CRM allows you to stay agile and coordinated with your startup. It is NOT just another tool among the clutter existing in the market. Features like lead management and sales pipeline management facilitate the increase in revenue. Workflow automation, two-way sync with other apps, and automated data entry save time and eliminate menial tasks. For all these reasons and more, CRM for startups is essential.
Startup CRM is a widely used word, but what does it exactly refer to? CRM for startups enables founders to centralize their business processes, make things organized, and scale more efficiently. To know more about what CRM for startups, and how you can benefit from it, continue reading.
What is CRM
CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and it can be divided into 2 categories
- The Methodology
- The Tool
If you look at CRM as a whole, it presents a collective approach to the startup’s relationships with everyone related to it. This involves all departments that keep a focus on creating and growing relationships.
The CRM tool, on the other hand, is a way to keep a track of all the startup interactions. Without a CRM tool, you are likely to lose out on leads and potential conversions. This is because the chance of human error is always there, and it can be very costly to the business at times. Personal CRM for startups would enable founders to assess and work on the health of the sales funnel. It would also bring the entire team on the same page. Moreover, you can stay up to the day with the ongoing activities, keep track of customer data, and monitor processes.
Benefits of CRM for startups
Implementing customer relationship management has a myriad of benefits (types of CRM). Wouldn’t you like your startup to be all organized and functioning in a cohesive manner? Not only are you able to collect data more efficiently, but you are also able to save time, improve productivity, and make a lot more money ultimately. The following are a few specific benefits of CRM for startups.
- Gain traction or acquire customers
- Spotlight feature: Have a better chance of gaining attention by the media.
- Makes the startup funding more organized and the process more effective.
- Deal with partnerships more effectively.
- Manage contacts and ongoing conversations.
To put it into simpler words, every startup has the primary goal of acquiring traction and customers. A CRM will make that possible. Through the use of CRM, you can build strong customer relationships right in the very beginning. This is crucial for your business. Moreover, you can better prepare for scaling and growing, and put your focus where it matters. Above all, you will able to analyze and correct your course if need may be.
Another significant benefit of CRMs for startups is that they can easily integrate with other business platforms, like contract lifecycle management systems, billing systems, and other databases. This enables business teams to collaborate on different tasks without needing to switch between systems continuously. Instead, your teams are able to work efficiently on different projects and tasks without leaving the systems they know and love.
CRM challenges faced by startups
If you have made it till here, awesome! You are now a bit familiar with CRM for startups. However, you might still not be convinced if you should really get a CRM. You might believe that now is not the right time for a CRM. This might be for various reasons. Let’s take a look at a few challenges.
- You are still in the early stages of the startup
- Insufficient capital. Moreover, you think you will be wasting money by getting CRM.
- You are making good sales without a CRM
All of these challenges might apply to you in different ways. However, first, you need to understand that having a CRM for your startup in the early stage only will put you ahead of your competitors. Double down on the customer experience from the very beginning. Secondly, buying a CRM is an investment, and definitely not a waste of money. Also, it is not that costly. Typical startup CRM pricing ranges from $15 to $50 per month for each user. The pricing also depends on how many users you have, and the features you require. This investment will lead to more conversions, and it will in fact facilitate growth, not hinder it. Lastly, your sales might be doing just fine. However, when you scale, ultimately you want things to be streamlined, organized, and shifted away from the manual. It is much easier to keep track that way.
5 Best CRM software for startups
There are a lot of CRMs on the market to choose from. We will be discussing our 5 favorites here, in no particular order.
1. HubSpot CRM
HubSpot was made for the current times. It is simple and easy to use, as compared to other systems that are complicated and manual. HubSpot CRM automates everything and takes care of tasks such as logging emails, recording calls, and managing your data. This saves a lot of valuable selling time in the process. HubSpot is one of the most popular CRM for startups and small businesses.
2. Zoho CRM
Zoho has the perfect balance between providing features within the software and also highlighting great options for integrations with your existing tools. Zoho comes with a conversational AI that answers just about any question that you might have.
Zoho also has a wide range of email marketing tools, so it is a great platform to optimize your email endeavors.
3. Agile CRM
Agile presents an all in one solution. It is one of the best CRMs for startups because it is a great business management software. Kind of a one-window solution. It specializes in reporting, where you can get a thorough and comprehensive look at anything you want, grouping statistics by deals, calls, activities, and growth.
4. Bitrix24
Bitrix24 is the perfect tool for remote working lifestyle. It is one of my favorite CRM and most recommended for startups. Within Bitrix24 you can send quotations and invoices directly through the platform. This saves a lot of time. Moreover, this is one of the rare CRM software that offers most of the features in the free version only. Through Bitrix24, you can chat with other teammates, manage your leads, create schedules, and track the progress of each deal in your pipeline.
5. Close
Last one, but my favorite to be honest. Close is my #1 pick as the best CRM software for startups. It enables you to cut down time spent on activities. They are also the only CRM on the market that comes with the built-in calling feature.
Close is a lifesaver when it comes to prioritizing leads and driving more revenue. It helps you manage and organize your sales more effectively.
A CRM will make your startup scale and grow exponentially. The sooner you integrate it, the better it will be. Do not wait for the right time, now is the right time!
