Large enterprises have all sorts of choices when it comes to managing interactions with customers and prospects. The options available to solo practitioners and very small businesses, until recently, have been much more restricted, especially for people who want more than what Microsoft Outlook has to offer. Marketing firms like mine want a service that’s not only functional, but one that also suits our design and UI sensibilities.
Lately I’ve been falling in love with 37Signals’ Highrise, especially now that they have streamlined the usability model for the “streams of information” that accumulate about contacts and projects over the course of each day. The more I use Highrise, the more helpful it becomes at helping me organize and stay on top of business development activities for my firm. It’s great at managing contacts, tasks for those contacts, as well as active deals and cases (their term for projects). I like the way it automatically sends reminders via SMS to my phone or email to Outlook for tasks I need to complete today.
I’ll love it even more when there’s a solid iPhone interface that’s supported by 37Signals — one that benefits from their radically simple UI sensibility. The third-party app I’m using is OK, but not great. I’d feel more confident if I were using an app that 37Signals stands behind, especially given the increasing importance of this hosted CRM system to my business.
As a solo entrepreneur I haven’t yet had the experience of using Highrise across a team environment. I can only imagine the insights that might emerge when coworkers can see or comment on the history of contacts and interactions documented by their colleagues. This is so much better than Outlook for this purpose! And the pricing model is a good fit for small firms.
