Best field sales CRM in 2024

With its face to face and on the go nature, field sales requires a customer relationship management platform that can keep up with busy field sales reps. But not all sales management software can. In this blog post, we'll look into the features field sales teams need in their CRM and explore the best field sales management software.

What is field sales?

Field sales, often referred to as outside sales, involves sales representatives meeting potential clients face-to-face. Unlike inside sales, which are conducted remotely via phone or internet, field sales require reps to be on the move, visiting clients at their locations, attending trade shows, and more. This dynamic and personal approach to sales necessitates tools that can handle on-the-go data access, offline capabilities, route optimization, and real-time updates.

5 features field sales teams need in their CRM

With a lot of field sales management software to differentiate, a field sales team should prioritize CRMs with the following features to boost their field sales performance collectively.

1. Mobile access: A responsive mobile app to ensure reps can update and access information anywhere, anytime.
2. Offline functionality: Ability to log data and access crucial information without internet connectivity.
3. Real-time data synchronization: Ensure that all information is up-to-date across all devices.
4. Integration capabilities: Seamless integration with other business tools like email, calendar, and ERP systems.
5. User-friendly interface: Intuitive design to minimize the learning curve and maximize efficiency.

Now that you know what to look for to distinguish between the best field sales software, let's explore the best of the best.

4 Best field sales CRM

Let's take a closer look at the best field sales management software in the market. Below is a mix of CRM platforms with a strong sales tools stack.

1. folk

Best for: User friendly CRM for multiple sales pipelines and dashboards

folk CRM is designed to simplify relationship management for field sales teams. With an emphasis on ease of use and streamlined features, it caters to businesses that need a straightforward yet effective tool.

Key features

• Contact management and real-time contact sync
• Sales automation tools
• Task and activity tracking
• Repetitive task automation
• Mobile-friendly interface
• Integration with email and calendar
• Mail merge between Outlook and Gmail with marketing automation features
• Multiple sales pipeline management
• Highly customizable sales dashboards for your sales data

Pros

• Ease of use: folk’s intuitive design means less time learning the software and more time selling. This is especially beneficial for busy teams that need to get up and running quickly.
• Affordability: Competitive pricing makes it accessible for smaller businesses who need a CRM that can accomodate their whole sales team.
• Optimize your field sales process and close deals faster as a team with collaborative notes, and take folk on the go with you.
• LinkedIn Chrome extensions to help keep track of the activities of an important lead.
• Sales software that can help desk-based and outside sales teams.
• Offline access available through a mobile app, great for managing interactions on the go.
• Social listening tools to track an important leads' activities on LinkedIn.

Cons

• Reporting isn't available in folk yet but is coming soon.

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14 day free trial. After that, a monthly or annual subscription plan come with unlimited sales pipelines and is as follows. 

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

2. Spotio

Best for: Route planning software

Spotio is a field sales CRM focused on improving the productivity and efficiency of outside sales teams through advanced mapping and territory management tools.

Key features

• Route planning and optimization
• Sales automation
• GPS tracking
• Sales tracking

Pros

• Route optimization: Spotio’s route planning tools help reps save time and reduce travel costs, crucial for field sales efficiency.
• Geolocation tracking: Provides real-time location tracking.
• Large integration marketplace

Cons

• Complexity: The extensive feature set may require a steeper learning curve for some users.
• Cost: Higher pricing tiers can be a barrier for some businesses.
• More for route optimization and not so heavy on traditional CRM features.

Price and plans

Spotio's price and plans are gated on their website which suggest a high barrier to entry. Research suggests that plans start from $39-$69 per user, per month and can go up to $129 per user, per month. There's also an enterprise plan available.

3. Zendesk sell

Best for: Customer sales focussed sales teams

Initially known for its customer support solutions, Zendesk has expanded into CRM with a comprehensive suite of tools designed to manage both sales and support interactions. Enter Zendesk sell – their answer to a sales focussed CRM system.

Key features

• Customer view
• Reporting and analytics
• Sales automation tools

Pros

• Integration with support: Seamlessly integrates sales and customer support data, providing a 360-degree view of customer interactions.
• Geolocation, visit tracking and offline access available.

Cons

• Learning curve: More complex interface might take time for new users to adapt to.
• Cost: Premium pricing may be a barrier to entry for smaller teams. Some features are only available on their professional plan or are otherwise limited to a minimum cap.
• More suitable for customer service teams as opposed to as a field sales tool, although there are some handy features.

Price and plans

Zendesk sells offers a 14 day free trial. After that, an annual subscription plan for Zendesk Sell is as follows.

• Sell team: $19 per user, per month. Only includes two sales pipelines.
• Sell growth: $49 per user, per month. Includes up to 10 sales pipelines,
• Sell professional: $99 per user, per month.
• Sell Enterprise: Undisclosed.

4. Salesforce

Best for: Enterprise teams with a big budget

Salesforce needs no introduction as one of the most mature cloud based CRMs on the market. Offering a highly customizable and comprehensive platform suited for large organizations with complex needs.

Key features

• Customizable dashboards and reports
• Extensive integration options
• Advanced analytics
• Mobile app

Pros

• Customization: Extensive customization options allow businesses to tailor the CRM to their specific processes and needs.
• Integration: Wide range of integrations with third-party tools and systems.
• CPQ to speed up sales cycles and help field sales representatives create accurate quotes and contracts.
• AI-assistance to monitor sales calls and provide real-time coaching.

Cons

• Cost: Higher pricing tiers can be expensive, making it less suitable for smaller businesses.
• Complexity: High degree of customization and features can lead to a steep learning curve and require dedicated administration.
• More of a B2B product with some field sales software catered for cold calling.

Price and plans

An annual subscription plan is as follows.

• Starter suite: $25 per user, per month.
• Professional: $80 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: $165 per user, per month.
• Unlimited: Starts from $330 per user, per month.
• Einstein 1 Service: $500 per user, per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the right CRM for your field sales team can make a huge difference in their sales efficiency and overall success. But most businesses now have multiple use cases and needs something that can help their sales team and desk-based sales team. Whether you're a small business looking for an affordable plug and play CRM solution, or large enterprise, folk is the way to go. It's easy to use and can support sales managers, outside sales reps and desk based sales activities thanks to its highly customizable nature.

More resources

• folk pricing page
• folk vs Salesforce

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