ACT Consultants Play Pivotal Role in Maximizing ROI

Today, millions of individuals and tens of thousands of companies are using ACT! software solutions to organize contacts and leads, manage daily responsibilities, track sales opportunities, communicate more effectively, and gain insights into their businesses. With options for deployment in a Windows environment, in mobile computing, and in a Web-based interface, ACT 2008 software is a critical tool for helping a wide variety of businesses succeed.

Yet those companies that achieve the best return on their investment make it a point to use ACT consultants in their software implementation. That's because ACT certified consultants can perform a variety of services that ensure that the software's effectiveness is maximized for your company's specific needs.

In essence, ACT consultants meet with you and your team to explore cost effective options to increase the performance of the ACT 2008 software. This translates to less effort on the part of your employees while increasing productivity. They can help increase business performance by providing:

Specialized Training: Although ACT 2008 is superior software, staff training is a crucial component of any systems integration. ACT consultants can determine which components are most useful to your company and conduct extensive staff trainings that will enable your employees to get the most out of ACT 2008. The best ACT consultants offer both on site and online trainings, and offer free follow-up phone support.  They can also train your in-house trainers so that new employees can easily come up to speed and consistently and effectively use ACT 2008 software.

System Administrator Training: ACT consultants can train your system administrator in best practices, and will focus on the most useful ACT features for your company. When your system administrator is trained, you will have your own in-house expert.

On-Site Support: If you don't have an in-house IT department, ACT certified consultants can save you time and money by maintaining your system for you. Service techs can both install and maintain the software on your system.

Customization: ACT consultants can upgrade your ACT software and customize your ACT 2008 to ensure that it provides the highest functionality for your specific business. For example, ACT consultants may be remote sales force automation experts and can integrate your software with handheld devices, providing remote access to your databases.

Data Recovery: Although no business ever dreams that they'll need data recovery experts, if a worst-case scenario comes to pass, ACT certified consultants can work their magic, recover your data, and minimize your downtime.

There's no doubt that ACT 2008 provides more features and functionality than previous versions of the software. But in order to get the best return on your investment, it pays to turn to ACT certified consultants to guide you through your purchase, integration, customization, training, and - heaven forbid - data recovery. Experienced ACT consultants have extensive software knowledge and understand the needs of various industries so that they can provide you with the computer system that performs.

ACT Consultants Help Determine Which System is Right for You

For years, ACT! software has been the leader in customer relations management. ACT 2008 brings an even greater number of features and additional functionality to the sales room and the boardroom. If you're a business owner it's often difficult to determine which version of ACT 2008 will provide your enterprise with the best return on investment. This is one of many areas where ACT consultants can help.

ACT certified consultants have achieved the highest level of excellence in selecting, integrating, and managing ACT 2008. The best ACT consultants have also had years of experience in the CRM field, and understand the special needs of various industries. Obtaining ACT help from consultants before your software purchase can lay the groundwork for an imminently successful implementation.

ACT 2008 is available in the regular version, the Premium version and the Premium for Web version. All three versions allow you to organize contacts and leads using a variety of features, such as over 60 pre-defined fields, extensive notes and history, and the ability to track appointments, opportunities, and task lists.

When it comes to managing daily responsibilities, all three versions of ACT 2008 enable you to manage calls, meetings, and tasks, see multiple calendar views, and schedule recurring events. The differences between the versions come into play with group scheduling, managing resources, and synchronizing with Outlook.

The features involved in tracking sales opportunities are constant across all three versions of ACT 2008 software, with the exception of customization of fields and types. Otherwise, there is a graphical sales tool, a feature called "Instant Quotes," pre-formatted sales reports, and the ability to export data into Excel.

Communication features include mail merge via letter and email, address verification, customer correspondence history, and Outlook integration. Depending upon the version of ACT 2008 that you choose, you may also access an email client.

All three versions of ACT 2008 give you a suite of tools with which to manage your business, although the specific features vary from version to version. They all have a variety of search capabilities and an interactive dashboard, as well as advanced reporting features. The Premium and Premium for Web versions of ACT 2008 are designed to accommodate large teams, and include special security features and password rules.

ACT consultants can meet with you and analyze the needs of your company and industry, and then recommend which system you should license. Equally important, ACT certified consultants can perform a complete implementation so that your company can get the best possible return on investment. They can also conduct specialized training, system administrator training, on-site support, extensive customization, and data recovery. Moreover, many ACT consultants are remote sales force automation experts and can demonstrate each option so that your sales force can access the system remotely.

There's no doubt that ACT consultants can effectively serve the interests of your company by offering recommendations, customization, and support.

ACT! Software Takes Customer and Contact Management to the Next Level

When it comes to software solutions that improve your productivity by enabling you to manage your contacts and customers, over the past 20 years ACT! has proven that is unparalleled. According to ACT consultants, the software allows users to track sales opportunities, manage everyday responsibilities, increase effective communication, and organize contacts.

The newest version of the software, ACT 2008, features an interactive dashboard that gives you a 360-degree view of your work. You can see the big picture, and then drill down for details, while also being able to write emails, view opportunities, and schedule meetings. The dashboard is available for all versions of the ACT 2008 software (ACT, ACT Premium, and ACT Premium for Web).

For those needing a vertical software solution, ACT has a product for real estate professionals. ACT certified consultants note that the version for real estate professionals creates integrated information about buyers, sellers, and properties that is easy to reference. It also allows Realtors to take a property listing from the inquiry stage all the way through the closing stage with exquisite detail. Most importantly, it enables real estate professionals to access critical calendar information, as well as buyer, seller, and property information through mobile computing devices. Having relevant information at your fingertips - regardless of where you are - is a critical factor to your success.

ACT's vertical solution for financial professionals is similar to ACT for Real Estate Professionals in that it provides mobile portability, but it also assists financial service professionals in collecting important, finance-specific information on clients. In addition, it helps those in the financial field comply with company-wide and industry standards.

ACT also has a number of partners who provide add-on solutions to the already robust ACT 2008 software. These include data and document management, addressing and shipping solutions, email and direct mail marketing add-ons, faxing capabilities, project management and sales management, import and export solutions, and graphics and mapping add-ons.

When it comes to implementing ACT software, your best bet is to engage the services of ACT consultants. Getting ACT help can take many forms. For example, because ACT certified consultants are fully trained in ACT 2008, they can review your current business practices and suggest ways to customize the software to maximize your company's productivity. They can also utilize their extensive experience to train your staff or your systems administrator, who can in turn train new employees to use the system. In addition, ACT consultants can assist you in integrating everything from handheld computers to servers. Some are even remote sales force automation experts, and can expedite the process of gaining remote access to your databases. And, should the unthinkable happen, the best ACT consultants are also specialists in database recovery.

There's no question that ACT is the premiere customer and contact management solution being used today. Licensing the software and engaging the services of ACT consultants can transform the way companies work and can improve productivity and performance across the board.