Top CRMs for Customer Data

In December I talked about my favorite apps for individual productivity at work and said we’d circle back to the top apps for customer relationship management (CRMs) after the holidays. Well, Happy Circle Back Season to all who are celebrating this January! There are many CRMs out there for organizing customer data, and most of them function similarly. But if you ask our experts, the following are the best of the best, and I’d love to explain why!

Wrike is one of the most efficient CRMs on the market. As most CRMs do, Wrike allows you to create detailed tasks with due dates, priorities, and assignees to help the entire team stay on top of work. Their software helps break tasks down into more manageable steps, and I love that it allows you to reassign tasks to others on the team if needed. Wrike allows real-time collaboration and implements shared dashboards. Team members can add comments, share files, provide and share feedback on tasks & projects in real time. Users can also tag others for prompt responses. The shared dashboards help ensure everyone on the team is aligned because everyone can view the progress of tasks and projects in real time. These dashboards and time-tracking tools allow users to easily track time spent on tasks/projects making it easier to bill clients and analyze team efficiency. Wrike also makes collaboration easy because users can set clear deadlines and due dates to help all team members focus and meet important milestones on time.

The collaboration features of this CRM are important, but in my opinion, the customization Wrike allows is one of their biggest selling points. This software allows you to customize:

• Workflows
  (improve efficiency by streamlining processes to suit your project requirements)
• Fields for tasks you create
  (make it easy to track specific project aspects such as status, priority, or budget)
• Reports and reporting tools
  (provide detailed analytics & track project progress, performance, key metrics, etc.)
• Personalized dashboards
  (display real-time project status)
• Permission settings
  (allow administrators to control who can view, edit, & manage each task/project)

Because the software is designed for optimal customization, it’s hard to argue it wouldn’t be a good CRM for your business. Wrike also has centralized file storage which allows users to upload, store & share documents in one place. In addition, Wrike automatically tracks versions of documents to ensure everyone has access to the latest version. The software includes various templates for a variety of different projects (marketing campaigns, product launches, etc.) and supports automation to reduce manual tasks, standardize processes, and streamline repetitive actions. All of these will ultimately save you time and improve your productivity and efficiency.

Wrike has great scalability because it can easily be incorporated into your existing workflow and is great for both small teams and large organizations alike. The software has third party integrations with tools such as Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, etc. so integrating it into your existing workflow should be hassle-free. It does feature the scale to accommodate more complex projects and larger teams, but you lose no ease of use because of the customization capabilities and user-friendly format.

Similarly to Wrike, HubSpot is a stand-out CRM because it is also user-friendly and intuitive, making it easy for teams to adopt without extensive training required. HubSpot features data analytics and offers a wide range of reporting tools. These include customizable dashboards that provide insights into the performance of marketing campaigns, sales efforts, and customer service interactions. HubSpot cultivates team collaboration by facilitating better communication among marketing, sales, and customer service teams. The software does so by providing shared access to customer data, workflows, and tasks.

It also allows users to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress for yourself and the rest of your team. This centralized database allows businesses to store and manage customer data in one place, enabling a clear view of customer interactions, behaviors, and preferences. In turn, this helps the team deliver a more personalized experience for customers. HubSpot’s market automation and sales/customer service tools are some of the best features. HubSpot shines when it comes to:

• Automation tools for emails, workflows, and lead campaigns
  Engage with customers more efficiently by sending personalized messages based on user behavior. This also enhances customer engagement and enables businesses to create and manage blogs, landing pages, & SEO strategies. (All of which make it easier to drive traffic and convert visitors into leads!)
• Sales management and tracking
  Optimize sales by managing and tracking deals in a visual sales pipeline, providing insights into each stage of the sales process. This also allows the team to track emails, setup sequences for outreach, and manage follow-ups. In addition, detailed reports on sales performance are provided to help teams make data-driven decisions.
• Customer service support
  Enables businesses to track and resolve customer service issues promptly. Includes a knowledge-based tool for businesses to create a self-service help center, reducing the need for direct customer support. This includes live chat bots to engage with website visitors, answer common questions, etc.
• Customer feedback tools
  Allows businesses to gain customer insights through their feedback tools. Businesses can then personalize their strategies centered on your customer base to create more targeted and relevant campaigns.

HubSpot is another CRM that has third-party integration with over 1,000 other tools and software. It offers a unified platform for marketing, sales, and customer service thus eliminating the need for multiple disconnected tools and allowing for efficient scalability. HubSpot is great for both small teams and large organizations because they offer a variety of pricing tiers. Whether you’re a company just starting out or an established company looking to grow your success, HubSpot is a great tool to consider!

If you have a home service business Jobber may be the CRM for you! Jobber Blueprint is a CRM that provides proven plans, actionable resources, and expert advice for home service businesses at every stage and size. Jobber offers businesses efficient scheduling and dispatching which allows businesses to organize appointments, assign jobs to team members, and optimize routes. Jobber also has a mobile app that allows field workers to access job details, update job status, and communicate with the office in real-time. A feature such as this is perfect for home service businesses that operate from various locations.

This software makes it easy to store/manage client information and includes the ability to create and send customized quotes and invoices directly to customers. Jobber also supports various payment methods which make transactions faster and more convenient (for both you and your clients!) Like other CRMs, Jobber provides time-tracking tools to ensure that team members log their hours accurately. It can also help businesses track employee productivity and ensure proper payroll processing. Another feature is that Jobber integrates with other tools and various third-party applications like QuickBooks, Google Calendar, etc. allowing businesses to sync data and streamline workflows. Jobber offers reporting and analytics to allow businesses to track key metrics such as revenue, expenses, and job completion rates (to name a few!) The software also provides ever-helpful automated reminders for upcoming appointments, payments, or follow-ups. Their “elevator pitch” is that Jobber will help you “get more out of your business, with less effort” and we must agree, they provide the tools for you to do just that!

It’s undebatable that Monday.com would be a beneficial CRM for any business to use. Monday is suitable for businesses of all sizes because it can accommodate growing teams and is highly adaptable. They have a mobile app so all team members can access their tasks, communicate, and update progress on the go. This feature is particularly useful for teams working remotely or on-site. Monday offers team collaboration and project tracking with advanced features such as:

• Customizing workflows w/multiple views
  Features customizable workflows to tailor to specific needs and is adaptable for various industries with a wide range of pre-built templates for different use. Monday.com can create multiple workspaces for different departments or teams which will organize projects and workflows for specific groups while maintaining overall view.
• Automations
  Will automate repetitive tasks and users can create custom automations by defining triggers (i.e.: when a task is completed) and corresponding actions (i.e.: move the task to another board).
• Time tracking
  Can track tasks, visualize projects over time with Gantt chart timelines and offers an intuitive Kanban board for managing tasks & project flow. In addition, users can track time spent on tasks through a built-in time tracking feature, allowing team members to log hours spent on specific tasks. Monday can also generate reports based on time data to identify bottlenecks, overstaffed areas, or inefficiencies.
• Workload management tools
  Create custom dashboards to gain insights into team performance, project status, and key metrics. Also has built-in reporting features to generate data-driven insights making it easier to measure KPIs and adjust strategies.
• Optimized security
  Complies with industry-leading security standards, including SSL encryption & GDPR compliance. Provides role-based permissions & access controls, ensuring that sensitive information is only visible to the right people.

As with the other favorites I’ve discussed here, you can integrate other apps such as Google Drive or Dropbox with Monday.com. They also support third party integration with many popular tools such as Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom. Plus, you can open API to create custom integrations with other tools used within your organization!