DemandTools vs. Salesforce Starter

DemandTools is perfect for any system that constantly adds new records to its database. For example, in higher education, we are constantly purchasing search names from various vendors and DemandTools allows us to make sure we are not doubling up on the same records. It saves us money in the long run as we are not mailing out multiple copies of our brochures to the same person.

If you own a business that has complex selling processes or requires integrations with 3rd party tools/systems, you should look at Professional, Enterprise, or Unlimited editions. Salesforce operates very well across pretty much every industry, but not all sales, marketing, and operational processes are created equal. If your marketing process requires a long list of sendable contacts then I would recommend adding on Pardot or Hubspot. Always start small and scale up, to avoid boxing yourself in down the road.

Incentivized

• PowerGrid can review and make the updates simultaneously.
• Single Table Dedupe makes merg[ing] the records easy and can make updates at the same time.
• BulkBackup [is] just one click, majority data got updated.
• Scenarios save a lot of time for similar working load.

Incentivized

• Tracking phone calls is extremely easy when using the app on the iphone. After a phone call is complete it prompts the user to enter in call details.
• SalesforceIQ also automatically logs emails for us. This has saved us time from entering in information manually.
• SalesforceIQ was easy to set up and allowed us customization for fields that were relevant to our business.

Incentivized

• I wish I could make changes to my existing scenarios using save rather than having to create a whole new scenario. Maybe you can, I just haven't been able to.
• Some features aren't user intuitive and it takes a while to learn.

Incentivized

• Price point for smaller startups. Not budget friendly.

Incentivized

It's a great product. The only thing that holds us back is it was frustrating working with their sales team. We also don't like that when Validity purchased DemandTools they immediately started charging us quite a bit while it had been free for non-profit users when CRMFusion owned it. They also don't let you buy it for just 1 or 2 seats, you have to pay, I believe, in batches of 100 seats.

Incentivized

Allows for control in uploading lists, saved processes for checking duplicate records.

Allows for backup files and quick reverts if something goes wrong.

Extends reporting when Salesforce.com cannot support specific pieces of info being put together in a report.

Automated processes for set and forget hygiene tasks

There has not been a time since I started 9 months ago that I've encountered any kind of downtime.

Incentivized

DemandTools is a bit clunky and slow at times

Incentivized

Support can be slow so do not expect quick turn for urgent issues.
Help for specific queries not not there. Product tech support is offered. It would be great if query support, even if paid, was offered
The training webinars help with the basics but not much if you need advanced functionality.

The trainings are free live webinars that give you a solid base for getting started with the program. The only weakness is they don't have any advanced classes.

I had just started using Salesforce about 3 months before I did the implementation myself, and it was easy to do just following their step-by-step instructions.

Though RingLead has much more to offer in terms of automation (and it is in Salesforce rather than a separate program), DemandTools still has our heart. DemandTools is very cost-friendly and we were able to increase the value of DemandTools by programming in additional saved scenarios. I decreased admin time in the DemandTools suite by approximately 25% after implementing saved scenarios for every reoccurring update or list upload.

Incentivized

Salesforce Starter is exactly what it says. It's specific to getting a small business up and running effectively, without unnecessary development or internal overhead required. It doesn't allow for a ton of customization, but it provides more than most other providers across sales, service, and integration/automating business processes. Some tools are more specific to organizations that want to focus on a specific area to grow or manage their business. That's where the other package types and integrations with specific tools come in

Incentivized

It's done everything we've needed it to do.

Incentivized

• It is a tremendous time saver. It does things Salesforce doesn't even have the capability to do. Tasks that would take hours to manually complete.
• We can process a tremendous amount of data daily through one person, vs. weeks for the data to be cleaned, reviewed, routed and input.
• Saves on headcount by allowing a dedicated user to set up batches and jobs for other teams to ensure their data integrity.
• The return on investment isn't easily quantifiable but it is FELT in our department.

Incentivized

• We have noticed since we have started using SalesforceIQ to communicate items on customer account notes we have freed up hours of phone time between employees allowing us to better answer customer phone calls. This is especially true in our parts department where we have inside and outside sales.
• We tied in use of Salesforce to our bonus structure to encourage employees to use the software. It is the direction our business is going and we needed everyone to participate to make it work. The newer the employee the better they are about logging information and visits.

Incentivized