I recently encountered a client with a Claris system designed to track leads, projects, and time spent on projects. For a given lead, they could add a reminder that would appear on one side of a dashboard.
But, as with many reminders, they got ignored. They sat there, dutifully reminding this client of next steps with a particular lead, but they did not inspire action. Maybe there was just too much on the screen. My client needed more robust features to better support a sales pipeline.
I explained that, while I could develop sales-pipeline features in Claris, there was already a SaaS (that’s Software as a Service, not someone talking back to you) application called Pipedrive that does a great job of helping the user track leads as they come in, identify stages of a sale, and set reminders that appear on your calendar as well as in your email. Pipedrive already has mobile applications, so you can use it on your phone or tablet.
My client tried out Pipedrive and liked it. The features made sense to them, and their workflow matched what was in Pipedrive with a few easy customizations.
The fact is, my client would get great features and be up and running much quicker using Pipedrive than having me develop sales features from scratch. If they need features that Pipedrive could not offer, they might have chosen custom development. But a Pipedrive integration matched how they worked and was cheaper.
Thanks to enhancements in recent versions of Claris, the software can much more easily push data to and get data from software using APIs. “API” is just a fancy way of describing a place and a way of sending and receiving data across the internet.
The conversation goes something like this, but much more code-y:
Claris: Hey Pipedrive, I’ve got a new deal!
Pipedrive: Great, Ace. Send me the deets.
Claris: Here they are!
Pipedrive: Got ‘em! Thanks.
With the new integration, my client can enter an organization or a deal in Claris, and within seconds the data appears in Pipedrive. With Pipedrive, they can forecast income for future months, get reminders, send emails, and lots of other cool stuff.Drop me a line if you have stories like these to share, or if you’d like more information.