As more organizations move toward customer centricity, maintaining a customer database on paper and in spreadsheets is simply not enough.
A customer database contains large volumes of information that gives companies insights that will help them close future sales. If you're letting all this data go unused, you're missing out on potential revenue.
Businesses that are able to leverage data can improve customer relations, boost sales, and build long-lasting relationships, even from one-time sales.
According to Gallup research, companies that leverage customer behavioral insights outperform their peers by 85% in sales growth and more than 25% in gross margin.
Small businesses that aren't using CRM software for sales management are likely to lose high-impact leads, miss their sales quotas, and struggle to compete in the market.
Consider the following:
Without a CRM, 79% of leads fail to convert to sales.
Using a CRM solution leads to a 65% boost in sales quotas.
In this article, we'll look at three top-rated CRM tools that offer dedicated sales management functionality and are used by SMBs to streamline their customer relationship management and increase sales. We also analyze what actual users have to say about these apps and the ideal user type for each solution.
The three top-rated CRM software apps for sales management are:
(Please note: The feedback given in each of the “Common user feedback trends" sections are the opinions of the user reviewers and do not represent the opinions of Capterra. Read more about our methodology at the bottom of this article.)
Salesforce Sales Cloud: All-in-one CRM and sales automation tool
Salesforce Sales Cloud is cloud-based CRM and sales automation software. Its analytics functionality provides detailed insights on customer sales history, interactions, social media activity, and more.
The sales pipeline and lead management functionalities let you access and track updated contact information for every lead. And, with automatic lead scoring and routing, you can ensure that each lead is assigned to the right sales rep and no lead slips through the cracks.
Track every interaction with a contact (presentations, phone calls, emails, notes of internal account discussions, and actions taken or agreed upon) in the database to schedule tasks and prepare for client meetings.
Salesforce's enterprise social network, Chatter, allows teams to communicate and collaborate on critical projects and sales opportunities. Use the social feeds to share knowledge and get sales or project-specific insights.
Salesforce offers iOS and Android-compatible mobile apps that let you plan and manage sales activities, view dashboards, and search for and access files.
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra from CRM software users in sales roles, here's an overview of Salesforce Sales Cloud offerings they like best and those they feel could be improved.
What users like
Useful mobile accessibility: Users find the mobile app helpful, as they're able to access their contact database, view their calendar, send emails, and capture details of their sales calls on their mobile devices.
Easy visibility into sales pipeline: Users like that they have real-time visibility into the sales pipeline, so they can quickly check the status of a lead or prospect.
Improved collaboration among sales teams: Users mention that they can communicate and easily collaborate with team members on a single deal, which helps them close deals faster.
Helpful alerts and reminders: Users find the automatic notifications and alerts helpful in preventing them from missing any critical meetings with clients.
Numerous app integrations: Reviewers like that Salesforce offers direct and seamless integration with many third-party apps, such as Outlook and Google. They also like Salesforce AppExchange, which gives them a platform to create, publish, or install apps and extensions to Salesforce based on their needs.
What users think could be improved
Pricing could be better for small businesses: Users mention that Salesforce can be a bit expensive for small businesses compared with other CRM tools on the market.
More responsive customer support: Reviewers would like the Salesforce customer and technical support team to be more proactive and responsive in solving issues.
Who should use Salesforce Sales Cloud?
Salesforce Sales Cloud is worth exploring if you're a small business looking for a completely customizable CRM software platform that offers standard and advanced features, such as account and contact management, opportunity management, and sales forecasting for sales teams.
The tool also works for businesses that are looking for in-depth reporting functionality in their CRM. Its analytics functionality helps users create customized sales forecasting reports, track team performance with dashboards and other sales reporting functionalities, and more.
HubSpot CRM: Sales automation with lead generation and predictive lead scoring
HubSpot CRM is a cloud-based CRM and sales automation software solution that offers core sales management features, such as pipeline and contact management and lead scoring.
Its predictive lead scoring functionality lets you focus on high-impact leads and prioritize outreach based on a contact's likelihood to convert to a customer.
Connect with prospects using the live chat functionality. Set your availability and share a customized meeting link with prospects. You can also route chat conversations to the right team member to close deals faster.
You can store and schedule follow-up emails and reminders that are automatically delivered to prospects. HubSpot also leverages machine learning, allowing you to send emails to leads or prospects at a time when they are most likely to engage.
HubSpot integrates with Google Calendar, Office 365, and other third-party apps. It offers iOS and Android-compatible mobile apps that let you view contacts and the deals board, as well as view, edit, and complete CRM tasks using your mobile app.
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra from CRM software users in sales roles, here's an overview of HubSpot CRM offerings they like best and those they feel could be improved.
What users like
Structured lead management capabilities: Users mention that the lead management functionality lets them manage, qualify, segment, and move leads in the sales pipeline based on where they fall in the sales process. They like that the lead analytics dashboard provides real-time visibility into leads across various stages and their conversion performance.
Useful sales activity monitoring: Reviewers mention that the tool's sales activity monitoring functionality lets sales managers view client activities, keep track of their sales reps, and capture the time the reps spend on each lead.
Quick onboarding with video tutorials: Users find the video tutorials and live learning sessions useful, as they help beginners onboard more quickly.
What users think could be improved
Advanced analytical capabilities: Users want to see more advanced data analytics capabilities like those offered by similar tools.
More free email notifications: Users recommend that HubSpot increase the current monthly limit of 200 free email notifications.
Needs a better mobile app: Reviewers mention that the mobile app should offer more functionality, like the desktop version.
Who should use HubSpot CRM?
HubSpot CRM is suitable for startups and companies that do not have a CRM system in place, as it is free forever for unlimited users and has sufficient tools for sales people to manage leads and contacts.
Small businesses that want to organize and use their sales content, which requires the CRM system to have sales enablement functionality, can also explore HubSpot CRM. By using the sales enablement functionality, small businesses can equip their sales team with the necessary information and content related to sales, customers, and more, helping them sell more effectively.
Pipedrive: Combines pipeline visibility with customized reporting
Pipedrive is cloud-based sales CRM software for managers and sales reps that lets them manage the sales pipeline, generate sales reports, and do sales forecasting.
Its pipeline management functionality lets businesses categorize deals based on the pipeline stage and focus on high-priority deals first. Sales reps can add multiple sales stages, deals, team members, contacts, and activities to the pipeline using the drag-and-drop interface.
Generate custom reports on sales performance, opportunities, and other statistics such as deal conversion rates to understand what's working well and what needs improvement.
The scheduling functionality syncs with Google Calendar and allows you to schedule a phone call, email, meeting, or lunch. It sends automatic alerts and notifications for activities that are due or have not been assigned to any sales reps. Sales staff can also keep track of planned or overdue activities.
Pipedrive offers iOS and Android-compatible mobile apps that let you access customer details, contacts, deals data, and to-do lists; send emails; and add meetings from your smartphone.
Common user feedback trends
Based on analysis of user reviews on Capterra from CRM software users in sales roles, here's an overview of Pipedrive offerings they like best and those they feel could be improved.
What users like
Helpful appointment tracking: Users mention that the appointment management tool helps them keep track of their appointments, to-dos, and follow-up tasks.
Convenient mobile lead management: Reviewers find the mobile apps useful in locating, calling, and updating lead details while working remotely.
Easy collaboration: Users like the team management functionality because it allows multiple team members and teams to collaborate on deals. Using the rule-based setting, admins can restrict the visibility of different stakeholders based on their role in a business deal.
What users think could be improved
Better reporting capabilities: Users would like to generate more advanced and detailed reports. They also want to see additional filters and data segmentation capabilities in the reporting tool.
Improved search functionality and results: Users want the search functionality to be more refined, as they currently face difficulties while searching for contact details or a lead's sales history. They add that the input fields in the back-end database should be searchable so they can look for a particular record without downloading the entire sheet. Also, search by user-defined tags (or custom fields) is not available.
Who should use Pipedrive?
Pipedrive is a good option for "solopreneurs" (i.e., people who set up and run a business on their own), small teams, or startups. It also suits small businesses that have basic pipeline management and reporting needs.
Next steps
Most CRMs start you off with a free trial of the tool, usually ranging from 14 to 60 days. A free trial is extremely useful, especially if you are a small business buying a sales CRM system for the first time. You should use the trial period to explore the tool in depth and seek answers to questions such as:
Is the tool easy to navigate? Is the user interface intuitive enough for your team to be onboarded easily?
How often did your team feel like it needed support?
Does the tool offer all the features you require?
Capterra recommends that you evaluate between three and five systems as you research software tools. You can check out more sales CRM software solutions on Capterra's CRM software directory page. Read reviews and filter products by rating, features, and more.