A CRM consultant is someone who cares about your business. A CRM vendor is a company that sells a product with features. Features without proper implementation, related to business needs, are meaningless.
So this shows we are all dependent on each other. A CRM Consultant uses the software of a CRM Vendor. However, many "channel sales partnerships" dictate that a Vendor can only sell particular products in particular regions. Good CRM is always "these problems need to be addressed and are pain points, lets find the best tool available to help out!"
We believe in open-source tools and methodologies, which translates to you getting the best tool for the job. We're also not scared of learning new tools when they are introduced. It is obvious that the CRM world is moving to the web. We believe best of breed tools offer both in-house versions and "cloud-versions" that you own. Ownership is key in our minds, that you can take the software any place you want and use it in any way you want at any time. Using SalesForce.com is like having a car that can only go on predefined roads and carries a perpetual lease you can never pay off.
However, tools like Info@Hand and SugarCRM CE you can purchase/download and do what you want with. They are both great products. Its important to have a "local-cloud", that is, you own the cloud you run your software on, and you own the software or have full rights to it. A lot of companies overlook this when choosing a CRM tool, and again, that is the value of a CRM consultant.
A CRM consultant is a nerd who researches these small trappings and guides you in directions that make sense for your business. They also can effortlessly switch between product sets, and keep you free from the politics of "vendor lock in" and "sales channel agreements". At least, this is what a good CRM consultant does. CRM is about change - that is, managing the changes of the season (quarters). If your vendor or consultant does not know change themselves, what value are they to your business?
We do everything in our power to help you get results. Sitting on software or using it for no reason is not part of our program.
