What is sales CRM software?

If you're looking for a good CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system to manage your business' customers and prospects, then there's no shortage of options available today. The world’s leading technology companies have developed their own CRMs that can help businesses stay on track with all aspects of selling, such as lead generation, marketing automation, and more.

There are many different types of CRM systems out there, each designed to solve specific problems or address certain industry needs. But which software should you choose if it's your first time using an enterprise-level solution? Which CRM platform will work well with your current processes and toolsets? And how do you even find a quality product when so many exist?

In this article we'll cover some of those questions by taking a look at the key features of various CRM platforms, and explaining why they might matter to you personally. We've also included our personal favorites among these products based on usability, ease of use, overall value, and other factors. If you'd like to read about these topics in greater depth, check out our guide to choosing the right CRM.

What company has the best CRM?

Salesforce offers its flagship product, Sales Cloud, which includes both cloud-based services and desktop apps, along with several add-on modules including Customer Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Chatter, Data Warehouse, Analytics Cloud, and SuccessFactors. It also recently launched two new products aimed specifically at small businesses: Force.com OneCloud and Force.com AppExchange.  The latter allows users to build applications through either public APIs or custom code. You may want to consider Salesforce as a possible option if you need an easy way to get started quickly without having to invest too much money up front.

Bitrix24 is another great choice if you don't require anything complex from your CRM but still want a solid application. This free service offers a host of features, allowing you to create customizable dashboards, generate reports, and connect with social media channels. Its main drawback is that it doesn't offer any mobile support -- only web access. However, Bitrix24 does allow you to download data into spreadsheets if you prefer working offline.

Other notable contenders include Zoho Suite, NetSuite, and Workday. All three provide robust functionality within their respective suites, though pricing varies depending on whether you subscribe to a perpetual license or pay per user. In general, however, they tend to start around $100/month for unlimited users.

Which CRM is most popular?

According to Gartner Magic Quadrant analysis, Salesforce leads the pack with 16 percent market share while Microsoft Dynamics dominates the rest of the field with over 20 percent. Other players include Oracle Siebel CRM, Jive Software, SAP BusinessObjects BI Platform, Marketo, MicroStrategy, K2 Intelligence and Ariba.

While Salesforce remains the clear leader in the CRM space, other vendors are steadily gaining ground. For example, according to Gartner, Zoho jumped four spots to take second place last year after being ranked third in 2016. Meanwhile, NetSuite rose five places and now ranks fourth behind Salesforce. Even smaller providers like WorkDay and Hubspot continue to see strong growth despite not ranking in the top 10.

These stats show just how competitive the CRM market has become, especially considering the fact that most major providers offer similar capabilities, albeit with slight variations in feature sets. Regardless of where you fall in the rankings, make sure you pick a provider with a reputation for stability, security, and reliability.

Which company provides CRM?

As mentioned above, Salesforce, Microsoft, Zoho, and others all sell CRM products under their own brands. Some, like Salesforce and Microsoft Dynamics, are sold directly via partner resellers or online retailers. Others, like Bitrix24 and NetSuite, are owned by larger corporations themselves. Whichever route you go, make sure the vendor you select has been certified by a reputable independent organization to ensure high levels of security and privacy.

Note that you can hire CRM software developers to customize your CRM system no matter what software you choose. Therefore, you will be able to better meet your business’ needs.

What are the 3 common CRM models?

Before diving into specifics, let's briefly discuss the differences between traditional client relationship management (CRM), contact center management (CCMS), and customer engagement (CE). Each type of product addresses a unique set of challenges, offering varying degrees of customization, flexibility, and scalability.

Traditional CRMs are typically used by large enterprises that deal primarily with external clients. These applications integrate with email campaigns, phone calls, websites, etc., providing comprehensive tracking and reporting across multiple channels. They often come preloaded with advanced analytics and workflow engines.

Contact centers and call centers represent a subset of traditional CRMs, focusing exclusively on internal interactions with employees. Call Center Manager is perhaps the most widely known brand here, but competitors include Genesys, Avaya, and LivePerson. Contact centers use specialized agents who communicate with customers by telephone or video chat. As you would expect, these programs focus heavily on automated routing and scheduling, as well as employee training and retention.

Finally, CE platforms serve as central hubs for managing all customer relationships and communications, regardless of channel. Many of these offerings are built upon open standards like XML and JSON, making them accessible to developers interested in creating integrations with existing applications. Examples include Adobe Experience Manager, IBM Connections, and Salesforce Communities.

Many organizations use hybrid CRM solutions that combine elements of traditional CRMs with CCMS or CE components. In addition to integrating with existing systems, these packages typically offer additional features geared toward improving communication between team members, such as document collaboration or live chats.

For instance, Bitrix24 integrates seamlessly with Gmail, Outlook, Slack, Skype, and Google Hangouts. Likewise, NetSuite works with numerous cloud-based productivity tools, including Dropbox, Box, Evernote, Github, Trello, and WordPress. Finally, Salesforce integrates with dozens of popular SaaS applications, including GitHub, MailChimp, Office365, PayPal, QuickBooks Online, Slack, UberConference, Yammer, and Zapier.

1. Salesforce

Salesforce is the best-known brand when it comes to CRM systems. It has been around since 1999 and continues to grow rapidly.

Easy to use interface - The user experience features an intuitive drag-and-drop workflow builder that allows users to build custom workflows easily.

Integrations – It integrates directly into popular applications like Microsoft Outlook, SharePoint, Google Apps, Gmail, Zendesk, QuickBooks Online, Salesforce Mobile etc., allowing users to access data from anywhere at any time.

Customizable dashboards - You can customize the dashboard layout by dragging and dropping widgets just like building your website using WordPress or Joomla! CMS platforms. You also get access to prebuilt templates so that you don't need to create new ones everytime.

Mobile app - With its mobile apps, Salesforce helps small and medium sized enterprises scale up quickly without investing too much in IT infrastructure.

SaaS model - Using SaaS, sales teams can collaborate across departments and countries via the cloud platform, eliminating the need to install costly software on each desktop computer used by employees.

Comprehensive reporting tools - Salesforce offers extensive reports and analytics capabilities to measure performance against goals and KPIs.

Support team - The support team is always ready to assist customers 24/7 through phone calls, chat sessions, emails, tickets, and social media channels.

Multi language support - As per this article

When we talk about CRM (Customer Relationship Management), it’s not just limited to managing customers but also includes managing your employees. A good CRM should help you manage every aspect of your business from marketing activities to sales processes to employee management. So how can you make sure that your company gets maximum benefit from using such an application? The answer lies with choosing which CRM is right for your needs. Let us take a look at some of these options below.

It's important to understand that there are different types of CRMs depending on their target audience. The main three categories include Customer Relationship Management, Product Lifecycle Management and Business Process Automation tools. Each category has several sub-categories as well. For example, Business Process Automation tools have two sub-categories - BPM & SCRM. So let's go through each of them briefly before getting into the details of various CRM products available today.

What are the 5 phases of CRM?

Before starting out, it would be useful if you know exactly where does CRM come in the overall picture. It helps to understand the five key stages of CRM implementation so that you get a better idea of the scope of investment required. These are:

1) Strategy Phase: This phase consists of defining goals, objectives, and strategies. In this stage, you need to identify potential problems or challenges faced by the organization. You will then determine whether those issues require immediate resolution or they can wait until later. Based on the results of analysis, set priorities among various tasks.

2) Planning Phase: During this step, you define requirements for new systems, develop budgets, etc.

3) Implementation Phase: At this point, you start implementing the system across multiple departments within the organization. Your goal here is to ensure smooth integration between existing applications and CRM solutions. If any errors occur during the process, you correct them immediately.

4) Operation Phase: Once everything is working fine, you enter the operation phase. Now you want to monitor performance metrics and check if anything needs to be changed based on user feedback. You may need to add more features or change certain functionalities.

5) Maintenance Phase: Finally, once things become stable, you shift focus towards maintaining the solution rather than improving upon it. Also known as "end state", maintenance involves fixing bugs, upgrading the system, adding new modules, etc.

What are the four types of CRM?

You have probably heard people talking about CRM in terms of specific product names like Zoho CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales, Salesforce, Bitrix24, etc. But when you dig deeper, you realize that there are actually many types of CRM. Some of them are listed below.

SaaS: Software as a Service model means that you don't own the entire system outright. Instead, you pay monthly fees for access to a particular piece of software. SaaS services usually offer unlimited usage without installation charges. However, you might face data storage limitations.

On-premise: An on-premises CRM system refers to a complete package installed on your local server instead of accessing online resources via web browser. They tend to cost a lot because they involve hardware costs along with software licenses. On-premise models provide greater control over data privacy and security.

Cloud-based: Cloud-based CRM services allow users to access enterprise applications remotely, either directly or indirectly. There is no requirement for installing software locally since cloud-based solutions run entirely inside the internet. They typically charge per seat basis. One downside is that you cannot install additional software on the same computer.

Hybrid: Hybrid solutions combine both on-premise and cloud components. Most hybrid offerings allow organizations to choose whatever suits their current situation the best.

What CRM do most companies use?

As mentioned above, there are several popular choices when it comes to selecting a suitable CRM tool for your business. When it comes down to technical aspects, however, Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales seems to dominate the market share. According to Gartner Research Report Q1 2019, Microsoft Dynamics 365 won 43% market share globally. Another notable player is Bitrix24 which holds 13%. However, other vendors like SalesForce, SAP Hybris Commerce Suite, Oracle Siebel CRM, NetSuite, Jira Software, HubSpot, Marketo, Workday, Kounta, SuccessFactors, Zoho CRM, and others hold smaller shares.

In addition to being used by businesses worldwide, CRM tools are now increasingly used by governments as well. Many countries are using CRM systems to collect tax revenues, track government spending, regulate public utilities, etc. In fact, India recently announced plans to introduce a CRM system called Goods and Services Tax Network (GSTN).

What is CRM and explain its type?

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. As discussed earlier, it is basically a software platform designed to keep track of interactions between customers and businesses. With time, CRM evolved into a suite of integrated apps allowing you to gather, analyze, and act on data related to customers and prospects.

A CRM is essentially a database containing detailed records of past transactions. It keeps tabs on contacts, leads, opportunities, deals, campaigns, contracts, orders, events, payments, support requests, account balances, etc., thus making it easier for you to handle complex relationships with clients and suppliers. That said, a CRM isn't merely another database. It provides valuable insights that enable you to increase productivity, improve decision-making, reduce operational risks, boost revenue growth, build stronger bonds with customers, increase brand loyalty, strengthen competitive advantage, and generate higher profits.

For instance, many companies use CRM tools to organize incoming emails and automate follow up actions. Other popular uses include tracking lead generation efforts, creating automated workflows, automating repetitive tasks, analyzing customer behavior patterns, and providing real-time insight into operations. Lastly, CRM can also help you create personalized experiences for individual customers by offering customized notifications and targeted communications.

If you're looking to implement a CRM system at your firm, remember to consider the following factors carefully:

Which industry sector will you operate in? Will you sell physical goods or digital ones? Do you plan to launch a mobile app or website? What kind of technology stack will you employ? How much budget do you have for purchasing software? Which version of CRM will suit your needs? Does your organization already use similar platforms? Are there any legal restrictions preventing you from adopting certain technologies?

There are dozens of CRM providers out there. Before buying a product, you must first decide which functionality you're going to require. Then you'll narrow down your search further by considering price range, licensing, deployment environment, number of users, etc. After doing enough research, you'll find yourself with better understanding on which CRM suits your needs.

A CRM (Customer Relationship Management) or Customer Retention Management System helps companies manage their customers' relationships with them by using data collected from various channels like email, phone calls, social media posts etc. This enables businesses to know more about their prospects as well as understand customer needs better so that they can make better decisions.

CRMs help companies analyze customer behavior patterns, identify where problems lie and then take corrective measures accordingly. It also allows users to develop new products based on existing ones and improve marketing strategies. By improving business processes through automation, CRMs have become indispensable tools for every company today. However, there are different types of CRMs depending on the type of service provided. Some of these include ERP, HRMS, accounting, SCRM, eCommerce, financial management, project management, supply chain management and many others. All these services work together to provide seamless workflow for your organization's day-to-day operations.

Before we get into the details of each CRM software listed below, let us first discuss some key features of a good CRM. A CRM should ideally contain the following attributes:

Automated Workflows - The ability to automate most of your routine tasks will reduce manual errors and allow you to focus on bigger picture aspects of running your business.

Business Intelligence - Your business intelligence reports will give you insights into which actions were successful or unsuccessful. You'll thus be able to refine future plans while making changes to your current strategy if needed.

Sales Automation - When it comes to automating the selling process, CRMs offer complete visibility of your pipeline, allowing you to prioritize deals and allocate resources effectively.

Analytics & Reporting Tools - Businesses need to constantly monitor performance metrics across departments. Analytics and reporting capabilities enable users to easily access this info at any time.

The above mentioned features are just a few out of several other important factors that define a great CRM. To find out whether a particular CRM meets your requirements, check our list of Best CRM Software 2020.

What is CRM software used for?

There are two primary purposes behind using a CRM. Firstly, you want to increase efficiency within an individual department. Secondly, you're looking to drive cross-departmental collaboration between teams. For example, when a client leaves your company, you don't want it to affect your relationship with another prospect, right? In order to achieve both goals, you'd use a CRM tool.

What is CRM system and how it works?

As defined earlier, a CRM manages customer interactions over multiple platforms such as emails, calls, social media messages, website forms etc. These interactions happen throughout the entire lifecycle of a sale. So before explaining its functions further, let's look at the stages involved in a typical transaction.

1. Discovery Phase - During discovery phase, potential clients start interacting with your brand via online means. They may reach out to you either directly or indirectly. As soon as they do, you send them personalized content to learn more about them. This leads to a series of conversations until your prospective buyer has decided on buying your product/service. At this stage, your goal is to establish trust among your buyers. If done correctly, your lead might even buy something else after being impressed by your brand.

2. Qualification Phase - Once you've established a rapport with your prospective customer, you now want to qualify them so that you can move forward towards closing the deal. You accomplish this by asking pertinent questions related to their needs. Based on answers received from your prospects, you create a detailed profile of them. From here onward, you can tailor offers and communication methods according to your target audience.

3. Negotiation Phase - After having developed a clear understanding of your buyer's wants and needs, you engage them in negotiations. Now that you know exactly what they expect from you, you can prepare offers that match up to their expectations. You keep sending relevant content to build credibility with your buyer, and eventually close the deal.

4. Post Purchase Phase - While you're working with your buyer, they might ask for various post purchase support. And since you have everything recorded in your CRM, you can respond quickly to their queries. Also, once you've closed the deal, you want to maintain contact with your buyer so that you won't lose them later down the line. With a CRM, you can capture all interaction points seamlessly without missing anything.

What are the three uses of CRM systems?

While discussing the different benefits of using a CRM, we must mention that not everyone requires the same level of functionality. Hence, the best way to choose a CRM solution would be to decide upon the specific purpose(s) you require it for. Let's go ahead and break those down briefly.

Marketing Automation - Marketing automation refers to the automated creation of content and campaigns on behalf of your company. Instead of spending hours manually creating marketing material, you can simply set things up in advance and forget about them.

Product Development / Product Lifecyle Management - Having accurate records of past orders and feedback will help you optimize your ongoing production cycles. By focusing on certain areas of improvement, you can boost overall revenue.

Data Collection - Data collection refers to gathering, analyzing, storing and sharing information about your customers. You can use this data to track trends, predict future demand, and improve your customer experience.

Accounting & Finance - Accounting and finance are crucial parts of any company's operation. Using a CRM will greatly simplify bookkeeping and financial management.

Supply Chain Management - Supply chain management involves managing vendors and suppliers efficiently. By utilizing a CRM, you can streamline inventory levels and cut costs.

Human Resources Management - Human resource management includes employee engagement and retention. You can save valuable time and effort by integrating a CRM with human resources software.

eCommerce Integration - An integrated ecommerce platform will ensure smoother checkout flows, faster transactions, and improved conversion rates.

Project Management - Project management entails tracking progress, assigning tasks, communicating with team members, monitoring milestones and keeping tabs on budget constraints.

Financial Management - Financial management consists of planning, forecasting, analyzing, controlling and reporting. A CRM integrates closely with accounting and enterprise applications to facilitate smooth record keeping.

So, whichever industry you operate in, chances are you'll benefit from using a CRM. But why does it matter? Well, imagine a scenario wherein you're trying to sell a car but your competitor already has a database of potential buyers who visited his dealership last week. He knows exactly which cars they looked at, and he has notes regarding their preferences and interests. On the flip side, if you didn't record any of these details, you'd end up wasting countless hours chasing lost opportunities.

Nowadays, companies rely heavily on digital marketing to grow their business. And because they lack proper CRM integration, they often fail to acquire qualified leads. That said, there are plenty of CRM alternatives available that cater to small businesses too. Take a look at our list of 10 free CRM software options.

To sum up, a CRM is essentially a centralized repository of all customer data. As discussed above, having a central source of truth makes sense for every business as it brings clarity and simplicity to decision-making. Moreover, it prevents duplication of efforts and ensures consistency in communications. Therefore, it's safe to say that CRMs play an integral role in modern organizations.

What are the main types of CRM?

In order to determine which CRM suits your unique needs, you should consider three major categories: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and Social CRM. Each category has numerous subcategories including Sales & Service Automation, Customer Support, Collaborative Communication, Mobile App Integrations, CRM Dashboard, Customization, etc. We recommend that you read our article on CRM Types Explained to gain insight into these terms.

But if none of these are suitable for your use case, try evaluating the functionalities offered by the best CRM software instead.

Freshsales is an easy-to-use cloud CRM designed specifically for B2B companies. Its powerful app development suite lets you customize your CRM interface so that it perfectly fits into your organizational culture. Plus, it doesn't cost a fortune! Freshsales currently provides unlimited user accounts for $9 per month, while premium versions are priced at $19 per month. Learn more about Freshsales here.

Bitrix24 is a web-based CRM focused on helping SMBs run their daily activities more smoothly. It's packed with useful features including mobile apps, live chat, document storage, video meetings, invoicing, expense tracking, task management, event registration, analytics dashboards and much more. Pricing starts at $14.99 per month for 1 GB of storage space. Find out more about Bitrix24 here.