There are a lot of options to choose from if you intend to find the best CRM software solution for your business. After all, you have the entire worldwide web to start your research. There’s a broad selection waiting to get your attention, from freeware and open-source contact management applications to commercial mid-market CRM and enterprise-level CRM systems. Yours must be an informed decision.

Just like any other level-minded businessman, making a shortlist of possible CRM software solutions will help you make a decision that is well-versed and based on accurate facts. In the selection process, you must consider the reach that independent research can get the products into the market or within your niche. It is also important to come up with your own set of questions that will serve as criteria to the bidding process. The apparent competition that will be imposed on the vendors, business partners, consultants, or resellers will definitely give you an edge in coming up with a reliable shortlist.

Here are 3 recommended questions that might help you make that decision:

1. Is The CRM Software Flexible Enough For My Business?

The most helpful CRM solutions are those that work well with any business setup, regardless of how complicated its processes are. Some CRM solutions are designed to meet only one requirement and are usually rendered useless when exposed to a more complex business process. Meanwhile, CRM solutions like Microsoft Dynamics CRM have been tested to yield a performance level that exceeds conventional expectations and have been exposed to highly intricate processes with excellent results. By setting this standard, you are guaranteed that your CRM solution will not jeopardize your business in any way.

2. How About CRM Synchronization to My Current System?

The danger that is involved in the purchase of just about any CRM software is the possibility that it might not perform flawlessly with your current working system. The chances of this application to not meet the demands of your business are very high if its compatibility is in question. Therefore, your second priority must take into account the smooth integration of the CRM solution to your software. A good example would be that of Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The fact that it can work better with Outlook is promising enough for your business, considering that it is developed by the same company.

3. What are the CRM Costs and Pricing?

There’s nothing more straightforward than that. You need a CRM solution that can help your business and you need to know if it’s worth your hard-earned money. Beware of internet marketing scams that promise you free or cheap download. Keep in mind that you cannot afford making the wrong decision in getting yourself a CRM solutions package. Remember as well that you are bound to pay what you want to get. If you want your business to succeed because of this package, then that mindset must guide your budget plans.

Once you have come up with a shortlist for the purchase of a CRM solutions package, you are now ready to move on to the next step. This will include an in-depth discussion of all your business objectives and how possible CRM solutions can help you achieve these goals. A consultation with a CRM specialist will also help greatly in your discretion. If you let all these ideas guide your decision, then you are guaranteed to find that CRM solution that will work perfectly for your business strategies, goals, and demands.

Free SugarCRM 6 Assessment

Click here to access and download our Free Sugar CRM 6 Evaluation PDF.

With this document, you will be able to identify the key enhancements within Sugar CRM.

Topics addressed include:

1. Calculated Fields
2. Favorites and Favorites Dashlet
3. Twitter and Social Media integration
4. Reporting (filtering, scheduling)
5. User interface improvements (there are many!)
6. Sugar Mobile 1.0 details
7. and much more.

Free CRM TCO Calculator

Click here to access and download our Free CRM TCO Calculator Tool.

With this tool, you will be able to identify the key TCO line items that are relevant for any CRM implementation. We have also included data for comparing CRM software systems such as Microsoft CRM, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix and more. You will be able to view the 3 Year and 5 Year Total Cost of Ownership for both SaaS (Online/On-Demand) and Licensed (On-premise) pricing models.

TCO line items include:

1. Annual License/User price
2. Support
3. Hardware (incl. Server and Users)
4. Implementation
5. Staff
6. Network
7. Mobile
8. and much more.

Free Excel CRM Comparison Tool

Click here to access and download our Free Excel CRM Comparison Tool.

With this tool, you will be able to identify the key similarilites and differences between 9 of the top CRM systems, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix, GoldMine, Sage ACT!, Pivotal and more.

Comparison Topics include:

1. Key CRM Features
2. Pricing (Licensing, etc..)
3. Available Modules (e.g. SFA, Marketing, Service, etc)
4. Feature Details (Sync, Call Center, Quoting, E-commerce, Lead Management, Security, Workflow, and much more.
5. Hardware and Network support (Microsoft, Linux, etc…)
6. Industry/NAICS

Nationwide CRM Consulting and Training

With locations throughout the United States, Accent Gold Solutions is able to provide CRM training, consulting and implementation service whereever you are. Please contact us to find out the best way to get your CRM project underway. Remember, step 1 is to figure out what your business requirements are, and step 2 is to select the proper CRM system for your individual needs.

Being certified in various CRM systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix CRM, Sage ACT!, SAP CRM and more, we are confident we can advise you as to the proper CRM software to fit your business.

Whether you are in Los Angeles, California or New York, New York, we can get your CRM solution designed, implemented and trained so that your users will love it and use it. We define our success by your CRM adoption rate. So call us to get started!

Microsoft CRM 2011 Review Webinars

Join us for our webinar series as we explore the points outlined below – and hope to provide you valuable insight about this top-rated CRM solution. We hope that our comparison with Salesforce.com will help you on in your CRM evaluation.

Search terms for Compare CRM:

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7 Social CRM Companies to Watch

The Social Media buzz began in 2009 and then became generally accepted in 2010. Now in 2011, every CRM wants to make sure that their solution provides top-quality Social Media integration. Microsoft CRM’s new Outlook 2010 has built in Social Media integration, and SugarCRM has Twitter and Linked-in widgets built into the graphical user interface. Even ACT has a web-based tab directly within their User Interface.

In his excellent article, Paul Greenberg, of ZDNet, compiles a list of top Social CRMs.

Click here to read the entire article: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/crm/the-crm-watchlist-part-iv-the-social-mainstream/2480

1.       Lithium. This B2C focuses platform made great strides in 2010. These include the addition of Scout Labs as well as being awared a leadership position in Gartners Social CRM Magic Quadrant. Their new Social Customer Suite will integrate with CRM services and applications.

2.       Jive. Greenberg comments that 2010 was a year of unclairty for them. Yet they are still major players in this arena. Version SBS 4.5 is now mobile-ready, including excellent widgets that provide analytics in a nicely designed GUI.

3.       Radian6. Greenberg considers Radian6 to be the market maker – “the company that proved the value of social media monitoring tools in the marketplace.” Their big move was to integrate with Salesforce.com and are planning on other such integrations.

4.       Attensity. Key to this selection is the sophistication of their VOC (Voice of the Customer) platform and analytics engine as well as the mobile technology – including the ability to report feeback on the Applie and Android platforms.

5.       Kickapps. Greenberg’s take is that this is a flat out SOLID company. Thei platform is extremely well designed and stable. And their applications that sit on top of these platforms are also top-notch.

6.       Nimble. Nimble was created by the original designer of Goldmine. Although this product is still in its infancy, the future looks extremely promising.

7.   INgage Networks. Previously known as Neighborhood America, INgage Networks has truly evolved as a social networking platform. Their current clientele includes Microsoft CRM – whose integration they have completed masterfully.

Free TCO Calculator for CRM Projects

Click here to access and download our Free CRM TCO Calculator Tool.

With this tool, you will be able to identify the key TCO line items that are relevant for any CRM implementation. We have also included data for comparing CRM software systems such as Microsoft CRM, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix and more. You will be able to view the 3 Year and 5 Year Total Cost of Ownership for both SaaS (Online/On-Demand) and Licensed (On-premise) pricing models.

TCO line items include:

1. Annual License/User price
2. Support
3. Hardware (incl. Server and Users)
4. Implementation
5. Staff
6. Network
7. Mobile
8. and much more.

Free Excel Tool to Compare CRM Systems

Click here to access and download our Free Excel CRM Comparison Tool.

With this tool, you will be able to identify the key similarilites and differences between 9 of the top CRM systems, including Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix, GoldMine, Sage ACT!, Pivotal and more.

Comparison Topics include:

1. Key CRM Features
2. Pricing (Licensing, etc..)
3. Available Modules (e.g. SFA, Marketing, Service, etc)
4. Feature Details (Sync, Call Center, Quoting, E-commerce, Lead Management, Security, Workflow, and much more.
5. Hardware and Network support (Microsoft, Linux, etc…)
6. Industry/NAICS

Microsoft CRM 2011 Review Webinars

Join us for our webinar series as we explore the points outlined below – and hope to provide you valuable insight about this top-rated CRM solution. We hope that our comparison with Salesforce.com will help you on in your CRM evaluation.

Search terms for Compare CRM:

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So ACT finally did it. They came out with a strategic whitepaper on how to reach customers and prospects in a cost effective way. So here is the lowdown on how you can generate more sales leads and market to them more optimally.

Strategic E-Marketing PDF includes:

1. Understanding Permission-based Email Marketing. If you don’t get this, you will be black listed! Read this.
2. Email Marketing tips and tricks. Good and Bad subject lines. Prudence as to the “From” address. Mail-Merging fields to personalize content. And much more.
3. Building Email Lists (and loyal customers). Try offering incentives. Also try a combination of direct mail along iwth Email.
4. Tips for designing Email templates. Consider your theme carefully – as well as your illustrations. Then create top-notch subject lines and headlines. Don’t forget the content!
5. Targeting results from Email blasts and campaigns. Learn how to read your open and click reports. Learn how this integrates directly with ACT! 2011 Premium and how follow up lists of hot prospects are automatically generated and easily used.
6. Tips for practical usage of ACT Email Marketing. 4 scenarios are discussed.

Free Sage ACT! 2011 Evaluation and Feature Review

Click here to access and download our Free Sage ACT! 2011 Feature Evaluation and Review.

With this document, you will be able to identify the key improvements within ACT! 2011 as well as ACT! 2010.

Items addressed include:

1. User interface enhancements
2. Social Media
3. E-Marketing, Mail-Merge and Online Surveys
4. Sales Opportunity redesign
5. Flexible Reporting, Dashboard and OLEDB interface
6. Advanced Outlook Integration and Invitations
7. Advanced Outlook Sync for Contacts and Calendar
8. Simplified Importing design
9. Smart Tasks (Workflow)
10. Advanced Lead Management and Importing
11. Administrative improvements
12. and much more.

Free Cost Calculator for CRM Projects

Click here to access and download our Free CRM TCO Calculator Tool.

With this tool, you will be able to identify the key Total Cost line items that are relevant for any CRM implementation. We have also included data for comparing CRM software systems such as Microsoft CRM, Salesforce.com, SugarCRM, Sage CRM, Sage SalesLogix and more. You will be able to view the 3 Year and 5 Year Total Cost of Ownership for both SaaS (Online/On-Demand) and Licensed (On-premise) pricing models.

TCO line items include:

1. Annual License/User price
2. Support
3. Hardware (incl. Server and Users)
4. Implementation
5. Staff
6. Network
7. Mobile
8. and much more.

National CRM Consulting and Training

With locations throughout the United States, Accent Gold Solutions is able to provide CRM training, consulting and implementation service whereever you are. Please contact us to find out the best way to get your CRM project underway.

Remember, step 1 is to figure out what your business requirements are, and step 2 is to select the proper CRM system for your individual needs.

Being certified in various CRM systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix CRM, Sage ACT!, SAP CRM and more, we are confident we can advise you as to the proper CRM software to fit your business.

Whether you are in Chicago, Illinois or Houston, Texas, we can get your CRM solution designed, implemented and trained so that your users will love it and use it. We define our success by your CRM adoption rate. So call us to get started!

Microsoft CRM 2011 Review Webinars

Join us for our webinar series as we explore the points outlined below – and hope to provide you valuable insight about this top-rated CRM solution. We hope that our comparison with Salesforce.com will help you on in your CRM evaluation.

Search terms for Compare CRM:

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Sage ACT Social Media

So how’s your Social CRM strategy? If you are like most businesses, you don’t have a real strategy yet. You might have a Facebook page or even a Twitter account. You might even be linked with a couple of people at LinkedIn.

But what’s your strategy? Well ACT! 2011 is here to help you.

Read the >>Social CRM White Paper <<

…and find out how ACT integrates with Social CRM so that you can get the most out of web 2.0.

Sage ACT and Twitter, Linked In or Facebook

Here are the highlights of the Whitepaper:

1. Using Social Media to engage with your customers. Your customers are using, so you need to figure it out. There are cost effective ways to reach customers via social media. Understand how customers are changing how they gain trust and insight about your business.
2. Benefits of Integrating Social Media with ACT! 2010 and ACT! 2011. Use ACT to prospect and find new customers. Builde better relationships. Gain business efficiency through social media tools.

We hope this whitepaper whets your appetite to dig into ACT even deeper. For more information on how to get started in Social CRM, check out our recent blog where we give away our own secrets!

If you need more information or assistance with ACT, please let us know. We’d love to help you.

Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Evaluation

Click here to access and download our Free Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 Analysis.

Topics addressed include:

1. Salesforce.com vs Microsoft CRM
2. Pros and Cons of SaaS vs On-premise CRM
3. Crucial User Adoption Factors
4. Total Cost of Ownership of Microsoft CRM

Free SugarCRM 6 Assessment PDF

Click here to access and download our Free Sugar CRM 6 Evaluation PDF.

With this document, you will be able to identify the key enhancements within Sugar CRM.

Topics addressed include:

1. Calculated Fields
2. Favorites and Favorites Dashlet
3. Twitter and Social Media integration
4. Reporting (filtering, scheduling)
5. User interface improvements (there are many!)
6. Sugar Mobile 1.0 details
7. and much more.

Free ACT! 2011 Evaluation and Feature Review

Click here to access and download our Free Sage ACT! 2011 Feature Evaluation and Review.

With this document, you will be able to identify the key improvements within ACT! 2011 as well as ACT! 2010.

Items addressed include:

1. User interface enhancements
2. Social Media
3. E-Marketing, Mail-Merge and Online Surveys
4. Sales Opportunity redesign
5. Flexible Reporting, Dashboard and OLEDB interface
6. Advanced Outlook Integration and Invitations
7. Advanced Outlook Sync for Contacts and Calendar
8. Simplified Importing design
9. Smart Tasks (Workflow)
10. Advanced Lead Management and Importing
11. Administrative improvements
12. and much more.

Nationwide CRM and ACT Consulting and Training

With locations throughout the United States, Accent Gold Solutions is able to provide CRM training, consulting and implementation service whereever you are. Please contact us to find out the best way to get your CRM project underway. Remember, step 1 is to figure out what your business requirements are, and step 2 is to select the proper CRM system for your individual needs.

Being certified in various CRM systems such as Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Sage SalesLogix CRM, Sage ACT!, SAP CRM and more, we are confident we can advise you as to the proper CRM software to fit your business.

Whether you are in Tampa, Florida or Albuquerque, New Mexico, we can get your CRM solution designed, implemented and trained so that your users will love it and use it. We define our success by your CRM adoption rate. So call us to get started!

Search terms for Compare CRM:

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In our experience at Accent Gold, all Sales Managers face 2 key challenges in the realm of CRM. First, sales reps spend too much time on administration and data entry instead of being face to face or on the phone with customers. Second, Sales Reps simply aren’t using existing CRM tools because it just doesn’t fit their needs and their business processes.

SugarCRM 6 address these issues by organizing Sales Leads, Contacts, Opportunities and Accounts into a single, simple dashboard view.

The results for Sales Divisions are 3-fold:

1. Sales Reps are more focused and thus productive
2. Sales Managers have visibility regarding performance
3. Sales Executives receive the reports they need to drive revenue.

On a single Dashboard Report, Reps can view (a) a list of their new leads (b) their hot opportunities (c) deals that have closed recently and (d) how they are performing against target quotas.

Rather than manually compiling a list from Outlook Email, Accounting Reports and Excel Spreadsheets, users and managers are able easily view and respond to their sales data – all within a single, simple Dashboard.

This increases user adoption. Users can also easily add custom charts and lists to their dashboard.

To find out more about how SugarCRM’s Dashboards can be customized to meet your needs, give us a call. Sure you can look up the SugarCRM Wiki, but we would love to advise you on and review with you your options and on the best way to use the built in dashboards with Sugar.

If you need a Sugar Demo or more information about Sugar as a hosted CRM management software  integrates with iPhone or other mobile phones, let us know. Do you need a demo or review of Sugar as a customer relationship management software (windows CRM vs online CRM software)? Do you have questions regarding the license pricing and feature differences between the free/community edition and the  paid (professional, enterprise) editions? Are you interested in a SugarCRM upgrade or in need of a download to install SugarCRM 6? No worries! Just give us a call! We’ll help you understand just how powerful this web based customer management tool can be as a hosted sales CRM – especially in an Open Source or Call Center software environment.

Do you need a review of how SugarCRM as a web based CRM compares to Zoho CRM or Salesforce.com – or the differences to hosted MS CRM 4.0? Are you concerned with understanding CRM Software On Demand? Do you have questions regarding the world of online website CRM  and how the CRM cloud (Saleslogix) can work for you in a hosting CRM environment? Do you need clarity regarding CRM lead generation tools or CRM support/help plans? No worries! Just contact us!