Is ACT! 2009 (v11) the best version Sage has released to date? It’s still early, and customers will ultimately decide this, but if my own sales data is any indication, it could very well be.
At the current rate, sales revenue at www.ACTasap.net will out pace last year by 71%. I find that interesting, especially in a down economy. Small businesses are scrutinizing purchases more than ever (and rightfully so, especially with recent collapse of financial markets).
When asking customers for the #1 reason they decided to purchase the ACT! database software from me, getting in on the promo, and nabbing my 4 special bonuses here are some of the responses:
“Excellent value.” -Larry. Teaneck, NJ USA
“Excellent website that has allowed me to read reviews and learn what I need to make a purchase decision. I have seen cheaper but I think that I can get more “value” buying from you. Thanks”
-Eric. Logan, UT USA
“I have enjoyed your webinars and other info for quite some time now and feel this is a good way to thank you.
-Matt. Pine Lake, GA USA
Wow. This has been a sobering observation to say the least. I realize that you may have not yet become a customer. ACT! may not be a fit, you may have purchased it elsewhere, or funds are tight. No pressure. If you want to become a customer, there will be other opportunities.
If, however, you are still on the fence, allow me to gently encourage you to consider reviewing…
http://www.ACTasap.net/v11deal …my special offer details and video
and
http://ACTasap.net/act2009faq …ACT! 2009 Customer FAQ
or checkout
http://www.WhatsNewWithACT.com
As a reminder (I can hear it a few weeks from now, people upset because they “didn’t realize the promo was ending”)…again…the deal ends 9/30/2008.
What about you? What reasons have you decided to purchase or hold off?
As always, leave your comments below on the blog.
Hi, my name is Travis Campbell, I operate this site. A key to success in any business is to effectively manage your relationships. ACT! is a software product helping millions when it comes to doing just that. This Website is designed to assist both those considering ACT! software for their business, as well as to provide insight to ACT! users who want to effectively use it in their day to day operations. So login, post, browse and enjoy.
I’ve been supporting ACT! for 21 years and ACT! 2009 is, without a doubt, the best version yet.
For those who’ve been with ACT! for a while, 2009 is to 2005 and Sage what 6.0 was to 3.0 and Symantec – once again, ACT! really allows me to focus on my business and not the use and of the product.
Now, instead of fighting fires, the task for Sage moving forward is what features and functions to select to build on this solid base.
Regards from Sydney, Australia
Mike-
Thanks for your input, well said.
Without sounding too hypey (is that a word??), I think ACT! 2009 could be the version that turns the corner for Sage.
I spoke to customer yesterday, and he said that he installed it on 10 machines, and it is working flawlessly. Nice to hear.
Others?
I just bought 2008 from Staples and have 2006 now. Is there an installation guide for this. I am a single user at a large corporation and they wont give me admin rights to back up registry and choose selective startup. Can I not install this? Why would any Company make a software program that requires all this. I have been a user since 4.0 and have used 2000 and now 2006 and never have seen this.
Greg-
Thanks for taking time to state your question. As with most business software that uses SQL and .Net, the installer does need local admin rights to install. You can do a “Run-As” on ACT’s setup.exe and accomplish this. Your IT person should know what that is…
You might also have them get on the phone with you should you have further issues surrounding install, there is free support for the first 30 days. You should be able to find the support number on the box, or paperwork that came with it.
Hope that helps.
One thing that has become clear over time is that when economic times get tougher the need
for the best sales system is even more important than in easier economic times. The recent
financial market troubles in the US will necessitate fine tuning for many of us. Having ACT! in
tune with the sales process for your specific business will best help you compete in these
tougher economic times. This is a great deal Travis is offering for the end of the fiscal year.
Don’t miss out on this one as prices are likely to go up in October.
Editors Note…Will is an ACT! reseller…
I’d agree that this is the most progressive release to date.
Each year Sage build in extra features and release an upgrade in an attempt to drive revenues from it’s existing customer base. A 50% upgrade fee is not always justifiable when considering how the additional features within the latest version might impact upon ‘bottom line’.
Good as it is, I’m not quite sure that this particular upgrade is sufficiently enhanced to justify upgrade for those who currently have ACT! 2008 (v10). However, for users of earlier versions (5,6,7,8 and 9), the upgrade arguement is very compelling. As reported, the integration features with Outlook have been enhanced considerably to make ACT! fit nicely with the Microsoft Office systems that most of us are using as day-to-day business tools.
Certainly for new users (SME’s looking for robust and powerful contact and customer management at a reasonable cost), ACT! is now almost peerless in this space.
Will Ingleby
BluebirdCRM.co.uk
I’ve been an ACT! user since the old days… before Sage bought it. It was a wonderful program for small business.
Then Sage turned it over to the techies, who turned it into a sluggish, complicated memory hog. I battled with it for several years until they finally got it right with Version 11. Now with hundreds (actually well over $1,000) invested!
BUT WAIT… The techies at Sage decided to do an update. Now it’s not working right again… same kind of problems I had with older versions.
And unless you buy an expensive support package, you’re on your own.
Unless you have an IT department or can afford the support package, you’re really risking your data and your business future with this program.
Larry-
My apologies hearing of your poor experience. You represent the ever fading legacy ACT! users. To be fair, Microsoft has made quite a few tech changes in their operating system, security, and programming interfaces that have contributed to the changes Sage made to the product. That said, they have heard customers like you and have made some changes to make support packages more within reach.
Hopefully you can get things moving again so you can focus on what everyone needs to focus on, managing and growing your small business.
I like 2009, if anything purely because it’s so much more stable than 2008.
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