Software Consulting Services (SCS)

Software Consulting Services (SCS)

Software Consulting Services (SCS) is a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based software company that develops solutions for the publishing industry—serving newspaper publishers across the country.

In a relationship-driven market, staying organized, responsive, and proactive with existing customers and qualified prospects is everything.

That’s where Nutshell comes in.

Phil Curtolo, SCS’ Vice President of Sales, uses Nutshell to manage contacts, conversations, follow-ups, and outreach from one central place. After 10 years with Nutshell, it’s become the system he relies on every day to keep sales moving forward—whether he’s working from home, in the office, or traveling to conferences.

Le défi

Before Nutshell, SCS used an on-prem CRM (GoldMine). It did the job—until it didn’t.
Because the system lived on a server in-house, it limited when and where Phil could work effectively. If he wasn’t physically in the building, he had to VPN in (and deal with the friction that comes with it). That kind of setup can slow down anyone—but for a sales team of one, it’s a major bottleneck.

At the same time, SCS’ sales motion depends on long-term relationships and frequent touchpoints—especially when meeting customers and prospects at industry events. Phil needed to quickly pull up context, confirm who someone is, and follow up fast, without juggling multiple systems.

And like many teams, SCS also had “extra steps” creeping into their process—especially around email outreach, where exporting lists and managing contacts outside the CRM created unnecessary work.

La solution

SCS moved from an on-prem setup to Nutshell’s cloud CRM so Phil could access everything he needed—anytime, anywhere—without the overhead of maintaining servers or being tied to one location.

“I think Nutshell is the best solution for what I need. I have not shopped in 10 years – I don’t intend to.”
— Phil Curtolo, VP of Sales, Software Consulting Services

Here’s how Phil uses Nutshell day-to-day

1) Cloud access that supports hybrid work and travel

Nutshell gives Phil full access to the same account and contact information, whether he’s at home, in the office, on-site with a customer, or traveling for work.

“The big one is that I am no longer tethered to my physical desk at the office.”
— Phil Curtolo, VP of Sales, Software Consulting Services

2) Contact management built for relationship-based selling

Phil uses Nutshell to manage every contact across customers and prospects—keeping the details he needs at his fingertips. One of his most practical “in the real world” workflows: saving LinkedIn profile photos directly into contact records.

That way, before (and during) conferences, he can quickly identify who he’s looking for—without bouncing between platforms or relying on spotty search results.

3) Google Workspace integration to keep communication and scheduling in sync

Phil especially values Nutshell’s integration with Google Workspace—so emails and calendar events stay connected to the right people and accounts. It keeps context in one place and reduces the need to hunt through inboxes or tabs.

4) Mobile access for fast lookups on the go

While Phil prefers desktop for logging detailed activity, he uses the mobile app frequently to check his schedule and look up people—especially while traveling or walking into events.

5) Lead management that matches his workflow

Phil uses Nutshell’s lead management tools to keep leads organized and actionable—without forcing a “one-size-fits-all” process. He also highlighted how much he appreciated seeing Nutshell implement an improvement he had requested: the ability to add a lead to an existing activity (instead of only adding an activity to a lead).

6) Built-in support that keeps him moving

When Phil needs help, he uses Nutshell’s in-app chat support—because it fits into how he actually works: inside the CRM all day.

Instead of waiting for emails he might miss, he gets updates right in the app as soon as support has an answer.

7) Email marketing inside Nutshell to eliminate extra steps

Phil also uses Nutshell’s email marketing to send targeted messages—building audiences using tags he’s created in the CRM. For SCS, that meant replacing Mailchimp and removing the “export spreadsheet → import somewhere else” routine.

“I love being able to create audiences using the tags that I’ve created in Nutshell.”
— Phil Curtolo, VP of Sales, Software Consulting Services

Les résultats

With Nutshell at the center of his sales workflow, Phil can run a high-touch, relationship-first sales process—without adding complexity, extra tools, or admin overhead.

What changed for SCS after Nutshell

• More flexibility (and fewer bottlenecks): Phil can work from anywhere with full access to customer and prospect context—supporting hybrid work and frequent travel.
• Faster, more confident conference networking: With contact photos and details in Nutshell, he can quickly identify who he needs to talk to and follow up with the right context.
• Less tool sprawl (and less busywork): With email marketing built into Nutshell, SCS eliminated the need for a separate tool and avoided manual exporting/importing steps.
• Support that fits the flow of work: In-app chat support and in-CRM notifications mean issues get resolved without breaking concentration or missing updates.

After a decade of use, Nutshell isn’t just a database for SCS—it’s the daily command center that helps one person manage the relationships, communication, and follow-through that keep revenue moving.