Moving From Act

Correction - I have Maximizer 8 , not enterprise.

Check out this neat utility cp-systems.com.au/CPSMaxOut.htm

Too bad the utility does not work with Outlook Express.

hughandrew - Like you, I am currently using Act 2005 and looking to move to something else - probably either Maximizer or Goldmine. Why did you choose Maximizer over Goldmine and what would you view as the trade-offs?

Dave,

What type of environment do you have? We have used GoldMine and Maximizer extensively, although using primarily Maximizer. Both are good programs depending on what you are trying to do.

Short Version:
- GM is better for marketing / telemarketing situations.
- Maximizer is much better in a 'pure selling' environment.

I can give you more details if you want.

P.S. We're here in Denver also. Wish it would cool down just a little.

From my perspective, I'm not in either environment.

I'm stand-alone single user on a desktop PC currently running numerous other applications although situations have come up where it would be useful to have a copy of the contact management system on a laptop that I might carry with me (my understanding is that Act 2005 requires separate purchases). I don't use a PDA, but I can see where having the info on a PDA that I'm more likely to take with me might be useful rather than saying - "I'll call you later when I'm back at my desktop and can check my schedule - where's that paper and pencil again?".

I'm a one person business providing webmaster services for small businesses, so I'm the sales department as well as the janitor. Most of my use involves finding contact phone numbers and keeping track of appointments and tasks that I have promised. I do little if any cold calling, but lots of follow-ups.

Previous (to Act 2005), I used a great product called InfoSelect that starts in maybe 2-3 seconds (probably less) and instantly allows me to find the items I want in all the random bits of data that I have managed to stuff into in in the last 7 years using less than 8 mb of memory. So it has been hard to adjust to Act preloading the database (even when not used), gobbling up memory that is kept before and after Act is run and then taking 45 seconds to start and bring up the first record of information which is my record and never the one that I'm looking for. "Please go get a cup of coffee and I'll look that up for you".

InfoSelect, while good at finding information very fast, is not meant to control the relationship between pieces of information - A contact management system seems appropriate to help me organize my activities - what should I be doing, when and for whom.

What other information would be useful in evaluating Goldmine vs Maximizer?

Thank you for your help.

Some of the reasons I chose Maximizer:

1) free-form text search. You need to know SQL query language in order to do this in GM. Maximizer has an incredibily fast & easy wasy to search. That way I don't have to worry about how I enter info, I can just randomly enter it in notes, knowing that I can find it very easy.

2) Company / Contact hierarchy. Our primary customers are 'companies', although we deal with 'contacts' at these companies. Most of our opportunities (issues) are done between a number of contacts at the company for each opp. In GM (or ACT) it is very cumbersome to retrieve this info. Maximizer excells at this.

3) User Fields. Very easy to define unlimited amount of user fields and search them quickly. GM is very laborious & has a limit of the number of fields. ACT (the old version) was a little better than GM.

4) Groups, Quick Filters, etc. We have a need to do quick temporary lookups (filters) and see the results. Example: I'm going to Phoenix next wk & need to see who I haven't seen in 2 mos. that is an 'A' prospect. I can do this is 30 seconds in Max, much longer in GM...and you can't see the results in GM w/o printing a report. You can only see one contact at a time.

5) Database size: Max can handle larger amounts of contacts / history items much easier than GM. Lookups are faster on large dbases, etc

6) Dbase Maintenance: Much easier in Max, especially for non-tech users

Some of the things I do like about GM:

1) Details: Very cool that you can have multiple entries of the same 'detail type, i.e. Acct Number

2) Code Fields: This way I can easily separate history activities by my principal In Max, I just enter the code in the note field.

3) Calendar: Although GM & Max are much worse that ACT in the user interface area, Max's calendar is the worst by far.

4) Networked environment: Multiple users and/or remote synchronization and having in-house IT dept, or constant access to consultant, GM is much easier to deal with.

these are just some random thoughts.

quote:

Max's calendar is the worst by far

This is the area of concern. If it did not matter that we had the calendar style layout, is it possible to easily and quickly generate an online list of pending activities and appointments for a given time-frame that also lists contact name and phone which could also be sent to the printer?

A list layout, might actually be better than the calendar layout with more flexibility if it can be generated.

This can easily be done thru the Hotlist. You can select any or all of the activities that you want to print.

Thank you for the information. I'm one step closer to converting from Act to Maximizer - I shelled out some money and ordered Maximizer today. I can really only understand many of the ease of use issues by putting Maximizer though its paces in real situations.

I let Maximizer know that the reason I was even seriously considering Maximizer was the MaxTalk.com forum and was amazed that Maximizer did not seem to actively support the forum.

Maximizer is not sold in stores, so how better to get internet visibility than internet discussion forums.

Hey Denver Dave;

Try out all the interesting stuff that you wish to try before your 30 days support expires.

If you find out what the purpose of the extra but non functional email addresses please post.

Also if you figure how to mail merge to email using html I would like to know how.


I have found that group mailings to the Rugby Club work bettter using Eudora (I have Telus for ISP and my own domain on Godaddy) Eudora works better using either service than Outlook or Outlook Express.

Anyone care to share contact import templates from Act 2005 to Maximizer. I've given it a couple of tries both sides with the default fields, but yet to get it quite right. Someone familiar with both sides would probably know where to put things.

I thought Maximizer had a menu choice to convert from Act, but it is the previous version - Act 6 that is specified. Doubt too many Act 6 people will convert, its the current version Act 2005 where many be interested in converting.

Care to share approaches?