Salesforce is the global leader in CRM for a reason. But if your sales process is relationship-based, not transactional, you're paying for a system designed for volume, not depth.
Salesforce assumes you have leads, opportunities, campaigns, and marketing automation. But if your 'pipeline' is actually just 10 major clients you've worked with for years, you don't need a CRM. You need a clean contact database with project history and follow-up reminders. We build that.
You pay 100% of the subscription but typically use only 40% of the functionality
Why rent the other 60% forever?
Salesforce is built for companies managing thousands of leads through automated email campaigns and call scripts. If you're a consultancy where every client relationship is unique and long-term, you're fighting against a system designed for scale, not nuance. You don't need 'lead scoring' or 'opportunity stages'—you need to see the last 5 projects you did for a client and when to check in next.
Beyond features, there are fundamental differences in philosophy, ownership, and total cost of ownership.
| Metric | The "Universal" SaaS (Salesforce) | The Itsy Bytesy Custom Build (Relationship Ledger) |
|---|---|---|
| Philosophy | "One tool for everyone." | "A tool specifically for *you*." |
| Cost Model | OpEx (Rent): Per-user, forever. | CapEx (Asset): One-time build cost + minimal hosting. |
| Data Ownership | API Limits & Export Fees. | Direct SQL Access. You own the database. |
| Update Cycle | UI changes randomly, confusing your staff. | UI only changes when *you* ask for it. |
| The "Noise" | Gamification, Social Feeds, Upsell Popups. | Zero distractions. Pure utility. |
A Relationship Ledger focused on your actual workflow:
Contact database with project history
Follow-up reminders and task management
Quote and proposal tracking
Simple email integration (Outlook/Gmail)
Don't guess. Book a 15-minute architecture review. We'll tell you honestly if you should stick with Salesforce or build your own asset.