Which CRM is Best ?

…This may initially appear as a wise-crack answer, but the answer is, “It depends”.   For example,  we created a chart of differences between Sage ACT! and WiredContact and came up with 40 different nuances among the features for one client.

Here are some important questions to answer when considering any CRM….

• Do you want the software On Premise (One Time Fee) or On Demand (Monthly Fee) ?
  • Typically: On Premise requires an heavier upfront investment but lower operating costs in 3 years
    • Does Your Hardware and Software Meet Their Requirements for Optimal Performance ?
    • Do you budget replacing hardware and operating systems every three years ?
    • Have You Budgeted Phone Support ?
    • Have You Priced Out Software Upgrades ?
  • The CRM industry does not provide software for a one time license fee and deliver unlimited phone support and free upgrades for life!
  • Typically: On Demand requires a low upfront investment while operating costs will be higher in 3 years
    • Do They Want You to Sign a Long Term Deal such as one year ?
    • Can You Change Licensing Month-to-Month ?
    • What Are Cancellation Fees ?
    • How Do You Get Your Data Back ?
    • How Much Does It Cost to Get It Back ?
    • How Much Do They Charge to Store Attachments ?
  • Cases can usually be made for either model for the same company I consult; however I believe it’s ultimately a management decision on how to manage cash flow
• What are the results you want out of the database ?
  • Call Reports ?
  • Sales Forecasts ?
  • Marketing Lists ?
  • A Secure Journal ?
  • A Shared Calendar among Sales Reps ?
  • Sharing Data Among Disparate Departments Such as Sales & Hardware Support ?
  • Should One Customer Be Accessed in Many Departments ?
  • Business Analytics ?
• How Do You Want to Access the Data ?
  • Windows ?
  • MacOS ?
  • iOS?
  • Android?
  • Blackberry?
  • via Web Browser ?
  • How Much Does Each License Cost per Additional Mobile Device ?
  • Do You Need Additional Software (and Money) for Each Mobile Device Even If It Is The Same User?
  • Do You Need to Keep Upgrading Mobile Device Hardware to Stay Compliant with The CRM ?
• How Deep Are Your Security Rules Among Staff ?
• Does It Need to Access Accounting Data like Quickbooks or MAS/90 ?
• Do You Need It to Integrate with Microsoft Office ?
• Do You Want to Automate Data Entry Rules ?
• Do You Want to Build Custom “One-Click” Data Entry Buttons ?
• Do You Want to Automate Workflow ?
• Will it Integrate with E-Mail Marketing programs like SwiftPage, Constant Contact or MailChimp ?

These systems can run from $6/month per user as a service to $550/user + 15-40% annual maintenance for upgrades.

For example, here are the programs we support in-house . The pricing assumes 5 new named users with a non-entry level version of the program.