AI CRM: Advantages, Use Cases and Ten Premier AI-Enhanced CRM for 2025

Updated on
February 18, 2025
20 min read
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    In recent years, the utilisation of AI within business applications has evolved markedly, advancing from foundational data analysis to the realm of  AI-driven app development, intelligent chatbot interactions, rich content generation, and myriad of other functionalities. This swift technological progression is set to reshape numerous facets of business operations, notably within the domain of customer relationship management.

    Forrester Research anticipates that by the end of this year, half of global enterprises will actively experiment with customer-facing generative AI, harnessing it to optimise a range of front-office processes. This projection is hardly unexpected— Nucleu Research reports that organisations already employing AI are witnessing marked improvements in productivity, higher close rates, and an increase in average deal size. A strategic approach to ensuring that business leverages the full benefits of this AI revolution is through the implementation of an AI-powered CRM.

    In this article, we shall delve into the manifold advantages of AI-driven CRM, elucidate the critical features to consider in selecting such a system, and proffer recommendations for five prominent AI CRM solutions.

    What is AI CRM?

    AI CRM denotes a customer relationship management system that incorporates Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to scrutinise customer data and trends, forecast outcomes, recommend the optimal next actions, and automate routine CRM tasks.

    Essentially, AI in CRM functions as a powerful assistant, leveraging available customer data to enhance customer engagement, conversion, retention, and overall value.

    Top Use Cases for AI-Enhanced CRM

    Here are some examples of CRM tasks that can be addressed with AI:

    Audience segmentation

    By utilising techniques such as lookalike modeling, AI discerns the common characteristics of top-performing customers, thereby enabling organisations to target potential buyers who share similar attributes and are more inclined to engage with their offerings.

    Customer journey mapping

    AI excels in mapping and analysing the customer journeys, identifying key touchpoints and pinpointing opportunities to enrich customer experiences. This insight allows businesses to craft seamless and impactful interactions throughout every stage of the customer lifecycle.

    Marketing campaign design

    AI autonomously devises marketing campaign workflows by synthesising insights from historical successes, audience analysis, established marketing playbooks, and current market trends.

    An AI assistant triggers predefined events, ensuring timely and pertinent communication with prospects, thereby enhancing engagement and campaign efficacy. 

    Dynamic content generation

    Generative AI facilitates the creation of bespoke marketing content, meticulously tailored to individual customer preferences through the analysis of demographic and purchase data, resulting in personalised AI-generated emails, advertisements, and product recommendations.

    Lead scoring

    AI-powered lead scoring rigorously analyses diverse datasets, including lead interactions and engagement metrics, to prioritise prospects with the highest conversion potential, thus allowing sales representatives to focus on the most promising leads.

    Sales forecasting

    By analusing extensive data – from market trends and customer behavior to economic indicators – AI delivers highly accurate sales forecasts. Unlike traditional methods, AI models adapt to new data in real time, uncovering hidden patterns and providing actionable insights.

    Presales research

    AI supports presales efforts by conducting thorough research of publicly available information and crafting data-driven pitches. Consequently, an AI sales assistant provides the most compelling selling points, enabling sales teams to deliver highly relevant and persuasive presentations.

    Next Best Action

    AI-enhanced CRM systems analyse successful deals to recommend optimal subsequent actions, thereby enabling sales teams to close transactions with greater efficiency.

    Upselling and cross-selling

    AI systems meticulously analyse variables such as purchase history, browsing behavior, and analogous shopping patterns to automatically furnish bespoke recommendations for upselling and cross-selling to existing customers.

    Customer service chatbots

    AI-powered chatbots adeptly manage a voluminous array of customer inquiries by delivering immediate and precise responses to routine questions. They further execute tasks such as order tracking and appointment scheduling, thereby ensuring uninterrupted customer support and liberating service teams to address complex matters.

    Case routing

    AI optimises customer service by systematically prioritising cases and directing them to the most suitable agents. This ensures that issues are resolved in a timely and effective manner, thereby enhancing overall customer satisfaction.

    Knowledge base assistance

    AI augments self-service capabilities by recommending pertinent knowledge base articles to both customers and agents. Furthermore, it contributes to the continual refinement of the resource library by generating new articles based on resolved cases.

    Sentiment analysis

    AI tools evaluate the emotional tone of customer interactions, enabling businesses to craft empathetic, tailored responses that nurture robust relationships and bolster customer retention.

    Smart Insights

    Artificial intelligence furnished real-time alerts regarding data trends, such as peak conversion periods, thereby enabling businesses to adapt their strategies for optimal performance and ensuring that decision-making is thoroughly data-driven.

    AI-assisted CRM development

    AI facilitates the customisation and enhancement of CRM systems by aiding in the creation of new automated workflows and business applications. When combined with no-code tools, it renders CRM customisation both expeditious and effortless, reducing reliance on professional developers, accelerating development cycles, and ensuring the CRM remains aligned with evolving business needs. 
     

    Top 7 Advantages of AI-Driven CRM Software

    Benefits of AI in CRM

    Enhanced Productivity

    The capability of AI CRM software to process and analyse customer data in real time, while recommending optimal actions to agents, greatly enhances employee productivity. Consider, for instance, the marked increase in productivity attributable to AI-powered lead scoring.

    In a conventional setup devoid of AI, sales representatives would be tasked with manually assessing each individual lead, determining their readiness to buy - a process that consumes countless hours daily. 

    By contrast, AI CRM software employs machine learning models, trained on historical sales data, to estimate the purchase likelihood for each lead, highlighting them for the sales team. Furthermore, it can autonomously draft and send tailored emails to each prospect as they progress through the sales funnel, leveraging AI-powered automation. In addition, AI CRM can suggest relevant sales materials, schedule meetings, or even compile a proposal deck on behalf of a sales representative. A sales process that would otherwise require several hours, or even days, can thus be streamlined to mere seconds.
     

    Consistent Customer Engagement

    For multinational corporations, maintaining continuous connectivity with their customers around the clock has historically posed a significant challenge, particularly due to the varying time zones in which they operate. The advent of artificial intelligence effectively eliminates the need for employees to engage in unconventional working hours or for businesses to establish distinct customer service and sales departments in each region. By utilising AI-powered chatbots that are equipped with natural language processing capabilities,  businesses can promptly attend to customer inquiries in real-time.

    The capacity for immediate responsiveness ensures that customers are no longer compelled to await specific operational hours for assistance, thereby eliminating any negative sentiments associated with perceived neglect. Consequently, businesses can mitigate the risk of losing potential leads or overlooking critical customer inquiries, thereby fostering a more positive and engaging customer experience.

    Enhanced Marketing Campaigns

    The integration of AI-driven segmentation and sophisticated data analysis capabilities, complemented by the Generative AI features inherent in modern AI CRM systems, equips  organisations with the ability to customise their marketing campaigns with an unparalleled level of precision.

    By harnessing the advanced tools provided by AI CRM solutions, businesses can undertake an in-depth exploration of customer data, thereby acquiring invaluable insights into individual preferences, behaviours, and purchasing patterns. This nuanced understanding facilitates the development of hyper-targeted marketing campaigns, which resonate far more effectively with distinct customer segments.

    Enhanced Customer Satisfaction and Retention

    The provision of tailored experiences significantly cultivates customer satisfaction, thereby encouraging repeat business and bolstering retention rates.

    Furthermore, by harnessing the capabilities of predictive analytics, businesses are afforded the opportunity to identify consumers who may be at a risk, thus enabling  proactive and personalised interventions to address their concerns effectively. AI CRM systems can discern those customers requiring additional attention and recommend relevant content and products designed to resolve specific issues.

    Consequently, these personalised approaches not only serve to mitigate churn but also foster enduring relationships, ultimately driving sustained business growth and success.

    Augmented Revenue per Customer

    The deployment of AI-driven personalised content and recommendations yields significant advantages, including enhanced conversion rates and increased revenue per customer.

    By meticulously tailoring offerings to align with the unique preferences and needs of individuals, businesses can proficiently amplify sales and optimise the value extracted from each customer interaction.

    Data-Driven Decision-Making

    As organisations progressively utilise AI CRM software, accumulating a wealth of historical data over time, the depth and accuracy of the insights and predictions it offers are markedly enhanced.

    By capitalising on this vast wealth of information, businesses are afforded a strategic advantage, allowing  them to make informed decisions with both promptness and confidence. Whether it involves emerging trends, anticipating customer behaviour, or optimising operational processes, AI CRM equips organisations with the means to adeptly navigate the intricacies of the modern business landscape with both clarity and precision.

    Cost Savings and Efficient Resource Allocation

    AI CRM facilitates dynamic resource allocation through the continuous analysis of real-time data, thereby enabling enterprises to adapt their strategies in response to the ever-evolving market dynamics or shifting customer preferences. For instance, should a particular customer segment show increased engagement with a newly introduced product feature, resources may be redirected to capitalise on this opportunity, culminating in an enhanced return on investment.

    Moreover, AI CRM contributes significantly to the optimisation of resources allocation by meticulously identifying inefficiencies or areas of excessive expenditure. Through the comprehensive analysis of customer interactions, sales data, and marketing campaigns, businesses are empowered to discern areas where resources are either underutilised or ineffectively allocated, thereby facilitating the implementation of prudent cost-saving measures.

    How to Select the Appropriate AI CRM Software?

    In modern business landscapes, the majority of enterprise-level CRM systems boast integrated AI capability; however, discerning which features to prioritise within AI CRM software can prove to be a formidable challenge without a thorough investigation into the subject matter. This section is meant to furnish you with a set of guidelines regarding the essential features to consider when evaluating AI CRM software.

    Pro tip

    For an in-depth exploration of this subject, refer to our extensive guide on how to choose a CRM system.

    Checklist: Choose AI CRM

    Below are several key features that warrant your attention when contemplating the acquisition of an AI CRM solution:

    • Functionality scope: An enterprise CRM is poised to offer a comprehensive suite of out-of-the-box AI functionalities, encompassing prebuilt data analysis models, recommendations for the next best actions, Generative AI capabilities, customer service chatbots, and sentiment analysis tools. Nevertheless, it is imperative to note that certain of these features may be lacking in more economical solutions tailored for small and medium-sized enterprises. It is crucial to thoroughly comprehend the primary use cases that hold significance for your organisation and to identify the requisite scope of functionality that aligns with those needs.
    • NLP assistant: This particular tool affords users the capability to engage with the AI CRM through natural language, akin to conversing with a system such as ChatGPT. For instance, a sales manager might effortlessly solicit the AI assistant to compile a quarterly report that highlights exemplary sales practices, thereby receiving valuable insights in response. Although this functionality has not yet become a standard feature within AI CRM software, industry leaders are diligently striving to integrate it into their platforms.
    • AI and ML customisation: The capability to construct bespoke machine learning models for the analysis of data endows organisations with significant flexibility, thereby enabling them to extract deeper insights from their AI CRM systems. However, a considerable number of organisations find themselves devoid of personnel possessing the requisite technical expertise or coding proficiency required for model development. Consequently, the incorporation of no-code tools assumes a position of particular importance within CRM solutions. Platforms enriched with no-code functionalities permit users to engage in the training of machine learning models tailored to diverse business requirements through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface.
    Pro tip:

    The efficacy of co-code functionality can be substantially augmented through the incorporation of AI-assisted development. In the process of constructing bespoke business applications, AI possesses the capability to recommend suitable components or generate data fields and blocks based on a user's description. This AI-assisted development not only enhances the degree of customisation but also empowers users to adeptly tailor their CRM systems to fulfil their particular business requirements with remarkable ease.

    • Integration of proprietary AI models: Integration represents a critical feature of any CRM system, in the context of AI CRM, one must exercise particular diligence in facilitating connections with closed models. Typically, AI CRM software operates utilising open-source or commercially available models that are publicly accessible, such as Meta’s Llama 2. Nevertheless, should there arise a need to integrate a bespoke model trained on your own data set or supplied by a partner, it is imperative to ascertain that the AI CRM solution you select accommodates such integrations.
    • Scalability: It is of paramount importance to consider the scalability of AI CRM software and its capacity to adapt to the growth trajectory of your enterprise.
    • Robust governance tools: A foremost concern around AI-driven software is the issue of security. It is advisable to prioritise strong and user-friendly governance features that facilitate the oversight of permissions, no-code development processes, and the deployment of custom AI tools. A comprehensive overview of your operations, coupled with complete control over them, enables you to safeguard your AI CRM against potential errors and security threats.

    Informed by these criteria, we have meticulously curated a selection of five AI CRM solutions, each specifically tailored to accommodate diverse needs and varying business sizes.

    Top Ten CRM AI Software Providers

    1. Creatio

    Creatio emerges as the premier AI CRM solution for organisations that prioritise both extensive customisation and scalable growth, owing to its distinctive, no-code composable architecture. This comprehensive end-to-end AI CRM solution affords businesses the utmost flexibility in automating workflows and CRM functionalities to align precisely with organisational demands.

    Creatio Main screen

    CRM Creatio with AIencompasses three core products dedicated to marketing, sales, and customer service, are constructed upon the Studio Creatio platform. Featuring an intuitive no-code user interface builder, a drag-and-drop business process builder, and an array of inbuilt tools  for workflow automation, Creatio empowers users to create  bespoke applications catering to diverse industry-specific workflows.

     

    AI in CRM Creatio integrates principal AI paradigms:

    • predictive AI is employed for data analysis, intelligent scoring, forecasting, customer segmentation, case routing, and similar functions;
    • generative AI is utilised to produce new marketing content, craft sales emails, generate knowledge base articles, and the like.
    • and agentic AI that autonomously makes decisions and interacts with users as a virtual assistant.

    As an AI-native CRM, Creatio embeds these AI capabilities directly into its architecture. For users, it means that you can utilise AI across all Creatio products and CRM functionality.

    AI command center Creatio

    Creatio's AI Command Centre provides an array of tools to manage, monitor, and create AI Skills – autonomous workflows powered by AI. While the platform comes equipped with a multitude of pre-built AI skills for sales, marketing, and customer service, users may also craft bespoke AI skills using no-code tools and conversational language.

    AI Marketing Creatio

    Creatio's turn-key capabilities are notably impressive, furnishing a robust suite of tools tailored for CRM and workflow automation across a breadth of 20 distinct industries. Its Marketplace boasts over 700 applications and connectors, including an integration with ChatGPT that facilitates AI-driven content generation directly within the platform.

    AI Sales Creatio

    Sales professionals may harness the capabilities of Creatio AI for sophisticated customer scoring, interaction summaries, and real-time coaching recommendations. Marketers are impowered to design optimal campaign flows and target responsive audiences. Customer service agents can automate case analysis, deliver personalised responses, and ensure continuous support via AI-powered bots.

    AI Service Creatio

    Creatio AI is available to all Creatio users regardless of their subscription plan, rendering an AI-enhanced CRM solution accessible to any organisation, no matter their budget and size.

    Distinguishing features:

    • A comprehensive, end-to-end platform for marketing, sales, service, and workflow automation.
    • No-code tools for effortless customisation and business application development without specialised expertise
    • Creatio AI, which seamlessly integrates predictive, generative, and agentic AI with no-code functionality
    • AI-driven sales automation, including lead scoring, sales forecasting, and next-best-action recommendations
    • AI chatbots for customer service
    • AI-powered content generation for marketing, sales, and service
    • Extensive AI governance tools
    • Transparent pricing with no supplementary charges for AI features

    Limitations:

    • Some training is required to fully leverage its capabilities

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.7
    • Capterra: 4.7
    • Gartner: 4.9
       

    Pricing:

    Creatio employs a composable pricing model, thereby affording uses the flexibility to tailor their purchases to their specific requirements. The core platform's pricing commences at £19 ($25), whilst the individual CRM products – Sales, Marketing, and Service – are available at £11 ($15) per user monthly.

    Discover how Creatio's AI-powered CRM can revolutionise your business

    2. HubSpot

    HubSpot is esteemed for its customisable hubs, each dedicated to specific functions such as marketing, sales, services, operations, and content management. These hubs can be integrated into a cohesive suite, precisely tailored to meet distinct business requirements.

    Beyond the conventional CRM functions of tracking customer interactions, managing contact information, and guiding prospects through each stage of the sales pipeline, HubSpot incorporates AI-driven tools that streamline repetitive tasks and enhance team productivity. These AI features empower team members to compose content, such as outreach emails and perform real-time customer data analysis with remarkable efficiency. For customer support, Hubspot offers an AI-enhanced chatbot that swiftly accesses support resources as needed.

    Hubspot

    HubSpot is particularly suited to smaller businesses or those with straightforward and straightforward CRM requirements, where simplicity and ease of use are paramount.

    Distinguishing features:

    • Breeze Copilot – Hubspot's AI assistant, which provides data-driven  insights on demand
    • Agentic AI for workflow automation
    • Generative AI for content generation
    • ChatSpot, HubSpot’s AI-powered chatbot, which delivers real-time customer insights

    Limitations: 

    • Pricing structure i predominantly tailored to Enterprise clientele
    • AI features incurring an additional charge of  $50 per month

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.6
    • Capterra: 4.7
    • Gartner: 4.9

    Pricing:

    Hubspot offers a complimentary version of its platform with limited AI functionalities, while advanced features such as AI agents and AI-powered content generation are available exclusively in premium plans, which commence at a minimum £1,032 ($1,300) per month.

    3. Zoho CRM

    Zoho CRM, characterised as a fully integrated suite, encompasses an array of applications dedicated to sales, marketing, and customer service, further augmented by functionalities for project collaboration, business intelligence (BI), and comprehensive analytics.

    Integral to Zoho CRM is Zia, an AI-driven tool designed to elevate team productivity alongside with conventional CRM functions, including management of contacts, deals, and leads. This virtual assistant streamlines workload management in the aggregation of customer data, the drafting of emails and documents, and the analysis of sales metrics.

    With this AI CRM software, it is comparable to having a personal assistant allocated to each individual within the team. Its functionalities encompass the provision of real-time support, the offering of product recommendations based on customer behaviour, and the integration of chatbots on e-commerce websites to address customer queries.

    Zoho CRM

    Zoho CRM is particularly well-suited for small and midsize B2B and B2C organisations that possess moderate requirements for process management.

    Distinguishing features:

    • Zia's AI-driven pattern recognition for automation suggestions
    • AI-powered research to deliver detailed customer information, including titles and contact particulars
    • AI-driven cross-selling and personalised product recommendations

    Limitations: 

    • Integrations are relatively limited compared to other vendors
    • AI features are restricted to higher-priced plans

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.1
    • Capterra: 4.3
    • Gartner: 4.4

    Pricing:

    Zoho’s AI CRM software is available in four plans: Standard at £15 ($20), Professional at £27 ($35), Enterprise at £39 ($50), and Ultimate at £51 ($65) per user per month. AI predicting and analytics are exclusively accessible within the Enterprise and Ultimate plans.

    4. Freshworks

    Freshworks' CRM suite, encompassess Freshmarketer, Freshsales, Freshdesk, and Freshchat, presents a cohesive and modern customer experience. Ths comprehensive suite integrates tools designed for IT, marketing, customer service, and sales, thereby delivering a holistic solution for businesses.

    Among the features of this AI CRM software are the rule-based process guidance and the next-best action recommendations, both of which significantly enhance the user experience. Furthermore, Freddy, an AI-driven bot embedded within the CRM, adeptly facilitates customer engagement by providing support and adeptly directing leads from web pages to the sales team. 

    Nonetheless, the suite is constrained in its offerings, supporting merely a limited selection of pre-packaged AI scenarios and providing simple reporting and dashboard functionalities.

    Freshworks

    Consequently, Freshworks emerges as the optimal choice for teams possessing uncomplicated requirements who are in search of a solution that is both readily deployable and exceptionally user-friendly.

    Distinguishing features:

    • Freddy AI Self-Service provides customer support solutions
    • Freddy AI Copilot utilises natural language processing to automate tasks, obviating the need for any coding expertise
    • Freddy AI Insights delivers real-time analysis and visualisation of customer data

    Limitations: 

    • Limited integrations compared to other vendors
    • AI features are charged on top of the subscription fee

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.5
    • Capterra: 4.5
    • Gartner: 4.3

    Pricing:

    Freshworks CRM is offered in three tiers: Growth at £27 ($35) per user per month, Pro at £65 ($83) per user per month, and Enterprise at £104 ($131) per user per month. Freddy AI is available for an extra £79 ($100) per 1,000 sessions.

    5. Zendesk

    Zendesk is renowned for its CRM software tailored to the requirements of service-oriented enterprises and sales teams, demonstrating a profound understanding of complexities inherent in selling services. Their suite of tools facilitates seamless connections with customers, thereby enabling your team to engage more effectively with a broader clientele. 

    Powered by Zendesk AI, which leverages OpenAI’s GPT model, these tools serve to streamline workflows and automate mundane tasks, thereby allowing your representatives to concentrate on more substantive interactions. Furthermore, this AI-driven CRM software provides invaluable suggestions aimed at resolving customer issues during interactions.

    You may further augment the functionality of AI CRM systems through integration with Zapier or ChatGPT.

    Zendesk

    Zendesk is particularly well-suited for mid-sized and larger companies characterised by significant volumes of interactions, especially those that place a premium on the automation of customer service processes.

    Distinguishing features:

    • Advanced AI-powered bots for customer service, capable of resolving intricate queries and generating personalised responses
    • AI-driven performance insights designed to refine and optimise operations
    • Integration of ChatGPT via Zapier

    Limitations: 

    • The utilisation of separate systems for tickets and workflow managements renders the user experience somewhat unwieldy
    • Restrictions on the number of steps in chatbots

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.3
    • Capterra: 4.4
    • Gartner: 4.2

    Pricing:

    Zendesk CRM is available at a range from £19 ($25) to £118 ($149) per user per month. AI agents are included within the Suite Team plan, priced at £54 ($69) per user per month and higher tiers, with an additional advanced AI features add-on available for £39 ($50) per user per month.

    6. Pipedrive

    Pipedrive is a cloud-based CRM platform, meticulously designed to simplify sales processes, manage deals with efficiency, and automate routine tasks. Its visually-oriented sales pipeline and AI-enhanced features empower sales teams to concentrate on closing deals and realising targets by optimising workflows and delivering actionable insights.

    Pipedrive

    Businesses may customise Pipedrive by incorporating custom fields, automating calculations, and adapting pipelines to align with unique sales processes, thereby ensuring the platform fits their requirements perfectly.

    Distinguishing features:

    • AI Sales Assistant identifies patterns and recommends high-potential deals and next actions
    • AI email generator for sales emails
    • AI-driven insights and summarisation for deals, customers, and emails 

    Limitations: 

    • Steep learning curve for new users
    • Limited AI functionalities for customer service relative other vendors

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.3
    • Capterra: 4.5
    • Gartner: 4.2

    Pricing:

    AI features are available in select plans, with pricing ranging from £54 ($69) to £102 ($129) per user per month.

    7. Nutshell

    Nutshell CRM provides a suite of AI-powered tools aimed at enhancing sales processes and delivering deeper insights into customer and lead relationships. Its AI features, currently available exclusively on the Nutshell Business plan, are designed to streamline workflows, boost team efficiency, and uncover actionable insights that drive sales success.

    Nutshell

    Distinguishing features:

    • AI Timeline Summarisation condenses customer interaction histories into actionable insights
    • AI Zoom Transcription Summarisation generates immediate summaries of Zoom meeting transcripts
    • AI Voice-to-Text Notetaker transcribes voice input for notes, emails, and activity logging
    • AI Contact analysis and summarisation with Nutshell Intelligence

    Limitations: 

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.3
    • Capterra: 4.3
    • Gartner: 4.1

    Pricing:

    Nutshell CRM is priced from £10 ($13) to £62 ($79) per user per month, with additional AI features available from $59.

    8. ClickUp

    ClickUp is a versatile, all-in-one productivity platform engineered to streamline CRM processes, automate tasks, and effortlessly monitor progress. Sales and marketing teams may visualise pipelines via over 15 customisable views, with real-time data readily available through interactive dashboards.

    ClickUp

    When complemented by ClickUp Brain – a role-specific AI tool tailored to team needs –  ClickUp transforms into a powerful assistant, capable of generating content, nurturing customer relationships, and enhancing workflow efficiency.

    Distinguishing features:

    • Role-specific AI assistance for sales, marketing, and service
    • Access to hundreds of prebuilt AI prompts for CRM automation
    • AI sales tools to build territory plans, craft prospecting emails, and create elevator pitches
    • AI Workflow tools for summarising customer interactions and identifying actionable items
    • Generative AI to assist service in comprising or refining customer responses

    Limitations: 

    • Limited mobile functionality

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.3
    • Capterra: 4.7
    • Gartner: 4.2

    Pricing:

    Plans commence at £8 ($10) per user per month, with an additional £5 ($7) charge for AI features.

    9. Salesforce

    Salesforce is a formidable, AI-enhanced CRM platform, meticulously engineered to automate sales processes and elevate productivity.

    It seamlessly incorporates robust AI capabilities through its virtual assistant, Einstein, thereby providing sales teams with predictive insights, automating routine tasks, and streamlining workflows. From lead generation to sales forecasting, Salesforce Sales Cloud enables businesses to maximise efficiency and refine their sales funnel.

    Salesforce

    Distinguishing features:

    • Agentforce, a customisable AI agent dedicated to customer support
    • Generative AI for crafting personalised emails and transcribing sales calls
    • Conversation insights to identify customer objections and offer next-step suggestions
    • AI Research Assistant furnishes detailed information on prospects and qualified leads
    • AI predictions to prioritise deals and forecast sales outcomes

    Limitations: 

    • Steep learning curve
    • Additional charges for AI features
    • Customisation can me cumbersome

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.4
    • Capterra: 4.4
    • Gartner: 4.5

    Pricing:

    Pricing commences at £19 ($25) per user per month, with supplementary fees for AI tools at £59 ($75) per user per month.

    See also: Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors 

    10.  Scratchpad

    Scratchpad is an AI-driven Salesforce add-on crafted to simplify pipeline management for frontline sales representatives whilst enhancing data visibility and accuracy for sales and operations leaders.

    Scratchpad

    Although not a standalone CRM, Scratchpad integrates seamlessly with existing workflows, optimising sales processes and refining data management by identifying pipeline gaps, monitoring real-time changes, and ensuring that data remains consistently accurate and up-to-date.

    Distinguishing features:

    • AI Sales Assistant for summaries and CRM data updates
    • Zero Boards – personalised to-do lists for sales representative and managers to remain on top of leads and pipeline opportunities
    • AI-powered sales coaching functionalities

    Limitations: 

    • Exclusively available to Salesforce customers

    Customer rating: 

    • G2: 4.8
    • Capterra: 4.9

    Pricing:

    AI features are offered within Standard plan at £18 ($24) per user per month and Business plan at £38 ($49) per user per month.

    2025 Trends in AI CRM

    Artificial intelligence, as an ever-evolving technology with untapped potential for enhancing customer relationships, is set to capture the spotlight in 2025 through three key themes.

    Adaptive AI: the next level of personalisation

    Adaptive AI refines CRM by dynamically realigning to individual workflows, preferences, and communication styles. Acting as an active collaborator, it customises insights, automates tasks, and evolves with user habits.

    In customer service, AI agents manage routine queries and modulate their tone in response to customer mood, ensuring interactions are both empathetic and appropriate. In sales, adaptive AI qualifies leads, drafts proposals, and identifies priorities, thereby enabling teams to devote more time to building meaningful relationships.

    In essence, by delivering personalised, intuitive experiences, adaptive AI is poised to transform the way businesses interact with technology.

    Reevaluating AI ROI: a focus on value

    As investments in AI continue to rise, companies are increasingly compelled to rigorously assess their return on investment. Despite the accelerated adoption of AI, only about 20% of firms reported significant earnings benefits in 2024.

    In response, organisations are transitioning from experimental pilots to results-driven implementations. Moreover, high-profile incidents –  such as the CrowdStrike outage of 2024 – underscore the imperative for secure and resilient AI systems.

    Consequently, firms will face increased pressure to justify expenditures while ensuring robust operational performance, with a recalibration that  prioritises actionable results and sustainable growth.

    AI-powered RevOps: streamlining Revenue Operations

    Generative, predictive, and agentic AI will emerge as indispensable tools for Revenue Operations teams seeking to optimise processes. Beyond mere workflow improvements, AI identifies opportunities for enhanced inter-departmental collaboration – for instance, suggesting that marketing furnish sales with targeted content for high-value prospects, or recommending the sharing of customer insights to refine messaging.

    Additionally, AI meticulously tracks cross-team interactions and analyses customer-facing communications to ensure alignment of goals and activities, thereby fostering a unified and cohesive approach to revenue generation.
     

    Enhance Your Productivity with AI CRM Software

    AI CRM software amalgamates the capabilities of Artificial Intelligence and machine learning to optimise customer relationship management. These systems not only streamline tasks and enhance interactions but also offer myriad advantages, including improvements in productivity, personalised engagement, and data-driven decision-making.

    The perfect AI CRM software presents a robust array of pre-packaged AI tools, whilst simultaneously allowing for the creation of bespoke models tailored for data analysis and automation. Try CRM Creatio to experience this balance for yourself and see how AI-powered CRM can transform your business.

    Not sure

    where to start?