| A Built In Add-in For Outlook | | | | very well in this regard as it is a direct add-in to |
| Microsoft Business Contact Manager 2007 for | | | | Outlook and works alongside Business Contact |
| Outlook is the newest version of the old standby | | | | Manager 2007 right in the same pane. This saves the |
| Microsoft Contact Manager. The Business Contact | | | | salesperson the task of having to toggle between |
| Manager 2007 is a built in addition to Outlook which | | | | different applications and Business Contact Manager |
| means no having to find it someplace and add it into | | | | 2007 in the first place. |
| Outlook as with past versions. | | | | Prophet Vs. Other CRM In Use With Business |
| The Difference from Contact Manager | | | | Contact Manager 2007 |
| As opposed to the old Contact Manager, the new | | | | When Prophet was developed, the people at Avidian |
| Business Contact Manager 2007 with the enhanced | | | | acknowledged one major flaw of most CRM’s |
| features of Office Outlook 2007 you can now do a | | | | which was that they all operate outside of Outlook. |
| variety of functions. Combining customer and financial | | | | There is even an online hosted version such as which |
| data is now easier in conjunction with Office | | | | states that it is better to have a hosted solution |
| Accounting 2008. Business Contact Manager 2007 | | | | rather than use a direct solution in line with Business |
| now allows you to compile mailing lists, distribute | | | | Contact Manager 2007 and Outlook. |
| materials, and manage direct marketing campaigns so | | | | While Business Contact Manager 2007 provides a |
| that you can track the results. | | | | good tool for single user interface with Outlook, it is |
| In Office Outlook 2007, Business Contact Manager | | | | clear that other add-ins or options with CRM tools |
| 2007 allows you to consolidate, manage, delegate | | | | need to be available for multiple users and teams. |
| and follow up on tasks with projects. There is a new | | | | The goal here is to increase sales and market value. |
| information dashboard with Business Contact Manager | | | | With this goal in mind, many options, both online and |
| 2007 as well. Also available now with Business | | | | on-site, are readily available. Business Contact |
| Contact Manager 2007, are new reporting features | | | | Manager 2007 can provide a good start, but to |
| which allow for filtering and export capabilities to the | | | | effectively use Outlook you need something to use |
| latest version of Excel. Working offline while on your | | | | right there along side of the Business Contact |
| laptop or Pocket PC is easy with Business Contact | | | | Manager 2007. It is up to you how complex or how |
| Manager 2007 and allows you to synchronize the | | | | many features you wish to get. |
| data when you get back to the office. | | | | What are the benefits to using a tool connected to |
| What Business Contact Manager 2007 does with | | | | Outlook (like Avidian’s Prophet) when hosted |
| Outlook | | | | CRM solutions are available? |
| Office Outlook 2007, along with Business Contact | | | | What are the benefits of using Prophet over a |
| Manager 2007, helps you to do many different tasks | | | | dedicated CRM software tool (ACT!, GoldMine, |
| to aid with sales productivity. You can organize your | | | | Maximizer, etc)? |
| contact, prospect and customer information in one | | | | Truthfully, most CRM products have very similar |
| place. Business Contact Manager 2007 gives you the | | | | features. It is difficult to distinguish between CRM |
| ability to manage sales leads and opportunities | | | | tools simply by comparing their lists of features. To |
| throughout your sales cycle within Outlook. Business | | | | be a serious player in the CRM space, vendors must |
| Contact Manager 2007 allows you to personalize and | | | | master the basics of managing contacts and |
| create direct marketing campaigns in-house with the | | | | opportunities, sharing capabilities and running reports. |
| ability to track your campaign. | | | | Prophet and other CRM vendors offer these |
| The Benefits Of A Tool Connected To Outlook | | | | features and provide the capabilities businesses need. |
| When most Customer Relationship Management | | | | The real differentiator is how well these solutions fit |
| products have similar features it becomes difficult to | | | | into the normal work routine or how easily individuals |
| distinguish between them and the effectiveness they | | | | can adopt them. The benefit of using Prophet is that |
| have with Business Contact Manager 2007 within | | | | it works the way people work, right inside Outlook. If |
| Outlook. The main concern arises when you need | | | | you maintain your list of contacts in Outlook, do you |
| separate applications and databases to make a CRM | | | | want to create another contact database in a |
| product work in conjunction with Business Contact | | | | separate application? If you use the Outlook calendar, |
| Manager 2007 and Outlook. | | | | do you want to maintain another calendar elsewhere? |
| Since most people open up Outlook when they first | | | | Employees are already using Outlook to manage |
| get to work, and then have Outlook being the last | | | | more than half their CRM activities, so why not |
| program they close for the night, it would make since | | | | leverage a user interface they are already familiar |
| to have a tool directly connected to Business | | | | with. When implementing a new system, employee |
| Contact Manager 2007 and Outlook. A product such | | | | adoption rates suffer the more they deviate from |
| as Avidian’s Prophet Contact Manager works | | | | current practices. |