Dedicated magazine publishers CRM RunMags is waiving its fees for any new customers that onboard with its service over the next two months.
RunMags is a cloud-based CRM and magazine production tool designed specifically for print and digital magazine publishers. It allows publishers to sell advertising and subscriptions across their print and digital platforms, and events.
It streamlines the magazine production process by enabling publishing teams to record detail on advertising prospects and subscribers, send proposals and receive payments, send e-newsletters and other marketing emails, design magazines using a flatplan, and track financial results.
Effective immediately, RunMags are waiving its one-off $1,000 onboarding fee and monthly fees for the first six consecutive months of use for publishers who onboard before 31 May 2020.
RunMags CEO Robert Bergqvist says “This is what we believe that we can do to help publishers survive this [potentially] imminent financial crisis. We believe that we need to help each other out of this situation.”
“The COVID-19 outbreak is currently having a profound effect on our society. From how we are leading our lives to how we go about work, everything is changing day-by-day and minute-by-minute.
“There are still many publishers who are managing sales and production on paper, in Excel or disjointed systems. If there’s ever going to be a time to digitise the business model and increase effectiveness, that time is now. Only those publishers that operate a lean and effective organisation will survive in this market,” Bergqvist says.
Streamlining sales processes and providing autonomy
RunMags is a fully functional CRM underpinned by the values of efficient delivery and quality customer service. Advertising prospects are tracked through to a closed deal, with data then flowing into production and billing processes, ensuring smooth client fulfillment.
Bergqvist says that in the current market “everybody needs to get better at sales immediately. Customers in all industries are now much more careful to only spend money on products and services with a quick return on investment. We all need to hone our value propositions and put our CRM systems to work to present proposals and close sales.”
He explains “Prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, many organisations had honed their value propositions and taught their sales teams how to pitch. Being able to convince customers that they need to buy to solve a problem now rather than later is something that many sales representatives perfect.
“All of a sudden, the COVID-19 outbreak has provided customers with a superpower to resist sales representatives: “I can’t meet with you until this outbreak is over”, “I can’t make that decision right now”, “Our parent company has frozen all purchasing decisions”…”
Bergqvist predicts that sales teams will be required to rapidly tweak product offerings and commercial terms to better suit their clients during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This is going to demand a high degree of collaboration and quick decision making between sales reps, marketers and product managers. Sales reps will need a higher degree of autonomy to make decisions at the front line, still within defined limits.
RunMags CEO Robert Bergqvist.
“In order to support that autonomy and rapid decision making, product managers will need near real-time information on backlog and overall product sales forecasts to collaborate with sales. Marketers will need accurate and near real-time data from sales to support ongoing winning-price analysis and to quickly build on what seems to work in the field.”
Tools like RunMags that provide a central repository for all client information support sales reps, product managers and marketers to work together to make quick and effective decisions while working remotely.
Supporting a flexible work environment
RunMags was founded on the idea that magazine publishing and business communications should be productive and mobile, allowing teams to access the data they need whether in the office or working remotely from anywhere in the world.
Bergqvist predicts that flexible working will become a “new normal” in professions where it is practical after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Younger generations have been demanding that employers roll out flexible work arrangements to empower modern lifestyle choices. This includes both WHEN to work and WHERE to work.
“In some companies, providing a flexible work environment has been a critical success factor to attract female professionals, while in others it has been treated like a possibility, a utopia, slated for the occasional Friday-at-home rather than the norm.”
Improving business transparency
Effectively managing a remote workforce means continuing to communicate and be transparent with key business information. Transparency can be used to build trust between managers and employees in a flexible working environment.
Bergqvist points to companies that are already doing this, including software company Buffer.
“Without mutual trust between the employee and the manager, as well as within the team, a flexible working environment is going to fail. In a world where trust cannot be built through daily in-person meetings and conversations over lunch, the occasional beer after work, etc. building mutual trust is going to be a major challenge for managers going forward.
Bergqvist says that highly effective organisations will likely continue to the transparent about business decisions after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s safe to say that operating under radical transparency is not easy and is not everyone’s cup of tea. Transparency is not as simple as being honest. In business, transparency is defined as a lack of hidden agendas and conditions, sharing of information required for collaboration, cooperation and collective decision-making.
“To build transparency that works in a flexible work environment, business leaders will need to openly share how goals and objectives are set for the organisation, for themselves as well as each employee.
RunMags CEO Robert Bergqvist.
CRM systems and other productivity tools can help with transparency around business targets and goals, and can be built to drive team collaboration in achieving these goals.
How to take advantage of the free RunMags CRM offer
Bergqvist explains there is no ongoing commitment required to use RunMags after the free offer expires for those that choose to take advantage of it.
“If publishers continue to use us after this crisis, that’s great. If not, that’s great too. There’s no obligation to continue, and we are happy knowing we could help you continue to be productive from anywhere during this COVID-19 outbreak.
“COVID-19 is going to pass, we know that for sure. We also know that new pandemics may hit us. The “new normal” is to be prepared for a crisis and thrive even in the most difficult times.”
If you are interested in learning more about RunMags or taking up the offer of free onboarding and six consecutive months of the RunMags service, contact CEO Robert Bergqvist at robert.bergqvist@runmags.com
