Full Customer Relationship Management including Order Entry, Drop Shipping, Invoicing, Inventory Control and Accounts Receivable and Statements. System has over 100 Reports, 147 page manual and video tutorials. Customer Deal Tracking. Customer Event Tracking. Customer Complaint Tracking. Customer ToDo’s. Customer Statistics. Customer Contacts Database.

What is new in this release:

Improved operational speed and links to manuals and video tutorials from within the software.

Limitations:

31-day trial

Customer relationship management (CRM) software has come a long way in the 15 or so years since I started using it. Today’s CRMs are incredibly versatile, and because of strong competition, have remained a relatively low-cost investment for businesses of any size.

With dozens of options—from the very sales-focused to the do-it-all types that combine multiple business functions into one platform—finding the right CRM can be tricky. So I spent dozens of hours researching and testing every one I could get my hands on.

Based on my experience with the apps, here are 10 best CRMs. Click on any app to learn more about why I chose it, or keep reading for more context on CRMs.

What makes a great CRM platform?

Customer relationship management software keeps contact and sales info in one tidy, easy-to-manage place. If there’s a touchpoint—call, email, chat, web visit, social connection, campaign, etc.—your CRM should capture it. Why? Because every interaction is an opportunity to learn something about your customers.

Every business has different requirements when it comes to CRM programs, so I selected the elements I felt most universally represent those requirements:

• Ease of use. While the “don’t make me think” approach for websites might be too much to ask from CRM platforms, it’s something to shoot for. If a user can log in the first time and get a good sense of how the basics work, mission accomplished—but not everything will be as breezy. Providing in-app directions, definitions, and help articles is a must and will help with the more advanced features. Regularly available support and onboarding options also contribute to a more productive user experience.
• Contact and sales management. Because the heart of your CRM, not to mention your business, is people, how you manage them is crucial. How well do you know them? How can you get to know them better? Where should you put your sales efforts? What’s the best way to connect and stay in touch? A CRM’s contact and sales management features should align with your ideal customers and how they buy.
• Customization. Your CRM application should work like your business works. Company-specific terms, data requirements, processes, and the apps you use (see integrations below) are particular to how you operate. CRM software should accommodate your company’s needs as much as possible.
• Reporting. If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. What do you want to measure? How about sales forecasting? Ideally, your CRM is able to report on any data point you can collect—sales by rep, sales cycle, average value, loss reasons, and dozens of others.
• Automation and integrations. Automating processes will increase employee efficiency (and make them happier) and help ensure things like communication don’t fall through the cracks. No CRM does it all. A healthy selection of third-party integrations can connect department functions and boost data collection power, creating a more complete customer profile.