NOTE: I'm building this app using Readme Driven Development. This will probably wind up growing into a manual.
I've used a TON of different CRMs. The problem is that they are either too complicated, or don't allow me to really focus on the relationship. They mostly focus on the "Deal" or the "Job." I care about those things, but I feel like if I take care of the person, I can win the job. That's why it's a CRM and not a Get-a-jobM system.
Since "Relationship Marketing" is about the relationship, I want a system that enables my relationship by doing the following:
- Reminds me to contact people on a regular basis
- Keeps track of how I know them and the ways I can reach out to them
- Tells me important things about them
- Tracks their interests and details about the projects/things they care about
- Add contacts to a group so I can determine how and when to contact them
- Allows me to email, tweet, facebook, etc them through the application
- Includes some email, tweet, facebook, etc templates for reaching out
- Allows me to forward/cc emails to it that add context to contacts
- Automatically creates contacts from emails (previous point)
- Integrates nicely with Redmine
- Provides API's for third party applications
- Tracks tasks related to the contact
- Reminds me every X days when I waiting on information from a contact
You should be able to create a new contact from anywhere. If I try to do something with a contact that doesn't exist yet, it should be created and I should be prompted to add as much information as I have on that person.
There should be an API for creating contacts so 3rd party apps (like iPhone apps) can run them.
I should be able to create contacts by forwarding or ccing an email from my email account to the system.