Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

What is CRM Software?

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software offers centralized tools for storing, organizing and analyzing important customer data. While worthwhile, keeping excellent data records can be time-consuming and prone to error when done manually. CRM software therefore helps to convert leads, retain existing customers, and improves internal processes. 

CRM systems, be they through integrations with other Customer Experience (CX) tools or simply as stand-alone systems, can be beneficial across departments, from marketing and sales to customer support. Centralizing all of your customer, lead, and sales data into one powerful CRM platform can streamline processes, improve lead conversions, drive sales, and help shape companywide decisions regarding new or existing business.

Key Features and Capabilities of CRM Software  

  • Customer profiling
  • Contact management
  • Calendar integration and management
  • Interaction tracking
  • Task management
  • Email integration
  • Social media integration
  • Lead management
  • Sales pipelines
  • Lead scoring
  • Lead tracking
  • Workflow automation tools
  • Document storage
  • Customer lifecycle management

Additionally, CRM platforms also integrate with other customer-focused platforms, such as customer intelligence software. With CX now being a top factor of consideration for businesses of all sizes, incorporating granular customer insights is essential to improving customer service, while also delivering timely personalized recommendations that are attuned to the needs of varying audiences.

Key Benefits of CRM Software  

  • Centralized customer data: Top CRM platforms essentially offer sales and service teams the ability to communicate with a customer via a single profile. This is done by integrating interactions from multiple communication channels, thereby delivering omnichannel communications through one unified platform – as opposed to having to toggle between multiple applications.
  • Streamlined access for sales and service teams: While centralized customer profiles contribute to smoother collaboration between teams thanks to a single-pane-of-glass interface, task management capabilities enable team members to create, assign and share tasks in order to stay on top of day-to-day duties.
  • Automation of repetitive tasks: Configuring workflows within a CRM can allow teams to automate common and mundane tasks, so precious time can be freed for more pressing responsibilities, or for tasks that require strategic attention.
  • Personalized recommendations: CRM systems, together with customer journey mapping tools, can help marketing teams deliver personalized recommendations that are carefully customized and timed to the unique needs of each customer, in order to resonate better – while also driving sales.

Have more questions about CRM software? Visit our CRM FAQs to learn more.

Top 10 CRM Software Vendors

NetSuite / SYSPRO / Salesforce Service Cloud / Monday.com / SAP S/4HANA / Oracle ERP / Maximizer / Insightly / OnePageCRM / Act!

WH Score
9.3
NetSuite
94reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Oracle's NetSuite is the world's #1 cloud ERP solution. This ERP provides over 40,000 organizations worldwide with a modern, scalable, and unified platform to streamline all crucial back-office processes, from financial management and planning, to warehouse and fulfillment, and beyond. With built-in...
WH Score
9.3
SYSPRO
36reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Syspro is an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software that is designed to help businesses streamline their operations and improve efficiency. It integrates multiple business processes, including finance, supply chain management, manufacturing, and distribution, into a single platform. With Syspro...
WH Score
8.9
Salesforce Service Cloud

Salesforce Service Cloud

37reviews
Starting Price:$25 per user / per month
Accelerate your business to attain round-the-clock performance with Salesforce Service Cloud. The modern consumer expects access to customer service when it is convenient to them and their hours rather than the operating times of the call center–Salesforce helps clients meet this need by equip...
WH Score
8.9
Monday.com
26reviews
Starting Price:$0 per user / per month
Monday.com is a cloud-based project management tool that helps teams and businesses of all sizes to streamline their work processes and increase efficiency. It offers an intuitive interface and a range of customizable features to help users manage their work and keep track of their projects and task...
WH Score
8.9
SAP S/4HANA
98reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Developed by the German company SAP SEP, SAP Enterprise Resource Planning software is a robust business management solution that incorporates all operational aspects within an organization under a single integrated system. As of 2015, it is the world’s most widely used enterprise application s...
WH Score
8.9
Oracle ERP
152reviews
Starting Price:N/A
Oracle ERP represents one of the globe’s leading enterprise software organizations. They have built a sophisticated portfolio of business software applications through high-profile acquisitions. The company is well-known for its strengths in the database, and infrastructure systems. It offers ...
WH Score
8.8
Maximizer
36reviews
Starting Price:$55 per user / per month
With Maximizer CRM you can review sales forecasts, customer service issues, contact information, calendar appointments, notes and documents on all of your web-enabled device.  
WH Score
8.8
Insightly
105reviews
Starting Price:$29 per user / per month
Join the over 850,000 people worldwide using the #1 CRM and project management app for small business teams, vendors and entrepreneurs. Insightly is a leading CRM for SMEs, and will save your workers’ time by automatically tracking all client or project related activity in one place. &nbs...
WH Score
8.8
OnePageCRM
5reviews
Starting Price:$9.95 per user / per month
OnePageCRM is the first action-focused CRM. It transforms a database into a dynamic to-do list called the Action Stream. In OnePageCRM, you can set tasks and reminders next to every contact and sort them by alphabet, company name, or the task’s urgency.
WH Score
8.7
Act!
141reviews
Starting Price:$30 per user / per month
Act! is the world's best selling CRM system for managing contacts and communication with customers. This CRM solution can effectively record information, organize daily tasks effectively, and lets you communicate and share information.    

Learn more about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software

Are CRMs part of sales or marketing?

CRMs are characteristically designed to assist sales and service teams, as agents in these departments are in the frontlines of answering customer inquiries, or attending to complaints/feedback. While marketing teams may not directly use the core functionalities of CRMs, they may find value in accessing any inbuilt reporting and analytics tools, if available.

Additionally, marketing teams can assist other teams that do actively use CRMs, by configuring custom workflows in order to automate common tasks, implement customer self-service tools, or deliver personalized recommendations directly within the CRM – based on insights derived from reporting tools.

Is a CRM a database?

CRMs are based on customer databases, all of which are connected to one another. But a CRM is more than just a collection of databases; it's an entire system, complete with an easy-to-navigate user interface that allows sales and service teams to interact with prospects/customers. Additionally, CRM systems also offer analytics across all the information in the system so that you can analyze that data to spot opportunities, issues, or trends to inform your decision making. 

What is the difference between CRM and CDP?

Although CRMs and Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) are both solutions that are utilized for customer engagement and management, there are key differences between each. The main difference between CRMs and CDPs, however, lies in their core functionalities; while CRMs are systems that offer sales and service teams a set of tools to interact with customers across any channel of their choice, CDPs build centralized customer profiles by ingesting, analysing and unifying customer data from multiple channels.

Typically, CDPs connect with CRMs, so business teams can obtain deep customer insights directly into the latter, via the former. This integration then helps teams to automate tasks, customize recommendations, and contextually interact with customers – directly from the CRM interface.

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