CRM? Something like REI Blackbook, Podio or Zoho… But not exactly

[Dominic Mauro]

Hey all, I know there have been 100 variations on this theme (and I have read them all) but I have a couple of questions that someone might have some insight on. Apologies, this got long, just feel like explaining the situation might yield more targeted results.

Basically, my situation is that I would like to formalize/centralize our record keeping and marketing efforts in to as few systems as reasonable. We (just 2 of us) mostly contact D4D prospects (there are a lot in our area) but have also done some direct mail lists and sms marketing in the past. For us that means that while we want to be able to do a decent amount of cold calling and SMS we don’t really need (or like) the ability to blast thousands of people, just individual contacts as needed and don't really need an expensive VOIP dialer or anything.

To date I have managed this with an (ever increasingly) unwieldy set of excel sheets but they eventually get confusing and there is a real problem in that when we get too busy, we have to put the brakes on the marketing but then it’s kind of hard to jump back in and remember where you are at with every step, every contact, etc. Rich file names, comments, etc. only get us so far. Plus, there is no automation so even though we have workflows planned it is difficult to manage stages, responses, etc.

All that is to say, we are trying to find a CRM (and more) that will help us store, parse and automate some of this. I have been building a podio setup and as a CRM it is pretty solid so far but I am just getting in to trying to figure out some integrations and automation and have quickly realized that it is a little tough/clunky with my tech level and honestly, all of it feels a bit cobbled together. I am also afraid that, like other things, we will figure it out and then forget how it works after we switch gears and it will be a struggle to update features down the line. I have run in to this issue with other low code type stuff before (wordpress!).

After starting a trial with REI Blackbook I realized that an all-in-one solution would be awesome. Something that has a good CRM and in some reasonable way integrates voice, SMS, email (maybe direct mail too but not as big of a deal) and some form of automation/workflow. Does anyone use or know of anything that meets the following or gets pretty close?

Here are kind of my thoughts, maybe it’s a unicorn?

• - A CRM that is pretty customizable/flexible. Probably the biggest issue I have with REI Blackbook is that the CRM just doesn't really fit what we are doing currently (D4D/Skip/Cold Call/Text/Email/Direct Mail usually in that order). The issues I mostly have (with most of the mid-tier CRMs) is how a lead is input always seems to have limitations. I would like to be able to have the lead managed by property address (not contact), have multiple contacts (husband & wife, several heirs) and have a large-ish number of phone numbers (we skip and then whittle down to a best number or numbers) with each contact that can all be contacted (versus just a "primary" number that can be called) and could also work for handling lists (code compliance is one we have done in the past as it's readily available from the city), maybe with something like tags to keep them separate.
• -Automated Workflows – This is probably the biggest hurdle we have now. Having prospects at various stages and not being able to set up automatic contacts or even just reminders that a next step is due (automatic tasks or similar) becomes quickly overwhelming. Being able to automate a few contacts with new prospects or a drip campaign (for instance, monthly emails or texts to people who have sent in their contact info) would be huge. The workflow tool in REI Blackbook seems pretty spot on as it is simple and covers these main things but not overwhelming like Globiflow.
• -Voice, SMS & Email Integration – The more robust the better! I love the idea of click to call/text with some form of logging. We currently just use Google Voice & Gmail but any integrated solution is great.  As mentioned, it would be great to access ALL phone numbers, not just a "primary" number.
• -Cap of about $200 a month all in (including any external accounts if there are any). I would like to stay away from annual only payments or “setup fees” as that’s just not right for where we are at unless it really is the most awesome thing ever. Obviously, cheaper would be great!

Maybe Podio really is the best option, I would just like to see if I’m missing anything first. Or maybe someone knows a Podio workspace that has this stuff? Thanks!