SalesNexus just released new, automatic ACT software database migration that’s a real game changer. You can read all about it here.
As a part of our announcement of this new capability, I started a few discussions on LinkedIn to see what people thought.
The question I asked was “Why are sales teams still using ACT software?”.
The point of the question was to get at the core reasons businesses and sales people resist jumping on the SaaS or Cloud bandwagon.
Here are a few quotes from the responses –
“It is still arguably the easiest to use software for sales people, who tend towards strong interpersonal skills and weak technical skills. I’ve got to say that ACT software, for core functionality, is still the simplest of them all.”
“We use ACT software to track opportunities. I love being able to attach documents to a customers file so they are right there when I need it. We rely on it to schedule follow up and as a manager I can see who my reps are calling.”
So essentially businesses have very basic needs. In my experience, businesses that rely on ACT software want to do the types of things that any sales organization would want to do – stay on top of follow ups, record notes, track the sales pipeline and archive communications like emails, proposals, etc.
I’ve spoken to many sales leaders and business owners that have depended on ACT software for years and due to changes in their business, they’re looking to move ACT online. But, they can’t find a solution that won’t be too complicated and expensive.
Just the migration to another system is surprisingly challenging and costly. If you tell Salesforce.com that you’d like to move your ACT database online with them, and you’re smart enough to get very specific and ask about your valuable notes, sales pipeline, etc., they’ll tell you its going to involve buying some software, learning to use it yourself and migrating tables from ACT software into Salesforce.com one at a time. Or, they can connect you with a consultant to do it for you but, there’s plenty of problems with that approach too.
Not to mention the change for the users. If your sales team has been using ACT software for years, they’re going to need to learn a new system and that’s probably the most costly part of the transition.
So, you’ve got to have VERY compelling reasons to move your ACT database to the cloud to make it worth all that. Of course, there are HUGE benefits of moving to the cloud. Ultimately, it should be worth it. Now your team is always in sync and up to date with real time information. Less time spent trying to get the latest information and more time spent using it to find and close opportunities.
Of course, there is one web based CRM vendor that focuses on making the transition from ACT software to the cloud very easy for management and the sales team.