want. Don’t let your IT staff shoot this one down either since it means they’ll have less to do. Also check out Google Voice. I’ve been using it for 3 years now and have never looked back.

3. Electronic signatures

Anything that expedites a transaction is a good thing. With electronic signature sites like DocuSign, RightSignature and AssureSign you can send documents to your clients to obtain signatures electronically. All parties can sign in the cloud, and fully executed documents are distributed to everyone involved.

4. File storage

Not too long ago the only way to store your company’s files and share them internally was to buy a dedicated server. That server often ran out of space or got too slow, which required costly upgrades. Now there are a variety of services that provide viable online alternatives to this old architecture. In the cloud your data is easily accessible, safely backed up and inexpensive to store.

Services like Dropbox and Box synchronize your files to any device you choose including tablets. Changed files upload automatically. Google Docs centralizes files into one online repository with lightning fast searching. Before you buy another server, give these options a hard look.

5. Invest in a CRM

One of the easiest and most measurable improvements you can make to your business is to improve your contact management. Cloud-based CRM (customer relationship management) tools offer the best way to do that. You can work from anywhere, use any operating system, sync to your mobile devices, and share data with remotely located team members – without installing any software.

It’s important that your CRM integrates with as many of your cloud-based tools as possible. Look for the easiest and most intuitive option that meets your needs. Do not overbuy. Most offer a free trial so take advantage of that. Features and complexity vary widely, so consider ClientLook (all-in-one solution), Salesforce (for really big companies) or Highrise (super basic).

6. Sync to your mobile devices

Even though you should be able to log into your cloud-based applications through your tablet or phone, it’s nice to have your basic contact, calendar and file data “on board”. In my case I use an iPhone and iPad, and the native address book and calendar on these devices sync seamlessly with my cloud database. I also have access to documents.

Ensure that whatever cloud-based software solutions you choose provide seamless two-way synchronization to your mobile devices. In my experience a separate mobile app for this purpose is a hassle and just means I have to learn more stuff. Look for tools that sync directly into your device instead. Everything should be connected, otherwise it doesn’t have a role in your new virtual office.

7. Project collaboration

We live in an on-demand world. Everyone expects immediate access to news, entertainment, financial information and more. It’s safe to assume that your team and clients want this same kind of access to project data too. Project collaboration is a way to significantly differentiate yourself by offering your clients the ability to log in to see project updates, files, emails and more in one place.

Make sure your project collaboration choice is tailored to your industry. It should be intuitive and integrate with whatever other cloud-based systems you use – especially your CRM. Nobody needs another disconnected island of data even in the cloud. Consider ClientLook, Basecamp or Zoho Projects.

8. Email marketing

Sending mass emails is really getting easy. There are great online tools for creating templates, managing lists and viewing the results of your campaigns. Simply upload your contacts, create your message and send away. The reports of how your recipients respond to your emails are really insightful too. There are a variety of different prices plans and business models so make sure to compare everything before picking one. Check out MailChimp, Constant Contact and iContact.

9. Virtual Assistant

This catchy concept appeared a few years ago, but it’s really starting to hit its stride because of the cloud. The basic idea is that you hire a remotely located person with whom you communicate via phone, fax or email. (They are considered a Virtual Assistant (VA) because you don’t share a physical space with them).

Because your business is in the cloud, your VA is able to access your online services (provided you give them access) and perform administrative tasks for you. The benefit is that you have more time to focus on money making pursuits. It can be tricky finding someone with the necessary skills, and turnover can be a problem. It’s worth the effort though because the right person is a tremendous resource that helps your productivity sky rocket. Search Google for Virtual Assistants to find a variety of options worldwide.

10. Web conferencing

You may have heard about web conferencing systems before, but the latest versions have some great new features. Most now include video conferencing that allows you to share your screen while using your webcam at the same time. There are also some that work on tablets like the iPad and your mobile phone. Some are even free, but I haven’t had good success with those. Check out GoToMeeting, Webex, and iMeet.

Author: Michael Griffin