ABOUT THE VENDOR
Selltis is a developer of SFA, CRM, and PRM software specifically designed for industrial sales
teams. The Selltis technology platform integrates a full-featured database with the company's
front-end team-selling philosophy, which enables users to proactively identify and manage
opportunities in the earliest stage of the sales cycle.
ABOUT THE CLIENT
Mack W. Sorrells Company, Inc. is a manufacturer's representative providing cutting tools, tooling,
and abrasives to the metalworking and woodworking industries. The company has more than 23 years of
experience with customers throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY
Focusing on the sales force automation and partner relationship management components of CRM, the
Selltis technology platform is tailored specifically for industrial manufacturers, distributors,
and sales teams. Selltis' unique "offline hosting" of their applications offers users complete
project management functionality without being tethered to the Internet.
Mack W. Sorrells Company was looking to build a flexible customer information database to support
sales activities of its widespread sales force. SearchCRM.com spoke with president and owner Mack
Sorrells about the project.
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SearchCRM.com: Why did your company decide to
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evaluate CRM solutions?Sorrells: Originally our issue was just to build a customer information database. Ours is a small manufacturer's representative firm with three or four salesmen located several hundred miles apart. There was no coordinated or standardized basis of even the basic customer information. We began with ACT, allowing each sales person to build his or her own customer database. ACT was too individual-based -- our information needed to be customer-based -- plus each person was building data a different way and there was no way to supervise the program. We then went to Maximizer; the information was company-based, but the synchronization was a nightmare, and our system was always "out of balance," plus the ability to sort customers into different list and customize reports was very limited. We could only use a maximum of two fields at time. Maximizer had no local VAR's that were interested in working with a system or company as small as ours. We had monumental phone bills calling Vancouver, and their maintenance fee was extremely high -- mostly it covered updates with new features that had no value for us. There had to be something better.
SearchCRM.com: What were you looking for in a CRM solution?
Sorrells: Flexibility. We do not work for one manufacturer, but 20. Each one has a totally different requirement of accountability. We had to be able to track and report what we did for each manufacturer, but be able to enter report information only one time. We were also looking for synchronization that worked, and worked well. Finally, we needed good support; we could not spend the time and money maintaining a system that Maximizer had required. We wanted to talk to live people and fast, not spending hours on hold, or waiting days for a returned phone call.
SearchCRM.com: What made you choose this CRM vendor?
Sorrells: Selltis gave us a unique feature out of the box: the ability to connect all data and activities from our customers on the front end with the manufacturers that we represent on the back end, as well as our distributors that we work with. We were able to connect multiple manufacturers with a variety of products to all of our sales activities and report that information back to our principals when needed. Plus, Selltis was able to sort by up to four different criteria, offered customized reports, and had synchronization that works 99% of the time. Originally we began running it on our server in our office, but now it is hosted at Selltis. And when we have a problem or question, real people answer the phone, and our issues are resolved in usually less than an hour. Other systems could do it, but it would require a great deal of expensive customization.
SearchCRM.com: What was the most challenging aspect of the technology evaluation?
Sorrells: The vendors have the mouse and can make the system do what they want it to do -- it is very easy to sidestep a question when you control the mouse. Along with this is the vocabulary -- every system has different terms and names for data and how it works. Wading through everyone's terminology is a trip, and Selltis was no different in this regard.
SearchCRM.com: How did you overcome that challenge?
Sorrells: We just asked a lot of dumbed-down questions and made them answer in our terms.
SearchCRM.com: What was the most challenging aspect of the implementation?
Sorrells: It really was very easy. Selltis transferred the Maximizer data it could interpret. We did lose some, but for the most part it worked fine. I would estimate an 85% transfer success rate.
SearchCRM.com:When do you expect to see ROI?
Sorrells: We already have, but I couldn't put a dollar and cents value to it. It has put us ahead of most of the manufacturers we represent.
SearchCRM.com: How do you use the CRM solution in your day-to-day operations?
Sorrells: Every sales call, most quotes, and leads are entered into Selltis -- it is the way we manage our activities and information across hundreds of miles and keep everyone informed of what's going on.
SearchCRM.com: What is the most rewarding result of the CRM solution to date?
Sorrells: When a principal accused us of not spending enough time and effort on their product line, we were able to document in minutes the number of activities that we had done for them and show reports where their products were not the right fit, priced too high, or delivery too long. This was broken down into five different product families.
SearchCRM.com: What are your future plans for the CRM solution?
Sorrells: To establish a routine for trip and call planning, insuring a wiser investment of our time and effort. Also, to use Selltis as the foundation for an e-newsletter to keep our customers and principals better informed.
SearchCRM.com: What advice would you give to other companies just beginning a CRM project?
Sorrells: Fortunately there are a lot more firms using CRM than there were when we began. Talk to firms within your industry and about the same size. Some CRM systems just don't really like small customers. Others like Selltis are geared for a wide spectrum, and so far we have never had the "little wheel" feeling with them.
Linda Formichelli's writing has appeared in Woman's Day, Wired, Writer's Digest, Family Circle, Psychology Today. Contact her at linda-eric@lserv.com, or check out her Web site http://www.twowriters.net
This was first published in September 2002
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