What does a CRM Cost? (or, the price of not buying local)

I received a white-paper from SugarCRM today entitled: “CRM’s Dirty Little Secret: How to Avoid CRM Sticker Shock, An Analysis of Fees, Subscriptions and Hidden Costs”

Now, that’s a heck of a title.  It is filled with lots of good information.  Obviously, it is biased towards SugarCRM, just as you could logically expect this post to be biased towards haloDASH {the best CRM and Project Management tool on the planet :) }.  It compares the costs of Microsoft Dynamics (on-premise and cloud), SalesForce, and SugarCRM.  All of these products have their virtues, however, none of their virtues is price or simplicity.  I have provided the grid below to display how haloDASH stacks up in terms of pricing.  A full pricing grid with options can be found here.

It is key to realize that in this paper there is no mention made of necessary setup fees, training, or ongoing support, which tend to add multiple thousands of dollars to a CRM deployment.  This omission seems convenient, as getting these products to a usable state for your business can be time intensive. However, here are some uselful snippets from the afore-mentioned paper (I make no claims to the veracity of their information, I’m just sourcing their whitepaper):

In regards to Dynamics:

“Pricing and licensing of Microsoft Dynamics is complex and can vary based on the existing Enterprise Agreement (EA) a company may have in place with Microsoft…”

In regards to SalesForce:

“…some (but not all) of the editions include full mobile access, a Microsoft Outlook Plugin, reporting as well as customization and integration capabilities.”  “While many CRM systems are sold via a subscription model, customers of Salesforce.com often pay significantly more than the quoted monthly subscription fee due to hidden fees and other limitations that can increase the total cost of ownership.”

In regards to SugarCRM, they actually provide a graph showcasing that in 3 years, Sugar Ultimate is actually the 2nd most expensive option of the 3 platforms.  If they are trying to make the case that SugarCRM is a cost effective option, they don’t seem to be making their point.

How haloDASH compares

Platform	Monthly Subscription per User	Additional Fees
Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online	$65	Storage $9.99 per GB
SalesForce Professional	$65	Complete Mobile Access $50 per user per month
Sugar Enterprise	$60	(none listed)
haloDASH Premiere	$29.95

We don’t make it a habit to compete on price; we would rather talk about how haloDASH fits your business with simple elegance. But, when our price and product puts others to shame, what are we to do?  Ask yourself if you’re getting more value for your additional investment.  If you feel that you are, then you’re spending your money wisely.  

CRM is not a mystery, however.  At its core, it is easy to understand: at the end of the day we want to keep track of leads, opportunities, and customer information.  Is it worth it to you to purchase a CRM product that is so feature-bloated with bells and whistles that, if unused, those features actually become detrimental to your productivity?  Or would it be more beneficial for you to use a local vendor who knows you and your goals; a local product that provides the CRM functions that you’ll actually use, and at a price-point that is hard to match?  haloDASH doesn’t require add-on fees for additional contacts, usage fees, or mobile access.  We don’t charge you more money for actually using the product you purchased.  When you need enhancements, you talk directly to the manufacturer.  When you need support, you talk to a developer in your own town.  When you need somebody to make a decision, you speak directly to the owners.

haloDASH is here to provide you with:

1. A great local product that keeps simple things SIMPLE
2. Local support
3. A price that some clients have called “too good to be true.”

I assure you, haloDASH is that good, and Halo is Louisville’s only Local CRM provider.

bwatson@halodash.com

502-276-6352

www.halodash.com