This put up was co-authored by Anastasia Chechkova from OnePageCRM.
Should you’re a advisor with a rising shopper database, you already understand how necessary having a great Buyer Relationship Administration (CRM) system is. It’s a necessary software that can assist you develop your corporation and nurture long-lasting shopper relationships.
On the lookout for the proper CRM system is just not a simple activity, although.Â
Consultants need to juggle many duties, and trialing completely different CRM techniques on high of the whole lot else may develop into an amazing train. The sheer variety of CRM techniques out there additionally doesn’t make your seek for the proper resolution straightforward.Â
That’s why we created this easy article that dives deeper into the highest 5 CRM techniques for consultants that can assist 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 important causes.Â
Firstly, a correct CRM system helps set up and centralize shopper information, permitting consultants to entry it rapidly. This results in extra personalised shopper interactions and better conversion charges.
Furthermore, if consultants report shopper interactions diligently and preserve their CRM information clear, they’ll have the ability to prioritize efforts which, in flip, will increase their productiveness. For instance, they gained’t waste time looking by way of scattered emails, notes, or paperwork to refresh their reminiscence—the whole lot might be proper in entrance of them.
The perfect CRM software program for consultantsÂ
On this weblog put up, we are going to discover the highest 5 CRMs for consultants:
Let’s dive into what you may count on from every system:
1. ActiveCampaign
G2 rating: 4.5/5
Emails are an important software in operating 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 lets you construct robust buyer relationships, optimize your advertising and marketing methods, and in the end develop your corporation by way of focused and automatic campaigns.
Moreover e mail advertising and marketing performance, ActiveCampaign additionally provides completely different advertising and marketing automation instruments to assist consultants handle their leads extra successfully.
Whether or not you have got a daily publication or a sequence of lead nurturing emails, ActiveCampaign will show you how to carry your e mail advertising and marketing to the subsequent degree.Â
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: Just be sure you check completely different automation options. This is among the strongest functionalities of ActiveCampaign. By diving deeper into its options, you’ll have the ability to discover the easiest way to make use of it in your corporation.
2. OnePageCRM
G2 rating: 4.6/5
OnePageCRM is among the easiest CRM techniques on the earth. 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 record. Whether or not a shopper or lead, each contact in OnePageCRM can have a activity assigned subsequent to them. The system will remind you when the duty is due. This eliminates the necessity for switching between a to-do record app and your CRM.
Moreover, OnePageCRM additionally integrates with ActiveCampaign. By combining these two apps, you may have each instruments at your disposal: highly effective advertising and marketing automation software program and a sturdy CRM system. Bingo!
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: OnePageCRM has a free gross sales academy and a 21-day free trial, which provides you adequate time to check the software. Whereas being a easy CRM, it has many helpful options below 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, the whole lot 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 completely different reporting and analytics options.
Professional tip when trialing this consulting CRM: Pipedrive has a fancy pricing system, and also you may find yourself paying for various add-ons. Earlier than subscribing to this CRM, just remember to price range 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 alternative amongst companies. Equally to different CRM techniques, it helps streamline processes and nurture shopper relationships. Zoho CRM provides a variety of options which are particularly helpful for big organizations and world 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 companies in addition to the Buyer Relationship Administration system. The corporate has completely different merchandise inside its ecosystem, akin 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 provides quite a bit by way of customization and suppleness. When trialing this CRM, take note of whether or not this customization over-complicates your processes. Generally, complete options can decelerate the expansion of an agile enterprise, so they aren’t at all times the only option for consultants.
5. HubSpot
G2 rating: 4.4/5
HubSpot is among 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 completely 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 sure to check all related options (and those who you count on to develop into related for your corporation quickly) earlier than committing. For instance, one of the 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 most effective CRM for consultants
Should you’re searching for methods to develop your consulting enterprise, ensure 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 amazing variety of options you most likely gained’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.
