Who Uses Market Sharp? I Need Your Counsel

Grumpy

As a follow up to this thread: http://www.contractortalk.com/f12/ma...oftware-25873/ started last year and recvently revisited... I need some advice on which version is right for me. I am considering buying a CRM solution this quarter. I spoke with my sales rep today and while he seemed like a pleasant person, I heard "I don't know." a little too many times in our conversation. I need some answers before I pull the trigger.

Anyways specifically for those of you who have an use marketsharp regularly, which version do you have? If you have the prospector module do you use it? Someone tell me about the raduis mailings. Where does the databse of prospects come from? Do I have to buy this list seperately?


The way I see it I can probably get buy with the lite version which does not include the prospector module. I could then enter all my lists into the leads module, since this essentially what I've been doing. I could also make custom mailings so there's no REAL need for the prospector module, unless I wanted to do radius mailings?


What else should I know? What is the ONE upgrade you simply can't live without and would suggest me getting?

George Z

Grumpy, look at this
We started using ZOHO CRM.
People that know better than me call it superior to Salesforce,
but it's free for three users. No trial necessary, get in and start using.
Only $12 per extra users.
But it's on the Web.

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MEL

CE is the version I recommend. If you want to go cheap and buy half a program don’t buy it at all.

You can buy a list and import it or build your own.

To do a radius mailing you would have to have latitude and longitude.

I use custom filters and mail to specific neighborhoods, I build my own list.

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MEL

Grumpy

I've got plenty of lists, thousands of names spread about, just none with the lat or long. That'd need to be a pretty hefty list of ALOT of names, and I bet would cost ALOT of money to buy. That kinda makes the radius mailer out, which kinda makes the prospect module half useless.

I wonder how many people buy the prospector thinking "Wow look how easy that is to do!" and then realize they have to spend a few thousand more dollars for a compelte list of their metro area.

Mel do you use the quickbooks add on or either propsoal, service, or workorder add on? The quickbooks add on seems a little bit useful too and would pay for it's self in the time saved of redundant data entry.

Grumpy

George, I'll look into that but to be honest I am trying to avoid web based unless it sits on MY server.

premierpainter

We use Market Sharp every day. It is the best tool that we have. We upgraded to the one that links in QB's. They offer a lot of help and even helped bring all of our names from QB's into Market Sharp. Proximity mailers are easy and e-mailing mass amount of people can't be any easier.
Get it and you will not be let down. Be prepaired for the $4500 in cost.

MEL

I have QB connection it saves a little time.

I do not have the modules for proposals, work orders or service orders.

I use preprinted proposals and my work orders are generated by my estimating software.

I do not use the scheduling feature in MarketSharp I use Outlook. If that is important to you then you should find out if other contractors use that feature.

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MEL

Grumpy

Tell me about the proximity mailer. It's my unsertanding that each time I want to do a radius/proximity mailing, I have to buy a list at $0.04 per name. Is this correct? Or is there a pre-loaded list of some kind? Where does marketsharp get the info to mail to on the proximity mailers?

Grumpy

We've got a pretty good estimating system ourselves, but I was curious as to what they offered. In regards to the scheduling, I too use outlook for my personal schedule. However I have multiple sales reps and need to know their schedules so if we book an appointment for them, it's not a double booking.