Results Software Builds CRM VAR Base

If you're a solution provider on the lookout for a solid software package to sell (or recommend) to your SMB customers, you might want to check out Results CRM.According to Naseem Saab, president and founder of Results Software, the Herndon, Va.-based maker of Results CRM, this isn't your mom or dad's Customer Relationship Management. "Most CRM applications are just for sales-force automation and customer service," Saab says. "After a sale happens, there's a whole process -- everything from project management and invoicing to inventory management and service and/or product delivery -- and Results CRM addresses all of that. Results CRM isn't just a point solution for a single department. It's a business and information management solution that centralizes data for the entire company."

Results CRM offers bidirectional integration with QuickBooks and Microsoft Office, both of which are used by more than 80 percent of SMBs, says Saab, adding that this integration does away with information silos. "Those apps don't talk to each other, except in our software," he says.

With about 35 percent of its CRM sales going through the channel, Results Software currently works with about 80 partners and wants to ratchet up that number to 150 in the near future. Recognizing that not all partners are alike, the company isn't taking a cookie-cutter approach to its channel strategy either.

The Results Certified Partner program is for systems integrators who plan on delivering end-to-end solutions around Results-Software's CRM package. There's plenty of room for customization of the software, whether on the reporting side or the database end. (For example, VARs can customize and modify reports in Crystal Reports, add specialized database fields, or tie in an e-commerce solution.) Certified partners get aggressive product discounts (25-40%), free training, pre- and post-sales support, a free website listing (their company name, logo, and info posted at the Results Software partner web page), and complimentary marketing and promotional materials.

For consultants, there's the Results Referral Partner program. Results Software actually started out as a consultancy 25 years ago, so Saab knows what these kinds of partners strive for: They don't want to focus too much attention on any one product or area, preferring instead to tie all the technology pieces together. With the referral program, consultants can recommend Results CRM, then step away. In the event of a sale, they get a 10 percent cut, which they can keep for themselves or pass on to the customer as a product discount. Saab says these partners often opt for the latter; it generates goodwill with clients. "This is a win-win situation for everybody," he says. "The customer gets 10 percent off the price of Results CRM, and the consultant usually gets a contract."

Results Software is also capitalizing on a growing trend in the SMB space to use hosted and virtual apps. "Let's say there's a small business with five to seven users and two are telecommuting, so they want to be able to use Results CRM on the road," Saab says. "Here's a VAR or MSP opportunity to create virtual servers, remote desktops, or terminal services. The partner could combine our CRM software, QuickBooks, and Outlook in a terminal services box that can be accessed anywhere anytime."

Stay tuned for the unveiling of Results CRM 2010 at the end of the month. Saab says the new release will include all the same features and functionality of its predecessor, but with a new-and-improved look and feel.

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Michele Pepe-Warren was an editor and reporter for CRN and VARBusiness and has 10 years of experience covering the technology channel.