Product Review - IXACT Contact

IXACT Contact: The Basics
IXACT Contact is more than just a CRM. Their product also offers email marketing and a monthly e-newsletter. They explain that having these three features integrated saves time and money.

Just as importantly, IXACT Contact can sync with any Smartphone (working with the phone’s address book, calendar, and task list) as well as with Microsoft Outlook and Mac Address Book.

IXACT Contact also includes Website Lead Capture which allows you to automatically capture website leads into your database. And, of course, IXACT Contact is PC, Mac, and iPad compatible.

A Closer Look
Any time IXACT Contact is opened, the first thing the user sees is the Main Dashboard. Here, IXACT has combined the information that really matters to a busy agent:

• Active business

• Prospects

• Today’s tasks

• Today’s appointments

In addition to this quick information, an “electronic rolodex” is always available at the side of the screen and is searchable by name or address. IXACT Contact gives users the ability to look up a contact’s phone number, make a call, record notes from the conversation, and schedule a follow-up task, all with a couple of clicks right from the e-Rolodex.

When you open a contact profile, it contains:

• Contact info
• Properties that he/she currently owns or has owned
• Buying preferences
• Keep-in-touch reminders
• Business directory – a space for entering diverse local businesses so you can make recommendations (positioning yourself as the "community expert")
• Notes
• Log of calls, emails, meetings, and other touch points
• Activities/history

Another cool feature of IXACT Contact is the Activity Plans. These are a series of tasks to complete a process, whether that process is listing a home, marketing, keeping in touch with a lead, etc. The pre-designed plans, designed by real estate experts, do look like they could keep even the most disorganized agent in control.

The email marketing features of IXACT Contact allow you to send mass emails to a large group of contacts or to a single lead. You can choose from pre-designed emails, newsletters, and flyers (i.e. “just sold” or “just listed”). A feature I particularly appreciated was built-in campaign reporting, allowing users to track the success of their email marketing efforts and identify their best leads.

The exportable reports are another interesting feature of IXACT Contact. Types of reports include active business reports, task and appointment reports, and contact reports.

Use It or Lose It
The success of IXACT Contact, or any CRM, relies largely upon YOU, the user. If you’re not adding contacts, updating information, tracking touch points, and checking-in on activity plans, there’s not much value your CRM can add – no matter which product you use. So, use whatever training is available to you, learn the functionality of your CRM system, and become disciplined in your use.

Next Steps
So, what now? Here are a few next steps for you:

• Sign up for a FREE 5 week trial of IXACT Contact at www.ixactcontact.com

• To explore your other CRM options, visit our product directory.

• To learn more about CRMs, read past agent articles and broker articles.

• For more information about IXACT Contact, check them out in our directory or visit www.IXACTContact.com.