CRM software has become an essential tool for many organizations. As CRM functionality increases, so does its presence in the global marketplace and day-to-day business. Did you know that about 91% of firms that employ more than 10 workers utilize CRM systems (Grandview)? The demand is growing, and the features array is abundant.

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But this was not always the case. In the past, the main function of CRM solutions was to create and nurture relationships with existing customers and convert new ones. It was a solution to the tedium of manually analyzing customer data in spreadsheets full of contact information, purchase history and past communications.  

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We have come a long way. Today, advanced CRM software offers e-commerce functions, while others include reporting capabilities that enable dynamic dashboards. Some companies use CRM solutions to integrate call center activities, while others focus on marketing tools such as marketing funnels or project management.  

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With different pricing models and features, it can be easy to get confused about which CRM software will be most valuable to your business. What about assistance with sales management, workflow, accounting, point-of-sale or user activity reporting?  

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We'll walk you through the benefits of CRM solutions, the variables to consider before buying, and our predictions for the most popular platforms in 2023. Are you ready to get started?

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CRM System – What is It and What are the benefits?  

CRM is an abbreviation for Customer Relationship Management. A simple CRM centralizes all client engagements across platforms. It has services for storing client data, as well as automating a variety of customer-related operations.

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CRM software's main purpose is to assist organizations in enhancing customer satisfaction, sustaining strong connections with them, and building loyalty. It may also be used to manage communication among team members, contractors, and partners. Modern CRM features offer optimization in marketing, sales, digital commerce, and project management areas. Some of them integrate apps, social media, or even AI technologies.  

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Both companies with a sizable client base and medium- and small-sized businesses can benefit from CRMs. These technologies adapt to practically any industry, including software development, healthcare, administration, e-commerce, and even the food and beverage business. They make it simpler to handle both internal and external contacts.  

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More benefits of the CRM tools for businesses you will below:  

• Aid in Developing a Business Operations Plan
• Improved Knowledge Exchange
• Easier Tracking, Boosting and Converting Leads
• Monitoring Closing Rates and Consumer Activity
• Enhanced Collaboration among Teams
• Making More Informed Decisions Based on Data
• Improved Process of Scaling Sales
• Automation of Sale Forecasting  
• Keeping Centralized Database

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How to Choose a CRM System? 6 Factors to Consider

Looking for the best CRM system? There is no one-size-fits-all CRM solution, no magic formula.  

But you can choose one that will be most beneficial to your organization. CRM effectiveness is measured differently by every company. Each business has different goals and needs. So, before you start searching for the best CRM tool, you need to do your research and find a set of features that are compatible and practical enough for your industry and business.  

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Luckily, we are here to help! What should you consider when choosing CRM software? Let's find out.

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Purpose: What do you need the CRM tool for?

You must first concentrate on the issues that you want your CRM software to resolve.

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CRM may be necessary for a healthcare organization to manage client relations and data in order to assist patients more effectively and increase retention. As a legal enterprise with strong competition, you will need a comprehensive, multi layered tool that will on marketing, sales and customer service alike. Don't forget to think about the software's capacity to expand along with the business. Will it be capable of adjusting to shifting needs in five or six years?

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Features: What kind of CRM system features are included? Which of them do you need?  

Make a list of the features your company needs to achieve its objectives as a starting point. Find out what functions are offered by various providers and develop your own list in order of significance - Product Level quotes? Dashboards? Managing cases or a pipeline? Integrating apps? The most suitable tool will be determined by comparing this list to available options. Check how much they very in price and what value they will bring to your operations.  

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Integration: Would the CRM application integrate with the systems and platforms you use?

How simple will it be to implement the CRM software into the existing process?  

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An effective CRM must integrate easily with your current software. You should be able to combine any additional tools you use, such as marketing programs, ERP, or HR, with your CRM so that you are not building the whole infrastructure from scratch. Do a thorough review of the additional products and applications that you may want to integrate in the future. Analyze extra cost of integrations, and their usability.  

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Ease of use: Will the CRM system be easy and intuitive to use?

Are there any included training or instructions offered by the CRM provider?

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Although CRM software itself can be complicated, it needs to be easy to use and understand. Your staff will find it extremely difficult to navigate if it is cluttered with user activity and data. They will also need some rudimentary training and induction to be able to use new software freely. Consider whether the supplier can help you with this or whether you have the resources to do it yourself. If not, you may be able to use a simpler CRM platform that is quick to learn and requires less training.

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Cost: How much does the CRM program cost, including any extra charges? Is it affordable for you?

Some vendors offer annual billing, while others go for subscription-based monthly costs per user (ranging from $10 to $80). If your business is smaller, you can always use a free, more basic version or a one-month trial for evaluation purposes. You can also find CRM software, such as SalesForce, that is free to all users.  

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You'll need to check your budget and look for any unforeseen costs, such as monthly fees for additional features (like AI or app integration), maintenance or installation.

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Scalability: Will the CRM program be able to sustain scalability along with your organization?

The CRM system you buy should be able to scale and adapt to the increasing number of users and processes if your organisation is growing rapidly. You need to realise that a CRM is a long-term investment in your business, so it pays to choose the most practical and flexible The key is to have the capacity to manage an expanding business.

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The Best CRM Software - 2023 ranking

Now that you've established how to evaluate a potential CRM for your business, here's a rundown of five top picks of the best CRM systems to consider in 2023.  

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As you know, there is not one perfect tool for all types of organizations, but it can be helpful to be aware of the features of the most popular ones so that you can compare them and choose the one that best suits your goals and needs. Let's look at the pros and cons of these systems.

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Salesforce

Pros:

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Customization: While Salesforce provides a lot of functionalities, it's not always the right fit for every organization.  However, Salesforce can be customized to better suit the needs of a particular company, for example by changing the user interface, automating a task, or adding or removing a feature. This allows you to tailor the system to your own unique business needs.  

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Scalability: The great advantage of Salesforce is that it can scale as your organization grows, supporting more features, more clients, and more users over time. Salesforce software is a fantastic option for industries that are experiencing significant expansion due to its inherent scalability. It works well for large or growing companies that require a highly customizable solution with numerous modifications and adaptations.  

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Integration: Salesforce's offering is quite extensive. More than 1,000 different platforms, tools, and systems integrate with Salesforce, including marketing automation, HR, Outlook, social media, and financial systems. Not to mention add-ons, third-party integrations, and internal Salesforce apps such as Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and Commerce Cloud.  

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Support: With resources like user guides, video tutorials, and live training, Salesforce has a large user base and offers great 24/7 support for an additional fee. Basic support and full access to the Trailblazer community are included with this level.  

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Potential cons:  

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Cost: Salesforce can be more expensive than some other CRM software options, and monthly billing is only available at the Essentials level. What's more, payments are annual, so you'll need to plan your budget in advance. It is not the best option for smaller companies and start-ups, but for more established and growing enterprises.  

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Complexity: With its wide range of features and customization options, Salesforce can be complex to learn and use. This can require a significant investment in training for your team - you need to consider this in terms of hidden costs and time resources. It will take time for your team to feel confident using the platform.

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Pipedrive

Pros:

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User-friendly interface: Pipedrive has a clean and intuitive interface that is easy to use and navigate. It provides an attractive, easy to learn experience, efficient for your team to use and manage leads and sales. Based on Kanban, the graphical deal pipeline view has a straightforward interface with drag-and-drop customization.

Sales focused: Pipedrive is designed specifically for sales teams with features such as lead and opportunity tracking, email integration and sales forecasting. Pipedrive is a fantastic way for sales staff to improve productivity. You can use the system to organize your leads and get a sales and marketing perspective.  With the use of online flow, lead generation and automated phone and email scheduling, efficiency follows.  

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Customization: Pipedrive allows you to tailor the system to your specific sales process with features such as customizable deal stages. You can create unlimited personalized sales pipelines and save, share and re-use them. Pipedrive comes with a basic set of reliable sales features, but you can pay for any additional add-ons. There are also 300 integrations available for more features.

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Mobile app: Pipedrive has a mobile app that allows you to access your customer data and manage your sales activities on the go. With the Pipedrive mobile app, sales professionals can use Pipedrive as a virtual sales resource even on business trips.  Pipedrive is therefore ideal for onsite teams and remote sales reps.

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Notifications, Alerts and Reminders: Pipedrive has an activity calendar with reminders that can be used to plan your week. In addition, security alarms and account access alerts can be configured to send email notifications whenever there is an event of relevance to user access. Thanks to the AI-powered sales assistant feature, you can also choose what information you want to be alerted to.

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Potential cons:

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Limited features: While Pipedrive is a strong sales-focused CRM software, it may not have all the features that businesses need for customer relationship management. It's aimed at small businesses with a sales focus.  If you need a wider range of tools and capabilities for marketing or coordination, other CRM options on the market may be a better idea.  

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Limited integration: Pipedrive integrates with a limited number of external tools and systems compared to some other CRM software options. The reason for this is well known - unlike some of its competitors, Pipedrive doesn't offer as many opportunities for third party integration.  

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Cost: Pipedrive can be more expensive than some other CRM software alternatives, especially for larger teams. There is no free plan, and you will need to pay for each additional add-on - these can add up to be quite pricey.  

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Few reporting and automation options: The reporting process can be non-intuitive and even confusing. Furthermore, Pipedrive's basic plan has a limit of 15 reports per user, which means that revenue forecasting and custom reports are not offered. It lacks mobile user data reports and segmented traffic reports.

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HubSpot

Pros:

All-in-one platform: HubSpot is an all-in-one platform that includes a CRM, marketing automation tools, CMS system and sales software. This can be convenient for businesses that need a comprehensive customer relationship management tool.   It is free and delivers one million sales connections for small and large enterprises in B2B and B2C, including marketing, retail, accounting, sales and more.    

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Customization: HubSpot allows you to adapt the system to your specific business conditions, with a wide range of customization options. You can always upgrade or change your billing plan at no extra cost. There are several add-ons and features available, including marketing analytics, contact management, live chat widgets, email marketing, the ability to create landing pages, a meeting organizer and more.  

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Free Trial: A free trial period is available without providing a credit card. You can measure a variety of metrics, use email marketing tools, create landing pages, attract new leads, and then convert those leads to sales during the free 14-day HubSpot trial. There are no surprises or costly trials.  

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Integration: HubSpot integrates with a wide range of other tools and systems, including email, social media and financial systems. Over 500 third-party applications and tools are part of the HubSpot network - both external systems and HubSpot's free marketing, service and operations platform. Some of the most prominent integrations include Zoom, Eventbrite, Google Apps and Zendesk.  

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Support: HubSpot has a large user community and offers excellent support with resources such as user guides, video tutorials, and live training. It offers online help for free plans, and 24/7 phone and email support for higher tiers. Unlimited users are also supported under the free plan.

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Potential cons:

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Cost & Billing: HubSpot can be expensive for small companies as it is a mandatory annual build - budget needs to be analyzed upfront. While Sales Hub Starter is $45 per month for two users, the highest tier can go up to $1,200 per month for up to 10 paid users. There are equivalent CRM systems that are less costly and just as effective.  

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Complexity: With its wide range of features and customization options, HubSpot can be complex to learn and use. This can require a significant investment of time and money to train your team. It also means that it will take some time before your team is able to take advantage of all the features.  

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There is a charge for ongoing technical support: You will need to pay for ongoing technical support if your business requires it on a regular basis. It is not included in any of the plans by default. As you can see, it is an additional cost.

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Microsoft Dynamics 365

Pros:

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Integration with other Microsoft products: Microsoft Dynamics 365 integrates seamlessly with multiple Microsoft services, such as Office, SharePoint, Lync, and Outlook, which can be convenient for organisations that already use these tools. There's no need to move to new platforms and you can make processes more efficient - it's all in one place. Time can be saved by minimising double entry with these interconnected interfaces.  

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Easy migration, implementation and updates: Customers get a clear path to move legacy data and processes to Dynamics 365 - and install a cloud-based solution. If companies are using another CRM tool and want to switch, Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers fast and secure migration options. Microsoft's support team can also help in these cases. Plus, implementing and updating a cloud-based CRM system is simple.  

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Customization: Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a wide range of personalization options so you can make it fit your business. The product comes with a number of features that can enhance your sales, marketing activities, customer interactions, and general business processes. Workflows can be designed and modified by users independently to improve business operations.  

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Scalability: Microsoft Dynamics 365 is designed to scale with your business, so it can accommodate an increasing number of customers and users as you grow or shrink. Microsoft Dynamics 365 is scalable for any type and size of business, from small start-ups that need to build their IT system to enterprises that need to upgrade their CRM and ERP processes in the cloud.

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Potential cons:  

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Cost: Microsoft Dynamics 365 may have a higher price tag. The cost of this CRM product ranges from $50 to $200. There may be additional add-ons or integration fees. You will therefore need to have a significant budget to use this platform on a regular basis. The high monthly or annual price of this product may make it more difficult for small businesses to use.  

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Complexity: Training is a must to become proficient in all functions.  Most customer comments mention how unfriendly the interface is. In fact, if you have no experience or background in using a CRM solution, modifying and personalising it can be tricky and time-consuming.  

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The Best CRM Systems are There for You to Take

If you can narrow your options down to a select group of outstanding contenders, it will be easier to choose the CRM system that best suits your business goals and objectives.  

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It's a good idea to try each system on a trial basis before making an assessment based on your most important factors, such as flexibility, price, integration and complexity.

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