Customer relationship management software, or CRM, can help businesses better understand their customers and better manage their marketing efforts. CRM tools help sales professionals and marketers automate their processes, store customer information, and effectively communicate with their accounts. Databox notes that one of the real strengths of a CRM tool is that it helps align business goals and interactions, saying, “adding notes, saving files and emailing them from within the CRM keeps everything together. If you have a few different people working on the same prospect/ client, you can all update the CRM as you go and keep everyone fully informed on where the contact is in the funnel.”
Two of the most popular CRM software solutions are HubSpot and Salesforce. What’s the best CRM software for your business?
When it comes to making a decision on CRM and weighing the benefits of HubSpot vs. Salesforce, it’s important to have a clear idea of the features and capabilities of each software. Here’s what to know about each:
HubSpot
- Automatic tracking of customer interactions: HubSpot captures all customer interactions, from emails to social media to phone calls. It can easily be synced with email platforms like Gmail or Outlook to more easily track calls, emails, and meetings in real-time.
- Pipeline management: This feature helps everyone get on the same page and allows transparent visibility into customer appointment scheduled, contracts sent, and more.
- Cohesive contact information: Contacts in the HubSpot CRM include information like name and job title, as well as link all related calls, emails, meetings, and notes related to that contact. When synched with the HubSpot marketing platform, you can even see where leads came from and what content they’ve engaged with to tell you even more about them.
- Better communication: HubSpot offers free tools for live chat, team email, and bots, plus a universal inbox that gives sales, marketing, and customer service teams one place to view, manage, and reply to all conversations.
Salesforce
- Workflows and approvals: The Salesforce CRM tools have built-in workflow technology that can help move projects faster with more transparent progress and automated approval notifications.
- Sales forecasting: Using past sales data and project pipeline information, Salesforce can help you project potential sales. It can also help you identify the current top performing sales team members and the highest earning accounts.
- Easy mobile experience: The Salesforce mobile app means you can access files from anywhere, easily, helping you close deals on the go or access crucial information when you’re away from your office. You can track interactions and send approvals in the app, as well as join conference calls, meetings, and more, keeping your productivity high not matter where you are.
- Robust reporting: You can access analytics dashboards that stay updated and comprehensive so you always have the right information to make the right decision.
The battle for the best CRM software title
For the questions of “which is the best CRM software”, the answer may largely depend on company needs or even personal preference. What’s “best” will be dictated by what helps you meet your goals quickly, effectively, and affordable. When it comes to HubSpot vs. Salesforce, there are pros and cons to each, and what you decide will ultimately depend on things like your budget and overall business goals. Salesforce offers huge name recognition for businesses in every industry and a set of very robust features, but also can often come with a significant price tag. While many other software sets, like marketing automation or HR automation programs, work seamlessly with Salesforce, not every company has a need for so much programming. HubSpot might not be as popular or versatile a solution, but it offers a lot of solid CRM features and is also free to customers.
