Contact management tool

What is wrong with Outlook as a contact management tool? I purchased
Goldmine and was overwhelmed with all its whistles and bells you have
to be a database expert just to get past the basics.
I would like to hear what others are using.

"Jim" <jim@flipopen.com> wrote in message
news:bfutr50k2b@enews3.newsguy.com...
>
> What is wrong with Outlook as a contact management tool? I purchased
> Goldmine and was overwhelmed with all its whistles and bells you have
> to be a database expert just to get past the basics.
> I would like to hear what others are using.

Dear Jim,

What's wrong is that Outlook wasn't built as a contact management tool.
What may be wrong with Goldmine is that it is built with an enterprise sales
force in mine.

May I suggest your first step is to make a list of what you want / need your
contact management tool to do for you.
(Things like, address book, appointment scheduler, appointment / todo
reminder, contact log - telephone calls, meetings, etc., objectives for
person / organization, tracking sales process, remembering personal info -
birthdays, kids names, etc., time records for billing, and so on.

Once you have your 'wish list', you're ready to look at the offerings. A
quick look at google for "contact manager" will give you an idea of the
plethora of products available.

If Goldmine has too many 'bells and whistles', you may want to look at
something simple like ACT (www.act.com). But you will be better off with
any tool if you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Then,
once you have met those needs, and are operational with the tool, you can
explore its additional capabilities.

Good luck with your endeavors.

George King
g.e. king Marketing

Hi Jim,

There are plenty of groupware packages which
are free.

Try looking into the following

Amphora
kolab
phpgroupware

Also try phprojekt.

All free and all pretty good choices.

If you need anyhelp just e-mail me and drop the NOSPAM at the end of my
e-mail address.

Cheers
Simon

sma1king wrote:
> "Jim" <jim@flipopen.com> wrote in message
> news:bfutr50k2b@enews3.newsguy.com...
>
>>What is wrong with Outlook as a contact management tool? I purchased
>>Goldmine and was overwhelmed with all its whistles and bells you have
>>to be a database expert just to get past the basics.
>>I would like to hear what others are using.
>
>
> Dear Jim,
>
> What's wrong is that Outlook wasn't built as a contact management tool.
> What may be wrong with Goldmine is that it is built with an enterprise sales
> force in mine.
>
> May I suggest your first step is to make a list of what you want / need your
> contact management tool to do for you.
> (Things like, address book, appointment scheduler, appointment / todo
> reminder, contact log - telephone calls, meetings, etc., objectives for
> person / organization, tracking sales process, remembering personal info -
> birthdays, kids names, etc., time records for billing, and root 4322 Re:
Contact so on.
>
> Once you have your 'wish list', you're ready to look at the offerings. A
> quick look at google for "contact manager" will give you an idea of the
> plethora of products available.
>
> If Goldmine has too many 'bells and whistles', you may want to look at
> something simple like ACT (www.act.com). But you will be better off with
> any tool if you have a clear idea of what you want to accomplish. Then,
> once you have met those needs, and are operational with the tool, you can
> explore its additional capabilities.
>
> Good luck with your endeavors.
>
> George King
> g.e. king Marketing
>