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You are doing it wrong. I don't mean to be contrarian but if you want to be successful as a independent developer (I have been for almost 15 years now) and you

You are doing it wrong. I don't mean to be contrarian but if you want to be successful as a independent developer (I have been for almost 15 years now) and you are looking for a CRM you are off the rails. CRM systems are for the most part, for companies or sales individuals who need help managing the number of contacts they have at any given time and ensuring they follow a structured interaction pattern. I know about a dozen people like me, some of whom float in and out of full-time gigs and consulting and others who are years or decades into the independent consulting arrangement. Not a single one interacts with a high volume of customers. At any given time I have two or three I interact with and maybe one in the pipeline. If I make contact with new potential customers I create a contact record for them in Outlook/Gmail/Whatever and record any extraneous details in the notes section. That is all, if you need more than that I question the approach. ps - Another tip. 'Freelancers' are cheap and not serious, 'consultants' or 'developers' or 'independent developers' take home the big checks. Just a perception thing.

Loic 13y ago
For my experience (7 years now), this is effectively so, you do not need a CRM at all. Your inbox with a folder for each customer/contact/project is your best CRM feature. The only thing I have at a "large number" level is a very stupid web application storing just 2 things: an email address and a corresponding full address like you print on the envelope. Then every year, I can send 125+ new year cards. I take the time to include a nice design for the card, people enjoy them and this is a nice way to keep in contact with a large number of people.
brudgers 13y ago
I'll go further and say that researching CRM's only feels like work. It isn't. Cold calling and chasing contracts and closing them and completing the contracted work is all that counts as actually working. Choosing and installing and learning a CRM is easier. That's why it doesn't count.
- marvin 13y ago
  Perfect observation of real, honest-to-God procrastination. You are usually better served taking the time researching the CRM and slacking off. Or at the very least admitting that the CRM research is part of your time off, not your job.
  - digitalengineer 13y ago
    Correct of course. I'm running it in my mailbox and Google Docs excel now for clients, time spend, leads, follow ups, etc. It's doable but not exactly manageable. I'd like a way to combine it all and stop spending time searching.
  - ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
    No. You're both missing the whole point. This is like researching a move to Node from Rails, or something similar. In fact, using the right tool for your sales has a direct effect on your bottom line, so I'm going to say it's far more important if you like stuff like money.
- ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
  No, this is wrong. Researching counts as actual work, that's why people put R&D as an expense. It feels like work to you because you recognize it as such.
joshdance 13y ago
Good advice, but don't assume he is 'doing it wrong' without knowing his use case etc. Maybe he really does need a CRM. Your advice is 'you don't need one' which could be exactly true, but it could not work for his needs.
- keithwarren 13y ago
  Certainly true. But starting out with 'You are doing it wrong' is the opening sentence version of link-baiting :) You read it didn't you?
ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
No thank you bud. The scientific method works both for code and sales. The better you have a grasp of your sales pipeline, the contacts you are making, how much money you are making and spending, THEN the better you will run your business, the more projects you will be able to take on, and the more money you will make. Your tools are too simple to make any real analysis, and that's probably a reason why ya'll don't get too many leads. This is a good question, not something to dismiss just out of hand.

Loic 13y ago

For my experience (7 years now), this is effectively so, you do not need a CRM at all. Your inbox with a folder for each customer/contact/project is your best CRM feature. The only thing I have at a "large number" level is a very stupid web application storing just 2 things: an email address and a corresponding full address like you print on the envelope. Then every year, I can send 125+ new year cards. I take the time to include a nice design for the card, people enjoy them and this is a nice way to keep in contact with a large number of people.

brudgers 13y ago

I'll go further and say that researching CRM's only feels like work. It isn't. Cold calling and chasing contracts and closing them and completing the contracted work is all that counts as actually working. Choosing and installing and learning a CRM is easier. That's why it doesn't count.

marvin 13y ago
Perfect observation of real, honest-to-God procrastination. You are usually better served taking the time researching the CRM and slacking off. Or at the very least admitting that the CRM research is part of your time off, not your job.
- digitalengineer 13y ago
  Correct of course. I'm running it in my mailbox and Google Docs excel now for clients, time spend, leads, follow ups, etc. It's doable but not exactly manageable. I'd like a way to combine it all and stop spending time searching.
- ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
  No. You're both missing the whole point. This is like researching a move to Node from Rails, or something similar. In fact, using the right tool for your sales has a direct effect on your bottom line, so I'm going to say it's far more important if you like stuff like money.
ulisesrmzroche 13y ago
No, this is wrong. Researching counts as actual work, that's why people put R&D as an expense. It feels like work to you because you recognize it as such.

joshdance 13y ago

Good advice, but don't assume he is 'doing it wrong' without knowing his use case etc. Maybe he really does need a CRM. Your advice is 'you don't need one' which could be exactly true, but it could not work for his needs.

keithwarren 13y ago
Certainly true. But starting out with 'You are doing it wrong' is the opening sentence version of link-baiting :) You read it didn't you?

ulisesrmzroche 13y ago

No thank you bud. The scientific method works both for code and sales. The better you have a grasp of your sales pipeline, the contacts you are making, how much money you are making and spending, THEN the better you will run your business, the more projects you will be able to take on, and the more money you will make. Your tools are too simple to make any real analysis, and that's probably a reason why ya'll don't get too many leads. This is a good question, not something to dismiss just out of hand.