CRM Software – Since I first started using customer relationship management (CRM) software, the technology has come a long way. Modern CRMs are amazingly adaptable, and thanks to intense competition, they continue to be a comparatively cheap investment for businesses of all sizes.
Choosing the best customer relationship management (CRM) system can be exciting, since there are many options available, ranging from those that are highly focused on deals to those that offer a whole suite of features for managing a firm. Since that was the case, I spent a lot of time investigating and trying out anything I could get my hands on.
Based on my experience with these software programs, I have compiled a list of the top 10 customer relationship management tools. Please click on any of the applications to learn more about why I chose them, or keep reading to learn more about customer relationship management systems.
The Best CRM Software
Software designed for managing client relationships provides a centralized hub for all client-related data, including communications and business transactions. Any interaction with a customer (phone contact, email, chat, website visit, social connection, marketing campaign, etc.) should be recorded in the CRM. Why? Because every interaction is a chance to find out more about your customers.
1. Zoho
Zoho CRM offers affordable options that can grow with your business, whether you’re a one-person operation or a multinational corporation. Seriously, that’s a valid question! Get started with CRM Plus ($57/month/client) that integrates sales, marketing, a support desk, and other channels, all for free up to three users. Also, depending on the CRM package you’re using, Zoho has supplementary suites that may be integrated into your system.
I’m going to hone in on the CRM Plus because it provides the most convincing evidence of its potential for adaptability. You may access all of the new release’s covert channels—from tasks and advertising to the support desk and social media—from the CRM’s central control panel. Simply choose the desired channel and then click the settings icon to access the channel’s configuration options. Example: to add Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, or Instagram as a social channel, go to the Social tab in settings, then choose Social Channels. With a few clicks, I was able to add my LinkedIn profile.
Canvas, a brand-new feature in Zoho, exemplifies the company’s customer-centric approach. Canvas lets you change the feel of your CRM as if you were planning the UI without any prior planning, whereas Zoho only supports a reasonable configuration of customisation at present (see Wizards below). In order to begin (re)designing, go to Setup and then select the module (such as reaches) you wish to work on. Then, either dive in unprepared or settle on a framework to adjust. The WYSIWYG manager page is where you’ll make your selections for the information fields, components, and layout. Last but not least, decide which audience will be able to see the revised strategy. You can clone every module to an exact duplicate, or you can build an alternate plan for each one.
Businesses in rapid expansion will appreciate the advantages of a comprehensive profile of every interaction. Site visits, sales, social, assistance cases, messages, gatherings, and missions are just some of the activities and touchpoints that can be found in a contact record. The “impression” potential of a chance encounter is enormous; it can help you better understand how every person relates with your business and provide a fuller picture when employees are deciding.
I enjoy how the leads module (as opposed to contacts) helps salespeople zero in on qualifying leads from specific events like trade shows and crusades. The leads view is convenient since it displays a large image of the person (pulled in using SalesIQ to personalize it), followed by a set of contact details that may be clicked on (telephone, email) to initiate communication. Those channels you need to focus on are conveniently organized on the left. Once you have your list, you can use it to do things like send emails, create commitments, add tasks, etc.
For a CRM, Zoho has one of the most insightful features. Many standard reports (Sales, Desk, Projects) can be modified to display data in a variety of ways (diagram, table, plain, and so on). The comment sections, in which you can discuss any of the reports, are a nice touch. The Motivator app allows you to game business by setting goals and rewards for key performance indicators including the number of leads converted, the value of sales closed, and the number of messages sent, while Missions and Social have their own report section.
Add fresh Unbounce form inputs as leads, create contacts from Facebook Lead Ads, and more with the use of Zapier integrations in your CRM software, Zoho CRM.
2. Salesforce’s Sales Cloud
Salesforce Sales Cloud is a good CRM option for businesses that want a wide variety of configuration options. The possibilities for creating a bespoke stage are practically endless, thanks to its own customization options, internal environment, and external AppExchange.
To program your own unique interactions with the board, use the Flow Builder. Go to the Settings menu, then choose Flows, then pick the type of stream you want to create. A record-set off stream, for instance, lets you predetermine the actions to take after a certain record (such as a contact) is created. The visual builder lets you add constraints, like only connections formed on a certain date range receiving a follow-up email.
Salesforce lets you restrict who can see and edit certain fields on individual pages. Therefore, you may need to restrict employees’ access to certain contact record fields that are unrelated to their jobs, depending on the roles they play. This can be done for safety reasons or to prevent representatives from seeming foolish if they lack the necessary knowledge. You can also customize the help text for individual fields to better explain their significance. As an illustration, you could specify that this is the highest possible discount for a given record type in the clarification for a rebate field. Above-mentioned actions need to be approved by the administrator. These guidelines are especially useful revisions for serving members who have been in office for some time, as they contribute to the development of strategic policies.
The AppExchange provides a wide variety of third-party integration options, both commercial and open-source. You can filter the list of available apps by the type of product release it is (professional, business, etc.), the price range it falls into, user reviews, and the languages it supports. In particular, you should verify whether or not a certain app is compatible with your Salesforce version. For instance, the Enterprise or above version is necessary for integration with the D&B Hoovers prospecting application, while the Professional version is the minimum need for use with the ZoomInfo comparison tool.
If you collect some relevant information, you may use Salesforce to generate a report. Numerous premade reports cover every metric imaginable, including purchases, workouts, top performers, win rates, and conversion rates. Moreover, what is the worst part of having project leads all over the place? Representatives who don’t bother to reschedule. You can see which employees aren’t even bothering to log in, let alone refresh their data, with the Login Wall of Shame.
With Salesforce’s Zapier integrations, your capabilities can be greatly augmented. Send yourself Slack notifications whenever a new door opens, gather leads from a building’s entrances, or come up with something entirely new.
3. Bitrix24
Working from home means staying put. Bitrix24’s customer relationship management system is a robust alternative to Salesforce for businesses with distributed teams because of the flexibility it provides in terms of communication, collaboration, and information sharing.
There are far too many features to list here, but suffice it to say that in addition to the various communication options, this software also features a fully-fledged customer relationship management system, automated marketing, a project management board, and the ability to create websites. As a first step, you can establish departments (such advertising, sales, or administration) and staff them with appropriate individuals. By setting up separate offices, you may divide up large groups into smaller ones, which is useful for coordinating projects, sharing data, and other communication-related tasks.
Using the in-house visit feature, you can send messages to partners singly, in groups, or in sections, with certain restrictions on things like adding new members, labeling messages, and recording and transmitting voicemails. Just press the Record Video button in the chat window, wait five seconds, and the video will start recording automatically. The video you just recorded will appear in your chat when you click Stop and Use Video at the end of the recording. The film can also be downloaded directly to your computer and stored in a variety of cloud-based services like Google Drive or your Bitrix24 storage.
Video conferencing is a standard and easy-to-use medium that allows for the sharing of screens, the recording of conversations, and the raising of hands. Make a second copy of your video connection and send off your guests via the quick link or an internal welcome message. By connecting your email service (including but not limited to Gmail, Outlook, iCloud, Office 365, and so on), the CRM can store and retrieve your email correspondence with your contacts.
Certainly not forget the telephone. Over 70 VoIP providers, including RingCentral, Nextiva, and Vonage, are compatible with Bitrix24’s APIs. On top of that, through Bitrix24, you may rent a phone line with regular installment payments.
You can have as many connections, agreements, and structures as you like with any of our strategies. Bitrix24’s contact management features include customizable fields and sections that let you collect data in a way that’s useful for your company. Profile is an intriguing feature because it displays the contact’s correspondence “load” (i.e., if your company is spending a lot of time communicating with them) and every significant metric (e.g., value of arrangements, solicitations paid, dynamic solicitations, conversion rate, messages, and more).
Pricing for Bitrix24 begins at $39 per month for a small team of five users, and is free for an unlimited number of users with some limitations on the features available.
4. Pipedrive
Pipedrive is an excellent option if you need user-friendly sales CRM software. Although the platform has many customization options, its primary purpose is to aid salespeople in closing deals. Other apps, such as those for marketing or customer service, will not be present.
The user interface of Pipedrive is simple, with tabs for different sections of the app located on the left side of the screen, a search bar at the top, and a drop-down menu on each page for rapidly adding new deals, activities, leads, etc. Your inbox is a selectable option. As soon as your email service is linked, you’ll be able to send messages straight from your inbox or contact record and keep tabs on who opened your messages and when. Outlook and Google Calendar syncing, in-app meeting scheduling, and link sharing are also supported. Smart Contact Data is another helpful tool that, with a single mouse click, will fetch all of your connections’ known social and professional information.
In order to make calls via the app, you will need to buy blocks of call credits (you get five free hours every month). These credits will be applied to your monthly per-minute bill. You can make and record calls both from the list view of People and from individual records. When a call is over, you can quickly move on to the next one by selecting the appropriate outcome from a drop-down menu. The recording of a call is one of many actions recorded in a contact’s timeline.
Pipedrive’s add-ons include LeadBooster and Web Visitors, both of which are designed to increase sales. The first option gives agents live chat, a chatbot, forms, and prospecting tools to better communicate with possible clients. Prospector is a database of businesses and contacts that allows you to narrow your search based on criteria such as company size, sector, keywords, and more to find the best possible leads. Web Visitors is a service that gives you with real-time statistics on the businesses that visit your site and the pages they view by having you include a tracker code into your site’s code. Further, it will help you zero in on specific visitors you know you already have in your database.
The AI-powered Sales Assistant provides useful advice on how to best allocate your time. Workflow Automation also provides templates for follow-up emails and other sales-related duties. When a deal advances to a new phase, automations can be set up to do things like create activities, notify a sales manager through Slack, or set up a call.
Weekly targets and reports on things like revenue and activity levels are kept. Reports cover things like forecasting, deal duration, conversion, won, and average value. If you want to get as specific as possible, you may do it with the help of the customizable reporting that allows you to add conditions from any data field. And you can keep tabs on everything mentioned above with dashboards that come both pre-made and to your specifications. You may find almost 300 native integrations with other apps in the Marketplace if you want to link Pipedrive to other programs like Zoom, Slack, Trello, and QuickBooks.
Pipedrive’s Zapier integrations provide for improved automation power by, among other things, adding new persons as subscribers in Mailchimp and sending Gmails when new deals are added to a stage.