Companies around the globe are embracing software as a service (SaaS), especially for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and sales lead management. The benefits of software as a service are many:
• reduced costs
• instant deployment
• scalability
• easy upgrades
• measurable ROI
• access to information from any location with Internet access and from multiple computing platforms (cell phone to laptop & desktop)
But many companies are finding that when it comes to SaaS CRM actual benefits can be less than expected. Some of the reasons cited include:
• cost increases – many vendors offer a limited version at low cost but require a long term contract, once the companies have their data in the system they find they need features only available in the higher cost version, additionally many vendors make it hard to extract data once it’s in the system, virtually forcing companies to move to more expensive versions - one of the top vendors lists their introductory version at $5 per user per month and their most popular version at $125 per user per month
• unexpected expenses like internal development, deployment and support
• long-term contracts that lock you into a minimum number of users so that even if your business has changed and you no longer need all those users you still have to pay for them
• steep learning curves and resistance from the sales team to use the tools
• requiring multiple vendors to provide a complete solution driving up consulting costs
The primary justification for implementing software as a service was reduced costs but at $125 per person per month the costs can add up quickly. Add to that the cost of training, consulting, development, deployment, support and additional apps and the costs can quickly escalate. A company with 100 users at $125 per user per month can spend $150,000 per year in software licensing costs alone. According to the Yankee Group, software licensing accounts for less than 50% of the cost, this brings the total cost of ownership to well over $300,000 per year for 100 users.
As for adoption by the sales team, recent studies indicate that a majority of sales reps using the brand name CRM products use less than 50% of the features of the system. The number one reason cited was difficulty using the product.
I was speaking with a software company that had spent $370,000 in development costs on customizing their open source CRM solution. They had called LeadMaster because they required functionality that their in-house solution didn’t provide. If a software development company with plenty of programming talent can’t accomplish their goals with $370,000 what chance does the average company have?
Many companies are finding that CRM is great for managing customer interactions but they were also looking for something to manage interactions with prospects as well. What they were really looking for was a Lead Management / Opportunity Management / CRM system. And unfortunately many of the big name SaaS CRM tools fall short of customer needs.
Businesses are constantly trying to find new ways to cut costs while improving productivity. And while the solution eludes many, the all-new Lead-Xpress from LeadMaster provides a Lead Management / CRM solution that truly reduces costs while boosting productivity. LeadMaster provides an all-in-one solution. LeadMaster includes Lead Management, Opportunity Management and CRM features. Some of the LeadMaster built-in features include Email Marketing, Lead Nurturing, Workflow Automation, Outlook Integration, Google Calendar Synchronization, Round Robin Lead Distribution, Duplicate Record Management, Sophisticated Reporting, Report Subscriptions and Automated Task Management to name a few .
LeadMaster’s primary design criteria were ease of use for the sales rep. The most popular software as a service CRM solution requires a dozen clicks of the mouse to make a note in the system that the sales rep left a voicemail. LeadMaster has a feature called ‘Click-Actions’ that allows frequently performed tasks to be reduced to a single click of the mouse. For example, a click action could update the notes, send an email, schedule a callback and add the contact to lead nurturing all with two clicks - a single click of the mouse for the click action and then click go.
Lead-Xpress takes the best features of the LeadMaster Lead Management / CRM system and makes them available for companies to help them manage their sales leads and customer interactions. Lead-Xpress is the ultimate lead management solution for companies that wish to dramatically cut Software as a Service CRM costs while actually boosting productivity. With Lead-Xpress, a simplified version of the LeadMaster CRM, users can easily receive leads via email and update records via a secure link in their email.
LeadMaster users can easily assign leads to Lead-Xpress users with just a couple of clicks in the LeadMaster system. Users only have access to the records to which they are assigned. Lead-Xpress users are sent an email alerting them of the lead including an embedded or hyperlinked web form. This simple form takes seconds to fill out and submit. The form is customizable and typically requires no training. This allows Lead-Xpress users to update the Lead Management / CRM system easily within seconds. With mobile access included for every Xpress user, reps can now update their leads from an Internet enabled mobile phone.
Lead-Xpress clients save up to 90% on their SaaS Lead Management / CRM costs.
Call LeadMaster at (800) 699-4164 to speak with a Lead-Xpress expert. But cost savings are not the only benefits that come from using Lead-Xpress. Built-in workflow distributes leads automatically so leads can be in a reps hands within seconds of the time the prospect clicks the submit button. Lead-Xpress allows sales reps to quickly contact their leads. Leads contacted within the first 5 minutes have a 90% greater chance of connection. Leads updated in real-time means more accurate data in the system, and accurate data means better reporting and more informed business decisions. Decisions like which marketing program is generating the most sales. Better decisions lead to more revenue, and the cycle repeats itself.
Lead-Xpress also saves managers hours per week spent on menial tasks. For those companies that provide leads to outside representatives without providing lead management access, managers have had to both distribute and update leads manually; resulting in countless hours spent sending emails and following up via telephone. Lead-Xpress now automates the process by allowing reps to distribute leads and request updates in seconds through the LeadMaster Lead Management / CRM system.
Lead-Xpress is appropriate for the following types of businesses:
•Companies with outside sales reps
•Companies that want to reduce SaaS CRM costs
•Companies that outsource their lead generation
•Companies that sell products through distributors
•Companies that sell products through sales agents
•Companies that have a widely distributed sales force
If any of the above pertains to your company, call LeadMaster at (800) 699-4164. The savings in time and cost as well as the gains in revenue will be well worth the time it takes to speak with a Lead-Xpress expert.
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