If you're bad at sales follow-up, this small-business CRM app might help
If you are happy with your existing contact management system but need some help keeping on top of prospects and sales follow-up, you should take a peek at a new cloud-based CRM application called OnePage.
The application, dreamed up by Irish entrepreneur Michael Fitzgerald, builts on the "Getting Things Done" organizational method espoused by time management consultant David Allen. If stresses helping small businesses define the sales attack plan for specific accounts and then prompts you and your team with follow-up actions by sending updates and reminders that can be sent to your existing email account. (The screenshot below gives you an idea of how this works.)
You can think of it as a series of "micronudges," Fitzgerald said.
The application is actually a contender in the CRM Idol 2012 contest, an annual competition that helps bring attention to small companies focused on CRM applications and services.
OnePage integrates with Gmail, so it can work with Google contact lists, and it also works with MailChimp and Zapier. FreshBooks and Google calendar tie-ins are planned, and Evernote integration is on the drawing board at the request of many OnePage users, Fitzgerald said.
One big advantage of OnePage is it simplicity, said Paul Killoran, founder of another Irish technology startup, Exordo, which provides an application for managing content submissions related to conferences. Many other small-business applications try to recreate contact management, while what many entrepreneurs really need is software that can take the place of a really good personal assistant who reminds you about sales follow-up and action items.
Another application that I've been following, Stride, also has focused on downplaying contact management features.
Exordo opted for OnePage in order to case leads and "get ahead of the relationship," which helps close more deals, Killoran said. The Exordo team has been using the application since it emerged from a best test in September 2011.
OnePage is priced starting at $15 per month for solo entrepreneurs or $30 per month for up to three users. Volume discounts are available for companies that choose to buy upfront on a quarterly or annual basis, Fitzgerald said.
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