10.3.2022 Paul Sullivan
CMOs know best that CRM software is crucial for a successful business. However, the market is saturated with different solutions, catering to different business needs and objectives. Although we are a gold partner agency and therefore a huge advocate to HubSpot CRM, we understand that this may not be a one-for-all solution. For this reason, we have compiled a list of the top 5 best B2B CRM tools currently available on the market, as well as features that make them distinct and therefore sought after.
In the age when everyone talks about digital transformation and data-driven decision making, it became very clear how closely those terms tie into business growth and scalability. The adoption of a CRM system is inevitable to both the collection and implementation of data and therefore the demand for solutions has skyrocketed across all industry sectors.
However, no business is the same and therefore the one-for-all solutions do not exist. Understanding the diversity of needs across organisations, the market is booming with software providing tools. Different solutions usually address different sales and marketing objectives.
In other words, it can be very difficult to find a CRM that meets the needs of your business. A poor choice can result in big financial losses as well as series of setbacks in regard to business growth.
Choosing the right CRM
With the above being said, prior to setting off on a search for the perfect software, you need to outline clear objectives for the business. As well as how CRM technology can assist you in achieving them. If moving from a previous provider, good practice would include writing down the pros and cons of the software. This way you will have a solid starting point and know what the red flags are.
The next step would include writing down the features you want the CRM to include. Once the list is complete, revisit your long-term business goals. Question each feature individually on its contribution towards the ultimate objective. This will help you in separating the ‘wants’ and ‘needs’, therefore shaping a clear understanding of what you’re looking for.
Below, we are providing a list of the top 5 B2B CRMs. We advise you to look at it as you begin your research.
Zoho CRM
Due to its aggressive advertising strategy, Zoho is one of the most recognisable CRM providers. At the moment, it has a total of 45 SaaS products marketed as end-to-end solutions. They’re best suited for small to medium-sized organisations.
Zoho CRM provides a big variety of features, ranging from custom analytics dashboards to REST API and extensive customer support. It is also rich in marketing campaign supporting integrations, this being one of the CRM’s prime selling points.
The key features of Zoho CRM include sales force automation, omnichannel customer interactions, lead and contact management and customised reporting. This massively improves the sales process and brings better visibility and control of the sales cycle.
The distinction of Zoho CRM is the integration of territory management, gamification features of badges and trophies upon task completion and, finally, a sophisticated performance management system that enables accurate forecasting.
The cons of this solution are within the additional systems they provide. The majority of SaaS products that makes up Zoho’s ecosystem comes at an additional cost and is designed to support one another. In other words, depending on your business needs, you may end up trapped in needing multiple solutions to have the CRM meet your business requirements. Not only can this prove to be pricey, but it can also require radical changes within internal processes, including employee training and additional products or services needed.
Additionally, Zoho’s weak point is workflow automation. We’ve spoken in our previous article about how workflows can enhance business growth when used efficiently, and depending on your objectives, this can be a major drawback.
Keap CRM
Keap positions itself as a centralised, all-in-one solution. It is great for small businesses that need access to marketing automation, email marketing, client management, invoicing and CRM as part of a single platform. Having all these solutions already integrated within the platform can be really beneficial to sales reps of small businesses.
The key advantage of Keap CRM is that it enables both marketing and sales activities in real-time. Within the same system. It also serves as a contact database, therefore making the handover process between marketing and sales teams seamless.
On the other hand, while Keap is offering a variety of services, they’re not as robust as platforms focusing solely on one function at a time. For example, its landing page creation tool is pretty limited in options. Therefore it’s easier to adopt an external landing page builder that could be integrated into a CRM.
It’s worth noting that Keap is a great tool for nurturing leads, but it’s not great in addressing the top of the funnel and lead generation. In other words, Keap isn’t likely to solve traffic and awareness issues, as its primary function is to capture leads and follow up with them - which Keap is great at.
HubSpot CRM
Our agency works with HubSpot as a CRM, therefore it’s important to state we are trying to not write this review on our BIAS. Similarly to Keap, it’s an all-in-one solution and, similarly to Zoho, has additional platforms that need to be paid for separately. However, if you choose to invest in the CRM only, you won’t be caught in a vicious circle that will ultimately require you to invest in the other assets.
Our favourite thing about HubSpot is how innovative and highly customisable it is. From a plethora of templates for various assets to the ability to create your own modules for reporting dashboards, HubSpot CRM adapts to you and your business as opposed to the other way around.
The key perks are automated workflows that are particularly easy to build, yet can get very detailed and specific with the smart content feature. The latter automatically curates the content delivery order and relevance individually to each contact. It is based on the customer data stored in the CRM.
The downside of HubSpot is its pricing that is infamous for being rather steep. Additionally, with so many features and customisation opportunities, it can get overwhelming and confusing. HubSpot offers a lot of training free of charge. It is also greatly invested in customer satisfaction and success, although often you might need to hire an external inbound agency such as Digital BIAS to set you up for success.
Less Annoying CRM
The selling point of Less Annoying CRM is its competitive pricing which, frankly, is possibly the least you can pay for a functional and value-driving CRM. With that said, it’s the best solution for small companies and startups that don’t have big funds but are in dire need of a high performing CRM that includes a lead management solution.
It still covers all the key functions you’d expect from a CRM platform for B2B sales: contact database management, integrated calendar scheduling tool and lead management. Unlike the above-mentioned CRMs, it’s not much of a centralised solution. It lacks many sophisticated features you would find using other platforms. Additionally, it has limited customer service.
However, it is easy to use and can still be tailored to adapt to different workflows and is perfect for businesses that are looking to adapt their first CRM. According to the industry, despite having less extensive features, Less Annoying CRM doesn’t fall far behind bigger platforms such as Zoho CRM or Salesforce Sales Cloud Lightning Professional. And is therefore perfect for companies with tight budgets.
Teamgate CRM
Teamgate prides itself on its easy-to-use value proposition, which starts as early as a demo, stretches into onboarding and continues all throughout the use of the software. Speaking of a demo, Teamgate is taking a Product-Led Growth inspired approach by allowing users of a trial version to upload demo data for stimulating CRM scenarios. In other words, you get a whole picture of the CRM in action which makes it easy to determine where it would fit in your strategy moving forward.
According to the users, the software has a range of functionalities that covers the basic needs of a CRM, though not much of marketing integration. It is said to mostly cater to businesses with unique workflows, especially due to its innovative goal-setting feature. Teamgate CRM also puts forward the most important data that defines either success or failure. It is therefore praised for its forecasting abilities.
Teamgate CRM isn’t likely to assist you with growing awareness or visitors to your website. On the other hand, it’s a great tool for organising your database, making forecasts and nurturing prospects into clients.
Summary
There are multiple factors to consider when choosing a CRM. Business objectives, current tools, size of the team, budget and many more. Just like there’s a variety of businesses, there’s also a big market of solutions, therefore every company is likely to find its match. One thing, however, is certain: to run a successful business, you need a CRM system.
At Digital BIAS, we specialise in HubSpot. If you’re interested in discussing what can your business achieve upon adopting this Customer Relationship Management System - get in touch.
