Database I Would Buy

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There seems to be a lot of database guys who come to the forum testing a new database or wanting feedback of what we agents would like in a database. I haven't seen an ideal one. I would like one that ties everything I do together.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Ability to scan a lead card with my iPhone and it copies the name, address, etc. And creates a new contact in my database, links a PDF version of the lead to the contact in my database and connects it to a group within the database named "unworked new lead"

2. I would like the database to allow me to optimize routes any of my groups and send that entire group to my car's GPS (Send to Car by Google does this now but I have to re-enter data).

3. I would like to to give me three choices after I work the lead 1. Yes, today (appointment set or sale made) 2. Yes, later (schedule a follow up date and add notes.) 3. No (Get it out of my sight forever but still pop up my notes if I get the same lead again in the future.)

4. For my yes, laters- I want the database to automatically connect to my automated prospect farm system. Linking to Send Out Cards is fine but if it could do exactly what Send Out Cards does with the added ability of having a postage paid reply card in the cards it would be ideal.

5. All notes should be able to be done using voice to text on my iPhone on the fly.

6. The iPhone contacts and calendar should always stay in sync with the desktop database throughout the day.

7. Any phone messages, recordings of phone conversations, etc with this contact should easily link to this contact. All document PDF's would be linked.

8. When a sale is made, automatic follow up, thank you's, Christmas/ Birthday cards, cross sale cards, referal request cards, etc would be turned on with no effort from me.

9. When an app is submitted and pending, it would daily link me directly into that carrier's agent website to review the progress of the case. It would store the passwords and get me exactly to the right area in one click.

10. In addition to all this, it would do all the normal database stuff that ACT or any good database does now.

If you guys will build this, I'll buy it.
 
While highly specific...all of those "things" are out there already, just not in one packaged system. Depending on your budget, you could totally build that.
 
While highly specific...all of those "things" are out there already, just not in one packaged system. Depending on your budget, you could totally build that.

That's my whole point. I don't want to build it. I want to buy it. Why doesn't someone selling databases listen to how agents actually work. Then cut a lot of steps out of our system for us?
 
That's my whole point. I don't want to build it. I want to buy it. Why doesn't someone selling databases listen to how agents actually work. Then cut a lot of steps out of our system for us?

It's just math. The short answer, from the perspective, is it doesn't make sense. What it would cost to develop vs what agents will pay for it makes it a losing bet.

You're also not talking about a database, you're talking about a CRM.

Have you looked at the salesforce customizations?
 
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There seems to be a lot of database guys who come to the forum testing a new database or wanting feedback of what we agents would like in a database. I haven't seen an ideal one. I would like one that ties everything I do together.

Here are some thoughts:

1. Ability to scan a lead card with my iPhone and it copies the name, address, etc. And creates a new contact in my database, links a PDF version of the lead to the contact in my database and connects it to a group within the database named "unworked new lead"

2. I would like the database to allow me to optimize routes any of my groups and send that entire group to my car's GPS (Send to Car by Google does this now but I have to re-enter data).

3. I would like to to give me three choices after I work the lead 1. Yes, today (appointment set or sale made) 2. Yes, later (schedule a follow up date and add notes.) 3. No (Get it out of my sight forever but still pop up my notes if I get the same lead again in the future.)

4. For my yes, laters- I want the database to automatically connect to my automated prospect farm system. Linking to Send Out Cards is fine but if it could do exactly what Send Out Cards does with the added ability of having a postage paid reply card in the cards it would be ideal.

5. All notes should be able to be done using voice to text on my iPhone on the fly.

6. The iPhone contacts and calendar should always stay in sync with the desktop database throughout the day.

7. Any phone messages, recordings of phone conversations, etc with this contact should easily link to this contact. All document PDF's would be linked.

8. When a sale is made, automatic follow up, thank you's, Christmas/ Birthday cards, cross sale cards, referal request cards, etc would be turned on with no effort from me.

9. When an app is submitted and pending, it would daily link me directly into that carrier's agent website to review the progress of the case. It would store the passwords and get me exactly to the right area in one click.

10. In addition to all this, it would do all the normal database stuff that ACT or any good database does now.

If you guys will build this, I'll buy it.

You are aware I built one of these from 2005 to 2007. Automated drip systems in place for email follow up (not needed for FE but helpful for supps), automatic letter farming system built to drip to a prospect 15, 30, 45, 60 days respectively, automatic birthday card printing, thank you cards, etc. Also pop up task manager and to do list combined with daily follow up notes. PDF and gif enabled docs could be stored within the contact area for storage and every email archived (sent and received) within the contacts area. I should do it again for the FE and Supp market, rough cost about $20,000 without the nifty iphone features you mentioned.

You could almost do all of this with Act. But the icing on the cake is what makes a custom deployment soooooooooooo attractive. You can customize to your business and lifestyle. I bet I could get one built for under $10k today.:yes:
 
You are aware I built one of these from 2005 to 2007. Automated drip systems in place for email follow up (not needed for FE but helpful for supps), automatic letter farming system built to drip to a prospect 15, 30, 45, 60 days respectively, automatic birthday card printing, thank you cards, etc. Also pop up task manager and to do list combined with daily follow up notes. PDF and gif enabled docs could be stored within the contact area for storage and every email archived (sent and received) within the contacts area. I should do it again for the FE and Supp market, rough cost about $20,000 without the nifty iphone features you mentioned. You could almost do all of this with Act. But the icing on the cake is what makes a custom deployment soooooooooooo attractive. You can customize to your business and lifestyle. I bet I could get one built for under $10k today.:yes:

I had no idea. If you could build something like that you could make millions.
 
I had no idea. If you could build something like that you could make millions.

I'm not sure where you're getting that millions number from. The reality is that with any type of technology like this each agent is going to usually want their own slightly different flavor. You're talking about a project that involves integrating a pile of technologies that aren't really ready to be integrated just yet. Not that there aren't ways around it, but by the time this thing would go to launch you'd be lucky to break even on the investment.

Rough numbers:

I think John was a little lean on the $20k price point, I'd put it at closer to $50k to do it "right" and the first year of on-going dev cost, that would be a cost annually though. There would also be a hosting cost associated with it, you'd have to spend at least a few hundred bucks. So what would agents pay? $20? $30? $50? Even at $50/month you'd need at least 10 agents using it just to break even on hosting, that's before you start making your $20k-$50k back. You'd also need to supply support because people are going to have questions. If customers need an average of half an hour to get started and you have any marketing costs at all you won't be making any money off them in the first month. Now the question remains, how many people would actually use it?

That all said, if you think this is a winner, would you actually back it with cash to get it to launch?
 
I'm not sure where you're getting that millions number from. The reality is that with any type of technology like this each agent is going to usually want their own slightly different flavor. You're talking about a project that involves integrating a pile of technologies that aren't really ready to be integrated just yet. Not that there aren't ways around it, but by the time this thing would go to launch you'd be lucky to break even on the investment.

Rough numbers:

I think John was a little lean on the $20k price point, I'd put it at closer to $50k to do it "right" and the first year of on-going dev cost, that would be a cost annually though. There would also be a hosting cost associated with it, you'd have to spend at least a few hundred bucks. So what would agents pay? $20? $30? $50? Even at $50/month you'd need at least 10 agents using it just to break even on hosting, that's before you start making your $20k-$50k back. You'd also need to supply support because people are going to have questions. If customers need an average of half an hour to get started and you have any marketing costs at all you won't be making any money off them in the first month. Now the question remains, how many people would actually use it?

That all said, if you think this is a winner, would you actually back it with cash to get it to launch?

Yea Id have to agree with Josh on the number, $50k would be more viable. I was thinking about 2006 dollars when I built the other one. $50k today is much closer, especially with the high cost of off site IT support, consulting and training involved.
 
$50k???? that is still an under estimate IMO. Our Dataraptor CRM was spec'd out at $120k, and we finished well over double that and 4x the time frame. (while my sig says coming soon, it is absolutely available to our brokers now).
 
$50k???? that is still an under estimate IMO. Our Dataraptor CRM was spec'd out at $120k, and we finished well over double that and 4x the time frame. (while my sig says coming soon, it is absolutely available to our brokers now).

Nice site!! Its a bit more robust than I think we are discussing though. We are talking about a much more toned down crm that is more of a skeleton deployment vs. full fledged agency management tool. Looks like you guys worked hard and implemented a killer product, kudos!
 
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