DealLaunch vs spreadsheets and email
Most advisers run their first few mandates in a spreadsheet and Outlook. It works until it doesn't - the spreadsheet gets out of sync, an associate leaves and takes the password, you send the same CIM twice, and the client report takes six hours to assemble. DealLaunch automation picks up where manual processes break.
DealLaunch excels at
- Outreach at scale: send 140 personalised emails in one pass, not 140 copy-pastes.
- Reply automation: Outlook replies don't update the spreadsheet - DealLaunch reads them automatically.
- No duplicate approaches: the system knows who has been approached, when, and what they said.
- Watermarked materials: CIM opens are tracked per recipient, not a 'we sent it' checkbox.
- Client reporting: generated in one click from live data, not six hours on Sunday night.
- Scalable: add a partner or an associate; they send from their own mailbox, the record stays shared.
- Audit trail: every approach, reply, and status change is logged and dated.
Spreadsheets and Outlook excels at
- Free: a spreadsheet costs nothing.
- No vendor lock-in: you own the file.
- Custom structure: you can arrange columns however you want.
- No learning curve: if you know Excel, you know the tool.
Feature comparison
| Feature | DealLaunch | Spreadsheets and Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk outreach | Personalised, one-click send | Copy-paste per email |
| Reply tracking | Automatic from mailbox | Manual entry in spreadsheet |
| Deduplication | System prevents duplicate approaches | Manual - easy to slip |
| Document tracking | Watermarked, per-recipient opens logged | Email tracking plugin, if purchased |
| Client reporting | Generated from record | Manual assembly from spreadsheet |
| Team collaboration | Shared record, personal mailboxes | One spreadsheet, email chaos |
If you're on your first mandate, a spreadsheet might work. By mandate two, you're spending hours on admin. DealLaunch automates that work so you focus on the deal.