Over the years since certifying on ACT! and then on Microsoft CRM, I've worked with alot of different consultants across the industry that also provide support on other solutions.  Each vendor at times does try to get you to drink their Kool Aid and trashes the other solutions.  Of course top sales and marketing professionals know you should take the high road and differentiate yourself in other ways intead of slinging mud.

I've felt very strongly about the ability to self host a solution and that the cloud is not right for everyone, which is consistent with my background in carrier class networks and on-premise telecommunications solutions.  There was and probably always will be an argument between hosted versus on-premise.  Just let your intuition lead you in discovering the motivation of the solution provider.  Recurring revenue for the provider on the one hand and less headache for the customer, and no monthly hosting fees but perhaps more technical heachaches with local solution.  It's certainly not cut and dry but some would have you believe that in support of their sales goals.

I'd rather work with a number of different soluitions and find the best one for a given situation and work with the best talent possible to deliver on the solution.  My background is in ACT!. Microsoft CRM and more recently Leadmaster.  I have associates that accerate with other solutions including Goldmine, SalesLogix, SageCRM, SalesForce, Sugar and Zoho.  Each solution has it's own fairly unique positioning and relative advantage.  However, the CRM space is crowded and there is alot of infighting so focusing on customer needs and not technology is the path I have chosen to take in working with my clients.

My goal for 2012 is to continue providing an increasing array of solutions that can save clients time and money, build market awareness and increase sales.  My objective in support is to work with customers to make the best choice on technology based on their indivual needs and deliver on our vision and purpose for working together and to realize a positive return on investment. 

Stay tuned!

Pete Fernald

Whether you need to cover the basics, intermediate or advanced topics, these new books are hot off the presses:

- The QuickStudy Guide for Sage ACT!
- Sage E-marketing for ACT! QuickStudy Guide
- Sage ACT! Dashboard and Report Bookbook

These books are excellent resouces for the do-it-your-selfer or anyone wanting more reference material to know to do more with Sage ACT!

To learn more go to our website at www.atlanticdatabase.com/training.asp or email us at success@atlanticdatabase.com or call 866-693-2822 for more details.

Just confirmed that Constant Contact integrates with ACT! including 2008, 2009 and 2010 versions, but not with ACT 2011 or 2012 as of yet.  No ETA from Constant Contact.  Sage E-marketing for ACT! powered by Swiftpage is already built in and actually syncs results of campaign back into database for lead assignment and follow-up.  So if you are an Outlook, Excel or existing ACT! user and either need a more robust Contact Management system or need to send out email blasts and track sales, Sage ACT! has you covered.

PF

Did you know that ACT for Web has been available in the cloud for years and that if you install it in a hosted environment that you can access it via web browser or install it locally and sync?  Further you can also set-up your smartphone to work with the same database as well.  This is known as hybrid access and gives you flexibility to go on or offline.  No matter what carriers say, there is no such thing as a ubiquitous wireless internet.  Topography and lack of densitity from a carrier perspective do not allow it to happen.  So you will be online sometimes and offline others times but that's o.k. and a natural part of the experience.  This is why being able to work offline and then log in and submit your work is a popular option for roaming nomadic like business professionals in addition to logging in from a web browser.

Here are the benefits:

- Access your database through a browser, no software required.
- Sync and go offline if you choose on your laptop.
- 24/7/365 access to your database in the cloud.
- Protects you against loss of your database do to disaster.

How much you say?  $35 per user per month.  $45 if you want web and sync access.

This approach saves you capital dollars and you can lower your IT expenses associated with on-premise support at the same time and pay for hosting service using operating expense dollars instead.

More questions?  Call Atlantic Database at 866-693-2822 or email us at success@atlanticdatabase.com or go to our website and fill out request form http://www.atlanticdatabase.com/request-info.asp

To the cloud!

Now that QuickBooks Contact Manager is not longer supported, many Quickbooks users need a contact management system for their prospects and customers.  At the same time if you are an ACT user then you need a way to effectively invoice your clients.  That's why QSalesData http://www.atlanticdatabase.com/qblink.asp is the answer and is a low cost solution to integrate the two pieces together.  Why?

- No more double entry of contact/account information, put in once and push it to the other side and update on the fly.
- Sync account summary information so Sales users in ACT can see current status without needing access to QuickBooks.
- Easier to look up transactions in ACT versus QuickBooks and you can export to Excel too!
- Push Opptortunities you are tracking in ACT to QuickBooks and invoice them!

What to know more?  Call 866-693-2822 or email success@atlanticdatabase.com or visit our website and fill out an information request http://www.atlanticdatabase.com/request-info.asp

The Raleigh Chamber of Commerce is putting on a new program starting January 31, 2012 and running quarterly and partnering with SCORE (the Service Corps of Retired Executives).  I highly recommend this series if you are starting or running a small business.  For more information go to www.raleighchamber.org.

Atlantic Database provides sales and marketing systems to save time and money, build awareness and increase sales.  For more information go to www.atlanticdatabase.com or email success@atlanticdatabase.com or call 1-866-693-2822.

I bought a new iPad2 and love it but hard to type on virtual keyboard at times and position on my lap.  O.K., it's not a laptop but with the ZAGGfolio it feels like one and then I can pull the iPad out if I want to.  I have an Otter case for my iPhone and the ZAGGfolio is of the same quality in terms of protection and includes a bluetooth keyboard and function keys to do the typical things on the iPad that you have to touch the screen for (Home, Search) and some others that I have not used but wanted to and now easier (Cut and Paste).

Check it out at www.ZAGG.com/zaggfolio/faq

Now I leave my tablet windows PC docked so my accountant can get into it and work on QuickBooks while I take my iPad with me.  Using Sage ACT Connect I can also see my contacts and tasks on the web and access them using Safari.  If I need to do heavier lifting I use LogMeIn Ignition to remote into my PC.

I like carrying just my iPhone and iPad with me these days and can still access anything I need to on the network.  I have my own self hosted cloud and so far so good!

There is a free tool that allows you to reschedule more than 1 activity at a time using ACT!  Reach out to me at www.atlanticdatabase.com to request more information.

Best Regards,

Pete Fernald
Atlantic Database
866-693-2822
pfernald@atlanticdatabase.com

I recently sent out an email promotion to contacts I have in my database using Sage ACT! E-Marketing (aka SwiftPage).  Editing the template is easy once you get the hang of it and I have a book I used written by one of my associates, Susan Clark.  The book is a must have when doing any E-Marketing.  I got a good open rate of 20% plus so that tells me that the positioning I used was pretty good and I like using Sage ACT! Emarketing as it is CAN SPAM compliant with the federal regulations.  Folks receiving the email can opt out so if I send another email blast promotion they will not receive it.  The best part is that the results of the campaign blast can be synchronized directly back into your database so you can assign leads so sales can follow-up.  You can even see the leads in the dashboard!  Not all solutions can do this and that is why I like this integrated approach.

Good Marketing and Selling!