Best CRM for contact management

Managing a growing list of contacts across different areas of your business, keeping track of interactions, and maintaining organized communication can quickly become overwhelming – without the right tools.
A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system designed for contact management can help you streamline these tasks by organizing your contacts, tracking communication history, and automating follow-ups all from one platform. With the right CRM, you can ensure no connection slips through the cracks, helping you stay organized and build stronger relationships.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the best CRM options for contact management, focusing on tools that will help you efficiently manage and grow your network.

Why you need a CRM

No one likes having contacts everywhere. Yet, this happens naturally because of social media, multiple inboxes, and the nature of our tech stack. But with the right CRM, you can streamline your business operations, bring everything into one place and say good bye to the cumbersome fuss of having to switch platforms to look someone up.

Challenges without a CRM

Managing contact information without a CRM can lead to numerous challenges that hinder business success. Here are some common issues you might already be experiencing.

• Disorganization: Contacts scattered across multiple platforms make it hard to track interactions.
• Missed opportunities: Without a centralized system, key sales opportunities can slip through the cracks.
• Inefficient processes: Manual data entry and fragmented workflows consume valuable time.
• Lack of insight: Limited visibility into customer interactions makes it difficult to make informed decisions.
• Inconsistent communication: Disparate communication channels lead to a lack of cohesive messaging.

Benefits of a CRM

Having the right CRM system in your tech stack can help you address these challenges and enhance contact management and overall efficiency.

• Centralized information: All contact data is stored in one place, ensuring easy access and management.
• Enhanced efficiency: Automates routine tasks, freeing up time for more strategic activities.
• Improved customer relationships: Enables personalized interactions, fostering stronger customer connections.
• Better decision-making: Provides valuable insights and analytics to guide business strategies.
• Increased sales: Streamlines the sales process, leading to higher conversion rates.
• Consistent communication: Ensures uniform messaging across all customer touchpoints.

How to evaluate and choose a CRM

With a lot of CRMs to choose from, it can be hard to figure out which one is the most suitable one for your requirements. To help you with your desion making process, we've put together these handy tips.

1. Define your requirements

When looking into the best CRM for contact management, it's crucial to identify the key features that will benefit your business. Look for functionalities such as contact segmentation, automated follow-ups, integration with email and social media, and robust reporting tools. These features can streamline your workflow and enhance your team's efficiency in managing client relationships.

Key features of a CRM for contact management

• Automated processes: Streamlines tasks by automating repetitive workflows.
• Contact enrichment: Automatically finds Leads, Customers, Investors email addresses and contact information, enhancing efficiency.
• Structured pipeline: Tracks Leads, Customers, Investors through defined stages, ensuring process clarity and effectiveness.
• Email sequences: Increases communication efficiency with follow-up templates and automated sequences.
• LinkedIn connection: Seamlessly imports Leads, Customers, Investors from LinkedIn and tracks conversations within the CRM.
• Analytics: Provides essential data analysis and predictive insights for better planning.

2. Budget considerations

Balancing cost and return on investment is essential when choosing a CRM for contact management. While some solutions may offer extensive features, they might come at a higher price point. Assess your budget and consider affordable CRM options that provide the necessary features without compromising on quality. Remember, an effective CRM should offer value that justifies its cost by improving your contact management processes.

3. Selection process

The shortlist selection process often involves thorough research and comparison. Start by compiling a list of potential CRM vendors known for their contact management capabilities. Read customer reviews, request demos, and check for any available free trials. Evaluate each vendor based on their reliability, customer support, and the scalability of their CRM solutions to ensure they can grow with your business.

4. Get a demo

Before making a final decision, make sure you see your favorite shortlist in action. A demo can provide valuable insights into the CRM's features, user interface, and overall suitability for your business needs. It allows you to ask specific questions and see how the CRM handles real-world scenarios. Get started with a demo of folk here.

3 tips for implementing a CRM

At this stage, it's all about getting excited to introduce your new CRM to your team and tech stack. To make the most of your first few weeks with it, we suggest keeping these tips front of mind.

1. Import your data into your new CRM

Transitioning to a new CRM involves migrating your existing contact data. Most CRMs, including Folk, allow you to import data via CSV files. To ensure a smooth transition, export your data from your current CRM. This way, you don't have to add contacts manually. Once exported, you can easily import it into your new CRM.

2. Create your first pipeline

Setting up your first pipeline is essential for effective contact management. Create a pipeline with stages that correspond to your contact management process. This could include stages like "New Contact," "Follow-Up," "In Negotiation," and "Closed." Customizing your pipeline to fit your workflow will help you keep track of contacts and ensure no opportunities are missed.

3. Onboard your team

To maximize the benefits of your new CRM, ensure your team is fully onboarded. Provide training sessions to familiarize them with the CRM's features and best practices for contact management. Encourage them to use the CRM consistently to maintain up-to-date and accurate contact information. A well-trained team will help you leverage the CRM to its full potential, improving your overall contact management process.

The 5 best CRMs for contact management

1. folk

folk is a modern CRM platform for managing contacts, workflows, and relationships, offering customizable pipelines, AI-driven tools, and integrations to enhance deal management and prospecting.

Key features

• Contact enrichment: Automatically enriches contact details by finding emails and LinkedIn URLs, enabling efficient outreach without manual data entry or additional costs for email services.
• Contact sync and contact management: Real time information on contacts from multiple inboxes
• Social media integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, Sales Navigator, Instagram, X and more to leverage your network within folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Full email sync compatible with Gmail and Outlook, templates, and tracking features, enabling users to manage all communications directly from the CRM.
• AI-powered features: AI tools assist in managing contacts and relationships, automating routine tasks, and suggesting actions to improve productivity.
• Integrations: folk integrates seamlessly with over 6,000 apps, including Gmail, Zapier, and Make, allowing users to centralize their workflow and reduce manual data entry.

Pros

• Ease of use: folk is praised for its intuitive interface, making it accessible even to non-technical users with quick onboarding and a minimal learning curve.
• All-in-one: folk streamlines your workflow by allowing you to import contacts from LinkedIn, automatically find their emails, reach out through customizable email sequences, and track interactions in a pipeline, eliminating the need for multiple tools and saving time and money.
• LinkedIn integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, track conversations within folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication.
• Customizability: Custom fields, pipelines, and workflows.
• Integrations: folk integrates seamlessly with over 6,000 apps, including Gmail, Zapier, and Make, allowing users to centralize their workflow and reduce manual data entry.

Cons

• Reporting: Currently lacks reporting features, but there are plans for future implementation.

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14-day free trial. After that, a monthly or annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month.
• Premium: $40 per user, per month.
• Custom: Starts from $60 per user, per month.

2. HubSpot

HubSpot CRM is a user-friendly, scalable platform offering integrated tools for managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations efficiently.

Key features

• Sales hub: Provides deal tracking, pipeline management, sales automation, and reporting, essential for managing leads, customers, and investors efficiently.
• Lead scoring: Prioritize leads with predictive scoring to improve sales efficiency and focus on high-potential contacts.
• Marketing hub: Includes email marketing, ad tracking, landing pages, and lead generation tools, helping you nurture leads and keep customers engaged.
• Operations hub: Syncs and automates business processes across different systems, ensuring seamless contact management.
• Customizable dashboard and reports: Allows users to create customized dashboards and reports to track metrics and gain insights into business performance.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: The intuitive and easy-to-use interface makes managing leads, customers, and investors straightforward, even for beginners.
• Comprehensive free plan: Offers a robust free version that includes essential CRM features, making it ideal for small businesses and startups.
• Seamless integration with Marketing Tools: Integrates smoothly with marketing, sales, and service hubs, creating a unified platform for managing all your contacts.
• Automation capabilities: Provides powerful automation tools for tasks like email marketing, lead nurturing, and sales workflows, helping businesses save time and improve efficiency.
• Extensive learning resources: HubSpot Academy offers a wealth of free courses, certifications, and resources to help users get the most out of the platform.

Cons

• High cost at higher tiers: Pricing can become expensive as you move to higher tiers, which may be prohibitive for small businesses as they scale.
• Limited customization in free plan: The free plan and lower tiers have limited customization options, restricting flexibility for growing businesses.
• Complexity in advanced features: Some advanced features, such as custom reporting and workflows, have a steep learning curve and may require additional training.
• Email marketing limits: Email marketing functionality in the free plan is restricted by limits on the number of emails you can send, which can be a drawback for businesses with larger lists.
• Additional costs for add-ons: Many useful features, like advanced CRM capabilities and integrations, come as paid add-ons, increasing the overall cost.

Price and plans

HubSpot has a few plans depending on what hub you're after. The following is an annual subscription plan on their CRM suite.

• ‍Starter: $15 per user, per month.‍
• Professional: $450 per user, per month.‍
• Enterprise: $1,500 per user, per month.

3. Streak

Streak is a customer relationship management (CRM) tool that integrates directly with Gmail, allowing users to manage their sales pipeline and customer interactions from within their email inbox. Designed to simplify CRM tasks, Streak offers features such as email tracking, mail merge, task management, and pipeline visualization, all seamlessly embedded in Gmail’s interface.

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Key features

• Advanced CRM,
• Contacts,
• Shared contacts,
• Email tracking and snippets,
• Google Workspace integrations,

Pros

• Seamless Gmail integration: Streak is directly integrated into Gmail, allowing users to manage CRM activities without leaving their email inbox. This integration simplifies the user experience, especially for those already familiar with Gmail.
• User-friendly and intuitive: Because it operates within Gmail, Streak is easy to use and requires minimal training. The familiar interface makes it accessible even to those new to CRM software.
• Email tracking and automation: Streak includes useful features like email tracking, mail merge, and automated follow-ups, which help users manage communication more effectively and improve response rates.
• Collaboration features: Streak enables real-time collaboration, allowing team members to share pipelines, emails, and notes, improving teamwork and visibility across sales or project management efforts.
• Affordable pricing: With different pricing tiers, including a free version for basic use, Streak offers a cost-effective solution for small businesses or individual users.

Cons

• Limited advanced CRM features: Compared to standalone CRM platforms, Streak lacks some advanced features like detailed analytics, advanced reporting, and marketing automation, which may not meet the needs of larger or more complex organizations.
• Reliance on Gmail: As Streak is tied to Gmail, it may not be suitable for businesses that use other email platforms. This dependency also means that any changes or issues with Gmail could directly impact Streak’s functionality.
• Basic mobile experience: While Streak has a mobile app, it offers a more limited experience compared to its desktop counterpart, which might be inconvenient for users who need comprehensive CRM access on the go.
• Integration limitations: Streak has fewer integrations with other software tools compared to more robust CRM systems, potentially limiting its effectiveness for businesses that rely heavily on a variety of third-party applications.
• Potential email clutter: Since Streak operates within Gmail, managing a large volume of CRM data within an email interface can lead to clutter and make it harder to maintain a clear, organized inbox.

Price and plans

• Pro: Starts from $49 per user, per month.
• Pro +: Starts from $69 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: Starts from $129 per user, per month.

4. Capsule CRM

Capsule CRM is a user-friendly customer relationship management platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. It offers a clean, intuitive interface that helps users manage customer relationships, track sales pipelines, and organize tasks and communications efficiently.

Key features

• 30,000 contacts: Manage a large number of leads, customers, and investors efficiently.
• 50 custom fields: Tailor the CRM to collect and manage the specific information you need for each contact type.
• Activity reporting: Keep track of interactions and follow-ups with leads, customers, and investors.
• Task management: Organize and prioritize tasks related to contact management to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• Key integrations: Seamlessly connect with tools like G Suite, Microsoft 365, and Mailchimp to streamline your contact management processes.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: Easy to navigate, reducing the learning curve for managing leads, customers, and investors.
• Contact and sales management: Robust tools for organizing and tracking information and interactions with all types of contacts.
• Customization options: Flexible fields, tags, and pipelines to fit specific needs for different contact types.
• Integration capabilities: Connect with popular third-party applications to create a seamless workflow.
• Affordability: Competitive pricing makes it accessible for startups and small businesses.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Lacks in-depth analytics and complex reporting, which may be needed for larger businesses.
• Basic email marketing capabilities: Built-in email marketing features are limited; third-party integrations may be necessary.
• Limited customer support: Primarily offers email and online help center support, which may not be sufficient for all users.
• No built-in phone or SMS integration: Missing direct communication features, which could be essential for some businesses.
• Scalability concerns: May not scale well for rapidly growing companies with more complex CRM needs.

Price and plans

• Starter plan: Starts from $21 per user, per month.
• Growth plan: Starts from $38 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $60 per user, per month.
• Ultimate plan: Starts from $75 per user, per month.

5. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a sales-focused CRM for small businesses, offering lead management, automation, email integration, and customizable pipelines to optimize sales.

Key features

• Lead and deal management: Centralized tools to manage leads, customers, and investors, ensuring all interactions and data are easily accessible.
• Sales automation: Automate repetitive tasks like follow-ups and lead routing, allowing your team to focus on nurturing relationships.
• Email integration: Sync your email, use templates, and track communications directly from the CRM, streamlining contact management.
• Advanced reporting and analytics: Gain real-time insights and custom reports to track interactions with leads, customers, and investors.
• Customization and security: Tailor fields, user permissions, and ensure robust security measures to protect sensitive contact data.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: The intuitive interface makes it easy to manage contacts like leads, customers, and investors.
• Customization: High degree of customization allows tailoring the CRM to specific contact management needs.
• Affordability: Competitive pricing makes it accessible for small and medium-sized businesses managing contacts.
• Automation features: Streamline repetitive contact management tasks, enhancing productivity.
• Mobile app: Manage contacts on the go with the fully-featured mobile app.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Lacks some advanced CRM capabilities like extensive marketing automation.
• Basic reporting in lower tiers: More in-depth insights require higher-tier plans.
• No built-in email marketing: Requires integration with third-party email tools for marketing campaigns.
• Limited customer support hours: Customer support is not available 24/7.
• Price increases with add-ons: Additional features can quickly increase the overall cost.

Price and plans

Pipedrive's annual subscription plan basis is as follows.

• Essential plan: Starts from $24 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $44 per user, per month.
• Power plan: Starts from $79 per user, per month.
• Enterprise plan: Starts from $129 per user, per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the best CRM for contact management is crucial for founders aiming to streamline their processes and enhance business growth. Each CRM platform discussed—folk, Hubspot, Streak, Capsule CRM, and Pipedrive—offers unique features and benefits tailored to different business needs and budgets. Whether you prioritize ease of use, advanced features, or affordability, there's a CRM solution that fits your requirements. Remember, the right CRM can significantly improve your contact management efficiency, enabling you to focus on building stronger relationships and driving your business forward. Ready to find out if folk is the right fit for you? Try folk for free here.

Need a helping hand? Use our free tool to find your perfect CRM match.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best CRM for contact management?

CRMs like Folk, HubSpot, Streak, Capsule CRM, and Pipedrive for their contact management needs. Each offers unique features such as automation, integration, and customization, making them suitable for various business requirements.

Do I need a CRM?

Yes, depending on the complexity of your process. A CRM can streamline contact management, improve efficiency, and enhance customer relationships, making it an essential tool for growing businesses.

How much does a CRM cost?

CRM costs vary widely, typically ranging from $20 to $129 per user per month. Pricing depends on the features and scalability required, with higher-tier plans offering more advanced functionalities.

Does folk’s CRM respond to contact management needs?

Yes, folk’s CRM is highly effective for contact management. It offers features like contact enrichment, LinkedIn integration, and AI-powered tools that streamline workflows, automate tasks, and enhance communication, making it an excellent choice for managing business contacts.