I recently received a copy of NTEN’s CRM Satisfaction survey (you can get your own copy here). Here are my reactions:
- One conclusion drawn from the survey suggests that “after sales support” and a “user friendly interface” were the two most valued factors in a CRM system. This nicely validates something I wrote almost eight years ago.
- It was interesting to see that of the 22 systems that made the survey list, only four got an “A” (or A+ in one case) for “value.” In all four cases, the systems that received those grades are free. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
- Of the 22 systems profiled, only two (Avectra’s netForum and Advanced Solutions’ iMIS) are broadly used in the association market. This survey covered the broader “non-profit” market (of which associations are a subset). Non-profits tend to focus on fundraising, for example, more than a typical association might.
I think this survey will be useful to non-profits considering CRM systems. Kudos to NTEN for putting this together.
Full disclosure: EDM is an independent third-party consulting firm. This means we have no financial relationship with any of the vendors mentioned in this blog. We provide unbiased opinions on what we see. In addition, NTEN is a former EDM client.