Do you use Customer Relationship Management software, like Salesforce.com?

When I was a cubicle dweller, of course, I used Outlook, but as a solo Web designer and copywriter, it seemed like overkill.

Besides, although I own Outlook (and the rest of the MS Office suite) I prefer web-based and preferably open source solutions. Because I use multiple computers and multiple operating systems (Windows, Linux), a Web-based solution seemed ideal.

I’ve long used Highrise from 37Signals, and it’s fine — for what it is. But it’s not really CRM, and I’ve never been able to make it an intrinsic part of my workflow. It doesnt have an inbox, and I often forget to BCC client emails to my dropbox, so I end up without records of what I’ve done or said to a client. So what’s the point?

This weekend, I spent hours scouring search engines, small-biz websites and dozens of reviews looking for a better CRM solution.

I eliminated lots of them for lots of reasons, then spent hours torture-testing what seemed to be the best Web-based CRM solutions for small and solo businesses like mine.

The surviving candidates include Relenta, Capsule CRM, and Tactile CRM. I signed up for free trial accounts for all three. I’m still testing them, but so far my favorite is Relenta.

Email-oriented CRM

It’s not perfect by any means, but I think they’re on the right track. Or at least, their orientation (prejudices?) match mine.

First, Relenta is email-oriented. I live in my Inbox, and often use it as a de facto to-do list, flagging and starring messages as reminders. So far, it doesn’t appear Relenta lets me color-code or flag messages, although there’s something called ”Filters” that I still haven’t explored which might do the trick.

But it might not matter, because Relenta puts my to-do list (“Activities”) just one click away. In fact, their whole ethos is for everything to be just one click away: Inbox, Contacts, Activities (To-dos) and files (both email attachments and uploads).

Activities can be viewed as a complete list by date, today’s only, or on a monthly calendar. The calendar design won’t keep Google’s people awake at night, but at least Relenta has one — unlike a lot of so-called CRMs.

Also one click away is your contact list. Like all CRMs, Relenta makes it easy to import existing lists as CSV files.

But here’s a real treat:

Every time an email arrives, it offers to create a new contact using info from the email (left). Very slick! If the email is from someone already in your address book, it can automatically assign it to that contact.

When you click on a contact, that person’s entire “activity stream” appears: emails, notes, to-dos,file attachments, everything. Excellent!

As the screenshot also shows, you can also create an activity (i.e., a to-do) right from the guts of the email — another very handy feature.

Another benefit: it integrates beautifully with Google Apps email.

Too expensive?

This isn’t a full review, of course — just a first impression. But so far I’m really pleased to have found a streamlined CRM that works the way I do, with (almost) everything I need, and boats an attractive interface, too.

On the down side, Relenta is more expensive than Capsule or Tactile CRM. At $25/month it costs less a Highrise solo account, but does much, much more. You could even cancel your AWeber or Constant Contact account and use Relenta to send out your e-newsletters (although I wouldn’t advise it, for fear of getting your personal email address blacklisted).

Besides, if your business can’t afford $25/month, you don’t really have a business.

Well, that’s my take so far. If you’re a small or solo biz, what’s your choice for CRM? Tell me in the comments.

Update:

After almost three full days of use, I’m giving up on Relenta.

The main culprit, imho, is Relenta’s email client. It’s OK for the basics, but not for business use. You can’t create bullet lists, even in the rich text/html version? Seriously? Also no threaded conversations.

My conclusion: if Relenta’s email client is so limited that I can’t use it for my client communications, then for me its overall usefulness falls apart. So for now I’m back to switching back and forth between Gmail and Nirvana for my to-dos.

That’s my take. Your mileage may vary. Hey, you may find it perfect.

While most of his advice had to do with humor writing and making people laugh, many of his suggestions are valid for copywriters and business writers, too. In fact, anyone who wants people to keep reading what they’ve written.

Here’s some of Dilbert’s daddy’s advice:

• Start with an attention-getting “lead.” Here’s Adams’ opening gambit in his Wall Street Journal article: “Last weekend a French fry got lodged in my sinus cavity.” Does that make you want to read more?
• Hook your readers with stories. You don’t have to be funny, like Adams’ tale (about his ignorance of the human reproductive system when he was 11 years old). But stories resonate with people, draw them in and make them feel closer to you. What if you told the story of why you started your business — who you wanted to help, and why? Show a little of your authentic self — I guarantee it will be a lot more exciting than your company mission statement.
• Make them curious. “Good writing makes you curious without being too heavy-handed about it,” Adams writes. “My first sentence in this piece, about the French fry lodged in my sinus cavity, is designed to make you curious.”

Adams also explains why “yank” is funnier than “pull.” Now there’s something every writer ought to know!

I humbly submit that you, the business owner, are far more qualified than I am to write the copy for your website. Why? Lots of reasons:

• You know far more about your business than I (or any other copywriter) ever will.
• You talk to your customers every day. You know why they buy, and why they don’t. You hear their objections, and know exactly how to respond.
• Because you own the business, your success is much more important to you than to any hired gun.
• You’re probably more focused on the goal, which is (or should be) attracting more customers. Some copywriters (too many) view your website as a chance to show how clever they are. Your site becomes just another little part of their portfolio.

There’s only one problem with you writing your own website copy, and it’s a biggie.

You’re probably not a very good writer.

That’s not a criticism, just a fact. After all, writing is probably not an important part of your everyday skill set. You’re an expert at doing what you do — not writing about what you do.

Oh, you might be able to write a good article or blog post. But writing a web page that instantly connects with a half-interested visitor? One that establishes trust? A Web site that actually sells? That is a very tough assignment — as you know if you’ve ever tried it yourself.

BTW, that’s why good copywriters are in high demand — and why they can charge an arm and a leg. Oh sure, there are typists writers who will crank out your entire website for a couple hundred dollars. They’re generally novices who hang out on places like elance or guru.com. Some even grew up speaking English! But don’t expect them to deliver the kind of results a top gun would.

So if you can’t afford to hire the best, why not try doing it yourself?

This is the first in a series of blog posts written specifically for small-business owners and service providers. (OK, marketing people with slashed budgets can join in, too.)

Based on my 25+ years of experience writing websites, sales letters, landing pages, and ads — not to mention writing for newspapers, magazines, and radio-TV — I’m going to show you, step-by-step, how to rewrite your website so that it accomplishes your #1 goal: bringing in leads.

If you do it right, leads turn into customers, and that means money in your pocket. If a website doesn’t generate leads, it’s little more than an expensive brochure.

BTW, this series of posts are excerpts of my first ebook, which will be available right after the holidays. If you’d like to receive advance notice (and a substantial discount), just sign up for my mailing list (at the top right).

You might also want to subscribe to my RSS feed (click the little orange thingie) so you don’t miss any goodies.

Bob’s a successful and savvy advertising executive who owns his own agency in San Francisco. He’s also a delightfully grumpy old fart who loves to snicker at the Emperor’s missing bloomers, as well as the foolishness of the people watching the parade.

Like me, Bob gags at what passes for B2B copy these days, especially the “cutting edge, state of the art, scalable” baloney favored by technology companies big and small:

“One way we can tell that the marketing and advertising industries are in dire straits is by listening to the language. From the HP website:

“… (HP’s) collaborative approach is tailored to a customer’s ecosystem to create adaptive infrastructures that use leading software products and architectures and leverage HP’s own expertise in the creation of adaptive infrastructures.”

“Spend time at a conference, read a trade publication, listen to a presentation and it soon becomes obvious that speaking plainly and clearly has become anathema to most marketing practitioners.”

As a copywriter and former technical writer, I confess I have been forced to write that kind of crap on any number of occasions. But in my defense, the clients flatly rejected my initial drafts — the ones written in plain American English, easily understood even by CEOs. The kind of everyday shirtsleeve English you and I speak to each other.

Can you imagine meeting someone new, asking what they do, and have them say, “Oh, we create adaptive infrastructures…”? Of course not. Nobody really talks like that. Not even the guys who wrote it.

I have a theory. See if you agree. I think vague, jargon-filled copy are like those giant boulders in old TV westerns. They’re really big, they slow down your enemies … and they’re really great to hide behind.

PS: After a month-long, self-imposed hiatus from blogging, Bob’s and his blog are back together. To be honest, I think he was considering a divorce, but settled on a trial separation instead. Since he’s pretty skeptical about the business value of social media, we’ll see how long he lasts. Enjoy his curmudgeonality while you can, kids.

photo credit: colinedwards99

“There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.”

Whether you’re a writer, painter, or spreadsheet jockey, if Resistance is getting the better of you, Pressman’s short book is a must-read.

Here’s one way to overcome resistance that usually works for me. I wish I could credit whoever I got this from, but that’s been lost in the mists of memory. (If you know, please tell in the comments.)

OK, ready? Here goes.

Make a deal with yourself. Promise yourself that you will seriously tackle it — whatever you’re resisting — for just ten minutes. How hard can that be? I mean, you can endure anything for ten lousy minutes, right? (Except waterboarding, perhaps).

OK, grab your digital kitchen timer — a must-have tool for the productivity-minded. Set it for ten minutes. Now get going. Dig in and really give it your best shot. It’s only ten minutes, right?

When the timer goes off, if you’re still not into it, OK. Give up. Move on to something else. You did your part. You fulfilled your end of the bargain. You “win” (or lose, depending on how you look at it). Of course, if you’re like me, after ten minutes you’re back into it and (finally!) rolling again. You just needed a way to “trick” yourself into getting started. Congrats!

Try it and let me know how it works for you. And if you have a better way to get yourself started, by all means share it n the comments.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a hit of Rolling Stones: “Start me up, start me up baby and I’ll never stop…”

Photo by rkreetch