Starting today, our company will make a big step for entrepreneurs. It’s a big step, but the right step. Effective today, new customers to Infusionsoft no longer need to pay the required setup and activation fee and they can use our software risk-free for 15 days in a trial. I firmly believe these are the right changes we needed that will help us fulfill on our mission to become the leading marketing software entrepreneurs choose to run their small business.
I want to provide some insight into why we’ve made these changes – for the better.
For the past few years, our team has collectively worked on making our software easier to use. To be frank, our software wasn’t easy enough… until recently. It was in our customers’ best interest to be guided through implementation process. We did this at an expense of taking on new entrepreneurs, because our required setup packages were an obstacle. We talked with a ton of entrepreneurs out there who were fighting the good fight and simply couldn’t afford our solution.
Not too long ago, we broke the one-size-fits-all mentality and offered a variety of editions of our software which meet the needs of small businesses: Basic, Deluxe and Professional. Those included an array of unique features, capacities and limits for different prices. In light of this (risky) move, we were met with great success as plenty of new users chose us to grow their business.
Okay, so I think you get the idea – we’re out to revolutionize the world of small business with our software. The initial setup cost was prohibitive to accomplishing our mission and we’ve listened to what our customers have said as well. I’m very excited about these changes and this marks an important day for our company.
We’ve also wanted to put our money where our mouth is with the launch of the Double Your Sales Club program earlier this year. It’s been a hit and many entrepreneurs have affirmed our promise that we have doubled their sales with our software. Along with that came our Double Your Sales Guarantee – which is a bona-fide way of promising our software would work. We’ve also updated that in light of our new service offering. Vice president of Marketing, Dave Lee, posted an update as to the Double Your Sales Guarantee that we offer in addition to a host of new feedback.
I’m sure you have many questions for me as well as others here at the company. I’ll see if I can address a few of them for you today:
Q: What changed?
A: We no longer require our customers to purchase a setup package, eliminating the upfront financial hurdle. We also offer a free trial to new customers.
Q: Why?
A: Our customers told us to. And it was the right time. Our software has reached the point where people can set themselves up without requiring hands-on training. (We’re also adding a ton of new features to make it even cooler, so stay tuned).
Q: I’m a customer, how am I affected?
A: As a loyal Infusionsoft customer, you are ‘grandfathered’ in at your current price with the same benefits, service, and features you’ve been using. You don’t have to do anything. We got you covered. If you have more specific questions about your account, contact us.
Q: I’ve been interested in Infusionsoft for a while, how can I take the red pill?
A: To try Infusionsoft out, simply visit http://www.infusionsoft.com/ to get started. That will get you going on our Basic edition and you can upgrade anytime.
Q: If I need help to migrate my business into Infusionsoft, can I get it?
A: In addition to our amazing support team, customers can also optionally purchase various consulting services to help them get up and running fast. To see more, visit the website for details.
As you can tell, we’re all very excited to help entrepreneurs nationwide take advantage of our software. If you considered using us before, but haven’t made the jump due to the price, now may be the time to reconsider. I’m sure that after trying our software free, you’ll get a better idea of what we have going on. Who knows, it might even be a perfect match for your business.
If you have questions or comments, go ahead and let me know below. I appreciate your feedback in advance and will keep you privy of any updates here on the blog.
UPDATE: The press release about these changes is available on our site, Infusionsoft Unveils New Business Model After Record Growth to Bring Award-Winning Marketing and Sales Software to Mass Market.
Simply awesome guys! Given the current economic climate, now is the best time for entrepreneurs to step up and make a difference. Now that Infusionsoft can be had for NO SETUP FEES, there's nothing stopping them from signing up and rocking their bottom line. Great news!!!
Wow. That's a awesome. Love the new website too.
Scott — thank you for helping make this possible! We've been dreaming about this day for a LONG time.
What about we existing customers who paid the high upfront cost? What are you going to do for us? We suffered through the poor interface and were essentially charged for it being a difficult systme to use.
It would be great if you made some attempt to make this situation fair for us.
I can only say that this is a positive development… where it not for the fact that, on June 30th, I was ASSURED that I needed to signup NOW because starting July 1st, prices would go up.
I signed. And now this?
I wouldn't have minded it so much had I not been so blatantly lied to by Cory Bendixen. “Buy now” he said, “Starting tomorrow, you will have to pay an extra $99 every month to use the API”.
Infusionsoft offers what I consider to be a fine product. There is no reason to stoop to this level of indecency to sell your product. You are likely to turn friends and product evangelists into bitter enemies.
Unless this situation is quickly redressed, I will charge back the transaction and continue working with my Interspire license. In the unlikely event that a chargeback is not possible, I will consider legal action and media activities.
I will NOT, repeat NOT, accept such a blatant lie.
What a way to kill a reputation!
Yeah, I feel the same way. We actually just ended up terminating our subscription simply due to the poor UI…then to find out the $6,000 or so that I paid for setup is all being 'waived'…feels like I got taken to the cleaners.
Thanks for the comments, Bob. We've put you in touch with a member of our account management team to address your concerns. I can tell you that we did not lie about the API subscription going up; this was a last-minute change that the executives decided would be in the best interest of entrepreneurs.
If you have any I joined twitter two years ago. At first, I didn't see the value. About six months later, I saw more people using it. Within a year later, I realized the entire Twitter subculture was a series of communities loosely connected on the status of what you're doing.
As the community manager for Infusionsoft (http://www.infusionsoft.com), my success story relates to the customer support and engagement side of things. It's unquestionable that I help people, customers with problems. Through Twitter, we can communicate instantly. We've also had a great experience by delivering announcements and building hype in new product releases and special offers in a non-interruption kind of way. People love it and we love people.
Personally, Twitter has helped me forge bonds with people I really don't know that well. I've connected with several folks from Twitter and love Tweetups. It helps keep the flow of community and respect for others on Twitter alive and well.
Good luck on the book. I'd love to be a part of it. Let me know if you want to get in touch.
~Joseph Manna
Bob,
Thanks for the feedback. Our customers who received hands-on consulting and increased capacities/limits, have been 'grandfathered' in at the same price. The hands-on consulting was necessary because the application hasn't evolved to the point of self-service like it has today. It's like Apple releasing their iPhone 3GS at a lower price than the 3G last year… because of my needs, I happened to get in on a better product at a cost.
We've put you in touch with your account manager who will be able to address your situation personally and work with you. Customers can always contact us to learn more about the changes and to see the value they've received.
Please feel welcome to reach out to me if you have any questions, will be happy to keep you in the loop. My email address is joseph.manna@infusionsoft.com.
~Joseph Manna
Thanks for the call back.
And, thanks for the solution you provided.
We all make mistakes and have growing pains.
You made a sincere effort to resolve it and I respect and appreciate this.
Now I can get back to utilizing the system better.
Ricko,
I understand where you're coming from. Current customers received free service upgrades for staying on board and received valuable coaching/implementation on using our software. You're more than welcome to come back and check us out again. Let me know and I'll take care of you.
~Joseph Manna
Joe,
Please accept and understand that my comments are not directed at you personally. Your reputation transcends that of your company. All the “you” are meant collectively for Infusionsoft. I believe you're one of the good ones.
Unfortunately, I only mentioned the $99 for the API. I was also told that I would not be able to get a discounted setup fee after June 30th. Technically it may not be a lie, since the setup fee disappeared completely, but you'll have to agree that it's hardly the truth.
I don't really need Infusionsoft for my main business. I only wanted it to continue development on a Wordpress plugin for Infusionsoft. I only really need a test application and API access.
In retrospect, I was fed a series of blatant lies to get me to sign before prices dropped drastically.
I could have accepted a price drop without problem had I not been told the exact opposite in every respect.
A sale – every sale – is important. The question is to what levels will we stoop to get a sale?
If I cannot trust Infusionsoft to tell me simple truths, if I witness firsthand how customers are lied to, please explain to me how I can trust Infusionsoft with my most intimate business data?
Believe me, besides the fact that I refuse to be cheated in such a cheap way, the issue of trust is directly related to this matter.
If the level of corporate integrity is so low, what will you do with my contact lists? My customers' credit card data? Joe, this is scary…
You have some bad apples in your midst, that is certain. How many and how far will they go?
Bob,
I'm in the same position and received the same urgency message because of the planned (not possible, but “planned” increase) that was to happen on July 1. We've found that we now have to do a lot of extra work because the shopping cart won't “easily” accommodate the 400-500 SKUs we have now and without the cart, there's a lot that we can't do without custom API coding – at extra expense, too.
I feel the exact same way and it's only been 7 days…
Joe – I did send a note over to Cory about this just last night – so if you can check to be sure someone can contact me at their earliest opportunity – that would be great!
Wayne
Wayne,
That is a core issue indeed. If I hadn't been rushed into a decision based on willful lies on the part of Cory Bendixen, I would be upset with myself but I would have quietly accepted this otherwise unacceptable situation.
I didn't ask anyone to give me any information about planned changes. However, as part of a well orchestrated sales strategy – reminiscent of the Soviet desinformation campaigns – I was fed as series of lies. I acted on this very specific information. My decision, as yours, was based on falsehoods propagated by Cory Bendixen, with or without the knowedge of his superiors.
In various emails to various people at Infusionsoft, I made it clear that I will not accept this kind of shabby treatment. There will have to be some sort of financial arrangement or a refund. Worst case, I will claw the amount back since the whole transaction is “scammy” in many respects.
We'll see. I don't give up easily and I hope you won't either.
Thanks, Wayne. I'll seek to it that we reach out and do what's in your best interests. We appreciate the feedback and apologize for any inconvenience that may have happened.
~Joseph
Bob,
Thanks for responding and I understand your position. In any other instance, this would be wrong. The issue of the API was a last-minute decision and not an intentional tactic to attract more sales. For a brief dive into transparency — our small business coaches (sales team) are rewarded for long-term retention of customers. We'll do the right thing, no matter what. Even if we made mistakes in the past.
That said, our data, your data and customers' data is all 100% secure and does not get shared with anyone. Credit cards — we don't have access to it, except for one guy.
I stand firm that we didn't lie and understand where you're coming from. Thanks for your feedback.
~Joseph
Jeff Mask was gracious enough to call me, investing a good 2 hours to clear this matter up. He has taken the time to explain a great number of things, some past and some yet to come.
I have told him how things seemed from my perspective and he told me how they seemed from his side.
He has given me the assurances I needed to calm me down. I still believe that when such dramatic licensing are about to occur, it is best to put certain activities on hold rather than risk this kind of reaction on the part of some customer. I believe Infusionsoft made a mistake in pursuing sales so close to this big change.
So much for Infusionsoft and their mistakes…
Now my mistakes…
Certainly, I have jumped to conclusion and sullied Cory's name. That was a mistake as indeed everything could be satisfactorily explained.
Based on the same assumptions, I questioned Infusionsoft's corporate integrity. This was a very hasty conclusion on my part.
Knowing now what I didn't know 2 hours ago and knowing why Jeff and Cory didn't/couldn't answer my mails, I feel I owe both Cory personally and Infusionsoft an apology.
I will say this much: Infusionsoft, as I have always maintained, is a fine product and I now come away from this episode knowing that Infusionsoft is above all a bunch of fine people.
It is always a bit difficult to apologize yet I feel at ease with this public apology. They didn't deserve the negative comments I made, even if it wasn't my fault if they all decided to have children at the same time.
Cory, Jeff & Co., I hope you can accept this apology.
I will remain a fervent supporter of your product and wish you the best success.
Wow, Bob. That's a complete 180. I'm still waiting for my call and I'm hoping mine goes as well as yours.
Wayne,
Yes, it is. And some egg on my face, too.
But you'll get your call, I'm sure.
They're all running around between the maternity ward, the other kids and doing all kinds of things these gentlemen are not used to doing…
I don't know what the outcome of your “case” will be, but I am sure, after talking to Jeff Mask for 2 hours (which may be the reason he didn't get around to speaking with you), that whatever outcome there will be will be a Fox outcome – fair and balanced ?
In any case, I can only tell you that after hearing the explanations, it all made perfect sense and rather than ask someone to erase my hasty comments, I preferred apologizing publicly rather than sweeping my comments under the rug. I owed them that much.
Bob – Would you mind emailing me at wayne(at)atopthetable(dot)com? I have a question for you.
Wayne
Bob,
Thank you for taking the time to post the other details.
It took a lot of time and consideration on your part, and we deeply appreciate it.
To revolutionizing the way small businesses grow!!
-Jeff
Joe – I haven't heard anything in the past 5 days. Did I miss an email or a phone call?
Wayne
Joe – another day and no word from Corey or anyone else. While I thought we were on the same page 2 days ago, it seems the follow-through has not been what was promised/expected.
Have I made a mistake?
Wayne,
It's not my blog but I started this, so here I am again…
I just got a followup email from Aaron. It seems things are slowly returning to normal.
Best,
Bob
Bob,
I thought I had made progress as well and spoke with Joe 2 days ago. He said to expect a call from Codey or his manager the next day (yesterday) – and still nothing. I guess I'm not a big enough fish for anyone to care.
I'm glad you got the satisfaction you were seeking. I'm not sure what our next step will be if I don't get things settled before the weekend. Maybe we'll just cut and run and consider this a learning experience. And I was so enthusiastic just 2 weeks ago, too.
Wayne
Wayne,
You're funny… Big fish? Me? One-man show in the jungles of Costa Rica? I wish…
I do not and cannot speak for anyone at Infusionsoft – and I'm sure they're happy about that – but I think that as they settle back into normalcy, things will be, well, more normal.
Best,
Bob
Joe – another day and no word from Corey or anyone else. While I thought we were on the same page 2 days ago, it seems the follow-through has not been what was promised/expected.
Have I made a mistake?
Wayne,
It's not my blog but I started this, so here I am again…
I just got a followup email from Aaron. It seems things are slowly returning to normal.
Best,
Bob
Bob,
I thought I had made progress as well and spoke with Joe 2 days ago. He said to expect a call from Codey or his manager the next day (yesterday) – and still nothing. I guess I'm not a big enough fish for anyone to care.
I'm glad you got the satisfaction you were seeking. I'm not sure what our next step will be if I don't get things settled before the weekend. Maybe we'll just cut and run and consider this a learning experience. And I was so enthusiastic just 2 weeks ago, too.
Wayne
Wayne,
You're funny… Big fish? Me? One-man show in the jungles of Costa Rica? I wish…
I do not and cannot speak for anyone at Infusionsoft – and I'm sure they're happy about that – but I think that as they settle back into normalcy, things will be, well, more normal.
Best,
Bob
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