Contacts Journal CRM
Whether following up a call or going to a meeting, this CRM tool is ideal
£29.99 Developer zaal LLC, contactsjournal.com
Requires OS X 10.9 or higher
Managing relationships with important customers and clients is crucial for any business – so important, in fact, that the process even has a jargon abbreviation: CRM, or ‘customer relationship management’.
The idea is to focus on people rather than tasks, so conventional project management tools don’t quite work. That’s where Contacts Journal CRM comes in. It’s a contacts management tool for OS X which can import people from the OS X Contacts app or create new ones.
Managing those contacts takes the form of attaching files, making notes, creating tasks and logging activity. Organising data this way means that when you have a meeting or a phone call with a client, you just pull up their details in the app and every facet of your dealings with them is right in front of you.
Contacts Journal CRM organises data into tabbed windows labelled Logs, ToDos, Files, and Info. Above the tabs are action buttons for making a phone call or sending a text message or email. Info is pulled from the Contacts app but can be edited or expanded within the app. ToDos are tasks created in the app, and Logs are added manually after a meeting or phone call. Files can be imported from anywhere on your Mac, and you can attach them to email messages you compose from within Contacts Journal CRM. These are then sent with the Mail app. It’s a well thought out interface that’s super easy to navigate.
There’s also an iOS version which can sync data with the Mac app via iCloud or Dropbox. That way you can update client activity on the move (such as after a meeting) on your iPhone, and it will be added to your Mac. Kenny Hemphill
If you deal with clients on a daily basis you’ll already know the value of CRM. Contacts Journal is excellent for applying it.