When I first started shopping for CRM software, I thought choosing ACT! 2006 from Sage Software would be a no brainer. Even though I had never used ACT! in the past, I had always heard that it was the best CRM system for small businesses. Yet, when I started poking around, I found hundreds of horrible reviews complaining about buggy, slow, and ineffective software that was giving users fits. Check out the product review page on Amazon to see how ACT! 2006 is driving people nuts.
I looked at other CRM systems such as Goldmine, Maximizer, and Salesforce. These systems were all more expensive than my budget allowed, and they all suffered the wrath of many users and media critics. Thanks to Google, I discovered Prophet 3.0, a CRM alternative from Avidian in Bellevue Washington. The positive user testimonials that I discovered on the Prophet website were intriguing, and I couldn't find any negative review through the major search engines. Instead, I discovered a lot of positive press that convinced me to buy the product.
Prophet is simple add-in for Microsoft Outlook which allows me to leverage my existing contact database with cool features such as enhanced contact management; a sales assistant that lets me send pre-set, timed e-mails to my contacts; a workflow engine that helps me automate sales-cycle actions and create consistent sales processes; advanced reporting options; and an opportunity-management console. I was particularly impressed with how easy it was to set up, and I nearly fell out of my Aeron chair when I called the company for assistance and a live service person answered the call on three rings and was able to solve my problem on the spot. Figuring out how to use Prophet has been no harder than learning how to utilize Outlook.
While Avidian might be newer to the CRM game than some vaunted competitors, there is no doubt that it will dethrone some of its competitors. Avidian is a quality product that is so easy to install and use that positve word of mouth is inevitable.
