About Karen Fredricks

zoho consultant

Meet the CRM Consultant Who Literally Wrote the Books on CRM

When you’re choosing someone to help implement, repair, or migrate your CRM, experience matters.

I’ve spent more than 20 years helping businesses organize their customer information, improve sales processes, and get more value from their CRM systems. During that time I’ve helped hundreds of organizations implement CRM software, recover damaged databases, train thousands of users, and successfully migrate businesses from legacy CRM platforms to modern cloud solutions like Zoho CRM.

Along the way I’ve written 14 books on CRM software, including 11 For Dummies® titles published by Wiley, created CRM training courses for LinkedIn Learning, and earned a reputation as one of the industry’s most experienced CRM consultants.

Today I’m proud to serve as President of Tech Benders, a Zoho Advanced Partner dedicated to helping businesses work smarter—not harder.

Why Businesses Work With Me

CRM software should simplify your business—not complicate it.

Unfortunately, many companies purchase CRM software only to discover that implementation is difficult, data is messy, users resist change, and reporting doesn’t provide the answers they expected.

That’s where I come in.

My job isn’t simply installing software.

It’s understanding how your business operates and then bending technology to fit your business—not forcing your business to fit the software.

Whether you’re implementing Zoho CRM for the first time, recovering a damaged ACT! database, or migrating decades of customer information into a modern CRM, my goal is always the same:

Make your CRM easier to use, more valuable to your business, and something your team actually wants to use.

CRM Credentials You Can Trust

Over my career I’ve had the opportunity to:

  • Write 14 books on CRM software, including 11 For Dummies® titles
  • Create CRM training courses for LinkedIn Learning
  • Help businesses across North America implement and optimize CRM systems
  • Successfully migrate more than 400 CRM databases
  • Become a Zoho Advanced Partner
  • Develop expertise in ACT! CRM, Zoho CRM, Zoho One, Salesforce, HubSpot, and CRM best practices
  • Train thousands of CRM users through consulting, webinars, books, and online courses

Because I spend every day solving real CRM problems, I understand the challenges businesses face—not just the software itself.

My CRM Journey

Technology wasn’t my first career.

I earned degrees in English and Accounting along with a Master’s degree in Psycholinguistics before beginning my professional career as a high school English and Theatre teacher.

When personal computers began changing the business world, I joined IBM and quickly became fascinated by technology’s ability to improve productivity.

That passion eventually led me into CRM consulting.

In 2002, Wiley Publishing invited me to write ACT! 6 For Dummies®. That first book became the beginning of a long relationship with Wiley, eventually resulting in 11 For Dummies® books covering CRM software and Microsoft Office products.

Since then I’ve dedicated my career to helping businesses organize customer information, streamline operations, and use technology to grow.

Why I Founded Tech Benders

People often ask where the name “Tech Benders” came from.

The answer is simple.

I believe technology should bend to fit your business—not the other way around.

Every company has unique processes, customers, and goals. Instead of forcing businesses into generic software, we customize CRM systems so they support the way you already work.

That philosophy continues to guide every implementation, migration, training session, and consulting engagement we perform.

Areas of Expertise

I personally specialize in:

Whether you’re starting with spreadsheets, maintaining ACT!, or moving to Zoho CRM, my team and I have likely completed a project very similar to yours.

More Than CRM Software

The best part of my job isn’t the technology.

It’s helping business owners become more organized, helping sales teams close more business, and giving people confidence that their customer data is safe and working for them.

Nothing is more rewarding than hearing a client say,

“I wish we had done this years ago.”

Let’s Talk About Your CRM

Whether you need help repairing an ACT! database, implementing Zoho CRM, training your team, or planning a CRM migration, I’d love to learn more about your business.

Schedule a free consultation with Tech Benders and let’s build a CRM system that works the way your business works.