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Free and low-cost customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for your business

2-minute read

Contrary to popular belief, customer relationship management (CRM) isn’t just software; it’s a business strategy to acquire, grow and retain profitable customer relationships. This distinction is important. A CRM system can only succeed when it is aligned with your customer-focused strategy and embraced by your team. It should also fit your unique requirements.

How does CRM software help?

Regardless of your business’s size, implementing a CRM system offers several key advantages:

  • Retaining existing customers through superior customer experiences
  • Boosting sales by uncovering opportunities
  • Automating marketing and sales workflows
  • Monitoring and increasing overall business performance
  • Closing deals faster by centralizing crucial information
  • Improving account management by tracking every customer interaction
  • Optimizing pipeline management by tracking performance against sales quotas
  • Saving time with improved team communication and collaboration
  • Equipping your mobile workers with the information they need to work faster

What does CRM software do?

A CRM solution provides a centralized platform to store customer data, manage sales pipelines, track marketing campaigns and provide customer support. All employees gain a single view of prospects and customers, allowing them to better cooperate with each other and coordinate activities.

AI capabilities in CRM software

While traditional CRM excels in managing data and workflows, AI unlocks a new realm of possibilities with:

  • Lead prioritization, using automated lead scoring to guide sales efforts towards leads with the highest conversion potential.
  • Smart lead routing, assigning leads to the most qualified salesperson, based on their expertise, industry knowledge and past performance.
  • A deeper understanding of what customers require before they even know it, empowering you to deliver relevant messages and offers.
  • Accurate sales forecasting, leveraging data-driven insights to make informed decisions.
  • Proactive churn prediction, by identifying at-risk customers and recommending actions.
  • Deeper customer connections with hyper-personalized experiences.
  • 24/7 customer support using chatbots to provide instant answers and assistance, freeing up human agents for complex issues.
  • Increased efficiency, thanks to voice-powered CRM, enabling you to dictate notes and quickly find information by speaking your search query.

Free and low-cost CRM tools

CRM solutions fall into different categories, from online solutions to complex multi-site implementations. If you are looking for a low-cost or free solution, you may want to consider the following:

Revised March 2024

This table lists applications alphabetically and isn’t exhaustive. Hyperlinks to external sites do not constitute endorsement by BDC of those websites or any information, opinions, products or services expressed or described on them.

Furthermore, the list is only a starting point and excludes applications that are neither low cost nor free. When assessing CRM solutions for your organization, you will probably consider many other factors.

BDC will review and edit this list regularly. If you are a CRM vendor and would like us to consider adding your solution, please contact us.

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