A Quick Look at Relenta
Check it out! We’ve added
CRM software Relenta to our GTD Software Comparison list. Relenta’s founder and CEO, Dmitri Eroshenko, is a master networker (and a really good guy, too). After crossing paths with Dmitri a while back, it was really only a matter of time before Priacta and Relenta worked together as a team. We looked into Relenta’s CRM system, and this is what we saw: a mother lode of potential.
With an integrated calendar, tasks, email handling, and CRM capabilities, Relenta makes a terrific candidate for our GTD list. It also sports multi-user support, an API, and simple business process automation, which make it a pretty attractive low-end alternative to pricier approaches like InfusionSoft.
After a few discussions, Relenta’s tagging feature got an important upgrade, and voilà! Now Relenta can do GTD with multiple contexts. A few more changes down the road and Relenta should be fully TRO compliant. (For the uninitiated, TRO offers all of the features of GTD, plus more, in a simplified system. See here for a quick comparison). To get those great TRO benefits (like 5-minute weekly reviews) TRO demands a bit more from the software than basic GTD. We’re eagerly watching the Relenta horizon for those enhancements. Once that happens, we plan to offer a Relenta-specific version of TRO Online Training.
So, why does the “Resident Geek” care about all this? Well, I watch the titles in that list like a hawk, and I’m continually updating it. It takes a lot of effort, but it’s worth it to our coaching clients and everyone else. When someone needs a specific productivity tool, that’s the place to look.
I’m also involved in premium coaching, keeping your tools and your system running trouble-free, so that you focus on your new time management habits. This means that I appreciate any software that gets the job done with the least amount of work, setup, and hassle. That kind of software makes my job a lot easier. Fine-tuning different pieces of software to pull all your information together can be a nightmare! So as you can see, Relenta shows a lot of promise in solving that problem.
Stay tuned for a more in-depth Relenta review when it’s TRO-ready …
Not familiar yet with all the jargon?
See the lingo list below for some quick definitions.
API: An acronym for “application programming interface.” Simply put, its purpose is to support the building of applications.
CRM: Short for “Customer relationship management.” CRM software is used to support storing and accessing information about customers and customer interactions. Typical CRM goals involve improving customer service and using contact information for targeted marketing.
GTD: Acronym for “Getting Things Done.” GTD software helps you do exactly that: get “things” done, whatever “things” may be for you.
Multiple contexts: Contexts are places, situations, or groupings for certain kinds of work. Several contexts can apply to a task all at once, so multiple contexts are important for seeing the right tasks at the right time. For example, TRO lets you organize tasks into life areas like “Work” or “Personal” so you can balance your priorities; a task may be a “Phone” call, and it may apply to “Kirsten.” All of these are contexts.
Tagging: The ability to “tag” or categorize your tasks with key words. TRO uses tags for contexts, like life areas, names, meetings, and places.
