Contact management systems can help you manage the effectiveness of the marketing strategies you use. Why put together a haphazard spreadsheet to track contacts when you can use contact management systems that can do more complex fork for you?
Your first job when starting a business is development of the business, not software development. Don’t spend time custom-designing contact management systems when you could be getting more contacts.
WHAT TYPE OF CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS DO YOU NEED?
You can spend over $25,000 on a complex contact management system if you want to, but what you spend it not as critical as the amount of time you spend using the system. Most products work well off the shelf, but there are two that stand out – ACT and Goldmine. What’s the difference?
1. ACT is just over $230 and offers PDA links as well as a version that is usable online.
2. Goldmine is second to ACT in popularity and is a type of contact management system with similar features but at a less expensive $200.
Maximizer and Sales Force are also useful contact management systems. Sales Force sports a free online service or a more expensive Team Edition online service for $1000 annually.
FEATURES TO LOOK FOR IN CONTACT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
You should look for import and export capability from the following Microsoft formats: Word; Excel; Outlook. Also look for links to PDAs, accounting software and packages that offer the best client server online solutions.
Contact management systems are incredibly useful, but only if you use them. Research products before purchasing and make a commitment to use them properly so you can best track the effectiveness of your marketing strategeis.
Blogged By: Computer Consulting 101
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