Hasler turns to Bluewolf, Salesforce

Hasler Inc., a provider of postage and handling products, has deployed two custom CRM applications from Salesforce.com with the help of software-as-a-service (SaaS) consulting firm Bluewolf.

The Salesforce offerings are being used by Hasler dealers nationwide, replacing a variety of other systems and creating a standardized database throughout the company. Hasler is using Salesforce to track postage meter lease information, automate various processes and create sales team alerts and regular reports.

“We saw that if we could improve the effectiveness of dealers and how they market to their database, then we as manufacturers could benefit,” said Bob Ruby, senior director of sales strategy for Hasler. “The real issue we have as a company is that, when considered alongside our main competitor, Pitney-Bowes, we have won [business] 65% of the time — but that's only when we've had the opportunity to compete, which is about 25% of the time.

“So when we looked at how to make an impact on the business, having more opportunities to compete would have a dramatic impact,” Ruby added. “That is the main force behind getting our dealers more intelligent and better at building, maintaining and marketing to a database of current and competitive customers.”

Salesforce appealed to Hasler because, with all of its dealers independently owned, the company needed a system that could be tweaked to fit different business needs. Hasler's clients run the gamut in size, but the company's sweet spot lies in mid-sized and commercial mailers.

Ruby predicts that more than 50% of Hasler's 150 dealers will go live with the Salesforce system within 12 months. Bluewolf offers custom training to employees using Hasler's new system.

The goal for next year is to get Hasler into 10% more of its competitors' mid and commercial sales opportunities. Ruby estimated that increasing in competitive opportunities by 10% and maintaining a 65% win rate could earn the company $34 million more in revenue.