From streamlined workflows to advanced analytics, these five Close CRM alternatives offer features to help boost sales and foster better team collaboration in your marketing agency. Let’s explore the options and find the ideal CRM software match for your agency’s unique needs.

TL;DR of 5 Top Marketing Agency CRMs Similar to Close CRM

Here are Close CRM comparisons for your marketing agency business.

1. Pipeline CRM: Best for Sales Automation and Team Collaboration

The first CRM alternative to Close CRM is Pipeline CRM—a top CRM software for agencies.

Marketing agencies often struggle with siloed workflows, leading to project delays and missed opportunities. With Pipeline CRM’s automatic notifications, stakeholders can stay informed about deals or project progress without constant check-ins. Plus, the seamless integration with project management tools like Asana or Trello streamlines project delegation and tracking.

Furthermore, Pipeline CRM empowers your sales and creative teams with dedicated pipelines (multiple sales pipelines), ensuring they can work independently without disrupting each other’s workflows. At the same time, everyone has visibility into all the sales pipelines, providing a comprehensive overview of your agency’s sales progress. This helps to eliminate the risk of lead shortages and maintain a consistent flow of business.

Related: check out our in-depth analysis that highlights the key differences and similarities between Pipeline CRM and Close CRM.

Key Features

• Advanced sales automation: automate repetitive tasks like suggesting ‘next steps’ and generating new deals.
• Robust call integrations: connect Pipeline CRM with AirCall, Kixie, RingCentral, and other phone call integrations to streamline your sales outreach process.
• Advanced email marketing: leverage built-in drip campaigns and AI-powered email assistance for effective sales outreach.
• Daily morning coffee report: stay informed with a concise overview of sales statuses and daily tasks, directly sent to your inbox.
• Rich customization: tailor deals, data fields, user permissions, and more to fit your marketing agency’s specific needs.

Pricing

Pipeline CRM offers four pricing options and a 14-day free trial. These prices are for annual billing.

• Start: $25 per user per month: 1 sales pipeline and 250 active deals per account.
• Develop: $33 per user per month: 2 sales pipelines and 2500 active deals per account.
• Grow: $49 per user per month: 5 sales pipelines and unlimited active deals per account.
• Enterprise: custom pricing for unlimited sales pipelines and deals.

Visit the Pipeline CRM pricing page to find the feature details of each plan.

2. Hubspot: Best Modular CRM Solution

HubSpot is a popular CRM choice for marketing agencies due to its modular structure, allowing you to select only the necessary tools. Whether your focus is on marketing, sales, content management, or other areas, HubSpot offers a flexible solution to support your agency’s growth.

Moreover, HubSpot’s robust analytics and reporting capabilities enable you to track key sales metrics and visualize data in easy-to-understand dashboards. The ‘team conversation’ feature also helps streamline communication and reduce miscommunication within your team.

Key Features

The following are some of the top features of the Sales Hub solution from Hubspot.

• Lead and prospect management: centralize lead and prospect information. Easily monitor them with personalized summaries and progress tracking.
• AI-powered sales prospecting: identify and prioritize high-potential prospects using AI-driven insights.
• Email templates and tracking: monitor email performance and recipient activity to follow up at the right time.
• Built-in quote solution: create and send professional quotes directly from HubSpot, eliminating the need for external tools.
• Meeting scheduler: allow prospects to easily book meetings with you online, saving time and effort.

Pricing

Hubspot has several packages for its Sales Hub tool:

• Free: up to 2 users, with limited functionality and customization.
• Starter: €15 per user per month, only available to the US customers only.
• Professional: €90 per user per month.
• Enterprise: €150 per user per month.

Please note that the pricing mentioned above applies to HubSpot Sales Hub only. If your marketing agency requires additional features (like marketing or content management), you’ll need to subscribe to those solutions separately. For example, HubSpot’s Marketing Hub is available at the following annual costs: €15, €792, and €3,300.

3. Keap: Best for Marketing-Focused Agencies

Keap is a centralized platform designed to streamline operations for small agencies. It offers a comprehensive suite of features, including sales management, marketing tools, appointment scheduling, performance tracking, and reliable customer support (email, chat, and call). Keap also automates key sales processes, with a focus on lead capturing and follow-ups.

Key Features

• Landing pages and forms: create customized landing pages to capture leads and test marketing strategies.
• Multi-channel marketing: reach out to prospects through email, text, and phone, with a dedicated toll-free number.
• Appointment scheduling: allow leads to book appointments directly, syncing with your Google or Outlook calendar.
• Quotes, invoices, and payments: generate professional quotes, proposals, and invoices within Keap, and save templates for future use.
• Lead segmentation: tag and segment contacts to personalize automation and target specific audiences.

Pricing

Keap has three paid pricing plans with a 14-day free trial option. The prices below are for an annual subscription.

• Pro: $249 per month: 2 users and 1500 contacts.
• Max: $329 per month: 3 users and 2500 contacts.
• Ultimate: $499 per month: 3 users and 2500 contacts.

4. Insightly: Best Customer Service Solution CRM

Insightly differentiates itself from Close CRM by offering comprehensive customer service solutions. These include ticket management, support portals, and service level agreement (SLA) tracking. This complements its existing sales CRM and marketing platforms, providing a more holistic solution for your marketing agency.

Key Features

• Email A/B testing: optimize your email strategies by testing different versions before sending them out to maximize impact.
• Lead tracking: effectively monitor, manage, and nurture deals. Gain insights into your business’s progress and identify potential risks.
• Customizable user permissions: protect sensitive data by granting access only to authorized personnel.
• Workflow automation: streamline processes with automated reminders, managerial approvals, and updates to marketing lists.
• Built-in quoting solution: generate price quotes directly from opportunity records and track their status using quote pipelines.

Pricing

Insightly offers three pricing packages for its CRM solution, billed annually:

• Plus: $29 per user per month.
• Professional: $49 per user per month.
• Enterprise: $99 per user per month.

If your agency requires marketing, customer service, and custom integration capabilities, you’ll need to invest in Insightly’s Marketing, Service, and Connect platforms. The combined all-in-one packages are priced as follows: $349, $899, and $2,599.

5. HighLevel: Best White-Labeled CRM Solution

HighLevel (also known as GoHighLevel) is a CRM tailored for agencies. It streamlines agency workflows by capturing high-quality leads through engaging landing pages and surveys. Leads are then nurtured effectively using targeted calls, SMS campaigns, and personalized email sequences. HighLevel also provides integrated tools for payment collection and quote management, facilitating a smooth deal-closing process.

 Key Features

• Funnel builder: create customized sales funnels using a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• Marketing automation: automate drip campaigns using pre-built templates and custom workflows.
• Multi-channel campaigns: integrate SMS, phone, email marketing, and Facebook Messenger into a single platform.
• Customizable dashboards: rebrand HighLevel CRM to offer it as a service to your clients.
• Client account management: seamlessly switch between different campaigns and client activities for efficient management.

Pricing

HighLevel offers three paid pricing plans with a 14-day free trial. The following prices are based on monthly subscriptions:

• Starter: $97 per user per month: 3 sub-accounts.
• Unlimited: $297 per user per month: unlimited sub-accounts.
• SaaS Pro: $497 per user per month, with auto sub-account creation features.

What’s the Best CRM Alternative to Close CRM?

If you’re seeking a top-tier alternative to Close CRM, Pipeline CRM is an ideal choice. Our user-friendly and customizable CRM for agencies is easy to implement and is good value for money. Similar to Close CRM, we provide a comprehensive set of sales and marketing CRM features, including phone calls for outreach.

To enhance your team’s productivity and maintain data integrity, Pipeline CRM also offers automated sales workflows and data validation. And the best part? You can enjoy all of Pipeline CRM’s features at a fraction of the cost compared to Close CRM. Pipeline CRM’s pricing starts at $25 per user per month, while Close CRM starts at $49.

Here’s a quick comparison of Close CRM and Pipeline CRM:

Pipeline CRM: An Excellent Close CRM Alternative for Marketing Agencies

While Close CRM offers robust features, its high price point can be a barrier for marketing agencies with limited budgets.

Consider switching to Pipeline CRM for a more affordable sales CRM without sacrificing the essential features you need. With Pipeline CRM, you can foster strong team collaboration, automate many sales activities, and help turn one-time clients into loyal customers.

Experience the benefits of Pipeline CRM firsthand with a free 14-day trial. Sign up today!

This blog will delve into the evolution of Kanban, explore how Kanban-based sales systems can boost team efficiency, and provide a practical example of implementing Kanban within a sales pipeline.

What is Kanban?

Kanban is a versatile method for organizing and managing work, particularly tasks that involve multiple stages or phases. It employs a visual approach using cards and boards to represent work items.

As tasks progress, cards are moved from one column to the next, typically from left to right, signifying their advancement through the workflow. Once a task is completed, its card is moved back to the initial column to start a new cycle or a fresh card is added to begin a new task. This visual representation offers a clear overview of the workflow, progress, and bottlenecks, enabling efficient project management and optimization.

The History of Kanban

The use of Kanban has evolved for different business areas, but the concept stays the same. For what started as a shop signboard, Kanban has transformed into an inventory system, project management system, and more.

Kanban as Shop Signages

In the 1600s, Kanban originated from the Japanese words “Kan” (sign) and “Ban” (board). It was initially used to describe the distinctive signboards that shops in bustling Japanese markets displayed to attract customers. These Kanbans were visually appealing and clearly communicated the shop’s offerings.

Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing Kanban

Toyota, a renowned Japanese automaker, played a pivotal role in extending the application of Kanban beyond its traditional commercial use.

In the 1940s, Toyota faced significant challenges, including poor sales and inefficient manufacturing processes. Taiichi Ohno, an engineer at Toyota, recognized a critical flaw: excessive waste in producing car parts, negatively impacting performance and system throughput.

After visiting an American supermarket, where he observed an efficient card-based system for optimizing inventory, Ohno was inspired to develop a similar approach for Toyota’s manufacturing process. This system, later named Kanban, utilized cards to signal the need for specific products, or the right time to re-manufacture specific car types.

By implementing Kanban, Toyota achieved several benefits: reduced stockpiles, improved workflow efficiency, and enhanced visibility into the production process. The success of Kanban within Toyota paved the way for its integration into the Toyota Production System, a manufacturing philosophy that has become a benchmark for lean practices worldwide.

Kanban in Today’s Business

Kanban has found widespread application in various business and industrial sectors. One prominent example is its influence on Scrum, a popular agile development framework. Another significant application of Kanban is in project management systems, where each task to complete the project is assigned to a card, and as the tasks are completed, they’re moved to the finished stage.

Leveraging Kanban Sales System for Effective Sales Workflows

Recognizing Kanban’s versatility and benefits, many sales teams have successfully adopted this methodology to manage their sales pipelines. The core concept remains consistent: each lead or opportunity is represented by a card that moves through various stages of the sales pipeline, from initial prospect to final outcome (such as deal won, lost, or reengage).

This visual representation of Kanban provides a clear overview of the sales process, offering many sales teams the following benefits:

• Clear visibility of sales pipeline: a Kanban board provides a clear visual representation of the sales pipeline, allowing sales reps to track deals at different stages.
• Improved prioritization: by limiting the number of deals in each stage, sales reps can focus on the most important opportunities and avoid getting overwhelmed.
• Enhanced focus: Kanban helps sales reps prioritize tasks and avoid multitasking, leading to increased focus and productivity.
• Faster deal closure: by identifying bottlenecks and streamlining the sales process, Kanban can help sales teams close deals more quickly.
• Better collaboration: Kanban boards can be used to foster collaboration among sales team members, ensuring that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal.
• Data-driven insights: by tracking key metrics like cycle time and conversion rates, sales teams can gain valuable insights into their performance and identify areas for improvement.

Examples of a Kanban Sales Process in Pipeline CRM

The benefits of adopting the Kanban sales system are a no-brainer, but how can you apply that to your existing sales workflows? Let us show you by looking at Pipeline CRM’s Kanban sales board.

Deal Organization

As you can see from the screenshot above, the deals (cards) are organized across different sales stages (columns). These sales stages are sequentially arranged from left to right, mirroring the progression of a deal from initial contact to its final outcome. This visual representation facilitates the tracking of deal movement and provides a clear overview of the sales pipeline.

Deal Progression and View Customization

To advance a deal to the next stage, simply drag and drop the corresponding card to the desired stage column. The deal status on each card will be automatically updated to reflect its new position in the pipeline. You can add, edit, or delete sales stages to align with your team’s specific terminology and workflow.

A typical deal flow might include stages such as ‘No Stage > Touchbase > Request for Info > Presentation > Contract Prepared > Won > Lost > or Reengage.’

To further customize the deal cards, you can specify the key information displayed on each card. This enables you to access essential details about each deal quickly. For more advanced analysis, you can filter and sort cards based on various criteria, such as sales rep, deal value, or stage. This helps you prioritize tasks, identify opportunities, and gain valuable insights into your sales pipeline performance.

Moreover, Pipeline CRM’s sales Kanban offers a unique feature that allows you to collapse certain deal stages to maintain a concise view, especially when dealing with lengthy sales pipelines.

By simply clicking on a deal stage name, you can temporarily hide it, reducing visual clutter and focusing on the most relevant stages. To expand the collapsed stage and view its associated deals, simply click on the collapsed stage name again.

Find out more about what Pipeline CRM’s Kanban sales system can do for you and the available customization options.

Get a Clear View of Your Sales with Kanban Pipelines

If you find the traditional spreadsheet view insufficient for managing your sales pipeline, a Kanban-style approach can offer a more visual and intuitive solution. By providing a clear overview of your sales pipeline, you can easily monitor the status of each deal, track the performance of individual sales reps, and gain a comprehensive understanding of your overall sales performance.

Interested to try it out? Sign up to Pipeline CRM today for a 14-day free trial!

A robust CRM tool with a built-in sales route planning feature can empower sales teams to streamline their tasks and optimize their days. In this CRM comparison, we’ll explore some of the best sales CRM solutions offering mobile CRM apps with advanced route planning capabilities. We’ll assess their strengths and weaknesses, pricing plans, and user ratings to help you select the ideal route-optimization CRM software for your business.

Why Is Route Planning and Optimization Important for Outside Sales Teams?

Sales and lead management involve many repetitive, menial activities that are a huge drain on time. This time could be better spent furthering client relations and closing deals.

With easily accessible and intuitive sales planning on mobile features, your sales teams stand to benefit in the many ways listed below.

• Productivity: a good CRM with route optimization software features lets you streamline your productivity by easily finding and mapping out nearby contacts and the most efficient ways to reach them during your on-field work days.
• Minimized expenses: the CRM will handle the sales route planning, thus reducing travel time and fuel expenses and increasing your cost savings.
• Client experience: efficient scheduling and timely arrivals enhance the sales experience for clients and help you foster business credibility and trust.
• Data insights: good sales tracking software provides valuable data and analytics on sale performances, travel time, and other details, enabling sales reps to review and make data-driven decisions to optimize sales and close deals.
• Reduced stress and anxiety: having the best route mapped out and planned can reduce the jitter some might experience with each sales meeting, helping sales reps put their best foot forward.

Leading companies rely on CRM and sales tracking software to help them automate sales, easily collaborate and communicate across teams, ace lead management, and streamline sales activities, including travel logistics.

Here are five leading route planning and optimization CRMs to help your sales teams achieve peak results.

1. Pipeline CRM: A Sales-Focused CRM with a Robust Mobile CRM App

Pipeline CRM is an enterprise-grade sales CRM system known for its simplicity. It is designed after Excel, enabling businesses to easily manage, track, and close deals even when on the go. The platform offers a comprehensive sales team management suite to help eliminate redundancies and boost collaborative efforts.

Additionally, Pipeline CRM’s mobile app, powered by Google Maps, offers advanced route planning features to help outside sales teams optimize their time and maximize the effectiveness of client visits. Furthermore, the app’s talk-to-text recording and mobile business card scanning capabilities streamline time-consuming tasks, allowing sales reps to focus on building relationships with leads. Pipeline’s mobile CRM app is compatible with both iOS and Android devices.

Features

• Customizable email campaigns and deal stages: including targeted email campaigns and highly customizable deal stages, all of which are accessible on the mobile version.
• Optimized route planning: while planning the route, the system considers different client locations, appointment timings, and real-time traffic details, enabling it to map an efficient route.
• Advanced navigation: the mobile app has an interactive visual map and turn-by-turn navigation to make driving easier and avoid on-road delays.
• One-click activity notes: save time by adding your most frequent notes as “one-click” activities, instead of manually typing.
  

Learn more about Pipeline CRM’s features and solutions.

Pros

• One-app solution: from lead management to calendar organization and team collaboration, do it all from Pipeline CRM.
• User-friendly interface: Pipeline CRM’s user-friendly interface allows easy navigation and exploration without a steep learning curve.
• Affordable pricing: diverse price packages are available for businesses of different sizes and needs.

Ratings

• 4.4/5 star rating on G2
• 4.3/5 star rating on Capterra
• 4.3/5 star rating on Gartner

Pricing plans

• Start: $25 per user per month
• Develop: $33 per user per month
• Grow: $49 per user per month
• Enterprise: custom pricing based on your needs

See how XpressConnect leverages Pipeline CRM’s mobile app to increase its sales reps’ productivity in this case study.

2. ActiveCampaign: Route Add-Ons for Delivery and Sales Teams

ActiveCampaign is an email and marketing automation tool designed to automate customer relationship building. This tool may not be a CRM solution, but it offers comprehensive sales and marketing features that can be sufficient to tackle simple sales workflows. Its key features include analytics and reporting, email marketing, and automated workflows.

While ActiveCampaign doesn’t have built-in route planning features, it can be integrated with external tools like Arrivy and Mapsly to optimize sales routes and locate clients. However, ActiveCampaign’s premium pricing, particularly for larger sales teams, maybe a significant factor to consider.

Features

• Targeted connections: the platform enables users to connect with specific audiences and potential clients across various channels.
• Content creation: ActiveCampaign dynamic content creation tools and guidance for crafting effective messaging.
• Mobile app: the software provides a mobile version for convenient contact management and outreach.

Pros

• Easy lead management: simplifies lead management with features like marketing lead databases, segmentation, and lead nurturing.
• Efficient marketing: streamlines client communication through personalized email and multi-channel marketing.

Cons

• Steep learning curve: ActiveCampaign has a slightly more complicated interface, and it takes a while to get comfortable with the tool.
• Relies on third-party integrations: considering it requires integrations like Mapsly to help with route optimization, the add-ons can get clunky to manage.

Reviews

• 4.5/5 star rating on G2
• 4.6/5 star rating on Capterra
• 4.4/5 star rating on Gartner

Pricing plans

• Starter: $15 per user per month
• Plus: $49 per user per month
• Pro: Starts at $79 for three users per month
• Enterprise: Starts at $145 for 5 users per month

3. Zoho CRM: A CRM with Sales Team Optimization Tools

The next sales CRM on our list is Zoho,  a well-established CRM solution widely used by businesses to build and nurture their sales pipelines.

Known for its high degree of customization, Zoho brings together various sales functions into a single platform. It provides sales tracking software and a mobile CRM app for on-the-go access. Additionally, RouteIQ for Zoho offers location intelligence to optimize sales routes, enhancing efficiency and productivity.

Features

• Lead management: you can view, track, and act on all leads from one place.
• Streamlined communication: Zoho gives you access to easy-to-implement email campaigns and features like social, email, and phone communication.
• Data insights and reports: the platform offers advanced marketing reports and analytics.
• Mobile CRM: Zoho has a sturdy mobile version for sales management on the go, including features like route planning.

Pros

• Smooth integration: Zoho easily integrates with third-party applications and existing software.
• Affordable: Zoho has different packages and price points to suit diverse business needs that start at budget-friendly prices.

Cons

• Limited features: while the platform has a full suite, some features are not as well-developed as other tools.
• Confusing user interface: some users find the user experience lacking, especially with forms, document merge functions, and fonts.

Reviews

• 4.1/5 star rating on G2
• 4.3/5 star rating on Capterra
• 4.2/5 star rating on Gartner

Pricing plans

• Standard: $14 per user per month
• Professional: $23 per user per month
• Enterprise: $40 per user per month

4. OnePageCRM: A CRM Tool For Small Businesses

OnePageCRM is a user-friendly sales management software designed to assist small and medium-sized businesses in streamlining their sales processes. It offers a centralized platform to manage client history, track meetings, and follow up on leads efficiently.

The platform emphasizes simplicity and ease of use, helping businesses to clarify their sales operations and foster stronger client relationships. OnePageCRM includes a free route planning feature called ‘On the Road’ to optimize sales routes and maximize productivity.

Features

• Sales tracking software: OnePageCRM has a well-developed tracking system to help you follow up after clients and complete sales.
• Lead generation: it offers easy lead generation and management features, simplifying your outreach efforts.
• Data automation: OnePageCRM lets you automate repetitive and laborious manual tasks like data entry.

Pros

• Great customer support: the CRM has a live support feature that users find very helpful, particularly during setup.
• Affordable: the pricing plans are ideal for new and small businesses.

Cons

• Limited feature set: OnePageCRM’s simplicity may limit its suitability for larger companies and teams with complex needs.
• Import functionality issues: some users have reported issues with automatic deal import in certain versions of the software.

Ratings

• 4.7/5 star rating on G2
• 4.7/5 star rating on Capterra

Pricing plans

• Professional: $9.95 per user per month
• Business: $19.95 per user per month

5. HubSpot Sales Hub: Scalable CRM for Streamlined Sales

The HubSpot Sales Hub CRM offers a simple interface streamlining data collection, management, and visualization, facilitating better decision-making for sales teams. 

Companies use HubSpot to enhance the cross-platform integration and data synchronization between HubSpot and other systems. The CRM helps you build efficient pipelines and offers route planning capabilities with add-ons from Mapsly and Badger Maps.

Features

• Unified customer data: provides a centralized view of customer information, enabling teams to gain deeper insights.
• Maximize production: The CRM automates tasks like call logging, reporting, and deal creation, freeing up sales reps’ time.
• Routing maps Integration: easily integrates with route planning and management applications like Mapsly or Badger Maps, enhancing sales teams’ client touchpoints.
• Artificial Intelligence: utilizes AI to identify and merge duplicate entries, improving data accuracy.

Pros

• Cross-platform functionality: the CRM offers a wide range of features and customization options.
• Applications integration: it connects with various business applications through third-party integrations and the HubSpot App Marketplace.

Cons

• Limited client support: some users report issues with customer support, particularly with chat support.
• Pricing: the pricing plans can be relatively expensive, with frequent upselling of features and options.

Ratings

• 4.5/5 star rating on G2
• 4.3/5 star rating on Capterra
• 4.4/5 star rating on Gartner

Pricing plans

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

Pipeline CRM Is the Best Route Planning and Optimization CRM Software

If your business relies on on-field sales teams, investing in a CRM solution with a robust mobile app is essential. Look for CRMs that offer route planning and optimization features, enabling your sales reps to reduce travel time, optimize appointment scheduling, and control costs.

Pipeline CRM offers these features and more. The mobile app empowers your outside sales teams to access and update lead information on the go, while the inside sales team can collaborate with other departments to further process progressing sales leads. This integrated approach leads to an improved sales pipeline, faster sales cycles, and a more productive sales process overall.

But don’t just take our word for it, try Pipeline CRM yourself. Sign up today and get a 14-day free trial!

FAQs on Route Planning Mobile CRM Software

1. What Are the Benefits of Adopting a CRM with a Route Planning Feature?

Some of the benefits of having a CRM with route planning and optimization solutions are:

• Enhanced efficiency: route optimization minimizes travel time and maximizes productivity, allowing sales teams to cover more ground and see more clients.
• Reduced costs: by reducing travel time and fuel consumption, route optimization can lead to significant cost savings for businesses.
• Improved customer satisfaction: timely and efficient visits enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

2. How Does CRM Sales Route Planning Work?

CRM sales route planning is typically implemented via mobile versions of CRM software. Locations are extracted from contact details within the CRM database and visualized on an interactive map. This allows users to identify locations, plan efficient routes, and navigate using pinch-to-zoom and location-tracking features.

3. Is Pipeline’s Mobile Route Planning CRM Compatible with My Device?

Yes, Pipeline CRM offers mobile applications compatible with both iOS and Android platforms. The route planning feature is powered by Google Maps, ensuring accurate route planning capabilities with a familiar user interface. For more detailed information, please visit this page.

An agency CRM system gives you the platform you need to set and meet client expectations consistently over time. Today, we’ll take a closer look at how three agency businesses use Pipeline’s agency CRM to do just that. 

1. MGECOM: Multiple Years of Growth with Pipeline CRM for Agencies

The first on the list of our CRM agency users is MGECOM. MGECOM is an advertising agency focused on affiliate program management. They became a Pipeline CRM customer in June 2006, shortly after they launched. Pipeline CRM has helped MGECOM scale from a tiny operation in the founder’s spare bedroom to one of the largest and best-performing affiliate program management agencies in their niche.

MGECOM came to Pipeline CRM with specific needs and requirements: 

• Manage MGECOM’s messaging, flow, and frequency of touchpoints
• Tell salespeople what to do and when to do it
• Scale up or down with demand 

“Since we started in 2006, we’ve gone from tracking three or five deals at a time to having a couple hundred prospects in various stages of our sales pipeline at any given time,” says MGECOM CEO Matt Enders. “Our messaging, flow, and frequency of touchpoints have certainly evolved over the years, but Pipeline CRM keeps us from making missteps, no matter how complex things get.”

Here are some of the other Pipeline CRM features that helped MEGOCOM scale and make our CRM agency one of the best CRM solutions in the market:

• Smart agendas: daily agendas that populate automatically. Create an intuitive to-do list for your team while they perform daily sales tasks.
• Smart emails: use advanced rules and conditions to automate lead engagement, send welcome messages, and resurrect dead leads.
• Robust reporting features: MGECOM relied on deal insight, activity tracking, and sales forecasting reports to gain a macro- and micro-level view of their organization’s performance. 

“Our greatest challenge is the same as it’s always been: getting someone to put their signature on the dotted line,” says Enders. “Pipeline CRM helps us maximize each opportunity. Our business development team keeps it open in a window whenever they’re working. We use it to track every communication we have with every prospect.”

As CEO, Enders stays on top of everything with Pipeline CRM’s robust reporting features. “On a day-to-day basis, I can get the 30,000-foot view and see where things are, but when I need to dig in, it’s just a matter of a couple of decisive clicks to get the specifics I need.”

Results From Pipeline CRM 

MGECOM relies on Pipeline CRM to tell its salespeople what to do and when to do it. It keeps track of everything in a customized manner, so they never miss a deal. The best part is that Pipeline CRM is incredibly affordable. 

“The tracking has to be much more robust than any one person’s brain. Pipeline CRM gives us scalability. It’s full-featured and incredibly inexpensive. Nobody has to be tied to a database, and all of our documentation is readily accessible to everyone who needs it.” 

Even better, Pipeline CRM allows MGECOM to manage personnel changes with ease. “When we’re getting someone new up and running, we don’t even need support documentation. It’s so intuitive. A new person can start using Pipeline CRM and be comfortable within a day of playing with the interface.”

Continue reading the MGECOM case study to learn more about our agency CRM.

2. Evergrowth: SaaS Sales Incubator Relies on Pipeline CRM

Lithuanian consulting firm Evergrowth started as an in-house incubator for Practica Capital, a European venture capital company. Evergrowth accelerates B2B Software as a Service (SaaS) startups across Europe by helping sales and marketing teams develop predictable sales pipelines within a data-driven sales framework. They turn SaaS companies into sales machines. 

Here’s what Evergrowth needed:

• Robust data reporting: Evergrowth has strict data reporting requirements. They need to be able to analyze client performance at any given time.
• Comprehensive CRM integration: Evergrowth needed an agency CRM that could work with its already established technology stack. It needed plug-and-play functionality that would allow it to sync its tools together in a few short clicks.
• Agenda feature: This feature simplifies tasks for sales leaders, making their jobs easier. Smart agendas, enabling customized filters and columns, and AI assistants ensure everyone knows what needs to be done daily.

Evergrowth’s CEO, Jean-Baptiste Daguen, had this to say about Pipeline. “Our business and our SaaS clients make decisions, thrive, and run on data. That’s why we love Pipeline CRM just as much as our clients. Pipeline’s game-changing features include its straightforward integration with Google and Excel.” Daguen also pointed out the agenda feature, which makes sales leaders’ jobs easier by enabling customized filters and columns. “Other CRMs are so much more limited in how data is displayed.”

Here are some of the other Pipeline CRM features that helped Evergrowth scale SaaS companies:

• A sales-first CRM: Evergrowth needed a flexible, simple, easy-to-use CRM that could be customized and adapted to the sales team’s needs. Pipeline CRM’s platform offers flexibility to customize deal stages, data, analysis, reporting, fields, forms, and more
• Robust sales data management: with just one click, Evergrowth can record and freeze their data in the CRM database. This action only takes just 3 minutes with Pipeline CRM but could take up to an hour with other agency CRMs
• Training and onboarding: Pipeline CRM provided the Evergrowth team with extensive training, onboarding, and support.

Daguen onboards his clients with a two-day workshop. During those sessions he helps define their ideal customer profile. He continues their training by showing them how to create filters and dashboards.

“I’m a sales guy myself, so one of my favorite tools before using Pipeline CRM was spreadsheets,” said Daguen. “Pipeline CRM is a great transition from spreadsheets and so much more intuitive. You can work easily with its inline editing, create filters, add columns, and make unique lists to ultimately see where you can add value in your pipeline.”

Results From Pipeline CRM

Evergrowth has seen steady growth since adopting Pipeline’s agency CRM system. Although its agency has 20 employees, it constantly tries to recruit two to four employees every month to keep up with the demand for its services. 

“What differentiates us is that we are an extension of our clients’ teams. We challenge them on the sales process, think with them, and ask them why they are contacting certain leads. Along the way, we help businesses solve problems, and Pipeline CRM helps us accomplish that.”

Continue reading the Evergrowth case study to learn more about our agency CRM.

3. Wire Stone and TenthWave Use Pipeline’s Agency CRM to Manage Merger Transition

Wire Stone is a digital marketing agency with eight offices worldwide. Established in 2000, this full-service agency provides marketing transformation, demand generation, audience engagement, and experiential branding to its clients. 

Wire Stone used Excel, Salesforce, and various other CRM platforms in the past. From a scaling perspective, these options were either too complicated or unmanageable for the team. When Wire Stone merged with TenthWave, they decided to take a closer look at what they were using. They couldn’t pass up the combination of Pipeline CRM’s simple navigation and intuitive user interface.

Wire Stone came to Pipeline CRM with the following needs: 

• Simple CRM system: they wanted a simple, easy-to-use option that didn’t require major support from IT or major investment.
• Keep team members in the loop: with multiple user rights, roles, and responsibilities, they needed to make sure everyone had need-to-know information right at their fingertips.
• Monitor sales opportunities in real-time: to ensure that they can go over deals with a fine toothcomb.

Craig Wishner, Global Business Director at Tenthwave Digital and Wire Stone, shares his thoughts about Pipeline CRM.

“I made sure that we kept Pipeline CRM when Wire Stone acquired us because it’s a tool I utilize and like to use. I didn’t want something I wasn’t familiar with. To me, having that repository of information makes life easier because it allows you to go back and see when you talked to a prospect or customer list, as well as what the conversation was about,” Wishner said.

Here’s a look at the core agency CRM features Wire Stone needed for their business:

• Simple setup, no admin required: Wire Stone could import, set up, and manage their business post-merger without admin support. No need to call IT for help, no fighting with group policies or custom operating systems.
• Effortless CRM data migration: TenthWave and Wire Stone needed to migrate all their sales CRM data from Salesforce and import it into Pipeline CRM. The data transferring feature from Pipeline CRM made that easy, saving time and money.
• Deals tab: many Wire Stone employees use it as a repository to help track new business outreach and opportunities. They monitor current and future clients, as well as track the progress of what’s moving forward
• Account customization: Wire Stone needed to provide their organization with need-to-know access to customer and deal information. Pipeline CRM enabled Wire Stone to customize and set user rights and permissions, ensuring everyone had the data they needed and nothing more

“If you don’t have a tool, process, or approach to conducting your business, you’re in quicksand,” Wishner says. “You have to have some type of mechanism that keeps you embracing your different outreach… Pipeline CRM does that for me.”

Results From Pipeline CRM 

Our customizable contact and sales management allows Wire Stone to easily record and track all leads within the sales pipeline. They can add personalized notes to each deal, allowing them to leverage this information to accelerate the deal-closing process.

When first jumping on board with Pipeline CRM at Tenthwave, it was a breeze to export all of our data from Salesforce to Pipeline CRM. We had lots of information to retain, and being able to transfer that information over to Pipeline CRM was instrumental for us.

To me, having that repository of information makes life easier because it allows you to go back and see when you talked to a prospect or customer list, as well as what the conversation was about,” Wishner said. “Any golden nugget that can help you in a conversation is important to me. Pipeline CRM was the conduit for data transfer, which lent itself to better organization and productivity across our teams.”

Continue reading the Wire Stone case study to learn more about our agency CRM.

Pipeline CRM: The Key to Sales Success

Set expectations, and meet expectations. This formula is the key to more sales revenue for your agency.

Clients buy when they trust you. Setting and meeting expectations over time builds a strong agency/client relationship. When you have an agency CRM system, you have a clear path to increased trust and revenue. The better your agency is at meeting client expectations, the easier it will be to persuade each of your agency clients to spend big.

Learn more about Pipeline CRM’s powerful features for agencies. or check out our integrations here. And when you’re ready to test our agency CRM, sign up for a 14-day free trial!

In this blog, we’ll delve into four innovative email strategies tailored specifically for logistics and transportation companies. We’ll explore advanced techniques beyond standard practices like personalization and subject lines. Our focus will be on strategies like “email rebound” and “one goal, one link” to maximize impact.

To support these strategies, we’ll also discuss essential tools such as custom CRM for logistics companies and AI-powered email writing assistants.

Before diving into these strategies, let’s establish a solid foundation for logistics email marketing.

Email Marketing Benchmarks for Logistics and Transportation Companies

What is considered a good email marketing benchmark for the logistics and transportation industry?

Based on our research and data from Mailchimp’s study, the email benchmark for the logistics and transportation industry is as follows:

• The average open rate is 33.25%
• The average click-through rate is 2.56%
• The unsubscribe rate is 0.24%
• The hard bounce rate is 0.24%
• The soft bounce rate is 0.78%

Want to know other email benchmarks for manufacturing, construction, and distribution companies? Download our free ebook to get all the details.

Okay, what does this tell us? 

Your logistics and transportation customers are still reading your emails, so email marketing is still a viable marketing channel. This fact leads us to the next most obvious question. What’s the best email marketing strategy for logistics and transportation companies?

The Best Email Marketing Strategy for Logistics Companies

The best logistics email marketing strategy builds consistent relationships with customers over time. One vital role of high-performing email marketing is its content.

Generally, there are three approaches to writing good email marketing content: 

• Entertainment: Content that’s specifically designed to amuse and delight your audience. 

• Education: Systematic, step-by-step instruction that teaches customers how to achieve a specific outcome.

• Edutainment: A combination of educational content and entertainment. 

The edutainment approach can work, but getting these customers to spend money is challenging since their primary interest is entertainment. It’s best to choose the right path from the start—in this case, the education. Here’s why.

Customers who seek knowledge are more likely to become loyal customers. By providing valuable insights, such as:

• Case studies
• Customer reviews
• Free courses, apps, and templates
• Quizzes, surveys, and polls
• Webinars and workshops
• Ebooks
• Market updates

You position yourself as a trusted industry expert. These content formats naturally complement each other, creating a cohesive narrative that drives conversions. For instance, market updates can spark interest in case studies, ultimately leading to quote requests and long-term customer relationships.

In the next section, we’ll explore specific email campaign strategies to optimize your educational content.

Strategy 1: Broadcast to AR Sequences

An autoresponder (AR) sequence is an incredibly effective way to segment, qualify, and win customers. You create a list of emails and automatically send them out on a schedule. 

If you create compelling email messages, it’s easy to nurture, follow up with, and close new customers. However, if the emails are filled with meaningless content, your prospects will remove themselves from the conversation.

How do you consistently attract customers and boost revenue with AR sequences?

The answer lies in rigorous message testing. By sending out broadcast emails, your sales team can experiment with different content types and messaging to identify what truly resonates with your audience. Broadcast emails offer a low-risk environment to test various elements such as:

• Timing and frequency
• Subject lines, sender names, wording, and calls-to-action
• Visuals
• Landing pages
• Personalization and offers
• Customer segmentation

Once you’ve pinpointed the winning combinations, integrate these high-performing messages into your AR sequences. This strategic approach maximizes your return on investment by ensuring your automated communications deliver consistent results.

Using Email Broadcasts with Pipeline CRM for Logistics

To successfully implement this strategy, you’ll need:

• A diverse range of content tailored to different customer segments.
• Sales reps actively share content and provide feedback within your CRM.
• Detailed performance metrics to identify top-performing content.
• A well-structured content tagging system.

And follow this process:

1. Create and Test Broadcast Emails: Develop a variety of broadcast messages aligned with your content library. Conduct statistically significant tests by sending emails at different times, ensuring equal sample sizes for each test group. Utilize BCC tracking within your CRM, like with Pipeline CRM, to gather comprehensive performance data.
2. Identify Winning Messages: Analyze test results to determine the most effective content, timing, and messaging.
3. Integrate into AR Sequences: Incorporate high-performing broadcast messages into your automated response sequences to optimize customer engagement and conversions.

By following these steps and leveraging the necessary resources, you can significantly enhance your email marketing efforts and drive revenue growth.

Need AI help to streamline your email marketing messages?

Check out Pipeline CRM’s built-in AI email writing feature. It empowers you to write and re-write a personalized email with just a few clicks. See the demo below and learn more about its extensive use in this AI email writing blog.

Broadcast Email Templates to Re-Engage Cold Logistics

Strategy 2: Email Sales Phases

What’s the fastest way to build trust with prospects? You set expectations and then meet them. Successful email campaigns operate in phases, each with a specific goal or objective. Every email you send should fit into one of these five phases. 

• Indoctrination: You introduce prospects to your company, set expectations, and make friends.

• Engagement: You chat with prospects about their desires, goals, and interests. After you introduce them to a relevant product and service, you ask for the sale.

• Ascension: You welcome new customers, and you invite them to purchase a relevant product or service from you again. 

• Segmentation: In this phase, you determine what customers want to learn from you and what they want to buy next. 

• Re-engagement: This phase is all about reigning a warm relationship that has gone cold—restoring the relationship. 

Sales is the natural byproduct of relationships. These goals keep your team’s focus on building strong relationships. Additionally, your prospects expect you to provide value in every interaction. This means every email you send should have compelling value for customers. 

Using Email Phases with Pipeline CRM for Logistics

Work to create one to two messages for each phase.

• Indoctrination messages (e.g., welcome, expectations, or cadence messages) should answer the who, what, why, how often, and next steps questions. 
• Engagement messages are focused on one thing: closing. The purpose of engagement emails is to make an offer. This is essential for logistics companies because customers often treat your industry as a commodity. An irresistible offer changes that—it’s simply too good for customers to pass up. For logistics, this could be as simple as sharing their quotes and letting them know when their quote is about to expire. 

• Ascension messages are intended for customers who purchased in the engagement phase. For every customer who made a purchase, there are still more customers who would buy more. For example, customers who purchased 3PL services may be interested in warehousing services. 
• Segmentation messages are designed to get customers (or prospects) to raise their hands and express interest in a specific topic or service. Once that happens, prospects are placed in the engagement series relevant to their interest. 
• Re-engagement messages help your logistics company to restore the relationship, re-engage, win back, and re-energize old or dying leads. 

Logistics Sales Email Templates for Proposal and Decision-Stage Follow-Ups

When you have sent a proposal and are waiting for the client’s decision, following up can be tricky. You don’t want to look too pushy, nor do you want the lead to go cold. So what’s the right balance? 

Here is a logistics email template to help you follow up and keep the deal moving without sounding intrusive.

Sending individual follow-up emails to each client manually takes a lot of time that you could be using to improve sales strategies. 

So what’s the solution? Automate your follow-up emails with Pipeline CRM. 

You can segment your email list according to demographics and deal stages, and set up advanced rules and conditions to choose who gets your emails. You can even run A/B tests so your follow-ups are highly relevant and help you close deals a lot faster. 

Strategy 3: Boost Conversions with ‘One Goal, One Link’ Technique (1G1L)

Let’s take a look at an example in an unrelated industry. It’s common for email marketing newsletters to look like this:

Macy’s email marketing often falls victim to overcomplication. Overloaded with multiple links (31 to be exact) and unclear objectives, these emails fail to resonate with specific customer segments.

To enhance email effectiveness, adopt a 1G1L strategy: One Goal, One Link. By focusing on a single, clear objective and directing customers to a specific action, you significantly improve the chances of conversion.

The power of clarity cannot be overstated. When customers can quickly grasp your offer, they are more likely to engage and convert. This principle aligns with the core components of a strong value proposition: clarity, appeal, exclusivity, and credibility. A clear message is the foundation upon which these elements can be built.

By simplifying your email content and directing attention to a single call to action, you enhance cognitive fluency and increase the likelihood of customer action.

Using 1G1L with Pipeline CRM for Logistics

A robust CRM is essential for executing a successful 1G1L strategy. Unlike email service providers, CRMs offer a comprehensive view of customer interactions, enabling granular data analysis.

This rich data empowers you to:

• Create highly targeted segments: Identify specific customer groups based on behavior and preferences.
• Develop laser-focused offers: Tailor content and calls to action for maximum impact.
• Measure campaign performance accurately: Pinpoint the effectiveness of each email and optimize future efforts.

By simplifying your email messaging and combining it with robust CRM data, you eliminate the guesswork often associated with complex marketing campaigns. This approach fosters accountability and empowers your team to make data-driven decisions.

High-Converting Quote Request Email Templates for Logistics Businesses

Now, when the lead you worked so hard to nurture finally asks for a quote, your reply has to sustain the warmth and interest you have built over the stages. So, just sending them some vague estimation won’t work. Your job is to make it easy for them to say yes. 

Add this template to your email marketing campaigns to guarantee a positive response: 

Strategy 4: Rebound To Build Relationships

Email metrics offer valuable insights, but they provide a limited view of customer engagement. Traditional metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates paint a partial picture. To gain a deeper understanding of customer behavior and optimize marketing efforts, a more holistic approach, like rebounding, is required.

Rebounding is the key to unlocking a wealth of data. By guiding prospects from email to website, social media, and beyond, you create a comprehensive customer journey. This interconnected approach allows you to:

• Measure engagement at every touchpoint: Track interactions, preferences, and buying signals across different platforms.
• Build stronger customer relationships: Foster deeper connections through personalized and relevant content.
• Optimize marketing spend: Allocate resources effectively by identifying high-performing channels and campaigns.

Consider this example: A prospect engages with an email case study, visits the website, shares content on social media, and ultimately becomes a customer. This journey generates a wealth of data that can be analyzed to refine future marketing strategies.

By embracing a rebounding approach, businesses can transform data into actionable insights, driving increased customer acquisition and retention.

Using Rebounding with Pipeline CRM for Logistics

“How to increase sales for logistics companies.” 

It’s a common question logistics companies ask Google. Rebounding via CRM retargeting is a straightforward way for logistics companies to increase sales. You take your first-party data—specific lead segments or your email list as a whole—and connect it to your customers on other platforms (e.g., Google Ads, LinkedIn Ads, etc.). 

With CRM retargeting, the sky’s the limit. You can use it to: 

• Sort subscribers into segments (groups based on attributes) or cohorts (groups based on behavior) and sell to those groups specifically on third-party platforms. 
• Precisely target offers—upselling, downselling, or cross-selling to ultra-relevant groups. 
• Presell exclusive offers or incentives to specific segments or cohorts (e.g., medium-sized ecommerce retailers who need warehousing support) via your marketing channels (e.g., email, social, paid ads, organic search, etc.).
• Create content that’s tailor-made for specific segments or cohorts. 

Here’s the best part about CRM retargeting. It’s a cookie-less, more precise, and privacy-friendly option that allows logistics and transportation companies to work with prospects who are already on their list.

It’s also important to give each marketing channel and platform its own content. It’s common for people to take the easy way out: They create content once and then share the same content on all their social media profiles. You’re training your subscribers and customers to ignore your content.

If they follow you on Facebook, they won’t follow you on Instagram or LinkedIn because you share the same content everywhere. They don’t want to see the same content in their inbox repeatedly.

This frustration doesn’t mean you can’t discuss the same topic. You absolutely can just change the angle.

Let’s say you decided to share a 3PL whitepaper on LinkedIn. You can also:

• Share a PDF presentation on SlideShare
• Post images of cargo theft on Instagram
• Upload a “How to find a great 3PL” YouTube
• Research factoid from your whitepaper on X

The topic is the same, but the content varies depending on the channel and platform. This approach gives subscribers/followers a compelling reason to follow you across all marketing channels. 

Check-In Email Templates to Rebuild Logistics Client Relationships

Here is a check-in template to help you out:

Strategy 5: Geo-Targeted Email Campaigns to Personalize Logistics Outreach

If you are reaching out to customers or businesses in different regions, sending the same email to everyone just doesn’t work. Shipping challenges in Chicago won’t be the same as those in Nebraska, and your emails must reflect that to convince the prospect. 

That’s why you should optimize your email campaigns with geo-targeting so that customers only get emails relevant to their specific region and its logistics challenges. 

Follow these steps to run highly targeted email marketing campaigns: 

• Segment your customer list by location and send updates on new service lanes, route expansions, or local partnerships
• Highlight region-specific case studies to build trust and credibility
• Offer time-bound discounts or perks tailored to high-demand delivery zones
• Send regional alerts for delivery disruptions or delays 
• Promote local warehousing or fulfillment solutions to businesses in high-density areas
• Share localized insights or reports on shipping trends, fuel costs, or route efficiencies in their area

Using Lead Segmentation and Location-Based Customization with Pipeline CRM

Let’s say you’re sending logistics emails to prospects in Miami. Here is how it could look: 

But the problem is, you won’t do this for one location. That means multiple customer segments with overlapping elements. 

How do you make sense of all this? Leverage Pipeline CRM’s lead management, and let us help you with:

• Organizing leads by region, demographics, and more
• Tracking every interaction with detailed records
• Using historical data and profiles for context
• Sending emails that feel personal and value-driven, drafted using our AI email assistant

Email Marketing Is the Future of Logistics

Contrary to popular opinion, email marketing for logistics and transportation companies is growing. And if you haven’t optimized your email marketing strategies, it’s time to level it up. 

The best email marketing strategy builds consistent relationships with customers over time. Focus on content that leads to revenue. Orient your team around the primary goal—more revenue—and you’ll find identifying the right email marketing strategy is simple. 

If you’re looking for a CRM that supports seamless integration with Gmail, Outlook, and email marketing apps like Mailchimp, Pipeline CRM is a great option. Plus, we offer a built-in email drip campaign and AI email writing assistance features, empowering you to do more to increase your logistics email marketing performance and, ultimately, the sales funnel.

Check out Pipeline CRM’s email solutions; and when you’re ready to try it for free, sign up here.

Fortunately, the painting services market is back to being highly competitive and rewarding. To keep up with this rapidly expanding construction market, painting contractors will need to have a system in place to:

• Manage customer communication
• Track painting deals and contracts
• Streamline documentation and records
• Manage leads and proposals

This is where a painting contractor CRM comes into play. As a contractor sales tool, a CRM offers an all-in-one solution for managing bids, scheduling jobs, communicating with customers, and tracking revenue. In this blog, we’ll compare some of the best painting contractor CRMs available on the market.

Why Painting Contractor CRM Software is Important

Construction painting businesses often struggle with managing sales effectively. A lack of a unified database and delays in responding to leads hinder growth. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) with a centralized repository and user-friendly dashboard can streamline operations and improve efficiency.

With a painting contractor CRM software, you can:

• Automate sales processes and data entry
• Make data-driven decisions based on sales reporting and forecasting
• Collaborate easily with team members and customers

Plus, if your business is rooted in construction, as many painting contractors are, our dedicated CRM for construction companies is tailored to help you manage complex workflows, bids, and client relationships seamlessly.

Exploring various CRM features and packages can help you narrow down what you want. To get started, here are some top CRMs for painting services.

Pipeline CRM: A Comprehensive CRM for Painting Businesses

The first on our list of the best painting contractor CRMs is Pipeline CRM. With an intuitive framework and easy integration features, Pipeline CRM is a great CRM for painting businesses. This platform allows contractors to focus on accelerating sales by simplifying and optimizing bidding.

Pipeline CRM is a good option if you’re looking for a custom CRM solution to automate workflows, store customizable sales and client data, and track multiple sales pipelines simultaneously. And for those in a hurry, Pipeline’s painting contractor CRM can go live within 48 hours.

Features

• Customizable deal stages to match your team’s language
• Accurate sales forecasting and trend analysis
• Trackable email campaigns and activities for bulk and drip emails
• Easy integration with other business tools and apps like Gmail and QuickBooks
• Secure, unlimited storage 
• Role-based user permissions

Pros

• Efficient lead management (tracking and nurturing) that helps win more business
• Intuitive interface with minimal learning time and ample tutorial and guided resources
• Custom CRM solutions, such as the customer data management and lead management
• Instant notification for incoming emails, changing deal statuses, and more
• Sales team task allocation and activity tracking for better accountability

Cons

• Best for small to medium-sized painting and other construction-type businesses

Reviews

• 4.4/5 star rating on G2 (930 reviews) 
• 4.3/5 star rating on Capterra (623 reviews)
• 8.4/10 score on TrustRadius (17 reviews and ratings)
• 4.2 star rating on Gartner (41 ratings)

Pricing

• Start plan: $25 per user per month
• Develop plan: $33 per user per month
• Grow plan: $49 per user per month

Salesforce CRM: A Robust CRM with Sales Training Features

Probably one of the most recognizable names on the list, the Salesforce CRM is indeed a force to be reckoned with. It helps painting contractors control sales in a generalized way and offers pictorial representations of data for easy digestion.

Salesforce boasts of over 150,000 companies as clients, helping them sell faster, scale their offerings, win better deals, and build lasting customer relationships. The platform also has many other sales and service-related products and services.

Features

• Pipeline management and deal forecasting
• Account, contact, and lead management
• Diverse app and tool integrations
• Contact information storage and sales chances
• Marketing campaigns and analytics

Pros

• Highly customizable system
• Dedicated apps and tools for different functions (vast app marketplace)
• Best for medium to large painting companies
• Integration with virtually all other business tools and apps

Cons

• Can be expensive and too complicated for smaller businesses
• The many offerings can be confusing/intimidating
• Steep learning curve

Reviews

• 4.3/5 star rating on G2 (3867 reviews) 
• 4.4/5 star rating on Capterra (18401 reviews)
• 8.4/10 score on TrustRadius (3228 reviews and ratings)
• 4.4 star rating on Gartner (1788 ratings)

Pricing

• Starter plan: $24 per user per month
• Professional plan: $80 per user per month
• Enterprise plan: $165 per user per month
• Unlimited plan: $330 per user per month

Jobber CRM: A CRM with a Large Repository of Contractors

Jobber CRM is next up on this best CRM for painting businesses list. This platform has a vast contractor repository of over 200,000 home service professionals, focusing on industries like cleaning, mechanical, repair, and contracting services.

Jobber lets you track and store complete job information and communication history for each project or undertaking. You can also create detailed client profiles, automate notifications, and give clients a personalized and meaningful experience. 

Features

• Client manager
• Online booking and automatic scheduling
• Invoicing and follow-ups with professional templates
• Client hub and customer communications
• Reporting and marketing tools

Pros

• Availability of mobile app 
• Easy to use and clean, simple interface
• Streamlined scheduling and payments

Cons

• Not as extensively customizable as other painting CRMs
• Limited sales pipeline features
• Expensive considering the limited features

Reviews

• 4.5/5 star rating on G2 (255 reviews) 
• 4.5/5 star rating on Capterra (757 reviews)
• 6.3/10 score on TrustRadius (21 reviews and ratings)

Pricing

• Core plan: $69 per user per month
• Connect plan: $169 per 5 users per month
• Grow plan: $349 per 15 users per month

Zoho CRM: A CRM Focuses on Customer Experiences

Zoho CRM is a comprehensive platform that helps businesses manage sales, customers, and operations. Its customizable features and workflow optimization make it ideal for painting contractors. By integrating customer service, marketing, data management, and scheduling, Zoho CRM offers a centralized solution for streamlined business processes.

Features

• Deal and lead management
• Sales process building with review features
• Communication omnichannel (social, email, and telephone)
• Marketing reports and analytics
• Sales enablement and performance management

Pros

• Affordable and good balance of features 
• Highly customizable with an extensive app interface

Cons

• Too many features in the interface confuse some users 
• Some features are not as polished or fully developed as competitors

Reviews

• 4.1/5 star rating on G2 (2643 reviews) 
• 4.3/5 star rating on Capterra (6752 reviews)
• 8.3/10 score on TrustRadius (940 reviews and ratings)
• 4.3 star rating on Gartner (790 ratings)

Pricing

• Standard plan: Around $10 per user per month
• Professional plan: Around $16 per user per month
• Enterprise plan: Around $28 per user per month
• Ultimate plan: Around $31 per user per month

Housecall Pro CRM: A CRM With Time Tracking Feature

Housecall Pro is a comprehensive CRM designed for field service businesses. It simplifies job scheduling, invoicing, payments, and customer management. With online booking capabilities, Housecall Pro helps painting contractors reduce paperwork, optimize dispatch, and boost revenue.

Features

• Sales pipeline and review management
• Employee management, reporting, and time tracking
• Customer experience management and communication
• Business app integrations
• Scheduling, dispatching, and payments
• Real-time updates and notifications

Pros

• User-friendly interface and easy, quick onboarding
• All-in-one solution for home service companies/contractors
• Efficient customer support and scheduling management

Cons

• Limited and/or missing features 
• No specialized focus on the sales pipeline
• Can be expensive for larger teams

Reviews

• 4.2/5 star rating on G2 (156 reviews) 
• 4.7/5 star rating on Capterra (2789 reviews)
• 9.2/10 score on TrustRadius (8 reviews and ratings)

Pricing

• Basic plan: $49 per user per month
• Essentials plan: $129 per 5 users per month
• Max plan: Price on demand, 100+ users per month

What’s the Best Painting Contractor CRM? It’s Pipeline CRM

A Contractor sales tool like CRM is essential for painting businesses. For instance, painting CRM can help you create irresistible bids, efficiently manage leads and deals, and automate mundane sales tasks.

If you’re looking for a painting contractor CRM, consider Pipeline CRM. Our custom CRM solution is easy to use and affordable. See how Webfoot Painting, a two-person team, achieved 35% YoY growth and a 15% increase in closing rate during winter with Pipeline CRM to give you an idea of Pipeline CRM’s capabilities.

And when you’re ready to achieve similar results, check out Pipeline CRM’s pricing plans to get started!

So, how do you build a positive name and credibility in the construction industry? By offering quality service and building trustworthy customer relationships. Achieving these is much easier if you use a custom sales CRM for construction, like Pipeline CRM.

As one of the best CRMs for construction companies, Pipeline CRM has proven to improve the sales performance of three construction businesses. Who are they and how exactly does Pipeline CRM’s sales solution grow their businesses exponentially? Read on to find out. 

1. Reno Renovations

Founded in 2011, Reno Renovations specializes in preservation, restoration, and general construction. In just 13 years, it has already established itself as a trusted construction company in Chicago.

Challenges They Faced

As their operations scaled, Reno Renovations had to handle large amounts of sales data, multiple project timelines, and complex construction projects. Tackling these challenges requires efficient communication between all the stakeholders to ensure no important data slips through the cracks. 

Reno Renovations first went the traditional way. They tried to maintain one massive Excel spreadsheet for their sales pipeline, organized by Open, Pending Payment, and Paid deals. However, as the business grew, the system kept getting increasingly chaotic. 

Office Manager Jillian Shuttleworth recalled, “It was really crazy. Sometimes we’d accidentally delete things or put them in the wrong field. We couldn’t run reports.” 

They desperately needed a scalable construction lead management solution to organize project data and offer ample collaboration tools.

Features They Used

Reno Renovations loves Pipeline CRM’s customization: data fields, deal stages, and even dashboard colors can all be tailored to their business. Shuttleworth finds the single data source in the lead management system invaluable, allowing her to provide on-site crews with instant information.

“When our guys in the field call me, I can give them answers instantly. What’s the access code for this lockbox? What’s the number for that plumber we worked with last year? When is the carpet going to be delivered? There it is!”

Furthermore, Pipeline CRM goes beyond deal management for Reno Renovations. It empowers them to stay on top of their entire business. Every morning, as Shuttleworth describes, she starts her day by reviewing the Pipeline CRM dashboard, gaining a clear view of where each deal stands. The sales team management feature allows her to create custom to-do lists and follow up with team members to ensure timely completion of tasks.

This comprehensive system doesn’t stop there. Pipeline CRM’s robust sales pipeline tracker lets them visualize every deal, organize timelines, and track the progress of each bid. This empowers Reno Renovations to handle day-to-day operations efficiently while maintaining strong, long-term client relationships.

The Results

Reno Renovations trusted Pipeline’s custom CRM solution, and it paid off. Made by salespeople for salespeople, Pipeline CRM drove 10% growth for the construction company each year for the last two years. 

Shuttleworth also mentioned how they effectively improved client relationships, particularly thanks to our sales pipeline tracker, “Pipeline CRM has made my life so much easier. Clients feel like we’re really on top of things, and we feel confident that we’re on top of all our deals.”

2. Bay Area Underpinning

Bay Area Underpinning is a construction company that provides foundational settlement and repair solutions to North Carolina homeowners. For the last 19 years, the organization has delivered excellent building repair services and gained their community’s trust. 

Challenges They Faced 

Bay Area Underpinning needed something more than a client database, They wanted a solution that helped them maintain seamless exchange of information between the crew and the client. For that, they had to find a CRM that integrates with Excel and other Microsoft Office tools and offers quick access to the relevant client data. 

Features They Used

In their quest for the perfect custom sales CRM for construction, the company stumbled upon Pipeline CRM and gave it a go. 

One of the features Bay Area Underpinning loves most is our sales pipeline management. It acts as a centralized repository for all past client interactions, notes, and documents related to each construction project. With everything readily accessible from any device, the team has all the necessary information at their fingertips. This empowers them to effortlessly guide on-site crews and ensure services perfectly align with each customer’s specific expectations.

Pipeline CRM also boosts team collaboration with smart task management. The office manager can schedule Estimator appointments and share key customer notes. This seamless flow lets Estimators adjust schedules, create references, and update customer details. Easy-to-view reports further empower Bay Area Underpinning to generate forecasts and manage pipelines efficiently.

Additionally, Pipeline CRM also fosters healthy competition with sales goal leaderboards, motivating individual sales rep performance. Automated email follow-ups ensure timely communication and eliminate guesswork about estimate delivery. This frees Bay Area Underpinning to focus on its expertise: exceptional construction services.

The Results

Thanks to our custom sales CRM for construction, Bay Area Underpinning saw a sales growth of 15 to 20%. Pipeline has also helped them strengthen their team, demonstrate top-notch work quality, and build meaningful client relationships.

3. A David Creation

Three generations of painting contractors run deep in David Chism’s family. This rich legacy fuels his marketing and consultancy firm, “A David Creation,” which specializes in helping painting contractors thrive.

Challenges They Faced

David’s mission was clear: streamline both in-office and on-site services for his construction clients, minimizing manual data entry and simplifying their lives. He knew one thing for sure – contractors craved a custom CRM built for construction. It had to be simple, easy to learn, and cater to the specific needs of painting contractors.

Features They Used

Keeping all his requirements in view, Pipeline CRM was David’s “first choice from the start.” He explained how painting contractors need only the simple and necessary features and Pipeline CRM offered them exactly that with affordable plans. 

A David Creation uses the lead management feature to create custom deal stages and follow the lead from start to finish. The company also improved productivity with Pipeline’s automated email campaigns CRM and project management tools. 

Additionally, David especially appreciates the ease of report generation on Pipeline CRM. Compared to the “super challenging” process he experienced with Salesforce, creating reports on our platform is a breeze. “I use Pipeline CRM a lot for my customers. I get in there as much as they do to run reports myself. It takes no time at all!” 

The Results

Integrating Pipeline’s custom CRM solution in its operations lets A David Creation expand its clientele and build positive customer relationships. Since 2009, Chism built a diverse client base that includes small companies with $500,000 in annual revenue as well as big names generating $20 million in revenue. In fact, 75% of David’s clients now use Pipeline CRM for their own operations. 

An Overview of Pipeline’s Custom CRM for Construction

The three construction company success stories above prove what makes Pipeline CRM the best CRM for construction companies. Here are details of our uniquely designed CRM features for construction businesses. 

Pipeline CRM Features

• A CRM that integrates with Excel, phone dialers, and popular productivity tools
• Sales performance tracking with multiple sales pipeline capabilities
• Automated sales task allocation and real-time status update
• Automated email drip campaigns
• Task prioritization and next-step suggestions
• Unlimited storage to save notes and documents
• Smart mobile CRM app with geolocation and talk-to-text recording features 

Pipeline CRM Pricing

• Start plan: $25 per user per month
• Develop plan: $33 per user per month
• Grow plan: $49 per user per month

Pipeline CRM Ratings

• 4.4/5 star rating on G2 (928 reviews) 
• 4.4/5 star rating on Capterra (623 reviews)
• 8.6/10 score on TrustRadius (18 reviews and ratings)
• 4.2 star rating on Gartner (40 ratings)

Unleash Your Full Potential  With Pipeline’s Custom Sales CRM for Construction

Follow the lead of these three construction companies and opt for Pipeline CRM’s construction lead management solution to: 

• Automate sales workflow 
• Stay on top of every client deal and customize workflow as required
• Track individual performance and ensure everyone is on the same page
• Improve customer relationships and grow revenue

From Excel spreadsheet integration to custom deal stages, Pipeline CRM is everything a construction company needs to become a trusted name in the industry. 

Become the best in the construction business with Pipeline CRM. Sign up for free today!