A Quick Analysis of Level One, Level Two and Level Three CRM Software Providers

Posted by Commence on November 11, 2011 under CEO Corner | 5 Comments to Read

While some CRM solution providers try to be all things to all people most of the popular CRM programs are designed and targeted at a specific market segment. I have labeled these by Tier. See below:

Tier 1 – Enterprise Level CRM Providers

While targeted primarily at the Fortune 1000 companies, CRM software providers in this category traditionally have a few things in common.

• They offer comprehensive functionality covering all aspects of front office business operations for account management, sales, leads, marketing and customer service
• They have a highly scalable platforms that support several thousand users
• They support multiple languages and multi-currency
• They offer application programming interfaces or API’s that enable disparate system integration
• They offer best in class hosting or cloud computing services
• They offer a High level of customizability and good customer support
• There are many third party packages that may be integrated with these CRM programs.

Companies in this category include Oracle, SAP, Microsoft and Salesforce.com

Tier 2 – Mid-Market CRM Providers

Mid-market CRM providers offer  good functionality that often rivals that of enterprise level systems, but typically do not support multi-language or muti-currency although some do.  The top rated Tier 2 providers offer the following:

• Good functionality with strong focus on account and contact management, e-mail integration, sales and lead management .  Some offer customer support or help desk and project management as well.
• Robust scalable platforms that support hundreds of users vs. thousands like enterprise level programs. Very good customer support
• May support multi-currencies, but typically not multiple languages
• Several offer the best in class hosting or cloud computing services, same as the enterprise players
• Fairly customizable with minimal programmer intervention in most solutions
• Some third party package integrations are available

The most popular companies in this category include:  Commence CRM, Microsoft CRM, Sage – (mostly in Europe), Salesforce.com and SugarCRM

Tier 3 – Small Business CRM Providers

If basic contact management, e-mail and a sales forecast is all you require, there are several good inexpensive small business CRM solutions to choose from.  Don’t expect however to get advanced  level functionality such as security permissions, robust reporting, or automated workflow. Customization is often limited to adding a few custom fields if at all. Most small business CRM solutions offer:

• Weak functionality as compared to mid-tier CRM offerings
• Non scalable platforms that will not perform well with large data sets or larger number of users
• Customer support limited primarily to e-mail
• Rare support for multi-currencies or multiple languages
• Second or third tier hosting or cloud based services
• Minimal customization if any

Companies targeting this sector include: Zoho, Highrise & Avidian.

Two Common Mistakes SMEs Can Avoid When Selecting CRM Software

Posted by Commence on August 17, 2011 under CEO Corner | Be the First to Comment

I think we can all agree that most company executives are not professional software evaluators and as such often overlook some of the key decision criteria that are critical to making the right or the wrong decision.  Selecting the right CRM software requires you to first identify what business challenges you are trying to address and what resources you are willing to invest in to meet those challenges.  Most executives of small to mid-size companies simply do not appreciate that CRM software is not an electronic device that simply addresses your requirements once plugged in.  Those that are unwilling to invest the time to identify their requirements and engage in the decision process with their staff traditionally end up with a common CRM disease called “buyers remorse”.

Buyer’s remorse is the result of executives being part of one of two camps which I call Camp “A” and Camp “B”.

Mistake #1 – Camp  “A” Executives believe the following:

All CRM systems are alike.   So let’s simply select the least costly one.

What management is really saying here is that a CRM solution is just not that important to the business or they just don’t have time for a lengthy evaluation.   There may be no specific business challenge that they are trying to address, but the staff says they need a CRM solution so they are willing to approve one as long as it’s inexpensive and does not tie the company to a long term contract.  Companies that take this path traditionally have very low utilization rates and often discontinue their utilization of the system within a few months.

Executives that are in  Camp “A”  often  discover that they have  gotten exactly what they paid for; a solution with limited functionality, poor customer service and perhaps even uncertainty with regard to where their data is being hosted or how they can  get it in case of an emergency.

Mistake #2 – Camp “B” Executives believe the following:

All CRM systems are alike.  So let’s just pick the most popular one.

What management is saying here is that all CRM solutions are pretty much the same so let’s not waste too much time evaluating systems that we have no interest in. Let’s pick the two most popular ones, the ones with all the “BUZZ” and marketing hype.  I call this the me-too decision. Camp “B” executives make the common mistake of assuming that if everyone else is talking about a specific solution then it must be good and the best one for our business.

The fact is that all CRM solutions are not all alike, but you need to know where to look to uncover the differences.  Most people spend too much time evaluating features, functions and price which is fine, but there’s a lot more to know before selecting the right solution.

Let me offer two examples.  Today’s most popular CRM solutions are hosted or cloud based. Do you know the difference?  Well they are quite significant, yet most vendors utilize the terms interchangeably and get away with it because the consumer just doesn’t know the difference and doesn’t know what to ask.

What about a product’s architecture?  Do any of you remember the popular CRM system called Entellium?  This low cost offering was very popular a few years ago until customers discovered that the system was not designed for scalability.  Generating reports for example, took so long that the vendor instructed customers to only run them at night.  Entellium eventually closed their doors and many customers lost all their data – Ooops!

So what can you do to ensure you don’t get buyers remorse?  First, don’t be a Camp “A” or Camp “B” executive.  CRM software is not a toy.  You will need to invest the appropriate time to identify your business challenges then assess which products can functionally address those challenges. Once this is complete, you are ready to ask the tough questions and narrow down your final selection.  I have written a white paper which I believe will help you with this process and ensure that you don’t get “buyers remorse”.

The attached link will take you to my white paper:

Don’t Make a CRM Buying Mistake – 7 Points to Consider
http://www.commence.com/downloads/7pointstoconsiderLC2.pdf

About the Author: Larry Caretsky, is the president of Commence Corporation, a leading provider of web based CRM software for mid size companies and small enterprises.  Caretsky is the author of several white papers on the subject of CRM software.  They are accessible via the company’s web site at www.commence.com.

Picking the Best CRM Software

Posted by Commence on May 16, 2011 under CEO Corner | Read the First Comment

What should you be looking for when selecting CRM software?  Well it depends on what is important to you, but let me offer a few tips that may help you in the selection process.  While it seems almost impossible to differentiate one CRM solution from another other than by price, all CRM systems are not alike.  The first thing you need to do is determine what problem you are trying to address.  Most CRM systems address three specific business requirements.

One Central Database of All Customer Information

First is data consolidation. This enables you to capture, track, manage and share vital customer information with the people and departments that require it to efficiently do their jobs.  Previously known as contact management, this functionality is traditionally found in even the most basic CRM systems and is fine for those companies simply looking to get away from managing their business using an Excel spreadsheet.  But what if you need more?

Drive More Business and Close More deals

The next core functionality requirement most businesses have is how to get the telephone to ring more. Most businesses need more leads and may not have a structured sales process in place to ensure that both new leads and the sales cycle are properly managed to closure.  While lower cost CRM systems offer some basic sales management and reporting, you need to consider a mid-market offering that offers the work flow processes for creating marketing campaigns that generate new leads, qualifying or scoring the leads and automating the entire sales process.

Improve Your Customer’s Buying Experience

Lastly, providing world class customer service may be the difference between earning new and recurring business and losing to your competition.  More robust CRM systems offer a customer support application that provides service representatives with access to a complete customer profile. This enables them to react immediately to customer inquiries or complaints. Higher end CRM systems may also include a customer portal that allows the customer to check the status of their order or service ticket or edit their profile right within the CRM system.  This new self-service component provides customers with a better buying experience and gives your business a leg up on the competition.

Choosing a CRM Vendor

So now that you are thinking about your specific business challenges it’s time to start short listing some CRM vendors.  Most CRM companies target a specific market based on the functionality they offer.  The most basic low cost contact management solutions tend to sell to small office or small home businesses, while mid-market CRM providers focus on companies that have greater business requirements.  Enterprise CRM solutions offer scalable platforms that can support hundreds and even thousands of employees and as such tend to focus on this market segment.  So the question you need to ask is where do you fit?

Next, I would take a look at the CRM vendor’s track record. How long have they been in business? How many customers do they have that are similar to your business and what level of customer support do they provide?

While there are dozens of CRM software providers in the industry, one of the most popular CRM systems that appeals to mid-size and small enterprises is Commence CRM.  Commence has been providing CRM software solutions to this segment for more than twenty years and has been rated one of the best CRM software programs based on its robust functionality and attractive price points. Commence CRM is a web based CRM solution that provides online real time access to data from anywhere in the world.  What is also appealing about Commence CRM is that it may be deployed as a cloud based CRM program or implemented on premise.  Commence is ideal for mid-size companies that need a robust online CRM solution at an affordable price point.  For more information about Commence CRM software, visit the company’s web site at Commence.com.

Image “Aperture & Sharpness” by Ross on Flickr under Creative Commons license.

Larger Companies Cut Expenses With Commence CRM

Posted by Commence on April 1, 2011 under Press Release | Read the First Comment

TINTON FALLS, N.J. / March 31, 2011 –- Commence Corporation a leading provider of cloud based Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) for mid-size and small enterprises has announced the ability to utilize their top rated CRM solution in-house or on-premise.  “Many larger organizations we have spoken with have two significant concerns regarding the selection and implementation of CRM software”, says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation.  “First, they are simply not comfortable with traditional pay by the user pricing model of CRM software providers Salesforce.com and Microsoft.  They refer to this as a “pay by the drink” solution that just gets too expensive as you continue to add users.  Secondly, many larger firms have an IT infrastructure and the staff to manage and maintain the CRM software right on premise.  Unfortunately, this is not an option with Salesforce.com.”

Commence has addressed both concerns which should bode well for the company’s continued success in the CRM sector.  Commence has been offering site licensing options to their customers for some time.  Even smaller companies with less than twenty users can purchase a block of licenses that allows them to add up to twenty users at no additional cost and the blocks are discounted from the standard pricing.  This has made Commence CRM an appealing choice for smaller organizations.

In order to better serve the interest of larger organizations, Commence has also announced the ability to deploy their online CRM software on premise.  This new deployment option will also offer site licensing plans to ensure that the customer’s cost does not get out of control if they require additional users.  The deployment of CRM software on premise is also not available from competitors like Salesforce.com.

For the past twenty years Commence Corporation has continued to pay close attention to our customers’ requirements.  The site licensing program coupled with an on premise deployment model for larger organizations is a clear indication that the company is working hard to earn their business. For more information about Commence Corporation’s cloud based online CRM software visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com.

About Commence Corporation:

Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award winning CRM software that integrates people, processes and technology.  Available on premise or online as a hosted service, Commence CRM solutions are utilized by several thousand businesses to streamline sales, marketing, customer service and front office business processes.

Media Contact:

Nicole Reed
marketing@commence.com

Who Are the Top CRM Vendors? Just Ask Google.

Posted by Commence on March 17, 2011 under CEO Corner | 5 Comments to Read

Companies that are considering the implementation of Customer Relationship Management software often use search engines like Google or Bing to learn about CRM systems and the recommended solution providers.  CRM vendors are well aware of this and as a result, companies like Microsoft, Salesforce.com CRM and others are spending millions of dollars to get listed in the top positions:

The techniques for marketing and building brand awareness have changed radically in the past decade and the Internet has become one of the most powerful vehicles for introducing new products and services.  The problem with the Internet is that it is becoming more and more like television where people seem to believe that anything they see or read about is true.  Most people are aware of how Internet search engines work:  The companies that are listed in the top three positions have simply paid more than the others, but the consumer does not seem to care. They assume that if you are listed in the top position then you must be the best at what you do.

Customer Relationship Management software is a good example of this. Companies like Microsoft and Salesforce.com are willing to out-bid everyone to hold the top positions, but does this mean they are the best solutions for your business?  What’s interesting about the CRM software sector is that industry experts have indicated that as many as 70% of all CRM systems fail to get implemented or fully utilized.   If this is true, does this mean that the top rated CRM or leading CRM providers have a 70% failure rate?  I can’t say, but it does make one question whether selecting a CRM solution that is top rated on the Google search engine means you have selected the best CRM solution for your business, doesn’t it?

The Formula for CRM Success

The good news for the consumer is that there are a number of very good CRM software programs available from companies that are not listed in the top three search engine positions. One of these companies is Commence Corporation. Commence has been providing CRM software solutions to mid size companies and small enterprises for more than two decades. While the company is not listed in the top three spots, Commence offers perhaps a more compelling statistic: positive customer testimonials and one of the highest success rates for implementation and use of their CRM software.

One of the reasons for this success is that Commence doesn’t just sell CRM software. The company combines the CRM software with a proven implementation plan and a set of CRM “best practices” for sales execution and sales optimization. The implementation plan outlines the company’s responsibilities and those of the customer along with a timeline to ensure the project remains on track.  These CRM best practices have been designed by a team of highly trained sales professionals that help companies create and implement a proven sales methodology resulting in better sales execution while ensuring timely and accurate reporting.

Over the past two decades, Commence Corporation has established a proven track record for helping companies to become a more efficient sales and service organization.  Many of these companies have remained customers for as long as the company has been in business.  This certainly illustrates that the Commence CRM software complemented by its CRM best practices have provided a winning formula for its customers.  Unfortunately, you won’t find this listed on the Google search engine.

Learn more about the Commence CRM product and best practices at www.commence.com or consult with our CRM experts at 1-877- 266-6362.

Commence CRM Rolls out Challenge to Salesforce.com Customers

Posted by Commence on March 11, 2011 under Press Release | 2 Comments to Read

TINTON FALLS, N.J. /PRBuzz/ March 10, 2011 –- Commence Corporation a leading provider of CRM software for mid-size and small enterprises is making an interesting and aggressive offer to companies looking to purchase or save money on their CRM system.  Commence is  willing to offer customers free use of the company’s top rated CRM software if they compare Salesforce.com against Commence’s offering and do not agree that Commence is an equal or better product at a significantly lower cost.

“We are essentially asking customers to take the Pepsi challenge” says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence. “A few years ago Salesforce CRM was the only game in town” says Caretsky, ” but not any more. The gap has closed and they don’t offer anything more than we do at much higher price points.  The objective of this program is to simply introduce Commence to potential customers, and let them decide which product is better for their business.  If they can demonstrate that our solution is not comparable based on the key CRM features most businesses use at a lower cost we will offer them the opportunity to use our solution for free for the first six months, then decide if they wish to continue with it or not”.

Customers that have reviewed the key features of both products have found Salesforce.com to be cumbersome and complex, while Commence CRM is easier to use and navigate and also less costly.

Another advantage for larger customers is that there is no on-premise offering available from Salesforce.com. Commence CRM can be hosted via the cloud or implemented on-premise as a CRM server appliance.  This is extremely attractive to large customers that want to control their CRM system and keep their data in house. While Commence may not be as well known as Salesforce.com, the company is no stranger to the CRM space. Commence has been providing CRM software solutions to mid-size and small enterprises for two decades and has several thousand customers around the world.  To learn more about Commence CRM, visit the company’s web site at www.commence.com or call Commence sales at 1-877- 266-6362.

About Commence Corporation:

Founded in 1988, Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award winning CRM software that integrates people, processes and technology.  Available on-premise or online, Commence CRM solutions are utilized by several thousand businesses to streamline sales and customer service front office business processes.  As a result, Commence clients increase workforce productivity, generate positive customer interactions and reduce operational cost.

Media Contact:

Nicole Reed
marketing@commence.com

A Better Value than the Giants in the CRM Space?

Posted by Commence on March 7, 2011 under Commence News | Read the First Comment

By Jim Meade, Ph.D

As a software reviewer I have spent more than a decade looking at business solutions for the enterprise and mid-market space. While all the hype and fanfare traditionally surround the mainstream players, every so often I come across a smaller, less-known company whose products do an even better job than the big players of meeting the functional and financial requirements of the customers they serve. In Human Resource software an unknown company like NuView Systems of Wilmington, MA will go head-to-head with giant PeopleSoft or Oracle, for example, and sometimes win. In payroll, unknowns like OPEN4 of Addison, TX or Genesys Software of Methuen, MA win accounts from known giants like ADP and Ceridian.

I have recently found the same unexpected power and value to be available from lesser-known providers in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) space. While we industry analysts and gurus tend to pay homage to the big guns like Siebel and Microsoft, smaller companies like Commence Corporation of Tinton Falls, NJ that may not appear on our analyst radar screen are quietly meeting customer needs in the CRM sector.

Commence has been supporting the business requirements of small to mid-size companies for more than a decade and has an impressive track record for delivering quality products and services. Positioned squarely between low-end contact managers and costly, overly complex higher-end solutions, Commence CRM strikes a nice balance among functionality, ease of use, and low cost of ownership.

Full Range of CRM Applications

The company offers a full suite of applications from contact management and sales automation to marketing campaign management and customer support (or help desk). In a nice marketing stroke, the applications are modular in design yet fully integrated, so you can purchase just what you need. I found the product’s functionality to rival that of many higher-end solutions costing thousands of dollars more.

Commence Corporation’s long history as a provider of database management tools is apparent when looking at the underlying architecture of the product, which is easy to customize without programmer intervention. End users can even personalize their individual desktops to the way they work. The well-designed, flexible interface makes the system intuitive and user friendly. The architecture also does an excellent job of supporting the client not connected to the server. Commence offers a utility called “Sync Link,” which enables an authorized end user to copy database information to a laptop or hand held device for remote use. The user can update the remote device with FTP synchronization, e-mail, or VPN.

The Contact Management component of Commence is quite robust and similar in design to offerings from mainstream CRM companies, meaning it’s account centric as opposed to contact centric as in less powerful systems. A feature, called connection controls, allows you to link one-to-many or many-to-many relationships. With connection controls, for example, you can manage and track multiple companies or multiple partners that may be involved in an opportunity or a project. This linking is a powerful differentiator and one I have not seen in other CRM products.

The Sales automation system supports lead management, opportunity or pipeline management, telesales/telemarketing, forecasting, and reporting; and it meets the functional checklist of traditional mid-market sales force automation systems. One of the product’s strengths is the ability to deploy automated business processes. Sales people, for instance, can ask the system to identify any potential opportunity that has not had any activity linked to it for a period of time, such as a telephone call, direct mail piece, or on-site meeting. They can then direct the automated business process to automatically perform a function such as send a fax, letter, or press release based on “what if” scenarios. Commence also enables the company to incorporate a standard sales methodology for managing pipeline activity or create its own if one is already established.

Addressing Special Needs of Small to Mid-size Business

The Marketing application does a good job of supporting campaign management. Customers can plan a campaign, establish a budget, assign tasks, estimate results, and track responses. They can incorporate mailing lists within the product, making it easy to update the lists and also track marketing cost and activity by prospect. The marketing application is fully integrated with the sales system, enabling the automatic transfer of leads from marketing to the appropriate sales representative or sales team.

The Support or Help Desk module very capably manages service tickets, contracts, and problem resolution. The system tracks call duration and can quickly associate contracts and service levels with products purchased. I like the mail merge feature that enables a support representative to notify and provide a documented resolution via e-mail to customers. The application also incorporates a comprehensive knowledgebase feature that allows the support rep to attach an article to a service ticket for easy and fast problem resolution. (The product does not, however, enable customers to access this knowledgebase without purchasing an add-on component.)

Commence has a robust report writer built into the product, and each application comes with a large number of pre-built reports. The company states that the custom report writer reduces the cost and reliance on third-party reporting products such as Crystal Reports. While the product does free the user from such reliance on outside vendors, the lack of analytical reporting that evaluates customer buying trends and patterns as provided in higher end systems is a weakness in Commence. (The company indicates that such reporting is planned for its next release.)

Commence also supports desktop integration with seamless links to desktop applications like MS Word and MS Outlook.

During the past twelve months we industry analysts have begun to take an increased interest in small to mid-size business (SMB). Reports indicate that the SMB space is underserved and that the requirements of smaller businesses are significantly different from enterprise companies. We have been asserting that ease of implementation and use, along with a low cost of ownership, are the driving factors for the purchase of CRM systems among the small to mid-size business community.

Companies like Siebel and others have made attempts to scale down their solutions and costs to better serve these requirements but have failed to achieve their goal, and, while web based solutions seem to be growing in popularity, client server-based systems like Commence CRM are delivering on the promise for functionality, ease of use, and value for small to midsized companies.

Bigger, then, does not always mean better. Nor is fame any guarantee of quality, though in the world of software it generally is the basis for higher pricing. For companies looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-use solution at an attractive price point, this is one CRM solution worth further investigation.

About the Author: Jim Meade, Ph.D., is author of The Human Resources Software Handbook: Evaluating Technology Solutions for Your Organization, published with John Wiley Publishing He has a 20 year history in the software industry, has reviewed more than 100 software packages for magazines such as Human Resource Magazine, and is author of 24 books on computers, including several in the bestselling Dummies series.

Commence CRM Announces “March Madness” Promotions

Posted by Commence on March 1, 2011 under Commence News | Read the First Comment

Photo owned by bigcityal (cc)

Customers Offered Big Discounts on Top Rated CRM Software

TINTON FALLS, N.J. (March 01, 2011) – Commence Corporation, a leading provider of Customer Relationship Management software (CRM), is offering new customers big discounts on their world class online CRM software during the month of March.  “March is the company’s fiscal year end and we are looking to sign up as many new customers as possible” says Larry Caretsky, president of Commence Corporation.  “In order to achieve this we are offering substantial incentives to earn their business. We appreciate that customers have a lot of options to choose from, but Commence is a top rated CRM solution from a company with a twenty-three year track record of performance.  The incentives we are offering should make the selection of Commence an easy decision over competitive offerings.”

“We are taking a page out of the college basketball March Madness program says Tom Gibson, a senior account manager with Commence.  In week one, the first (64) companies to sign up will get the first incentive, in week two, (32) companies will receive a different offer, in week three, (16) and so on until the final week.  Each week the offers will be posted on the company’s web site in the CRM pricing section.  This is an exciting program that will provide exceptional value to new customers continued Gibson.  I am confident a large number of them will take advantage of it.  It’s a “win-win”; great for the customers and good for Commence Corporation”.

About Commence Corporation:

Founded in 1988, Commence develops and delivers a diverse suite of award winning CRM software that integrates people, processes and technology.  Commence CRM is used by several thousand businesses to streamline the front office business processes that directly impact sales execution and customer service.  As a result, Commence clients increase workforce productivity, generate positive customer interactions and reduce operational cost.  For additional information visit www.commence.com or call 1-877- 266-6362.

Media Contact:

Nicole Reed
info@commence.com

Don’t Get Burned by the CRM “Buy Now” Button

Posted by Commence on February 15, 2011 under CEO Corner | 4 Comments to Read

As a leading CRM software provider I can appreciate the competitive nature of the industry and how hungry for business all CRM vendors are.  But I continue to see something on many of the CRM vendor’s sites that I find disturbing, and that is the “Buy Now” button.  The reason I feel this way and you should too, is because CRM software is not a toy or an electronic gadget that you buy over the Internet with a credit card, and if you think it is, you’re dead wrong.

CRM is a business strategy and a commitment to streamlining the internal business processes that impact how you market, sell and provide service to your customers.  CRM software programs that address these key business requirements need to be carefully reviewed and will require you to engage the vendor before, during and after the sale in order to maximize the value you will realize from their CRM solution.  High quality CRM solution providers like Commence Corporation complement their CRM software with a set of best practices for sales management and sales execution.  This provides value added services to the customer while differentiating Commence from other CRM solution providers.

CRM vendors whose business model relies on the “Buy Now” button have made it perfectly clear that they either have no interest in understanding your business requirements or perhaps do not have the resources to engage you in direct conversation.  Either way this is not the type of CRM vendor I would recommend doing business with and may be the main reason so many businesses that have gone this route are not satisfied with the CRM solution they selected.

I do appreciate that the majority of these CRM solution providers offer a very low cost  product and because of this they simply cannot afford to offer any type of service that requires human intervention.  But let me ask you this:  Who wins here? you or the vendor?  The “Buy Now” button only works for companies that are buying a CRM solution based solely on price.  These companies traditionally have not done an appropriate job of documenting their requirements and as such they don’t fully understand what the CRM system will provide for them.  As a result, they believe all CRM systems are alike and therefore use price as their main selection criteria.

Here is my point.  If you are serious about addressing specific business requirements and improving the operations of your business you’ll need to take the time to properly document your business requirements and challenge the vendors you are interested in to demonstrate their ability to meet those requirements.  Top rated CRM solution providers like Commence CRM will gladly accept this challenge and provide the advice and counsel to help you make an informed decision.   Many other CRM vendors will suggest you click the “Buy Now” button.

About the author: Larry Caretsky is president of Commence Corporation and the author of several white papers on the subject of CRM, including 7 Points to Consider Before Selecting your CRM system, Getting Back to Basics and Best Practices for Sales Execution and Management.  These papers are available on the Commence web site at www.commence.com.

Salesforce.com Competitors Gaining Momentum

Posted by Commence on February 4, 2011 under CEO Corner | 8 Comments to Read

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 practices 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 www.commence.com.