Featured Add-On: Legrand CRM Software
Featured Add-On: Legrand CRM Software
Issue 4.9 March 1, 2005
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Legrand CRM is an easy to use product that has the flexibility you need. In addition, the QuickBooks integration is the best we have seen.
Now that we have used Intuit’s Customer Manager, ACT! and salesforce.com within our own business, we have a new favorite, LegrandCRM. Read how LegrandCRM has changed the mind of a business owner.
Situation:
I had contacts in AOL, Rolodex, QuickBooks, a PDA, and several CRM’s that I tried over the years. I had tried Goldmine, ACT!, Intuit Customer Manager, Outlook, Access, and a few other ‘off the shelf’ products. The result was always the same: I never could get the software to seamlessly integrate into my daily routine. As a result, all became “SHELFware” because they were “clunky” to get around and they didn’t sync well with QuickBooks and/or AOL. I found that I spent a lot of time trying to configure each program to work the way I wanted. They were not easily customized so I could sync and search easily. I would get frustrated and by the time I felt like looking at it again, the contacts and related information was so outdated it did not seem worth it to try to get the “solution” working again.
Problem solved:
After some pushing from Bonnie at McWilliams & Associates I decided to give the idea of using a CRM product one more try. Much to my surprise, LegrandCRM syncs with QuickBooks without a hitch. Within 10 minutes of installing the program I was able to import my entire QuickBooks customer list. A couple more clicks and all of my invoices, sales history, and outstanding balances due were imported quickly and easily too.
The next challenge was getting all the info from AOL in. This included the calendar, contacts, notes, etc. It was literally a few clicks, 5 minutes, and everything was in LegrandCRM! We used Microsoft Outlook as our ‘bridge.’ Everything in AOL was synced to Outlook in 2 clicks, from there 2 clicks from LegrandCRM and all my information was in. I could not believe that the calendar was complete; contacts, notes, and companies were all there. It was awesome! What had taken years to gather, took less than 30 minutes to set it up and become organized. By using Outlook as my ‘bridge’ I can go back and forth with the syncs, and the Palm software uses Outlook as the ‘bridge’ to LegrandCRM.
Once it was installed and all the data had been imported, it became even clearer as to why this software program was different, and why I will be using it for years to come. No “shelfware” here.
Besides the integration, the program is built to work the way I work. It is laid out very intuitively and easy to customize to my specifications. The program feels like a regular Microsoft Windows program with files, directories, etc. I can set ‘keywords’ to search on my specifications, without any special training. The number of keywords I can set up is endless. I can set a key word for my newsletter subscribers, for the kind of services I provide to a client, for the version of QuickBooks they are using, for the legal entity or year end of the client, and much more. The options are endless.
It works perfectly with my set-up, using Outlook as a ‘bridge.’ This is true even though I don’t know Outlook and don’t use it for anything else. I can also take information that was previously stored in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and import it into LegrandCRM.
After years of having contacts in various software products and trying many CRM programs, this one has finally bridged the gap and I use it daily. This is a great program for someone who wants to get organized, not spend a ton of time ‘learning’ the program (the learning curve is minimal, you can be using it within 30 minutes!), and be able to integrate with your QuickBooks.
How it can work for you:
McWilliams & Associates is proud to announce our relationship with LegrandCRM. We are anxious for you to try this product and let us know what you think. To download an evaluation copy, please enter McWilliams & Associates, Inc. in the dealer section.
Many small businesses need a CRM product and although most market that they work with QuickBooks, few really do in a meaningful way. LegrandCRM is the exception to that rule. We have spent many hours working directly with their developers to help them truly understand what the small business QuickBooks user needs and wants: true integration. This integration is required in a software program that is quick and easy to learn and use in under 30 minutes. They have heard our plea and provided a solution! Contact Us to learn more.
LegrandCRM integrates with QuickBooks Pro and Premier versions 2004 and 2005 plus Enterprise Solution version 4 and 5. It supports the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia editions of QuickBooks.
As a resource for this and other questions, submit a question via “Ask the Expert” or attend our free monthly discussion forum tele-class.
Bonnie J. Nagayama, CPA (925-247-0100) has been featured by Intuit in their QuickBooks Advisor Spotlight and frequently teaches and consults on using QuickBooks to its maximum advantage. For a FREE weekly newsletter of QuickBooks tips and tricks, plus many free and low cost QuickBooks resources visit www.accountingsoftwaresecrets.com.