When working with outside sales reps, sales managers struggle to find a CRM that can adapt to their team’s specific needs and enable them to better scale their business. Here’s a list of the best CRMs for outside sales teams in 2018.
Sales is a numbers game and the best CRM for sales reps will help you build your own competitive advantage.
There are a lot of CRMs available online. It can get a bit overwhelming. That’s why I thought it would be helpful to create a list of the best CRMs specifically geared towards Outside Sales Representatives. I’ve worked with a few CRMs in the past and this helps me narrow down my list. All you have to do is answer a few questions and I’ll show you some options.
Best CRM For Sales And Marketing
What is CRM software for sales?
Customer relationship management software for sales (sales CRM software) is a multi-featured platform used by businesses globally to store all customer data in one place. This helps them streamline their sales pipeline management and drive more sales.
So it does… Sales CRM software can boost your sales by 29%, productivity by 34%, and forecast accuracy by 42%. If these numbers don’t tell you much, let’s dive deeper to see what favor a sales CRM software can do for your business.
Pipedrive
Benefits:
A visual, easy-to-use tool focused on the sales process and tracking contacts. Lets you build multiple sales pipelines and customize stages for niche product and service contexts. Syncs cross-channel information and eliminates repetitive admin tasks.Users of Pipedrive’s Essential plan can use Smart Email BCC to sync emails to Pipedrive. Users of the Advanced, Professional, and Enterprise plans will gain access to an in-app inbox, and more sophisticated, automatic email sync compatible with everything from Gmail to QQ Mail. A Chrome extension allows you to use it as a full-fledged Gmail CRM. With its customer, resource and timeline filters and overview capabilities, it can also be used as a project management tool.
Drawbacks:
The Zapier integration is a bit complicated to get up and running.
Pricing:
Pipedrive is available at four feature levels.
- The Essential plan is $14.90 per user/per month billed annually, and $15 billed monthly.
- The Advanced plan is $24.90 per user/per month billed annually, and $29 billed monthly.
- The Professional plan is $49.90 per user/per month billed annually, and $59 billed monthly.
- The Enterprise plan is $99 per user/per month, billed annually.
A 14-day free trial is available for the Essential, Advanced, and Professional plans.
Salesmate
Benefits:
Salesmate is a CRM system for salespeople who want to spend more time selling and less time learning to use new apps. It’s great for startups and small businesses, but it can also be used for real estate and construction industries.
This platform is always improving itself. It’s given its analytics and reporting a significant upgrade, with a more customizable and interactive dashboard. Salesmate has also added new tools for phone calling and deal management, as well as new mobile app improvements. New features on the horizon include live chat and DocuSign integrations.
Drawbacks:
Some of the customization features can be a bit lacking, especially when trying to create custom data fields. Also, you’ll need the pricier version for essential tools like email analytics.
Pricing:
- Starter version is $12 per user/per month, billed annually
- Growth version is $24 per user/per month, billed annually
- Boost version is $40 per user/per month, billed annually
Salesmate.io offers a 15-day free trial on all of their plans.
Zoho CRM
Benefits:
Zoho CRM caters to businesses of all sizes and types with its simple user interface, customizable modules, automation, and social media features.
The platform lets you define workflows and rationalize your everyday tasks, manage leads, and automate processes. Integration with Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ allows you to reach out and engage with leads quick and snappy, at just the right time.
If you’re on the hunt for a free CRM, you may want to give their gratis offering a whirl. It’s available for up to 3 users, although it is limited features-wise. Customization is limited, but users can send 50 individuals mails per day and have access to 10 email templates.
The paid Standard edition of Zoho pumps up the usability factor with robust sales forecasting and KPI tracking. The Enterprise edition adds ever more sophisticated tools, such as stage-by-stage sales funnel tracking and customizable data comparisons across teams, users, regions, and more. You can access Zoho’s advanced features with the Ultimate edition which comes with an exclusive 30-day free trial.
Drawbacks:
Zoho is popularly perceived as a small business offering when in reality they have affordably priced plans, where low price doesn’t equate to low quality. They have been able to achieve this by staying boot-strapped and free of exit-oriented investors. Zoho CRM is a value-centric offering for businesses of all sizes and types.
Pricing:
- A free version is available for up to 3 users. 15-day free trial for paid versions.
- Standard edition is $14 per user/month, billed annually.
- Professional edition is $23 per user/month, billed annually.
- Enterprise edition is $40 per user/month, billed annually.
- Ultimate edition is $52 per user/month, billed annually. Exclusive 30-day free trial.
Close
Benefits:
Voice, SMS, pipeline view, reporting, and email marketing (including custom email sequencing) in one place.
Close offers pre-recorded voicemail, an excellent time-saving feature for sales reps, and a predictive dialing feature allows reps to auto-dial multiple numbers to improve sales agent productivity. Close also offers many useful integrations with other platforms, including Mailchimp, Zendesk, Facebook, and Zapier.
Drawbacks:
Bulk data importing of CSV files will often produce duplicate leads, requiring you to do some manual clean-up.
Pricing:
- Start plan is $29.75 per user/per month billed annually, and $35 per user/per month billed monthly.
- Basic plan is $55.25 per user/per month billed annually, and $65 per user/per month billed monthly.
- Professional plan is $80.75 per user/per month billed annually, and $95 per user/per month billed monthly.
- Business plan is $123.75 per user/per month billed annually, and $145 per user/per month billed monthly.