I need a simple contact management system

by Exire
21 replies
Hi all,

I'm looking for a simple contact management system. Preferably a desktop software but I'd be willing to use an online system also. If it's free, that's even better.

I've looked at a few of the CRM solutions out there (Zoho, SugarCRM, vTiger) but they're far more involved than what I need. I'm looking for something that stores the contacts name and contact details (e.g., email address, phone number, physical address, etc.) along with some notes about the contact. If I can add my own custom fields/data, that would be great also. In other words, I don't need anything fancy that tracks every little detail and interaction I've ever had and gives me charts and graphs and calendars and reminders, etc.

If I can export the data to a spreadsheet or just export the database for backup, that would be great too.

So, anyone have any suggestions or are all such solutions monstrously bloated with features that I don't necessarily need?
#contact #management #simple #system
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  • Profile picture of the author TopKat22
    Plaxo is good and you can use it just as a contact management system or as a social network and can connect it to other social networks, too.

    Also, you can sign up for free.
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  • Profile picture of the author wymetto
    we are about to use ZOHO - online system works with Google...
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  • Profile picture of the author teemoney
    hey exire ive heard highrise is pretty nice. i read about it online ill be checkin it out too since im pushing to get into the offline marketing too.
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  • Profile picture of the author Saito
    I would go with Highrise, or my new favorite is "Base" at Small Business Software | Future Simple

    Everything Highrise (contact notes, attach files, all online, etc) has plus it lets you see your total Lead Funnel and conversion rates for getting to the next stage in it. Like in mine, I have Initial Inquiries, Needs Analysis, Proposal Sent, and then Accepted, Lost, Didn't want, other.

    It shows it on a visual graph so you can figure out where your system is breaking down. I love it!
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    • Profile picture of the author poodiddy
      I've used SalesForce, Tiger and Sugar CRM, and BaseCamp. Buy FAR and I mean by FAR I like Web Based CRM Software, Contact Management Software - BigContacts the best. Pay a low user fee per month or buy a year at once to save some money.
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      • Profile picture of the author Colleen Lawson
        BigContacts was my first choice, too, back when I was first researching CRM's. I wasn't ready to go out on my own then, but I'm doing so now.

        It's a bit confusing, however! I can't yet afford the big players like Infusionsoft, 1Shoppingcart and Aweber ... But I worry why the smaller players remain small; Does it mean that there won't be enough apps that include them (widgets, Android support, etc.)? Or that they are unable to keep up with social or technology changes? What benefits does ConstantContacts, for instance, have over BigContacts that has led to such disparity in market share? Does it just boil down to more visible advertising?

        I love Gist, but it's an exceedingly hard name to use in keyword searching :0, and I'm not quite sure how best to use it in CRM; If anyone here uses it and would care to share how you've integrated it into your work flow, I'm sure many of us would be grateful.

        Finally, I'm implementing DoneDesk as a means of communicating with a team on tasks and projects.

        So ... as my forum searches have not yielded results for any of these three tools, I'm wondering why? I did a lot of research before finding these -- I need tools that are simple but effective and kinda customizable, else I'll get overwhelmed. But knowing that you're all the pros here and you *aren't* using these tools makes me wonder if I'm choosing incorrectly.

        Any insight would be deeply appreciated.

        Thank you,
        Colleen

        *Edited for clarity
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  • Profile picture of the author geotargeted
    There is a Wordpress theme that is a basic crm. I forget the name but you can google it.
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    • Profile picture of the author jasong714
      SugarCRM is by far the most powerful platform out of all of the above. But it takes some effort to get setup.

      I am able to track every single lead for offline businesses from start to finish, without worrying about whether the sales rep is going to select the correct lead source, etc.

      Sugar can be heavily customized and is comparable (but far more cost effective) to having a custom system developed.

      AWESOME for tracking both online (works great for PPC) and traditional marketing.
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      • Profile picture of the author tonywarrior2
        I use Zoho, it's free, simple and I love it! You can pay an optional $5 per month and it synchronizes with Gmail - amazing because all email is stored against the Contact. They updated their interface a little while ago and I think it's great.
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  • Profile picture of the author DRO
    Best CRM IMO is:

    salesforce ($5 is cheapest) (web) (learning curve has all bells and whistles) (iphone/bb/andr app)
    zoho (web) (free cheapest plan)


    some other options

    nutshell $49 per month (leads/sales/contacts)
    FAT FREE CRM free
    sugarcrm $360 year
    ContactMe (has free plan) (organize contacts)
    solve360 ($39) (crm and project manager)
    freecrm (free) (basic crm, cons: very ugly and pita for importing)
    civicrm (free) (alot of nonprofits use, opensource and you need to install)
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  • Profile picture of the author sara121
    I would suggest Wordpress or drupal. They both are good & easy to use.
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    • Profile picture of the author tonywarrior2
      Originally Posted by sara121 View Post

      I would suggest Wordpress or drupal. They both are good & easy to use.
      Those would be CMSs not CRMs.
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  • Profile picture of the author Jeff Snyder
    Microsoft CRM Online is actually VERY good and easily customizable. WorkETC is also good and integrates well with Google Apps.
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  • Profile picture of the author rshorette
    It looks to me like almost all of the suggestions involved online CRM solutions. If you are looking for a desktop solution I would go with ACT! I used it for years in a small business. It is simple to use and can accomodate you as your needs become more involved and complex.
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    Rodney Shorette
    "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro" Hunter S Thompson

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  • Profile picture of the author Entrecon
    If you want to keep it as basic as you mentioned look no further than Microsoft Outlook. If you have the office suite you can manage your e-mail, calendar, and contacts all right there.
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  • Profile picture of the author IngeniousBastard
    I also used ACT! for a number of years and found it to be effective. I'll look at some of the other suggestions in this thread as well. Having all of my clients info flapping in the breeze on the interwebs makes me a bit nervous though.
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  • Profile picture of the author BasilInc.
    I started using https://www.lessannoyingcrm.com this month
    (silly name I know)
    Very simple to use. Free for 30 days then $10 a month per user.
    Worth a look.
    Basil
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  • Profile picture of the author slc4us
    you have to search the things for management system and also must look at it that how it works here.
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  • Profile picture of the author Magicalidea
    Lol, Exire was asking for some free softwares. Some guys here even gave expensive fee softs
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