When it comes to sales, there's a lot of innovation happening — and therefore, a litany of new tools. But only one type of tool is considered "effective" by 78% of global sales professionals. It's not that new or hard to access.
What's this magic tool?
It's a CRM (or Customer Relationship Management Platform).
If you're in sales, this result shouldn't be a big surprise. Even if you don't use HubSpot, you probably use some type of CRM.
Below we'll delve into why CRMs are an important sales tool, using data from our State of Sales Report, as well as how they can revolutionize your sales strategy.
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What Sales Reps Say About Their CRM [New Data]
Before you get suspicious, we get it. As a company that offers its own CRM, we're obviously happy to share that sales reps think it's an important type of tool. But, we promise that none of our survey respondents were persuaded by us to say this.
Where did we get this stat? As part of our 2024 State of Sales Series, our Sr. Trends Researcher, Max Iskiev anonymously surveyed 1,477 global sales professionals across B2B and B2C industries to unearth the sales trends, opportunities, strategies, and pain points that could impact businesses in the coming year.
In that survey, most sales professionals rated CRMs as effective tools, while 78% also noted that they enhance sales and marketing alignment. Moreover, those who employ a CRM system are 79% more inclined to consider their teams to be strongly aligned.
Lastly, high-performing salespeople are 17% more likely to recognize their CRM as a vital component of the sales process. This isn't shocking to us in the slightest.
Ever try to search for something then realize it was right in front of you all along? CRMs have always solved that problem for customer-facing teams with hundreds of contacts and data points to track.
With all this in mind, it's clear that CRMs help sales teams drive revenue and efficiency, which correspond to professionals' top two 2024 focus areas.
Ultimately, to achieve consistent growth and stay ahead of the competition, businesses must streamline their sales operations, focus on nurturing customer relationships, and make data-driven decisions. This is where Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software comes into play.
Effective Sales Integrations & Deal-Driving Hacks for Any CRM
To amplify the power of your CRM and maximize the efficiency of your sales team, it's essential to integrate it with other effective sales tools. These tools can enhance the functionality of your CRM, improve sales processes, and enable your team to close deals more effectively.
1. HubSpot Sales Hub
HubSpot Sales Hub is a comprehensive sales tool that integrates seamlessly with popular CRM systems, including HubSpot CRM. With Sales Hub, you – like many of my high-performing colleagues in our own sales department – can gain a deeper understanding of your prospects, track their activities, and effectively manage your sales pipeline.
Key features:
- Email Tracking and Sequences: Get real-time notifications when prospects open your emails or click on your links. Create personalized email sequences to engage prospects and improve response rates.
- Meeting Scheduling: Eliminate the back-and-forth email exchanges by offering prospects the ability to schedule meetings directly from your calendar, reducing friction in the sales process.
- Deal Pipelines and Management: Visualize and manage your sales pipeline effectively. Track deals, move them through different stages, and gain valuable insights into your overall sales performance.
- Sales Analytics and Reporting: Extract valuable data and insights to measure and optimize your sales efforts. Identify bottlenecks, track key metrics, and make data-driven decisions to close deals faster.
Pricing: Free version available. Starter at $45/month, Professional at $450/month, and Enterprise at $1,500/month.
2. LinkedIn Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a social selling platform that integrates with various CRM systems, including HubSpot CRM. This tool helps sales professionals to identify and engage with high-quality leads on LinkedIn.
Key features:
- Lead Discovery: With Lead Discovery search filters, you can find decision-makers in specific roles, high-engagement LinkedIn influencers, and potential buyers who match your target audience.
- Relationship Building: Gain a dashboard of insights about your prospect's LinkedIn interests, activities, and connectionsThis aims to help reps use the information to establish rapport and drive conversations.
- InMail Messaging: Send personalized, tailored private messages directly to your prospects' LinkedIn inbox, even if you're not connected.
- Account and Lead Lists: Organize your leads and accounts using in-platform lists. You can also share lists with team members, to ensure everyone is aligned on target accounts and leads.
Pricing: Free Trial, Core starting at $79.99/month, Advanced starting at $135/month, and Advanced Plus (pricing is available by request) plans available.Pricing is
3. DocuSign
Closing deals often involves paperwork and manual signatures, which can slow down the sales process. This is where tools like DocuSign, an electronic signature solution, comes into play. Integrated with various CRM platforms, including HubSpot CRM.
Key features:
- Electronic Signatures: Send contracts, agreements, and other documents directly from your CRM. The recipient can review, sign, and return them electronically.
- Workflow Automation: Create automated signature workflows that trigger things like reminders, notifications, and conditional logic soall parties involved are kept informed and don't miss any steps.
- Document Tracking and Management: Track the status of your documents in real-time. Know when they've been viewed, signed, or if any action is required. Store all signed documents securely in your CRM for easy access and reference.
Pricing: Personal at $10/month, Standard at $25/month per user, Business Pro at $40/month per user, and Custom Pricing available.
Benefits of CRMs
Enhanced Lead Management
Get started with HubSpot’s Free Lead Management & Tracking Software
One obvious benefit of using a CRM is how it offers the ability to efficiently manage leads. CRMs enable you to capture, track, and nurture leads effectively, ensuring no opportunity slips through the cracks.
With advanced lead management features, such as lead scoring and automated lead assignment, some CRMs – like HubSpot – even allow you to prioritize and assign leads to the right sales representatives, ensuring timely follow-ups and higher conversion rates.
Improved Sales Forecasting
Accurate sales forecasting is crucial for you to make informed decisions and set achievable goals. Many CRMs provide you with real-time insights into the sales pipeline, the progress of deals, and sales trends over time.
If your CRM offers comprehensive data analytics and reporting functionalities, you can forecast sales accurately, identify potential bottlenecks, and make necessary adjustments to meet revenue targets effectively.
Streamlined Communication and Collaboration
Effective communication and collaboration are key to maintaining healthy relationships with customers and internal stakeholders. CRMs serve as a central repository of customer information and allow a seamless exchange of data and communication between sales, marketing, and customer support teams.
Real-time updates, task assignments, and shared calendars within some CRMs also ensure all team members are on the same page, fostering collaboration and improving customer experience.
Personalized Customer Interactions
In today's customer-centric era, personalization plays a crucial role in driving sales and nurturing loyal customers. CRMs can empower you to create personalized interactions with customers by providing a 360-degree view of each customer's interactions, preferences, and purchase history.
Armed with this knowledge, you can tailor their communication, recommendations, and exceptional customer service to your contacts, leading to improved customer satisfaction and higher sales conversions.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Informed decision-making is the cornerstone of successful sales strategies. Some CRMs offer robust data analysis and reporting capabilities that enable businesses to identify trends, track key performance metrics, and make data-driven decisions.
From analyzing customer behavior to tracking sales performance, CRMs provide actionable insights that drive strategic initiatives and help you stay ahead in a competitive marketplace.
Get Started With CRM for Sales Enablement
In today's digital age, where customers are more informed and markets are more competitive than ever, leveraging technology to optimize sales processes is critical for business success. CRM software provides a holistic solution that centralizes customer data, streamlines sales operations, and facilitates data-driven decision-making.
By implementing a CRM system, your business can gain a competitive edge, enhance customer relationships, improve sales efficiency, and drive sustainable growth. Learn more about how you can use HubSpot CRM.
