Comments on: Can’t afford a CRM? Address Book may be all you need http://doingwords.com/?p=1234 Helping startups tell their story Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:15:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: alan jones http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-864 alan jones Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:28:11 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-864 Thanks for the input Rob, you're right, it's just an address book. If <br>you actually need a CRM there are better solutions.<br><br>I think some people are talked into CRM platforms when they don't <br>really need them. And Salesforce is powerful but it's hard to find a <br>more difficult web platform to learn. It's the MYOB of CRM.<br><br>If you're a Mac user your Address Book is really closely integrated <br>with everything else on your Mac (and iPhone) and it can be really <br>handy to have info like when/where you met this contact, who their <br>colleagues are, etc. And you don't really need a CRM platform for that.<br><br>Cheers! Thanks for the input Rob, you're right, it's just an address book. If
you actually need a CRM there are better solutions.

I think some people are talked into CRM platforms when they don't
really need them. And Salesforce is powerful but it's hard to find a
more difficult web platform to learn. It's the MYOB of CRM.

If you're a Mac user your Address Book is really closely integrated
with everything else on your Mac (and iPhone) and it can be really
handy to have info like when/where you met this contact, who their
colleagues are, etc. And you don't really need a CRM platform for that.

Cheers!

]]> By: robtyrie http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-863 robtyrie Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:00:42 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-863 I suppose Address Book is ok... but it's an address book. <br><br>Sugar CRM is free. Single User of SalesForce is free. FreeCRM is Free. Zoho CRM for 1 user is free. These are good free options that are affordable and many more function points than an address book. If Address books could be CRM systems, there would not be a multi-billion dollar CRM industry or the common function points that sales, service and marketing. If I was starting a small business on the cheap - I'd look at one of these.<br><br>One of the other bonuses, as you get more successful, you can transition easily to the paid versions. Just Sayin. I suppose Address Book is ok… but it's an address book.

Sugar CRM is free. Single User of SalesForce is free. FreeCRM is Free. Zoho CRM for 1 user is free. These are good free options that are affordable and many more function points than an address book. If Address books could be CRM systems, there would not be a multi-billion dollar CRM industry or the common function points that sales, service and marketing. If I was starting a small business on the cheap – I'd look at one of these.

One of the other bonuses, as you get more successful, you can transition easily to the paid versions. Just Sayin.

]]> By: Facebook User http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-862 Facebook User Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:45:12 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-862 Sorry for the slow reply Robert, I've been away and off the grid.<br><br>Go to the Card menu in addressbook and choose Edit Template at the bottom of the Add Field menu item.<br><br>Once editing the template, click on a green plus arrow to add a new field. Choose any name initially. Then click and hold down on the new field and bring that list of field names up again. Scroll to the bottom of that list and you'll see "Custom..." and that's what you're looking for.<br><br>Enjoy! Sorry for the slow reply Robert, I've been away and off the grid.

Go to the Card menu in addressbook and choose Edit Template at the bottom of the Add Field menu item.

Once editing the template, click on a green plus arrow to add a new field. Choose any name initially. Then click and hold down on the new field and bring that list of field names up again. Scroll to the bottom of that list and you'll see “Custom…” and that's what you're looking for.

Enjoy!

]]> By: Robert http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-840 Robert Thu, 10 Sep 2009 23:07:52 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-840 Hi there, I've been trying to add a custom field but have been unsuccessful. All I can do is rename existing fields. This is not very useful as I need to modify what the the field content is. I only have options of names or dates. <br><br>Am I missing something? Hi there, I've been trying to add a custom field but have been unsuccessful. All I can do is rename existing fields. This is not very useful as I need to modify what the the field content is. I only have options of names or dates.

Am I missing something?

]]> By: alan jones http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-711 alan jones Wed, 01 Jul 2009 06:52:19 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-711 The sanctimonious bastards! They make such a big song and dance about <br>not selling things for free, charging what they're worth, etc, and now <br>I find they do this! Still, 250 contact limit might work for a per- <br>project thing but probably not for someone's main CRM. The sanctimonious bastards! They make such a big song and dance about
not selling things for free, charging what they're worth, etc, and now
I find they do this! Still, 250 contact limit might work for a per-
project thing but probably not for someone's main CRM.

]]> By: Michael Air http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-709 Michael Air Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:17:01 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-709 There is still a free plan, you just need keen eyesight :)<br><br><a href="http://skitch.com/airhead/bsy9k/sign-up-for-a-highrise-account" rel="nofollow">http://skitch.com/airhead/bsy9k/sign-up-for-a-h...</a> There is still a free plan, you just need keen eyesight :)

http://skitch.com/airhead/bsy9k/sign-up-for-a-h...

]]> By: alan jones http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-707 alan jones Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:15:08 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-707 Sadly 37Signals no longer offer the free version of Highrise (<a href="http://www.highrisehq.com/signup" rel="nofollow">http://www.highrisehq.com/signup</a> <br>) and pricing starts at USD29. Unfortunately the USD/AUD exchange rate <br>adds to that and makes it way too expensive for your average Aussie <br>solo operator.<br><br>Thanks for stopping by Michael, see ya on Twitter. Sadly 37Signals no longer offer the free version of Highrise (http://www.highrisehq.com/signup
) and pricing starts at USD29. Unfortunately the USD/AUD exchange rate
adds to that and makes it way too expensive for your average Aussie
solo operator.

Thanks for stopping by Michael, see ya on Twitter.

]]> By: Michael Air http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-706 Michael Air Tue, 30 Jun 2009 11:08:37 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-706 Free HighRise account is a good option as well. Free HighRise account is a good option as well.

]]> By: alan jones http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-704 alan jones Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:35:11 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-704 Cool, I'll go check it out. Thanks for the tip David! Cool, I'll go check it out. Thanks for the tip David!

]]> By: David Glover http://doingwords.com/?p=1234&cpage=1#comment-703 David Glover Mon, 29 Jun 2009 11:37:30 +0000 http://doingwords.com/?p=1234#comment-703 Good tip Alan. I think you've had the same problem with full-fledged CRM apps that I have. A complicated solution in search of a problem. I note that in spite of elaborate and expensive corporate CRM solutions, companies like Telstra and Optus can't seem to present the phone number you entered at the beginning of their call to the person who can actually deal with your "issue". <br><br>Just thought I'd add a favourite memory-problem-solving app of mine to the mix: MacJournal (and its companion WinJournal) from <a href="http://www.marinersoftware.com" rel="nofollow">www.marinersoftware.com</a>. While it's promoted mainly as a journal/blogging package, it's a great place to scribble those jotted notes and drop the photos etc we all collect every day. I use it to keep my diary notes of conversations with the aforementioned telcos, among many, many other things. It can all live in one file which saves itself and backs itself up (and has never lost a byte of data in the 4+ years I've been using it. Good tip Alan. I think you've had the same problem with full-fledged CRM apps that I have. A complicated solution in search of a problem. I note that in spite of elaborate and expensive corporate CRM solutions, companies like Telstra and Optus can't seem to present the phone number you entered at the beginning of their call to the person who can actually deal with your “issue”.

Just thought I'd add a favourite memory-problem-solving app of mine to the mix: MacJournal (and its companion WinJournal) from http://www.marinersoftware.com. While it's promoted mainly as a journal/blogging package, it's a great place to scribble those jotted notes and drop the photos etc we all collect every day. I use it to keep my diary notes of conversations with the aforementioned telcos, among many, many other things. It can all live in one file which saves itself and backs itself up (and has never lost a byte of data in the 4+ years I've been using it.

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