What CRM do you guys use?
I work at a pretty small company and as the only salesperson, I have never used a CRM. We thought it might be time to incorporate some more technology into the way that we sell so I need some suggestions.
3 Likes
Salesforce is obviously the most popular one out there but I think it may be too expensive for you and maybe not necessary because you don’t need to cross-sell.
Has anyone used Sugar or the older versions of Goldmine or ACT! for CRM?
6 Likes
I use Zoho and I love it. It is more chat-bot based but it can be good for one person trying to tackle the entire company’s prospects. It’s also not too expensive which is a big plus.
4 Likes
You should try PipelineDeals! It is the cheapest and most user-friendly one I’ve found.
2 Likes
I’ve used Sugar before but it has definitely outlived its time. I’d go for Salesforce if you can afford it. With SF, it will be so much easier to keep the sales team informed in case you do choose to broaden your team.
2 Likes
Do you use mail merge?
I ask because I use Zoho and MailChimp which integrate really nicely together. They are very useful for getting new leads for my sales team.
3 Likes
Even if you aren’t going to use Salesforce, it is still a good idea to try it or do a demo because most companies you may work for in the future will require it.
1 Like
Try salesforce!! If you can “sell” it to your employer, it will save your life and really increase your sales.
4 Likes
Do all of these work with mobile devices? I think it’s easiest if I am able to type in responses and notes on my phone if I am on the road.
2 Likes
Sherri - I’d highly recommend looking into Insightly. I used to work for a much larger organization where we used Salesforce (probably the best out there, but pricey and better for larger orgs) and am now using Insightly with a company of less than 20 people and it’s great. Incredibly intuitive app interface (I use an iPhone) and very convenient when on the road entering contacts/notes when you don’t have a computer in front of you.
3 Likes
Thanks Brian! This sounds like a great fit for me, I’ll definitely give it a try!
Sherri, I have not worked with any other CRM than Salesforce, have used several levels of Salesforce over the last few years. 3 years ago I started another new sales job for a very small company and they had nothing. I didn’t know how I could get on without it. So I looked into it, maybe this is a secret, but Salesforce Contact manager is only $5/month per user, and you only need 1 user for you. I have been able to do many things that I didn’t think I could in such a low cost option. From what I’ve seen, probably no CRM is perfect for everyone, but with a few simple tutorials, many available on SF, you can learn how to make it work for you. Learn all you can about reports. Here’s another thing- SF is huge, I’ve seen all kinds of reps using it with all kinds of developments and integrations, so if you want to learn your way around SF, Contact Manager is a great start. As you go to more expensive options, it allows more customizations and different types of out of the box items. Contact Manager has Accounts, Contacts, and many other objects- I’ve even created several custom objects. Also includes Chatter, which we don’t really use in our organization. I am the only outside sales rep, and work for an older couple with 1 more office and warehouse employee. Having added Badger, I have integrated Badger with SF, and it is working very well for me. you can do a free trial on SF just to see a bit how it works. The other thing is, you could spend any amount of time exploring CRM options- I resolved to learn SF and learn how best to use it to help me do my job.
Best wishes.
Oh yeah- mobile devises.
I have SF and Badger on my mobile devise- Samsung Galaxy 7, I actually create my meetings in Badger check in, (speech to text- speak clearly, no background noise, maybe a Bluetooth headset). The next morning all my badger “check ins” show up as open tasks in SF, so I edit them to attach to the contact, and make sure my notes are clear. Be glad to hear if anybody has any better ideas. I have not been successful in creating my appointments in SF and the integration to Badger working with viewing my accounts on the map by “Days since last check in” My preference would be to create these directly in the SF app (speech to text), can upload photos, etc. so that I didn’t have to go back and edit them later. (Badger take note!! I think this one is challenging for you)
5 Likes
These are all really good options. I would also look up close. They are somewhat new but have a really good built-in calling and SMS if you need mobile access. They also have amazing customer service
1 Like
I’m a big fan of Close.io - its perfect for SMEs! I’m also a big fan of their blog and podcast… Steli Efti is quite a character!
2 Likes
@sherri87, I am the only salesperson at my company too. Does anyone here have any advice on making sales as the only salesperson?
My company is really small and we can’t afford to take anyone else on so I am all they’ve got. I am really struggling to make those first sales and need some advice.
Some of the best advice I got when I first started was from one of my reps. The salesman’s rule of 10 -“for every 10 sales calls you make 9 people will say no. But 1 will say YES!” I have found from experience when you first start that this ratio is about right. As you gain experience and confidence it gets closer to 50/50. Don’t get discouraged, after each no make sure to smile and thank the person because you are 1 step closer to the YES.
My first year I got a sale because of the rule. I did a cold call to a small company. The decision maker was busy and told me I had 90 seconds, I did a short presentation. He said they were not interested at that time and pointed toward the door. I smiled as big as I could and said “thank you”. He looked at me and asked “why are you so $%#^ happy? I just told you I’m not interested and showed you the door”. I smiled again and explained the salesman’s rule of 10 and told him he was my 9th no. His attitude softened and I walked out with an order.
So keep reaching out. It’s about the numbers at first. The more leads you process the better your chance for a YES. Good luck!
3 Likes
The problem with small companies and sales teams is usually that they have a lot of busy work and leads coming in (hopefully) but simply not enough time and man power to get through all their work. Which is why sales data and CRM fall by the wayside most of the time. I saw a stat somewhere that said 79% of opportunity related data doesn’t get into the CRM.
One sure fire way to change that is by implementing automation tools that reduce the load for you while still making it possible to capture all that data. I would say head to this article to see where to start your sales automation journey.
2 Likes
@sfegrero Is your product new? I know that sometimes with new products, people struggle to sell because they are still developing and just need some customer interaction before they get going.
I am assuming you are in outside sales so this may be your biggest selling point. You should go to your prospects and give them real, honest information about where your product is at and why they should be involved in such an early state. With their involvement, your company may be able to cater the product’s functions directly to them and work to build the brand together.
1 Like
We use Funnel CRM. its a simple and easy-to-use cloud-based sales CRM solution that helps growing businesses, agencies, and freelancers sell smarter and faster without having to work too much.
Features:
- Designed Specifically for Agencies
- Attach your website contact form to get leads automatically
- Send Proposals and quotations directly from the CRM
- Organise your customer data (filter and tag them)
- See when your customers open your emails
- Send and Receive emails DIRECTLY from CRM
- no more email mess
you can sign up for Funnel CRM
https://www.funnelcrm.co/
1 Like
We’ve been building a new platform called RepFlow for a couple years now: http://www.repflow.com/freetrial
Imagine a CRM mixed with quickbooks for sales organizations specifically.