Please let me clarify a few things about CRM (contact Management Software):

First of all, even the most "basic" features that all CRM have and should have are not implemented in the same way.

For example, all CRM have a find, lookup or search tool but in all of them I know you need to enter the right type of information in the correct field to do a seach, sometimes yuo even need to enter that information in the exact way it was entered (like a phone number for example).

Let's say that you receive a call and have just a few seconds to look at the caller ID and try to find this prospect or client.

Majority of CRM will give you this capability but only if you type the phone number in the "special" phone field and some are so bad that you actually need to enter the phone number in the exact format that you entered in the database in the first place.

This is, in my opinion, the wrong way to search (very stressful to start with) .

In our CRM software we have two main ways to search. One is the Full Find where you can search using a query-by-example, similar to others but much more detailed and allowing many important things that others leave ignored, like find for empty or not empty fields, date and number ranges and much more.

The other way, which probably you will use 95% of the time is the Quick Find.

This search system consists on just one field where you enter "pieces" of what you remember about the lead or client to search in the same place. For example, you enter "305 john FL" to look for a client You enter these "pieces" of information in any order and the program searches in most fields automatically, not only by the first word of a field but from all of them, not only if you type perfectly a phone number (like (305) 555-1212) but if you type it in any way possible (like 305--5-5-5-1 2 12).

Maybe you are thinking that this incredibly useful way of searching will take longer than with other system but the opposite is true. You can find one or many contacts from 500,000 contact database in a matter of 1 second. It is that fast.

Only this feature can save you hours a week but most importantly you will be more productive and be less stressed in you job.

In other words, this approach, which we use in many places of the software, it's simpler to use, faster (saves you time) and makes you look like a genious in front of your client or lead since they can't realize that you have all their information so fast in front of you and it looks that you remember them personally.