CRM - December 2008 - (Page 16)

CRM TRENDS AND NEWS ANALYSIS Twitter I found mention of Entellium and scandal. I thought, hey, I wonder what that’s about,” says Dave Whelan, founder of Bespoke Strategy, an Entellium customer since January 2008. “We thought we’d be much further along in our own business plan by now…and wanted to have CRM in How could this have hap- place,” Whelan says. “We’re in a unique pened? It had been a year of situation—only in the past month or note: The Seattle-based ven- two have we really started to add condor had received several tacts and data, and there are only two awards and commendations, months left in our contract. To some exincluding one from this pub- tent, we feel fortunate that we haven’t inlication, and had been gar- vested much time and money in the nering the kinds of reviews Entellium product. I’d hate to be one of for its new Rave product that the people with two or three years in.” The revelations of financial improprilived up to the brand name. And yet Entellium went from ety, the departure of top officers, and the industry darling to fire-sale sacking of the sales and marketing staff candidate almost overnight. (some customer and partner support Brent Leary, a CRM con- personnel are still employed) have led to sultant with particular interest Entellium being eyed as a possible opin small businesses, recalls his portunity for other CRM vendors. Some reaction. “When I first heard small-business specialists—Avidian, Inabout it, my concern at the fusionsoft, and Salesboom, among othtime was that maybe the eco- ers—have expressed interest in picking What happened at Entellium, and nomic crisis had shut down up Entellium’s customers, or possibly what it means for businesses their revenue stream,” he says. acquiring the company outright. CRM industry heavyweight Paul “Entellium’s been around a while, and their software has been getting Greenberg says he has fielded calls he CRM industry received a shock in early October when rave reviews—no pun intended—so of about this topic, and believes it might be news of trouble at sales force course I was surprised at what I heard the optimal way to save Entellium’s best automation (SFA) vendor En- coming out in the news. How is it that parts. “An outstanding interface plus an tellium began to surface. (We blogged nobody had ever completed an audit of average CRM system is still a betterabout some of those early happenings Entellium? It reminded me of what hap- than-average product,” he says. “Rave is a pened to the housing market: lenders legitimate product with real capabilities.” at www.destinationCRMblog.com.) Separating the technology from the Founder and Chief Executive Officer throwing money at people without Paul (“PJ”) Johnston and head of fi- checking whether they could pay it back.” stigma of cooked books, however, is crucial in Greenberg’s assessCustomers aren’t sure which nance Parrish Jones abruptly resigned, and rumors—soon substantiated—of way to turn. “We were on a “I hate to say this, ment. “I hate to say this, but the company should close,” he mass layoffs began to circulate. Johnston conference call Friday mornsays. “The taint is too great.” and Jones were arrested on charges of ing [October 6], talking about but the company For now, Whelan and Bewire fraud, having allegedly misrepre- going further with Entellium should close. The spoke are riding out the news, sented the company’s revenue to secure and moving our plans along, taint is too great.” waiting to see what happens and while flipping through larger investments from its backers. THE RAVE IS OVER T 16 CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | DECEMBER 2008 www.destinationCRM.com http://www.destinationCRMblog.com http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - December 2008

CRM - December 2008 Contents Front Office Feedback Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point The Rave Is Over CRM on Twitter Financial Frenzy Will Customer Experience Survive in a ‘Soft’ Economy? Holiday Humbug Empowered Consumers Are Ready to Flip the Switch Required Reading Transparency Spiff Up Your Site! They Aim to Please Mixing In a Little Sugar Sweetens the Deal A Newsletter Employs New Tactics A Site Stops Feeling Overtaxed Make ’Em Laugh—Personally Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Scouting Report Pint of View

CRM - December 2008

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