Best CRM for independent sales reps in 2024

With big targets to reach, and a lot of sales pipelines to juggle, independent sales reps need tools that help them manage their client relationships effectively and efficiently. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system tailored to their specific needs can be a game-changer. But with so many options available, which CRM is best for independent sales reps? In this blog post, we'll explore the best sales CRM for a solo users and what features you should look out for.

8 features independent sales reps need in their CRM software

Looking for features to figure out which of the best sales CRM is for you? If you're an independent sales rep, we suggest using the following list of features as a benchmark to differentiate a good CRM from the best CRMs.

1. User-friendly interface: Independent sales reps often juggle multiple roles, so a CRM with an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface is crucial.
2. Mobile accessibility: With sales reps frequently on the move, a mobile-friendly CRM ensures they can manage their tasks and contacts from anywhere.
3. Contact management: Efficiently organize and track customer information, including interactions and transaction history.
4. Multiple sales pipeline management: Visualize and manage the sales process to ensure no deals slip through the cracks.
5. Task automation: Automate routine tasks such as follow-ups and reminders to save time and increase productivity.
6. Integration capabilities: Seamlessly connect with other tools and software to create a unified workflow.
7. Customization options: Tailor the CRM to fit specific business needs and processes.
8. Reporting and analytics: Gain insights into sales performance and customer behavior to make informed decisions.

5 Best CRMs for independent sales reps

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1. folk

Best for: all-in-one CRM with sales and marketing automation

folk is designed with simplicity and customization in mind, making it an excellent choice for independent sales reps who need a CRM that adapts to their unique workflow.

Key features

• Custom fields: Tailor data fields to fit your specific needs.
• Contact management: Centralized database for managing contacts and communication.
• Task automation: Automate repetitive tasks to save time.
• Integration: Connect with popular tools like Gmail and Slack.
• Multiple sale pipelines: to accomodate multiple projects
• Highly customizable dashboards for your sales cycles.
• Social media listening tools to keep track of leads' activities on LinkedIn and turn your engagement into warm leads.

Pros

• Ease of use: Folk’s user-friendly interface means less time learning the system and more time selling.
• Highly customizable: Adjust the CRM to suit your specific needs, making it versatile for various sales processes.
• Affordable: Competitive pricing for the features offered.

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 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 CRM

Best for: Free forever plan with basic CRM features

HubSpot CRM is a robust CRM platform known for its comprehensive suite of tools that cater to businesses of all sizes, including independent sales reps.

Key features

• Contact management
• Sales pipeline management
• Sales and marketing automation
• Integration marketplace

Pros

• Free forever plan: Generous free tier with basic features suitable for independent reps.
• Comprehensive tools: Includes marketing, sales, and customer service tools in one platform.

Cons

• Complexity: The wide range of features can be overwhelming for some users.
• Cost: Advanced features come at a much higher price, which might not be justified for smaller operations.

Price and plans

HubSpot has a range of price and plans across their CRM suite, marketing, sales and customer service hubs. The following is for an annual subscription plan to their sales hub.

Sales

Starter: $15 per user, per month.

Professional: $90 per user, per month.

Enterprise: $150 per user, per month.

3. Pipedrive

Best for: Visual sales pipeline management

Pipedrive is designed with a focus on sales pipeline management, offering a visual and intuitive way to manage your sales process.

Key features

• Sales pipeline: Visual pipeline management to track deals.
• Activity reminders: Stay on top of tasks with automated reminders.
• Email integration: Sync with your email to manage communications.
• Mobile app: Access your CRM on the go with a fully functional mobile app.

Pros

• User-friendly interface: Easy to use and set up, with a focus on visual pipeline management.
• Affordable: Competitive pricing for the features provided.
• Effective task management: Keeps you on top of your sales activities.

Cons

• Limited customization: Customization options are not as extensive as some competitors.
• Basic reporting: Reporting features are somewhat basic and may not meet the needs of more data-driven reps.

Price and plans

An annual subscription plan basis is as follows.

• Essential plan: Starts from $14 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $29 per user, per month.
• Power plan: Starts from$64 per user, per month.
• Enterprise plan: Starts from $99 per user, per month.

4. Monday.com sales CRM

Best for: Project and sales management

Monday.com Sales CRM is a flexible and highly visual platform that integrates seamlessly with Monday.com's project management tools. Designed by the folks at Monday.com to expand on their popular sales CRM software template and build a sales CRM platform, it's designed to help sales teams manage their workflow, track deals, and streamline sales processes.

Key features

• Customizable dashboards
• Sales automations
• Integrations
• Contact management
• Sales pipeline management

Pros

• Customizable dashboards: Visualize your sales pipeline and key metrics with easy-to-customize dashboards.
• Automations: Set up automation for repetitive tasks like follow-ups and status updates.
• Sales pipeline management: Track deals through various stages with visual boards.
• Collaboration tools: Enhance team collaboration with shared boards and real-time updates.

Cons

• Learning curve: The extensive customization options can result in a steep learning curve for new users.
• Complexity: The breadth of features might be overwhelming for solo sales reps after simple CRM capabilities.
• All plans have a three seat minimum, so solo sales reps might want to take this one off their list.

Price and plans

All plans are based on three seat minimum and is as follows.

• Basic: Starts from $10 per 3 users, per month.
• Standard: Starts from $14 per 3 users, per month.
• Pro: Starts from $24 per 3 users, per month.

5. Zoho CRM

Best for: Comprehensive all-in-one solution for small to medium-sized businesses

Zoho CRM is a robust, cloud-based customer relationship management platform designed to streamline and automate sales, marketing, and support functions. It is part of the larger Zoho suite of business applications. It's more for sales teams but there is a lightweight plan to streamline sales operations and workflows.

Key features

• Sales automation
• Omnichannel communication
• AI-powered sales assistant
  

Pros

• Comprehensive: Offers a wide range of features that cater to all aspects of customer relationship management.
• Scalability: Suitable for businesses of all sizes, from startups to large enterprises.
• Affordable pricing: Competitive pricing with a variety of plans to fit different budgets.
• Integration between Zoho products: Seamlessly integrates with other Zoho products and a large number of third-party applications.

Cons

• Complexity: The extensive features and customization options can be overwhelming for new users.
• Steeper learning curve: Requires a significant time investment to fully understand and utilize all functionalities.
• Customer support: Some users report inconsistent customer support experiences.
• More for larger sales teams. May be too overwhelming for solo sales rep.

Price and plans

Zoho CRM has a free forever plan which offers basic email marketing, lead generation and workflow automation as well as a contact book. After that, paid plans on an annual subscription basis is as follows.

• Standard plan: Starts from $14 per user, per month.
• Professional plan: Starts from $23 per user, per month.
• Enterprise plan: Starts from $40 per user, per month.

Conclusion

Choosing the right CRM as an independent sales rep can significantly impact your efficiency and customer satisfaction. Each CRM discussed offers unique features and benefits tailored to different needs and business sizes. But if you're looking for the best CRM software that is easy to implement without a steep learning curve – packed with powerful sales automation and customizable dashboards, folk is the way to go. folk is a simple CRM that has helped sales productivity sky rocket and nurtured customer relationships across multiple pipelines for solo-users. And can scale with you when you're ready to grow your sales team. Making it one of the best CRM systems on the market.

More resources

• folk pricing page
• The modern sales stack for SMBs

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