Best CRM for outbound sales

As an outbound sales professional, managing leads, tracking outreach, and staying on top of follow-ups is key to your success. A dedicated Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for outbound sales can help you organize your prospects, automate outreach sequences, and provide insights into your sales performance—all from one platform. With the right CRM, you can streamline your sales efforts, close more deals, and improve efficiency.
In this blog post, we’ll explore the best CRM options for outbound sales professionals like you, focusing on tools that will help you manage leads, track interactions, and boost your sales results.

Why you need a CRM

A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system is essential for managing and optimizing your outbound sales efforts. It helps streamline processes, improve customer relationships, and ultimately drive business growth.

Challenges without a CRM

Without the right CRM in your tech stack, you can experience certain challenges that take you away from your main business priorities. Chances are – you might already be experiencing the following without realising how much time it takes from you.

• Disorganization: Without a CRM, managing customer data and interactions can become chaotic and unstructured.
• Missed opportunities: Lack of a centralized system leads to missed follow-ups and lost sales opportunities.
• Inefficient processes: Manual processes and fragmented tools can slow down sales activities and reduce productivity.
• Lack of insight: Without a CRM, gaining actionable insights from customer data becomes challenging.
• Inconsistent communication: Disjointed communication efforts can harm customer relationships and brand reputation.

Benefits of a CRM

Fortunately, with the right CRM in place – there are benefits that can have a positive, direct impact on your goals to reach that sales target.

• Centralized information: A CRM consolidates all customer data in one place, making it easily accessible and manageable.
• Enhanced efficiency: Automating sales processes and workflows increases productivity and reduces manual effort.
• Improved customer relationships: A CRM helps track customer interactions and preferences, enabling personalized communication and better engagement.
• Better decision-making: With comprehensive data and analytics, a CRM provides valuable insights for informed decision-making.
• Increased sales: By streamlining sales processes and improving lead management, a CRM can significantly boost sales performance.
• Consistent communication: A CRM ensures that all team members are on the same page, leading to consistent and effective communication with customers.

How to boost your outbound sales efficiency with a CRM

A good CRM can help you keep an eye on your overall sales cycle, and help you map out the progress of your leads so that you can prioritize the right ones and be consistent across all your communication channels.

1. Map your process

You can use a CRM to map your sales cycle. This way, when you import leads and contacts, you can organize them according to what stage they're in and know exactly what follow-up steps to take.

• Identify key stages: Break down your outbound sales process into distinct stages like prospecting, initial contact, follow-up, and closing.
• Set milestones: Define specific milestones for each stage to measure progress and ensure consistency.
• Track metrics: Use your CRM to monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as response rates, conversion rates, and time to close.

2. Outreach and follow-up

One of the biggest challenges when it comes to cold-emailing is creating consistency across your communication and remembering to follow-up on time. Below are some features a CRM has that can help you automate these otherwise repetitive tasks.

• Email sequences: Create automated email sequences tailored to different stages of the sales funnel, from initial outreach to follow-up reminders.
• LinkedIn automation: Use CRM tools to automate LinkedIn connection requests and personalized messages to engage with potential leads.
• Task reminders: Set up automated reminders in your CRM to ensure timely follow-ups and prevent leads from slipping through the cracks.

How to evaluate and choose a CRM

With a lot of CRMs to choose from, it can feel overwhelming to figure out which ones respond to your needs as a sales team better. To help you with your decision making process, we've put together some tips you should keep front of mind.

1. Define your requirements

When selecting the best CRM for outbound sales, it's crucial to identify the key features that align with your business needs. For startup founders, this might include robust lead management, automated follow-ups, and advanced analytics to track sales performance. Consider features like email integration, customizable sales pipelines, and AI-powered insights to enhance your outbound sales strategy. If you're feeling lost, we suggest starting with the following key features that we've rounded up specifically for you, and adding ones you need to the list based on your workflow and goals.

Key features of a CRM for outbound sales

• Automated processes: Streamlines tasks by automating repetitive workflows.
• Contact enrichment: Automatically finds Leads, Customers email addresses and contact information, enhancing efficiency.
• Structured pipeline: Tracks Leads, Customers through defined stages, ensuring process clarity and effectiveness.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Increases communication efficiency with follow-up templates and automated sequences.
• LinkedIn connection: Seamlessly imports leads from LinkedIn and Sales Navigator to bring all your contact information 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 outbound sales. Look for a solution that offers scalable pricing plans, allowing you to start small and expand as your business grows. Evaluate the potential ROI by considering how the CRM can streamline your sales processes, reduce manual tasks, and ultimately increase your revenue.

3. Selection process

Researching and choosing the right CRM vendor involves several steps. Start by reading reviews and testimonials from other startup founders and SMEs. Attend webinars or request demos to see the CRM in action. Ensure the vendor offers strong customer support and regular updates to keep the software aligned with the latest sales trends and technologies.

4. Get a demo

Trying different CRM platforms is a critical step in making an informed decision. Take advantage of free trials or demo periods to test the CRM's usability and effectiveness in outbound sales. Compare features, ease of use, and integration capabilities with your existing tools. Gather feedback from your sales team to ensure the chosen CRM meets their needs and enhances their productivity. Get started with a demo of folk to see how its helped sales teams close deals faster.

3 tips for implementing a CRM

At this stage it's time to get excited about your shiny new CRM, empower your team to use it effectively and personalize it so it aligns with your workflow. We've put together three tips to help you make the most of the implementation stage.

1. Import your data in your new CRM

Transitioning to a new CRM requires moving your existing data seamlessly. Start by exporting your data as a CSV file from your current CRM. Proper data migration ensures that your sales team has all the information they need to hit the ground running without having to update it manually.

2. Create your first pipeline

Setting up your first pipeline is crucial for managing your outbound sales process. Designate stages that reflect your sales cycle, such as "Prospecting," "Contacted," "Qualified," "Proposal Sent," and "Closed." This structure helps your team track progress and identify bottlenecks, ensuring a streamlined outbound sales operation.

3. Onboard your team

Effective onboarding is key to maximizing the benefits of your new CRM. Conduct training sessions to familiarize your team with the CRM's features and best practices for outbound sales. Encourage them to use the CRM consistently to track interactions, manage leads, and automate follow-ups. A well-trained team will leverage the CRM to enhance productivity and drive sales growth.

The 5 best CRMs for outbound sales

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.

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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.
• Capture contact information: From anywhere on the internet and send them directly into folk without leaving the page. Group them without having to open your CRM and keep your pipeline organized effortlessly.
• LinkedIn integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn and Sales Navigator and bring all your leads within folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication. Or import search pages in moments directly from LinkedIn.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Full email sync compatible with Gmail and Outlook, access to 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.
• Sales cycle and pipeline management: Easily organize leads into different pipelines or a Kanban board style to adapt to your sales cycle.
• Notes and reminders: Attach notes directly to lead profiles and create notes collaboratively with a team member, and assign reminders so that the right person follows-up in time.

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.
• 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. Zoho

Zoho is a CRM system with a strong sales focus. It has journey orchestration, sales process management, and workflow automation features. There's also something for marketing teams, including event management and customer segmentation.

Key features

• Sales automation: Automates sales tasks like lead management, deal tracking, and follow-up actions.
• Lead and contact management: Manages customer information, tracks interactions, and segments contacts for targeted campaigns.
• Multi-channel communication: Integrates with email, phone, social media, and live chat to manage customer interactions.
• Sales pipeline management: Visualizes and manages sales pipelines with drag-and-drop functionality.
• AI-powered sales assistant (Zia): Provides predictive analytics, task automation, and intelligent suggestions to enhance sales performance.

Pros

• Affordability: Zoho CRM offers competitive pricing with various tiers, making it accessible to small and medium-sized businesses as well as larger enterprises.
• Customization: Extensive customization options allow businesses to tailor the CRM to their specific needs, including custom fields, modules, and workflows.
• Integration with Zoho suite: Seamless integration with other Zoho products (like Zoho Books, Zoho Projects, and Zoho Campaigns) creates a comprehensive ecosystem for managing different business functions.
• Multi-channel communication: Zoho CRM supports email, phone, social media, and live chat, enabling businesses to manage all customer interactions from a single platform.
• AI-powered features: Zia, the AI assistant, provides intelligent insights, predictive analytics, and task automation, helping to improve sales and marketing efficiency.

Cons

• Steep learning curve: The extensive customization options can be overwhelming for new users, requiring a significant time investment to master the platform.
• Complex setup: Initial setup and configuration can be complex, particularly for businesses without technical expertise or dedicated IT resources.
• User interface: Some users find the interface to be outdated or cluttered compared to other modern CRM platforms, which can affect usability.
• Performance issues: Occasional reports of slow performance, especially with large datasets or complex operations, can hinder productivity.
• Limited third-party integrations: While Zoho integrates well with its own suite of products, integration with third-party applications can be limited or require additional effort.

Price and plans

Zoho's free plan limited to three users. After that, for more features or seats, an annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month.
• Professional: $35 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: $50 per user, per month.

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a web-based 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 and customer data, interactions, and sales pipelines, helping teams act quickly on opportunities.
• Sales automation: Workflow automation to handle repetitive tasks, such as lead routing, follow-ups, and email sequences, allowing sales teams to focus on closing deals.
• Email integration: Full email sync, templates, and tracking features, enabling users to manage all communications directly from the CRM.
• Advanced reporting and analytics: Real-time data analytics and custom reporting tools to track sales performance, forecast revenue, and gain actionable insights.
• Customization and security: Options to customize pipelines, fields, and user permissions, with robust security measures to protect data.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: The CRM is known for its intuitive and visually appealing interface, making it easy for users to navigate and manage their sales pipelines.
• Sales pipeline focus: Specifically designed for managing sales pipelines, offering a visual approach that helps sales teams track deals and activities effectively.
• Customization: Allows for a high degree of customization, enabling users to tailor the platform to their specific sales processes with custom fields and workflows.
• Affordability: Offers competitive pricing, making it accessible to small and medium-sized businesses without sacrificing essential CRM features.
• Automation features: Includes automation tools that help streamline repetitive tasks, such as sending follow-up emails and moving deals through the pipeline, saving time and boosting productivity.

Cons

• Limited advanced features: Lacks some of the more advanced CRM features, such as extensive marketing automation and AI capabilities, which are available in other platforms.
• Basic reporting in lower tiers: The reporting and analytics features in the basic plans are somewhat limited, requiring upgrades to access more in-depth insights.
• No built-in email marketing: Does not include built-in email marketing features, requiring users to integrate with third-party email tools for such functionality.
• Limited customer support hours: Customer support is not available 24/7, which can be inconvenient for businesses operating in different time zones or needing immediate assistance.
• Price increases with add-ons: The cost can increase quickly when additional features or integrations are added, making it less cost-effective for businesses with growing needs.

Price and plans

An 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.

4. 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 outbound sales efforts.
• Lead scoring: Prioritize leads with predictive scoring to improve sales efficiency and focus on high-potential prospects.
• Marketing hub: Includes email marketing, ad tracking, landing pages, and lead generation tools to support outbound campaigns.
• Automation capabilities: Automate repetitive tasks like follow-ups and lead nurturing to streamline outbound sales processes.
• Customizable dashboard and reports: Create tailored dashboards and reports to track outbound sales metrics and gain actionable insights.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: HubSpot is known for its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, making it accessible for users of all skill levels.
• Comprehensive free plan: Offers a robust free version that includes essential CRM features, making it ideal for small businesses and startups.
• Automation capabilities: Provides powerful automation tools for tasks like email marketing, lead nurturing, and sales workflows, helping businesses save time and improve efficiency.
• Customizable dashboard and reports: Allows users to create customized dashboards and reports to track metrics and gain insights into business performance.
• Scalability: The platform is highly scalable, offering different tiers that cater to growing businesses, from small startups to large enterprises.

Cons

• High cost at higher tiers: HubSpot’s 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, which can restrict 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's sales hub is available on an annual subscription as follows.

• Starter: $15 per user, per month.
• Professional: $90 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: $150 per user, per month.

5. Salesforce

Salesforce is a robust CRM platform for large enterprises, offering tools for sales, marketing, service, and analytics, with extensive scalability.

Key features

• Lead management: Efficiently track and manage leads from initial contact to conversion, ensuring no opportunities are missed.
• Email integration: Seamlessly integrate with email platforms to streamline communication and follow-ups with prospects.
• Sales automation: Automate repetitive tasks such as follow-up emails and reminders, allowing your sales team to focus on closing deals.
• AI-driven insights: Utilize Salesforce Einstein to gain predictive analytics and actionable insights, enhancing your outbound sales strategy.
• Customizable dashboards: Create personalized dashboards to monitor key metrics and performance indicators, keeping your sales team on track.

Pros

• Comprehensive feature set: Salesforce offers a wide range of tools for lead management, email integration, and sales automation, making it ideal for outbound sales efforts.
• Highly customizable: Tailor the platform to your specific outbound sales processes with custom fields, objects, and workflows.
• Extensive integration capabilities: Integrate Salesforce with various third-party applications to streamline your sales operations and data flow.
• Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, Salesforce can grow with your company, ensuring it meets your evolving needs.
• Advanced analytics and reporting: Gain deep insights into your sales data with powerful analytics and reporting tools, aiding in strategic decision-making.

Cons

• High cost: Salesforce can be expensive, especially for small to medium-sized businesses, with high licensing fees and additional costs for add-ons and customization.
• Steep learning curve: The extensive feature set and complexity of Salesforce often require significant time and training for users to become proficient.
• Complex setup and customization: Initial setup and customization can be challenging and often require expert help or certified consultants, adding to the overall cost.
• User interface: Some users find the Salesforce interface to be outdated and not as intuitive as other modern CRM platforms, which can hinder usability.
• Overwhelming for small teams: Salesforce’s robust features may be overkill for smaller teams or businesses, leading to underutilization of the platform’s capabilities.

Price and plans

• Starter suite: $25/user/month provides basic CRM features for small businesses.
• Pro suite: $100/user/month includes advanced tools for growing businesses.
• Enterprise plan: $165/user/month offers extensive customization and automation for large companies.
• Unlimited plan: $330/user/month provides comprehensive features for large enterprises.
• Einstein 1 Sales: $500/user/month provides AI-driven insights and advanced features for large enterprises.

Conclusion

Choosing the best CRM for outbound sales is a critical decision that can significantly impact your business's growth and efficiency. Each CRM platform discussed—folk, Zoho, Pipedrive, HubSpot, and Salesforce—offers unique features and benefits tailored to different business needs and budgets. For startup founders and SMEs, it's essential to evaluate these options based on your specific requirements, scalability, and integration capabilities. Remember, the right CRM should not only streamline your sales processes but also enhance customer relationships and provide actionable insights to drive your outbound sales strategy. Take the next step towards optimizing your sales efforts by exploring folk CRM. Try folk for free here.

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What do outbound sales teams use as a CRM?

Busy outbound sales teams often use CRMs like folk, Zoho, Pipedrive, Hubspot, and Salesforce to manage customer relationships, streamline sales processes, and improve efficiency. These CRMs offer features like contact management, lead tracking, sales automation, and analytics, which help founders optimize their outbound sales strategies and drive business growth.

Do I need a CRM?

Yes, a CRM is essential depending on the complexity of your sales process. It helps manage customer interactions, track leads, and automate repetitive tasks, making your sales efforts more efficient and effective. For startups and small businesses, a CRM can be particularly beneficial in organizing data and improving customer relationships.

How much does a CRM cost?

CRM costs vary widely depending on the features and scale of the solution. Prices can range from free plans for basic features to $15-$500 per user per month for more advanced functionalities. It's important to assess your business needs and budget to choose the right CRM plan.

Does folk’s CRM respond to outbound sales needs?

Yes, folk’s CRM is designed to meet outbound sales needs. It offers features like contact enrichment, LinkedIn integration, email sync, and AI-powered tools to streamline sales processes. Its intuitive interface and customizable pipelines make it easy to manage and track sales activities, improving efficiency and productivity.