Outlook Show Manager, my vision of a CRM Tool for performing artists
I don’t know how you feel about it, but for most performers the office stuff is extremely annoying.
I tried several software before to organize my bookings and keep track of dates but I was not really satisfied.
The last Time I used Business Contact manager for Outlook, but this is a tool aimed at much larger companies and requires to many data to input just to add a new booking request. As I like Outlook as communication platform and its possibilities to sync with mobile phones, I thought about developing my own Outlook-AddIn that will solve the needs of a performing Artist.
I will here continue to inform you about my development progress and will be more than happy to here your opinions and wishes.
The only disadvantage my solution will have is, that you have Outlook 2007+ because prior to that version Outlook could not be customized enough for my needs.
Here are some key features that shall be achieved over time:
- Fast and simple to use, minimal required input
- Tracking of sales status
- Automatic creation / update of Calendar Entries when a new business opportunity (BO)is created, so that you will not have to maintain data twice
- Tracking of emails/documents belonging to one BO
- Automatic creation of MS Word based offer, contracts, invoices
- Support for synchronization with mobile devices
In my next post I will tell more about the planned features. Stay tuned.
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Tom, save yourself the time & effort & subscribe to http://www.espeakers.com
I have tried to develop, construct & simulate a bookings CRM for years & none of theme worked particularly well … until I found eSpeakers.
Yes, it’s made for professional speakers but it’s appropriate for all performers. It has more features than I can write, so I suggest you take the opportunity of using their free trial.
And let me know if it works for you!
Best wishes,
- Marcel
Hi,
Thanks for the tipp. But I want really a minimalistic approach that integrates directly into Outlook.
Also, as a former IT professional it’s funn for me to write some software. If it really et to a product state someday, I will possition it in a price range below $50. So it’s a totally different market.
Stay tuned, perhaps you will like it
Tom
Just something to think about…
As a performing artist, I’m also a Mac fan. I love all things Apple, and I’m not alone in this industry. In skimming through the content above, I noticed plenty of Outlook mentions, which is obviously a Microsoft product.
I haven’t done my own booking in years, and therefore am not an ideal person to get a relevant opinion from, but thought I’d remind you that those who exist in the entertainment industry are increasingly becoming more and more biased toward Macs. I’d encourage a web-based software solution that works seamlessly with any browser, as well as handheld devices like the iPhone.
Best wishes,
Harris
Hi Harris,
thanks for the feedback. Yes it’s a pure Microsoft solution. I know that there are amlot people out there that don’t like Outlook, but also a very large group that uses it.
For me the reason is that Outlook offers extreme rich funcktionality to extend it and leverage all it features for your own application. Also I aim at a close integration with MS Word, something you can’t get so easy from a webbased application. Lastly I’m a good programmer but not a Web guy so for me this is the easiest solution so far. maybe I will change my mind in the future.
Best
Tom