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ACT! by Sage Premium for Real Estate 2008 (10.0) and ACT! by Sage for Real Estate 2008 (10.0)
Article Type: Computer currency From: Journal of Consumer Marketing, Volume 25, Issue 6
Marketers have long been the spur that prompted software companies to develop programs to aid in dealing with customers. ACT! has been one of the pioneers in easing the contact and customer relationship management burden. This journal reviewed earlier versions of the program and found them useful productivity aids. Over time the software has been updated and upgraded and is now in its tenth edition, testimony to a long evolution and continuous improvement. Truth be told, when it comes to managing contact and sales leads, no product has stood the test of time better than ACT!. Over two decades, the product has earned an ever-increasing base of customers.
Originally, ACT! was a one size fits all contact manager that made face to face or virtual interaction more robust. Its major contribution was as a database that stored all information about prior interactions to avoid irritating the contact with omissions or requests for information already supplied. A salesperson could review past contacts with an account and note when and what was covered. It allowed marketing people to cite the reason for their next call, especially if they promised to follow up on an issue. Initially, customers were impressed that a marketing person would remember the details of a perhaps month old discussion. After many interactions, marketers could establish a relationship that might yield significant profits and a satisfied customer. Over time, sales people learned to modify the program to suit their needs. In fact, customization became so widespread that the company began to certify consultants to make those changes. At this point there are about 750 certified ACT! consultants who are able to customize the program for a particular business or industry.
The current publisher, Sage Software, identified at least one target that merits out of the gate customization. Thus, it seems to have embarked on a strategy of customizing its ACT! software to gain market share and a dominant position in each customer segment. The real estate market was a natural choice, given the complexity of a real estate transaction. Moreover, the ancillary work...