This submit was co-authored by Anastasia Chechkova from OnePageCRM.
In case you’re a guide with a rising shopper database, you already understand how necessary having a very good Buyer Relationship Administration (CRM) system is. It’s a vital software that will help you develop your corporation and nurture long-lasting shopper relationships.
Searching for the appropriate CRM system shouldn’t be a straightforward process, although.Â
Consultants must juggle many duties, and trialing totally different CRM techniques on prime of every thing else may grow to be an awesome train. The sheer variety of CRM techniques obtainable additionally doesn’t make your seek for the appropriate resolution simple.Â
That’s why we created this straightforward article that dives deeper into the highest 5 CRM techniques for consultants that will help you ease into 2024.
Why consultants use CRM
Even solo consultants can profit considerably from utilizing a CRM system. Whereas it’s usually related to bigger companies, CRM techniques additionally assist small companies and unbiased consultants thrive.
Consultants depend on CRMs for 2 principal causes.Â
Firstly, a correct CRM system helps manage and centralize shopper knowledge, permitting consultants to entry it shortly. This results in extra personalised shopper interactions and better conversion charges.
Furthermore, if consultants report shopper interactions diligently and maintain their CRM knowledge clear, they’ll be capable of prioritize efforts which, in flip, will increase their productiveness. For instance, they received’t waste time looking out by scattered emails, notes, or paperwork to refresh their reminiscence—every thing can be proper in entrance of them.
The perfect CRM software program for consultantsÂ
On this weblog submit, we’ll discover the highest 5 CRMs for consultants:
Let’s dive into what you possibly can anticipate from every system:
1. ActiveCampaign
G2 rating: 4.5/5
Emails are a significant software in working and rising a consulting enterprise, and ActiveCampaign is well-known for its highly effective e-mail advertising and marketing options for companies of all sizes. It allows you to construct sturdy buyer relationships, optimize your advertising and marketing methods, and finally develop your corporation by focused and automatic campaigns.
Apart from e-mail advertising and marketing performance, ActiveCampaign additionally presents totally different advertising and marketing automation instruments to assist consultants handle their leads extra successfully.
Whether or not you’ve a daily e-newsletter or a collection of lead nurturing emails, ActiveCampaign will make it easier to deliver your e-mail advertising and marketing to the following degree.Â
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: Just remember to take a look at totally different automation options. This is likely one of the strongest functionalities of ActiveCampaign. By diving deeper into its options, you’ll be capable of discover one of the simplest ways to make use of it in your corporation.
2. OnePageCRM
G2 rating: 4.6/5
OnePageCRM is likely one of the easiest CRM techniques on this planet. It has easy performance and an easy-to-use interface. This app is an uncommon mixture of a shopper database and a dynamic to-do listing. Whether or not a shopper or lead, each contact in OnePageCRM can have a process assigned subsequent to them. The system will remind you when the duty is due. This eliminates the necessity for switching between a to-do listing app and your CRM.
Apart from, OnePageCRM additionally integrates with ActiveCampaign. By combining these two apps, you possibly can have each instruments at your disposal: highly effective advertising and marketing automation software program and a strong CRM system. Bingo!
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: OnePageCRM has a free gross sales academy and a 21-day free trial, which supplies you adequate time to check the software. Whereas being a easy CRM, it has many helpful options underneath its hood. By completely exploring the app, you’ll get a greater thought of how one can take advantage of out of this CRM, from constructing a pipeline to upselling.
3. Pipedrive
G2 rating: 4.2/5
Pipedrive is a well-liked gross sales CRM for companies that depend on visualizing their gross sales pipelines. Whereas many CRMs supply this performance, in Pipedrive, every thing revolves round managing gross sales offers and pipelines. The visible gross sales pipeline offers a transparent and intuitive overview of your gross sales course of.
Consultants can profit from a gross sales pipeline to systematically monitor and handle their leads and shoppers whereas prioritizing alternatives. In case your focus lies in managing gross sales offers, you’ll discover Pipedrive helpful. It has a user-friendly interface and totally different reporting and analytics options.
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: Pipedrive has a posh pricing system, and also you may find yourself paying for various add-ons. Earlier than subscribing to this CRM, just be sure you finances for the annual or month-to-month plan and all related add-ons.
4. Zoho CRM
G2 rating: 4.0/5
ZohoCRM is a well-liked selection amongst companies. Equally to different CRM techniques, it helps streamline processes and nurture shopper relationships. Zoho CRM presents a variety of options which are particularly useful for big organizations and international enterprises.Â
Zoho CRM has a free plan for small groups with as much as 3 customers. Being an all-in-one platform, Zoho offers different providers apart from the Buyer Relationship Administration system. The corporate has totally different merchandise inside its ecosystem, comparable to Zoho Tasks and Zoho Analytics.
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: Zoho CRM is a complete software constructed primarily for big organizations. It presents rather a lot by way of customization and adaptability. When trialing this CRM, take note of whether or not this customization over-complicates your processes. Typically, complete options can decelerate the expansion of an agile enterprise, so they aren’t all the time your best option for consultants.
5. HubSpot
G2 rating: 4.4/5
HubSpot is likely one of the first CRM options that involves thoughts when contemplating a CRM system. It’s an all-in-one platform with instruments for advertising and marketing, gross sales, customer support, content material administration, and lots of different enterprise areas. This selection, coupled with their free plan, usually helps HubSpot make it to the highest CRM lists throughout totally different classes.
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: Discover out if there are any options you want that aren’t included within the free plan. A few of these limitations are tough to identify, so be certain to check all related options (and people who you anticipate to grow to be related for your corporation quickly) earlier than committing. For instance, probably the most well-known limitations of HubSpot’s free plan is that free customers can create as much as 5 e-mail templates. It’s usually not sufficient to cowl all of the potential emails that consulting companies and particular person consultants want of their day-to-day work.
Selecting the perfect CRM for consultants
In case you’re searching for methods to develop your consulting enterprise, guarantee that your chosen CRM doesn’t decelerate your course of. Search for easy options that combine with in style enterprise apps and don’t have an awesome variety of options you most likely received’t use. CRM integrations can develop your capabilities and liberate your time whereas offering you with instruments that work seamlessly along with your central database.
By investing in a correct CRM software, consultants can liberate their time, optimize processes, and supply higher shopper expertise.
