Legal Marketing & PR

Marketers Now Have Many New Choices for CRM Software

By Larry Bodine, Esq.

Over the past 12 months there has been a transformation of the market for CRM (client relationship management) software. Previously dominated by InterAction, there are now five plausible competitors vying for a slice of the professional services market, according to John Rogers, a consultant with Tandem Management Ltd. who advises law and accounting firms on complex technology projects.

There has never been a better time to purchase CRM, with greater choice and software costs under pressure from increased competition. But is this all good news for potential purchasers and how should they exploit the current situation? Having spoken with the principal suppliers, I have set out in this article the opportunities – and pitfalls – that await anyone considering a new system this year.

The pioneers

The first systems were installed around ten years ago, and the concept of using CRM within law firms – and a handful of accounting firms – quickly became established. Most early implementations were based on InterAction, which went on to become the market leader in the UK and in its home US market. Other vendors spotted an opportunity, most notably e1 Business with SalesLogix and Elite with their Apex module.

For the rest of the article, please visit the LawMarketing Portal at http://tinyurl.com/3beqoy.

Full post as published by Larry Bodine's LawMarketing Blog on March 27, 2008 (boomark / email).