322 replies to this topic

[Martyk1026]

Just curious how many people use SAGE vs ESP. Does anyone think that ESP is worth the money? Is there anything else that's better than either of them?

[promoguy]

Worth every penny. It comes out to about 200.00 per month and I usually make that back within the first day of the month with it's use. An inexpensive cost of doing business. And I hear tell it's even going to get better.

Martyk1026 said:

Just curious how many people use SAGE vs ESP. Does anyone think that ESP is worth the money? Is there anything else that's better than either of them?

[cantork]

ESP is well worth the money.

John Bush, the Director of Electronic Research Products for ASI, showed me an advanced demo, at the Dallas ASI Show, of the new version about to hit the street. In my humble opinion, I think it will be awesome.

Ken "KC" Cantor
Studio Graphics, Inc.

[Martyk1026]

Interesting. I used to use ESP, and then I had tried it several times on trial, and I never thought it was designed well at all. There was never anything that I found on it that I couldn't find using SAGE; and usually SAGE was quicker. Now admittedly, I haven't tried it since it became web based, but after so many trials, I just can't justify the cost difference.

[gil levitch]

Martyk1026 said:

Just curious how many people use SAGE vs ESP. Does anyone think that ESP is worth the money? Is there anything else that's better than either of them?

I used ESP for about 5 years, eventually decided that the cost wasn't worth it. I went to SAGE about a year after it came out. ASI kept telling me that SAGE was online only and couldn't do the job. That's a typical response from them when they are upstaged and can't compete. Now I understand that ESP is finally online but at a higher cost than SAGE. Not only does SAGE have all the suppliers that ASI has but more that are not in the industry but are good suppliers and want to sell us. I think that SAGE's software is super and they are continually changing and making it better. I have nothing against ASI, except for their arrogance but dollar for dollar SAGE has it all over ESP.

[Martyk1026]

I have to agree with you, Gil. I like ASI, except they really like their money just a little too much for me. Not only do I find ESP overpriced, but knowing the cost of printing, I find their catalog pricing are VERY high, as well; especially since they undoubtedly charge the suppliers to be included. (Please correct me if I am wrong.) The thing that recently irked me was the invoice I received for the quarterly box of samples and catalogs. Again, I am pretty sure they are already charging the suppliers to be included in the package, so it seems like they are double-dipping when they also charge the distributors.

I respect and appreciate ASI for what it does, and I understand that they exist to make a profit; but their pricing strategies have caused me to be very wary about investing any more with them than I have to. It has always been my opinion that ESP is grossly overpriced, and I have been curious about how others felt about it.

[3Koi Maui]

We've never used ESP, but we do like SAGE. SAGE is free to the suppliers; they only have to submit 2 copies of their catalog and SAGE will scan and load all their product info for free. I think this encourages many suppliers to list with SAGE when they perhaps can't afford to pay for their listing in ESP.

It would be interesting to do a bit of a side by side comparison. Let's see if we can gather a few numbers to compare the two. I'll list some of SAGE's here, can someone provide info on ESP? Then we can make a spreadsheet & expand as needed.

Number of suppliers listed: (I'll find out)

Number of products listed: "over half a million"

Product search by: category, keywords, item number, item name, SPC, theme, color, low price, high price, quantity, select net or catalog pricing, SAGE #, UPIC #, PPAI #, PPAC #, company, line, geo region (state), production time (can include rush), can select special offers only, union made only, made in USA only, new products only, recyclables only, ratings.

Simple boolean expressions allowed

Supplier search by: line name, company name, SAGE #, UPIC #, PPAI #, PPAC #, personal id (you can assign your own), preference groups (you can assign your own).

Can page through specials, but not very good search tools there.

Can create presentations of selected items for use in flyers, email, etc.

[Chris Miller]

Isa,

Lets team up and work on this. I am all for putting together a spreadsheet that will help distributors make informed decisions.

[tedp]

ESP got TREMENDOUSLY better once it went online. And now that I hear it's about to get a lot better, I'm kinda anxious to see the new version.

[dusty]

3koi maui:

Remember to compare prices: SAGE is $395.00 per year and esp is about $3400.00.

[MalibuSurfrider]

I used ESP Online for a year and loved it. But when I tried SAGE I realized it was just as good and 1/8th the cost. That's all I needed to know to make my decision. ;)

[gil levitch]

chadman said:

ESP is great! I have used the program since my first sales call when I was only 19! It has come along way. I save all of my update disks like National Geographicâ??s. Yes, my wife thinks I'm crazy, but you never know, maybe they will be worth money some day! :) It is a great program for not only looking up products but also looking up supplier info like web and phone #'s.

I remember the good old days when my Dad would look up suppliers using the Register. WOW did that suck! He had bad eyes and use to throw it around the office when he had a bad day. I have never considered throwing my laptop across the room using ESP!

And remember all you new users! ESP is a name game. Keep trying different words in the search field until you find what youâ??re looking for. Donâ??t give up on the first time and try to make it a game. You will enjoy the program a lot more by doing so.

Everything you mention about ESP is in SAGE and at a lot less money. I'm happy for you that you like ESP but I don't have to keep anything on disk that is opsolete the minute you change it. Also I don't have a laptop to throw across the room but I sometimes feel like throwing my desktop out of the window.<g>

[promoguy]

Actually about 2400.00 a year.

dusty2 said:

3koi maui:

Remember to compare prices: SAGE is $395.00 per year and esp is about $3400.00.

[vtpromo]

Having worked with both I would prefer Sage, they basicly do the same thing and Sage is as they say $395. That saves me a ton of money! :) I havn't had either of them for a while and have been doing research on pmdm.com and that seems to do the job for nothing. Nuf said.

[Martyk1026]

Is ESP STILL at $3400 a year? Someone has yet to tell me anything that would justify the difference in price. I can find any supplier just as easily on SAGE. There are no update disks to have to deal with. The number of key words one can use is more than adequate; although this is an area, in which SAGE can improve, in my opinion. I can look at the catalog pages, prepare presentations; and I don't see there being an advantage for ESP in the number of products or suppliers that I can access. I am still interested in hearing more opinions and seeing a side by side comparison.

[MalibuSurfrider]

Quote

Actually about 2400.00 a year.

Promoguy, are you talking about ESPOnline? If so, you must've been getting a special deal. I was paying $333 every month to ESPOnline. That's $3996 over the course of a year; this also included my ASI dues.

Sage costs $495 for the Online software. The only gripe I have about Sage is that many of the catalogs are old (2003, 2004), whereas EPSOnline tends to be up-to-date. That's a pretty big deal, but not enough to justify the enomrmous difference is cost.

Quote

have been doing research on pmdm.com and that seems to do the job for nothing.

Is PMDM any good? Is it free?

[promoguy]

I do pay $2400.00 and it's not a special deal. Now that said up to two years ago I paid about $3000.00 for ESP plus I guess what I will call dues. I had a website through Impact that cost $60.00 a month. At an ASI show in Vegas in 2004, I noticed that ASI had a program to include logomall plus for another $300.00. Total $3300.00 and change. I switched to that and today that is what I am paying along with some postage/shipping charges. This package is called something like Suite 1.

Again, I never had a special deal. And I had never paid ASI anywhere near $4000.00.

MalibuSurfrider said:

Promoguy, are you talking about ESPOnline? If so, you must've been getting a special deal. I was paying $333 every month to ESPOnline. That's $3996 over the course of a year; this also included my ASI dues.

Sage costs $495 for the Online software. The only gripe I have about Sage is that many of the catalogs are old (2003, 2004), whereas EPSOnline tends to be up-to-date. That's a pretty big deal, but not enough to justify the enomrmous difference is cost.



Is PMDM any good? Is it free?

[gil levitch]

You are still spending too much money for what you get. I'm sure ESP does this but today I received a catalog from Mega Fast. I had never heard of them so looked them up in SAGE. It ranked Customer Service with a C. I don't need customer service with less than an A, so Mega Fast is now in file 13. This was a great service from SAGE.

[promoguy]

Yeah, but Gil you've been around longer than me and I'm sure are much smarter when it comes to money. I probably pay too much for cars too. But, like they say they say it's only money.

Gil Levitch said:

You are still spending too much money for what you get. I'm sure ESP does this but today I received a catalog from Mega Fast. I had never heard of them so looked them up in SAGE. It ranked Customer Service with a C. I don't need customer service with less than an A, so Mega Fast is now in file 13. This was a great service from SAGE.