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.

Why you need a CRM

For independent sales reps, a CRM is essential for managing multiple sales cycles and optimizing customer relationships effectively.

Challenges without a CRM

We've identified a few common challenges that independent sales reps tend to have – especially if they don't have the right CRM that aligns with their tech stack and workflow.

• Disorganization: Without a centralized system, data is scattered and hard to manage.
• Missed opportunities: Lack of follow-up and tracking leads to lost sales.
• Inefficient processes: Manual tasks consume time and reduce productivity.
• Lack of insight: Inadequate data analytics hinder strategic decision-making.
• Inconsistent communication: Uncoordinated interactions damage customer relationships.

Benefits of a CRM

Fortunately the right CRM can help you address these challenges, and provide some extra benefits that boost your efficiency.

• Centralized information: All customer data in one place, accessible to the entire team.
• Enhanced efficiency: Automation of routine tasks saves time and boosts productivity.
• Improved customer relationships: Better tracking and follow-up enhance customer satisfaction.
• Better decision-making: Data-driven insights enable more effective strategies.
• Increased sales: Streamlined processes and better lead management drive revenue growth.
• Consistent communication: Coordinated interactions ensure a unified brand message.

How to evaluate and choose a CRM

With a lot of CRMs to go through, and not enough time to do so – it can be overwhelming to start researching without understanding exactly what your requirements are. To help you with your decision making process, we've put together some tips that you can adapt according to any specific goals you have.

1. Define your requirements

To find the best CRM specifically for independent sales reps, start by identifying the key features you need. Look for functionalities like contact management, sales tracking, and automated follow-ups. Also, consider integration capabilities with tools you already use, such as email marketing platforms and social media channels. A user-friendly interface is crucial for quick adoption and minimal training.

8 features independent sales reps need in their CRM software

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

2. Budget considerations

Budgets can be hard to manage but balancing cost and return on investment (ROI) is essential. As an independent sales rep, you need an affordable CRM that offers robust features without breaking the bank. Look for scalable pricing plans that allow you to upgrade as your business grows. Free trials and freemium versions can also help you gauge the CRM's value before making a financial commitment.

3. Selection process

Looking for the right CRM that aligns with your existing tech stack and work flow naturally involves multiple steps. Start by reading online reviews on G2 and testimonials from other independent sales reps. Attend webinars and demo sessions to get a firsthand look at the CRM's capabilities. Additionally, reach out to vendors for personalized consultations to understand how their solutions can meet your specific needs.

4. Get a demo

One of the best ways to determine if a CRM is the right fit for your independent sales operations is to get a demo. A demo allows you to see the CRM in action, understand its features, and evaluate how it can streamline your sales processes. This hands-on experience is invaluable in making an informed decision. Start by booking a demo of folk to see how it can support your sales efforts.

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

• Manage your full sale cycle: Make folk work for your specific goals. Use it to monitor your whole sales cycle and manage your leads.
• 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
• Fully customizable: Highly customizable dashboards, pipelines and segments for your sales cycles.
• Social media integration: Capture contacts from social media effortlessly and use folk's 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.
• Daily updates: folk's team listens to feedback and rolls out new features. Reporting is now available in folk.
• Multi-use: folk is suitable for solo users and teams.

Cons

• folk doesn't have a huge marketplace of third party applications but this is easily overcome by using Zapier if you're after a specific integration, as it'll connect with over 6,000 integrations

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 $80 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

• Scalability: If you're after more features that can help you with day to day activities, you'll need to upgrade to one of HubSpot's paid plans which has a high barrier to entry due to cost.
• 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.

• ‍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. While HubSpot, Zoho, Monday Sales CRM, and Pipedrive offer valuable features for independent sales reps, folk stands out as the best option. Its simplicity, customization, and focus on relationship management make it ideal for independent sales reps who need an intuitive CRM that adapts to their unique sales processes. folk allows reps to efficiently track leads, automate follow-ups, and nurture client relationships without the unnecessary complexity found in other platforms, making it the perfect choice for independent sales professionals. Try folk today free.

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

More resources

• folk pricing page
• The modern sales stack for SMBs

Frequently Asked Questions

What do independent sales reps use as a CRM?

Independent sales reps often use CRMs like HubSpot, Zoho, Monday Sales CRM, Pipedrive, and folk to manage their sales pipelines, track leads, and maintain client relationships. These tools help reps stay organized, automate follow-ups, and close deals efficiently.

Do I need a CRM?

Yes, a CRM is essential for independent sales reps. It helps you stay organized by centralizing all your contacts and interactions, automating routine tasks like follow-ups, and providing insights into your sales performance. With a CRM, you can focus on building relationships and closing deals instead of juggling administrative work.

How does folk's CRM help independent sales reps?

folk’s CRM is perfect for independent sales reps because of its ease of use, customization, and relationship-focused design. It allows reps to create tailored workflows, track leads, and automate follow-ups, helping them stay on top of their sales processes. By focusing on building strong client relationships and streamlining sales tasks, folk helps independent sales reps manage their business more effectively and efficiently.

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