I am a Broker/Reseller for all Real Estate specific CRM's

I will be the first to verify that ordering does get you more, but at the same time often for less money. And yes you do bring out your "big bat". When you send the user surveys when I have had an issue the company calls me and says Gary David Hall contacted us and said you were unhappy with whatever it is. And they fix whatever was wrong.

I recommend that everyone get advice from Gary, and then make your purchase through him. He truly stands behind the products he sells.

Jeff Launiere, P.A., e-PRO
Keller Williams Realty
Tampa, FL
813-469-3163
Info@SweetHomeTampa.com
http://www.SweetHomeTampa.com

I'll add my voice to Jeff's ENDORSEMENT OF GARY DAVID HALL for information, resources, and purchase!!!! We've very fortunate to have him here, sharing his experiences and expertise! Just imagine if YOU had to try all that software...learn it, use it, compare it with all the others....there are not hours in the day!

Thanks Gary!!!!

Judi(happy to have made my CRM choice and purchased it through Gary....even saving some $$$$ to boot!)B

Hello Gary.

I wanted to use this forum to post to all members the same verbal discussion you and I had when we jointly chose to partner in your reselling of Net Aspects, SalesAspects CRM.

The focus of this post is clarify the mis-information and mis-use of CRM as a term. Customer Relationship Management is not just Contact Management. You say you list 25 CRM companies that is arguable. What you have is a list of Contact Management programs (including some some very good ones), and 2 or 3 actual CRM firms.

If one Wikipedia's "CRM" they would see that CRM combines many aspects which relate directly to one another like: Front Office operations ( Direct interaction with customers, such as meetings, phone calls, e-mails). alongwith Back office operations - Operations that ultimately affect the activities of the front office, including, planning and marketing. And a Key element which is Analysis - to plan effective marketing campaigns and judge the such campaigns - to See the value of a customer (directly and in our business, through referral) and in analysis of number and types of customers, income from sources, etc.

So, due to the mis-use of CRM, you are seeing industry leaders such as Salesforce.com, coin new and enhanced terms like Sales Force Automation (SFA), to not get lost in the CRM noise.

Contact management may be fine for some agents, but comes up drastically short for a Brokerage to deploy as a successful CRM strategy. True Real Estate enterprise CRM will provide corporate and agents websites, integrated contact management, integrated planning and marketing tools, and revenue tracking and projections all in one system (and should be accessible 24/7/365 anywhere in the world with an internet connection)

We do look forward to our relationship and the value you will bring to the education of our technology once you seperate us and the few others (Agent Acheive being one), from the pack and putting us in a class of Enterprise CRM.

Don Locke, CFO - Net Aspects

Hi Don - I won't argue that the term CRM is being misapplied, and I'm probably as guilty of it as anyone. The reason is quite simple. It's misuse is so widespread, that in order to be visible online when on the subject, such as in internet posts, and in keyword content on Web pages, both "Contact Management", and "CRM' must be used. To not do so ends up losing some of the audience one wants.

I don't know that the definition of CRM is black and white though. If you take it at it's face, "Customer Relationship Management" can apply to more than just 2 or 3 out of the 28.

The CRM/Contact Management solution I use personally, allows me to 'relate' what people have bought, what they want to buy, who they have referred and how much that referrer has earned me, and many are on follow-up campaigns based on what they have bought, or want to buy. I also have them categorized such that they can be upsold at some point in the future as new opportunities for them arise, based on their profile. This solution also provides an area that keeps a great deal of detailed "demographics" which is searchable. Are these activities not CRM?

Am I using a Contact Manager, or am I using a CRM?

Good discussion! Thanks for bringing it up!

Don,

Speaking from strictly an "agent" perspective (an agent who's been using contact managers and crm software nearly since the beginning of my real estate career over 25 years ago, I have to agree that with Gary that the line between the two has somewhat blurred. SFA is not a new concept to me...the CRM I had been using for years (Goldmine) has been using SFA in it's vernacular ever since I can remember...I used Goldmine for about 10 years. I think that it's important to make the distinction here, though, that the majority of people who participate in RT and who are aware of and will benefit from Gary's "exposure" here are individual agents looking for tools to benefit their businesses, their relationships with clients, consumers, affiliates, etc., and to have those things be affordable.

I've switched from Goldmine (just a couple of weeks ago) for the simple reason that Frontrange made the business decision to abandon the small, individual user by eliminating the version of their software that was appropriate (and affordable) to that segment. The real estate specific software that I've adapted (Advantage XI) has proved to offer virtually all of the components I loved about Goldmine and used regularly, PLUS many features I did not have with Goldmine because it was not built for real estate (though I've also been recommending XI to friends NOT in real estate, but who need a robust and flexible CRM at an affordable price).

What I know Gary does with his "marketing" of his resources is to be AWARE OF HIS AUDIENCE. And his audience, agents like me, simply want support in making their own decisions about which tools will best help them accomplish their own objectives, and at a reasonable cost. Are some of those tools not "truly" CRM? Certainly...but many are...and even those that are do differ in their power, flexibility, customizabilty, and access (some web based and some computer based). Not everyone needing a boat will opt for an ocean liner. That doesn't mean they can't find an outstanding, affordable boat.

It's like we say in real estate all the time, "people don't know what they don't know". Many agents understand there is a difference between contact management and crm (though many more have no clue whether there is a difference or not...let alone what that difference might me), but what they DO know is they need ways to acquire contacts, maintain communication with them, and establish "relationships" with them so that when those contacts have a real estate need, they are who that consumer will call first.

I'll also comment that, having worked in several offices over my 25 years, as an agent, I would NOT be inclined to utilize "company" software or online services to maintain MY database. I want full, unobstructed, unmonitored access and control over the contacts, information about them, and communication with them. A "corporate controlled" crm would not be for me...I'd be concerned (and with good historical reason) about my ultimate control over and access too MY CONTENT. After all, if I changed companies, what happens to all the content I added to "their system". Yes, I know I could export my contacts, but what about all their "history". Moving ALL content from a 'corporate' controlled crm to something I control would be monumental. Now, for the agent who is only a part timer, or who does not plan to be in this business long term, who's not particularly concerned with "control" over the data, a corporate solution would likely be fine...especially for the company. For individuals looking for individual solutions that are both robust and affordable, it's nice to know there are a few decent alternatives available.

JudiB

I would like to comment on the use of the term CRM.

The first paragraph in the Wikipedia article pertaining to CRM is one of the better ones that I have seen, it is as follows:

Customer relationship management (CRM) is a term applied to processes implemented by a company to handle their contact with their customers. CRM software is used to support these processes, storing information on customers and prospective customers. Information in the system can be accessed and entered by employees in different departments, such as sales,marketing, customer service, training, professional development, performance management, human resource development, and compensation. Details on any customer contacts can also be stored in the system. The rationale behind this approach is to improve services provided directly to customers and to use the information in the system for targeted marketing and sales purposes.

The key phrase in this paragraph is "such as." My interpretation of this is that it could include those things, but not necessarily.

A system that includes all of the back end functions is pushing the envelope of what is called ERP. The biggest difference that will set a CRM apart from an ERP is the lack of human resource information and manufacturing information (such as scheduling, inventory, etc), which most CRM's lack anyways.

Outlook is a Contact Manager, as is your Rolodex and your iPhone and your Blackberry and PDA. And Top Producer, Wise Agent, RealFutureCRM, Agent Office, Act, Goldmine, Salesforce.com, Zoho, Sugar and the dozens of others are CRM's.

Salesforce.com is using SFA, or Sales-Force Automation as a new buzz word. Others are starting to use it now too. It's a feature and buzz word. Oracle, SAP, Sugar, TopProducer, RealFutureCRM, AgentOffice; they all have Sales Force Automation.

I don't think the term CRM is over used, I just think it has become a crowded arena and everyone is looking for something to set themselves apart from the rest of the pack. It's the dot com of 2007/08/09 in the business world. The masses have finally realized that to compete in any industry you must have a centralized database of your customers and your interactions, thus presenting to the customer the image that you value you them because you're aware of their issues. As a result, there are a lot of companies that have an idea of what CRM should be and as result have created a very competitive space. That might mean trying to set yourself apart with a new feature or buzz word, but saying that a "lightweight" CRM is not a CRM is crap. And Mr. Locke, you even have on your homepage the acronym ERP, which from a quick glance is the arena you are playing in, not the CRM arena.