Commence CRM Simplification

There’s a lot of talk these days about the huge potential of mid-market CRM. By most estimates the penetration percentage of CRM products into small- and mid-sized businesses is in the single digits, which means there’s a vast opportunity out there for vendors with the right product. The problem many small- to mid-sized companies face is finding the right product in a sea of expensive, elaborate solutions.

“The CRM industry has been plagued by vendors offering overly complex solutions to solve basic business problems,” says Larry Caretsky, president and CEO of Commence Corporation. He points out, for example, that one major CRM vendor’s mid-market product requires eight screens just for data entry – enough to drive businesses of any size to frustration. These kinds of complexities, Caretsky says, “have resulted in a low adoption rate and failed customer expectations.”

These complex solutions also have resulted in a new breed of mid-market customer. Today, Caretsky says, mid-market companies are demanding solutions that are easy to implement, easy to use and affordable. These companies simply are unwilling to begin the implementation of a CRM solution without feeling comfortable that they will realize a quick return on investment. Vendors like Commence, which has a 15-year history of providing rapidly deployable, cost-effective solutions, are thrilled because their products meet these new customer requirements.

Consider the Commence Application Suite, for example. Deployment time is a matter of days, in most cases, and doesn’t require any systems engineers or programmers – expertise that can quickly drive up installation costs. The solution also is easy to customize. It is a profile-driven product with multiple drop-down menus so that anyone from the secretary to the CEO can customize it without having to learn programming language. The Suite also meets most customers’ affordability requirements at $495 per user license for the sales and marketing module. There’s also a customer support module that sells for an additional $200 per user license. So, for $695 per user, customers can get a complete suite of customer-facing technology.

Don’t think you’ll miss out on functionality at this price. The Suite offers comprehensive functionality that meets the key requirements of most small- to mid-sized businesses: streamlining internal business processes, improving sales processes and delighting customers. “Companies both large and small are beginning to realize they don’t need overly complex or costly solutions to efficiently manage customer relationships,” says Caretsky. “And managers are recognizing that in order to become a more efficient sales and service organization, they must get the right information in the hands of the right people at the right time. The question has become: At what cost?” For an increasing number of buyers, the answer is: an affordable one.

For more information, visit. www.commence.com