Customers Find Good Value In Commence CRM
Getting an early start in the CRM software industry may have helped Salesforce.com to become a leader in the Hosted CRM space, but another CRM solution provider is making a statement of their own, paving the way for some intense competition in the small to mid-size business sector.
Better known for its on premise desktop CRM software, Commence Corporation has been providing contact management, sales force automation and marketing campaign management solutions to small and mid-size companies for more than two decades. The company introduced a web-based hosted version of their popular CRM software and is gaining notoriety. With an outstanding track record for performance, reliability and world-class customer service Commence is a strong competitor and becoming a favorite among smaller businesses looking for a flexible hosted CRM solution with productivity tools that are easy to use.
“Commence web CRM has an impressive and unique user interface that makes the product very easy to use and navigate” says Gary Sanders of OK! Magazine. “The product’s Home Page or Dashboard is completely customizable by individual or job function. This allows each user to create a dashboard to the way they work. The value here is that you can place the functions you use most right on the home page, such as today’s calendar and activities, e-mail, sales opportunities, leads, reminders and even an interactive sales funnel. We hadn’t seen this in any other CRM solution. This flexibility enables people to conduct 90% of their daily activities without ever leaving the Home Page and has really improved productivity.”
Karen Deneau, Director of Marketing with Center for Film Studies, needed CRM software that her staff would feel comfortable with. “When selecting a CRM solution, you worry about utilization, but we were confident that our staff would adapt well to Commence CRM and they have. We also liked that Commence is modular in design, which allowed us to select only the functionality we required. We weren’t forced to purchase a package with a dozen features we would never use. Commence’s strength clearly lies in its ease of use. Within two weeks we had marketing campaigns out the door and leads captured from our web site were integrated directly into the Commence CRM system. The staff at Commence was also extremely helpful in ensuring that we quickly realized value from their solution.”
Key Differentiators
Commence’s modular design provides the flexibility to start with basic CRM functionality such as Account and Contact Management, E-Mail integration and Sales Pipeline Management, then add additional features such as Quoting, Marketing Campaign Management and Project Management when you’re ready. Integration to disparate systems can be achieved via an Application Programming Interface or API, and Commence CRM supports the majority of popular Mobile devices.
Another key differentiator of Commence CRM is the product’s lead qualification and sales reporting capability. The leads module includes an automated business process that scores leads based on pre-defined criteria, then color codes them based on how well defined they are. This capability is unique to Commence CRM, and ensures that your sales team is working on the most qualified opportunities and not chasing tire kickers.
Reporting
The reporting engine offers three levels of data analysis. A set of pre-defined reports for sales management, marketing and customer support can be viewed with a single click and modified just as easily. A built in report writer allows you to create customer reports against any field in the database, including custom fields. Lastly, Commence CRM includes a pre-built set of graphical and analytical reports for all sales activity, marketing, lead generation and customer support.
Commence offers the freedom of choice to deploy CRM software on premise or as a hosted web based solution and offers a level of functionality traditionally only provided by enterprise level solutions. Commence products are distributed around the world in more than 22 countries and 35 different industries. The company’s track record for providing high quality reliable products and outstanding customer service make it a solid choice for growing businesses.
About the Author: Jim Smith is the founder and managing partner of YCHANGE INTERNATIONAL, a management consultancy specializing in helping small to mid-size businesses expand or execute a turnaround strategy. Jim is a commissioner for the Housing Authority of Portland, Oregon and serves as a member of the newly formed economic cabinet of Portland. Jim is a motivational speaker and trainer and lectures on Customer Relationship Management in the areas of sales, marketing, business and leadership. He is an avid blogger on www.ychange.com/ychangeblog.