Salesforce.com Competitors Gaining Momentum
Larry Caretsky, CEO of Commence Corporation, was recently interviewed regarding the rationale for entering a crowded Customer Relationship Management software sector already populated with significant players like Salesforce.com and Microsoft CRM. Caretsky suggested, “A few years ago industry experts asked JetBlue executives why they chose to start an airline when the industry was literally in turmoil and even the giants were struggling to stay alive. JetBlue succeeded in becoming a significant carrier. Unlike the airline industry, the CRM space is growing rapidly and despite all the hype of companies like Salesforce.com, no single vendor has a significant market share. The new battlefield is the mid-market and small enterprises, which Commence Corporation has been serving with our desktop CRM solution for more than twenty years. This space represents our core competency and we are a strong Salesforce competitor and Microsoft CRM competitor and know how to compete effectively for this business.” Caretsky also noted that there are missing elements in the CRM market that Commence could address more effectively than Salesforce.com or Microsoft Dynamics CRM.
“Web based hosted solutions have addressed the difficulties associated with deploying traditional client/server based CRM systems, but utilization rates remain low and customer renewals have been problematic. This is a direct result of a business model that does not include the services required to ensure customers are successful with the solution. Areas such as change management, sales coaching and the use of CRM best practice are required to ensure a measurable return on investment. Customers are beginning to realize that CRM is a strategy, not merely a software application, and in order to be successful they will require the expertise of the CRM provider. Commence is bundling in these services with our new web based solution in the same way we have done for twenty years with our traditional client server offering. The result is happier customers and much higher renewal rates than competitive CRM offerings. We have one of the highest renewal rates of any CRM company in the industry”, says Caretsky, “and it’s because of these value added services. That is what makes Commence different.”
Commence is considered a Top 10 CRM offering for the middle market and a high quality, lower cost alternative to Microsoft Dynamics CRM and Salesforce CRM. For more information about Commence CRM and the company’s CRM best practices, visit the company’s web site at commence.com.