Customer Relationship Management software is much more than just a system that can be used to keep track of your contacts. In our modern world, it’s become essential to use CRM systems and if they are used correctly, you can harness a massive amount of power from this software.
CRMs can be used to hook in new leads, nurture contacts and drive your entire sales team to become more productive. A CRM can become the foundation of your entire business, catapulting your organisation miles ahead of your competition.
Keep reading to find out why your sales teams need a CRM. We’ll also dive into the top three CRMs for sales teams and how you can use them to generate more money for your business.
Why Sales Teams Need A CRM
You might be wondering why your sales team needs a CRM. There are several different advantages that your team will get from having a unified CRM system in place, but the ultimate goal is to streamline the business and generate more sales.
CRMs will unify your business by allowing your sales team to connect no matter which department or physical location they are in. Using a CRM, your team will be able to manage complex sales processes, collaborate on projects, and even automate some of the more boring and time-consuming tasks that they need to deal with.
If a CRM is implemented into a business correctly, a surge in sales will shortly follow. Your team will instantly see the benefits of having a sales pipeline in place. From automation to in-depth analysis and simplified workflows, a CRM can be an incredibly powerful tool in the right hands.
Top 3 CRMs For Sales Teams
CRM systems have always been seen as expensive, complicated and difficult to implement. However, that is no longer the case. CRMs have come a long way over the years, and there are not several different options to choose from. Once you have a CRM implemented into your business, you’ll quickly start reaping the benefits.
Every CRM is different, but at the end of the day, you need to choose one CRM and invest your resources into it. There’s no point in going through the entire process of integrating and implementing the CRM and training your sales team before deciding that you would rather try a different CRM.
You need to carefully analyse each CRM’s benefits and drawbacks, matching them to your business goals and needs. Below are some of the best CRMs that you can invest in for sales teams.
HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the world’s leading CRMs. While it might have a great focus on marketing, it’s still an excellent tool for sales teams. HubSpot’s strengths are automation, integrations, and excellent analytics.
Possibly the best feature that HubSpot has is the fact that it is free to use. Small businesses will benefit most from the free CRM, however, medium and larger organisations may need to invest more money into the paid features that Hubspot offers. HubSpot offers excellent flexibility though, as you can choose which area of the CRM (sales, marketing, or customer service) you would like to upgrade and which you would prefer to remain free.
Each upgraded branch offers excellent features that can take your business to the next level. Ultimately, this CRM is the top pick because of the fact that you can start small and the system will grow with your business.
Salesforce
Salesforce is another well-known CRM that is stacked with features. Salesforce allows users to customise the CRM to their liking, with several different apps that can be integrated into the CRM.
Salesforce is heavily focused on the sales aspect of their CRM, allowing Sales managers and sales teams to build up very complex task management systems. Just like HubSpot, automation is an important part of Salesforce, allowing the team’s work to be streamlined and less distracting.
Salesforce has a steep learning curve that users need to navigate through, which can cause many businesses to have second thoughts about implementing their CRM. In addition, Salesforce is a massive company, which has led to their customer support becoming slower and less responsive — another important aspect to consider if you’re looking for a CRM to implement into your business.
Pipedrive
Pipedrive is a great CRM that is mainly focused on the sales process and keeping track of contacts. This CRM will allow you to build multiple sales pipelines and customise the stages, goals, and needs of each one.
Pipedrive syncs extremely well with email inboxes, and a Chrome extension allows you to turn Pipedrive into a Gmail CRM. Moreover, Pipedrive is also a great project management tool thanks to various filters that can be applied to the customer resources and timelines.
Pipedrive is somewhat complex to set up and integrate though, which means that it could cost more for smaller businesses to implement. Once it’s up and running though, Pipedrive is an excellent CRM to have available for your sales team.
