Looking for software
Question:
I am looking for software that our moving and storage business can use for the sales force -- to track prospects and active accounts. I would like something I can use with many salespeople and it should include "ticklers" that remind us a callback is due. Is anybody using anything you can recommend? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Answer:
There are a number of them that do exactly that and the cost is not too great.. They have names like Act! and Maximizer. Which one is the best is an argument that reminds me of Coke vs. Pepsi. The topic is actually Sales Force Automation and yes, it is the only way to run a sales force in the 21st Century. Before you go looking for software and laptop computers I'd ask just how computer literate the sales force is.. The time and costs of getting them trained may make the software and hardware look like they are free.. There are even jobs in the paper that demand sales reps be literate in the contact management software the company is using. My approach would be to first determine the skills of the sales force, the number in the sales force, and, obviously, your budget. Once those items are known then you select the software, hardware, etc. One hard, fast rule: Symantec is like GM and their ACT! product is like Chevrolet... available, cheap, nearly universal, lots of support.. Maximizer is terrific! It's far more flexible than ACT!, which I tried first. The tickler file is simple to arrange. Maximizer's word processor is head-and-shoulders above that of ACT! The calendar is a little clunky, but it's training me to live with its limitations. With a little innovation, I can also use it for project management, to call up in an instant all the tasks involved in a client's project. I believe Maximizer is now available in a network form for a variety of users to share. They have a website. I believe it's www.mazimizer.com.
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