Over the last few months, we have been asked why it is best to engage with a multi-CRM reseller such as ourselves and up until now, we considered this a benefit without really delving into the reasons why our clients come to us. There are a number of key reasons which in my view help to explain why using a multi-CRM reseller such as MAS can help.

The first real reason is independence. –you only pay for what you need. With a portfolio of products we are not tied into any one solution and can match the best product to our client needs. Now this also means we need to choose our clients carefully to ensure the CRM portfolio we have chosen can meet these requirements, hence most of our clients requiring this type of advice may have between 5 to 25 users of the system, sometimes up to 50 users. Above this user range, then higher end products are normally considered.

Strong portfolio of pedigree products – we save you time by having searched the market for you. Having spent 16 years in the CRM industry, we have seen many products come and go and whilst we cannot cover every CRM product, we are continually approached to take on new products. Again, like our clients we are wary of new entrants who may be unproven or not have adequate resources. Often these are country specific products and we have found that over the years, international exposure is one true test of longevity in our view, having seen many localised only products not gain the required client base to sustain their developments. All the products we take have either some special advantage or have a proven pedigree in the industry. Of course, we have to choose, but our portfolio is continually being reviewed. Broadly, we consider mainstream proven CRM products with a good development history, financial resources and a good network of other resellers able to support your system.

Third party product knowledge and experience – helping you to source the incremental solution components you need reduces the need for bespoke development, in many instances, the CRM system may form the core system, but often for example, marketers may want E-mail marketing, SMS capability and this is also available since we have been involved with e-mail marketing including our own chosen tool since around 2004. With third party add-ons, a ‘Google’ search doesn’t give you that extra industry in-depth knowledge and experience. We maintain strong contacts with other resellers, partly as a result of our history in the industry and can review many products with a simple call as well.

Consideration of the many client factors involved in choosing CRM. Our extensive customer experience enables us to anticipate requirements you may not have considered. Our portfolio has been chosen and is reviewed to offer two core, sometimes overlapping user and functionality ranges, this capability means we can maximise our experience and knowledge to help our clients find the best fit. We are confident that with the two entry-level CRM system - ACT! and GoldMine together with our two mid-level CRM applications - SAGECRM and MS CRM, available in different deployment options such as hosted, online or on your own IT system, then together with their respective approved add-ons we can cover around 85% of our mid-market client requirements for their CRM systems at an affordable price.

By Gary Perkins

For more information on how MAS can help you, please contact us at Marketing Answers.