A quick comparison of two prominent Customer Relationship Management (CRM) technology tools in the industry reveals that:
Relenta CRM combines several software programs
An intuitive Web 2.0-style application, Relenta CRM actually replaces five separate software programs, including email, CRM, newsletter marketing software, online calendar, and a contact manager. This allows these functions to be combined seamlessly to work together for a better company. This makes a great deal of sense, given that online marketing and email are in fact important ways of managing business contacts. Using separate programs can allow clients and opportunities to slip through the cracks and creates extra work. Having to enter client meetings into a separate online calendar, for instance, and then having to hop into CRM to find client information and re-enter the meeting facts reduces effectiveness. Salesforce.com does not offer email right in the program and while the program lets you track email marketing, it does not have a viable system for outbound e-mail marketing.
Salesforce.com has a recognizable name
Salesforce.com has been around since 1999 and currently more than 35,500 companies use the system. That may be one reason why the company is able to charge $1,500 per user, per year. In contrast, Relenta CRM charges only $1 000 per 5 users per year and has a number of useful pricing packages to fit various business models.
Salesforce.com offers forecasting
Salesforce.com uses a number of forecasting and analysis tools to allows businesses to predict future events. For example, the system boasts forecasting features that include rolling target periods and status summaries. The system also has response tracking and cost-justification tools that allow businesses to make key company decisions based on projections as well as past data. Relenta CRM focuses on managing and making the most of new leads and past accounts. For example, the system allows all team members to gain access to a customer’s past email history with the company, so that new decisions about the client can be made. Relenta CRM also boasts lead capture API, which allows you to enter new contact into your Relenta account directly from websites or emails. You can even add these new contacts to specific email marketing programs or groups at once.
Relenta CRM offers more email integration
Possibly since the program is more in tune with email systems, the system makes it easier to track emails and customers by priority. One quibble many reviewers have had with salesforce.com is that it provides few visual queues. Outstanding tasks or high priority items are not clearly indicated for action, whereas Relenta CRM allows users to organize emails, contacts, and other information by account, priority, and other features.
