IT: anyone here use Salesforce.com?

[SchralphMacchio]

Just wondering if anyone here uses it for work. Impressions?

I'm thinking about using it for project and call/case tracking ...

[SchralphMacchio]

I've integrated with it using their webservice API's on behalf of one of our clients. If you need any info on that sort of thing I might be able to help out. I'm not too familiar with actually using the sfdc site though....

Well, I'm interested in a lot of stuff. Primarily the actual flow of the site, but also thinking about how to integrate with our Mantis bugtracking server. What kind of integration did you do?

[doofyskier]

I used a demo for like 3 weeks last year. It was available on their site. I think you have to ask the sales reps for the trial though...and they keep bugging you...naturally...because they are using the software.
Just throwing that out there in case you haven't used it yet.

[SluffMgt]

I use it for my business...As a database it works great, it is not overly difficult to use, the only gripe that I have (maybe its my lack of competence) but there seems to be no way of copying information from one application to the next (i.e. have to input the same information multiple times).

All in all, it seems to work just fine, good calendar, task lists, reminders...Hope this helps

[gg8983]

I actually work for salesforce here in SF. I will try to answer questions without too many shamless plugs.

Shralp, the call and case management is super easy. You should sign up for a trial or watch the public demo to get a feel for it. This is one area where salesforce can save you a ton of time and is investing a lot as a company.

I am not too familiar with intrgrations but I know nealy every customer I have talked to recently has some type. The complexity will depend on how real time you need your data (push/pull vs daily uploads).

Here is the demo site, watch the service one and let me know if you have questions (http://www.salesforce.com/demos/?d=70130000000Cp3N)


Sluff, you should not have to enter data more than once. Are you an admin? You should look into putting Lookup Fields across objects to pull data in. This way if you enter a contacts address etc you can pull it onto a case for example.

-g

[Dudley]

I've been running Salesforce for the past year and have been impressed. Strong customer service / customization options and relatively intuitive.

[Rideski]

I asked about CRM's somewhere, probably the not threadworthy thread. But it is actually threadworthy.

I'm surprised Salesforce demands a phone and email to even talk to a salesperson. Fuck that.

I used hubspot for a few months. Didn't love it didn't hate it.

What other low or no cost solutions are out there?

And if you know where that other group of comments are feel free to link. I searched hubspot and got no hits.

[doebedoe]

SugarCRM is popular with ngos and non-profits I've worked with.

[Rideski]

Looks like sugar would be $150 a month for three users on entry level plan. Not insurmountable, but I've been retained to help launch a startup, so I don't see a reason to not take advantage of a free system for the first few months till some revenue gets rolling.

Appears
Hubspot
Zoho
And
Streak

Are three frontrunners.
I didn't really care for Hubspot, but at least I'm familiar with it. Apparently Streak integrates with Gmail. Might check it out. Zoho sounds like one of the better competition to Hubspot.

[hatchgreenchile]

I don't miss Salesforce administration, that's for sure.
What's the objective? Activity tracking & accountability, pipeline management, slick reports & dashboards, lead generation, etc, etc ? The bigger the scope, the more "upkeep" it will need (SDRs, Sales Ops, Marketing, etc).
Have you looked at Pipedrive? One of our reps was particularly difficult, a Rolodex type of seller, and he took to their software like a fly to shit.

[Schemeboat]

We used it for a year and switched to hubspot, I have found the UEX on hubspot much much better. I'm not a back end software person, so I am not sure of the functionality of a set it and forget it.

[Rideski]

This new company I'm helping launch has only 2700 prospects in the database currently. Small custom manufacturing. Will probably only add a couple thousand prospects per year.
It will be mostly a Rolodex, but better searching abilities, simple reports, calendar scheduled todos, etc. Reviewed a pitch for pipeline just now. Looks ok. Benefit of free is that if someone doesn't like it we try another. Start growing and need more abilities, pay to upgrade.

[Supermoon]

One thing to think about is who is going to use it and their tech ability. Best CRM in the world doesn’t matter if the sales reps don’t use it.

Same goes for switching. There are costs involved, even if they aren’t cash expenditures. Time, willingness to use new tools, data fuck ups in transition, downtime, etc.

I haven’t used Sugar in years but remember it being easy. $150/month is nothing if it works.

[plugboots]

I used salesforce SAP and HubSpot and I was a sales guy and I say fuck all those things unless they’re completely and fully integrated. In other words you use the whole system to do everything, all your emails quotes etc. otherwise it’s just duplicating work.

[Rideski]

5 person company currently. Primarily just me using CRM. They would be happy to continue with Excel spreadsheet. I'll pull reports to give to the owner. I'll give her a login, but I told her I don't even want her wasting time learning a CRM. She has other things to do. Although I'm getting paid, they are bootstrapping, so yeah $150 adds up to other eqip and supplies they could buy. But more importantly, just stinks to make an investment and then find out it blows. Or for example that would buy a membership to biggest chamber of commerce in the State.

[Rideski]

They are using service fusion for estimates and in house project tracking. Not sure if these will integrate, haven't explored that. I don't see a prospect tracker in service fusion. Would be nice if there was. Maybe I should look closer at that.

[abraham]

This new company I'm helping launch has only 2700 prospects in the database currently. Small custom manufacturing. Will probably only add a couple thousand prospects per year.
It will be mostly a Rolodex, but better searching abilities, simple reports, calendar scheduled todos, etc. Reviewed a pitch for pipeline just now. Looks ok. Benefit of free is that if someone doesn't like it we try another. Start growing and need more abilities, pay to upgrade.

What kind of manufacturing out of curiosity?

I've got a small business making sensors and software, I spent some time looking into this last year before deciding we weren't at a good point to make a shift. In part because we have our own internal database we developed for production and as plugboots said, the integration is important. For us to make change it would need to be connected in with pretty fine details on a component and assembly level. We considered switching to something for sales, with deliberate isolation from the manufacturing but I can't tell if that's an easy way to duplicate effort in the long run. We're still discussing it do I don't have any good advice from using any of these.

A few options I looked at for a small/bootstrapped businesses. In no particular order, just copied from my notes.

https://www.freshworks.com/
https://www.copper.com/
https://www.zoho.com/bigin/
https://www.pipedrive.com/
https://www.streak.com/
https://www.hubspot.com/
https://www.close.com/
https://attio.com/
https://wobaka.com/
https://capsulecrm.com/

[Rideski]

Vehicle wraps and graphics, wall graphics and signs, etc.

Thanks for the list, I've looked at a couple of those, but a few if those I had not seen.

If you happen to be using Gmail (we are not) it appears Google developed their own CRM in Streak. That's not how it was presented to me at first, but appears to be the answer after reviewing. It appears to be free and has some simple and neat features. Didn't spend too long on it because seems mandatory you use a Google email platform.

[Marshal Olson]

Look at Nutshell CRM too.

Like most CRM, you can use Zapier to connect CRM to most sales platforms or OMS to update account info and trigger turning on/off email drips. Please feel free to DM me if you need a referral to a good CRM / Automation helper.