What Is B2B CRM? Top CRMs for B2B for 2024

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    CRM has become an essential tool for B2B companies seeking to establish and sustain valuable, long-lasting relationships with their business clients. Once considered a solution solely for large corporations, B2B CRM is now an indispensable technology for businesses of all sizes and across various industries.

    If you are uncertain about what CRM for B2B entails and how it can revolutionise your business, read on. We will explore the fundamental features and key benefits that make B2B CRM a transformative tool for managing and nurturing your business relationships.

    To help you navigate the diverse landscape of B2B CRM solutions, we will compare ten different vendors, providing insights into their unique features, strengths, and weaknesses. By evaluating these options, you can select the best B2B CRM tailored to your business’s specific needs and requirements.

    What is B2B CRM?

    Business-to-Business Customer Relationship Management (B2B CRM) is a software tailored to nurture, manage, and optimise relationships with other businesses, concentrating on the unique dynamics and complexities of B2B interactions.

    B2B CRM simplifies intricate sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders by automating relationship management, analytics, and personalisation. It provides a centralised platform for monitoring interactions with decision-makers across various touchpoints, analysing data related to key accounts, and deriving actionable insights that aid businesses in progressing leads through the sales funnel.

    The finest B2B CRMs offer a deeper understanding of business clients' unique needs, preferences, and behaviours, enabling businesses to tailor their products, services, and marketing strategies to create bespoke strategies at every stage of the sales cycle.

    Distinguishing B2B from B2C CRM

    B2B CRM is crafted to manage longer sales cycles and more intricate decision-making processes, often involving multiple stakeholders. In contrast, B2C CRM prioritises immediate transactions, where decisions are swift and made by individuals. Thues, CRM for B2B centres on cultivating and sustaining long-term relationships with business clients, and B2C CRM focuses on individual transactions.

    B2B CRM software manages a lower volume of high-value transactions but contends with complex data linked to each business client, including multiple contacts, contracts, and long-term engagements. Therefore, it necessitates robust data analysis capabilities. Conversely, B2C CRM requires extensive data storage because it handles a large number of smaller transactions. Even though the data it collects is relatively smaller in scope and simpler, it still demands substantial storage space.

    B2B CRM software prioritises account-based management, offering a comprehensive view of interactions with key accounts to effectively manage and nurture the most valuable partnerships. While B2B CRM excels in handling complex relationships with multiple stakeholders within a single company, B2C CRM focuses on addressing the specific needs and preferences of individual consumers.

    FeatureB2B CRMB2C CRM
    Sales CycleLonger and more intricate, involving multiple stagesShorter, focusing on individual transactions
    Relationship FocusFocuses on building and sustaining long-term relationshipsRelationships tend to be more transactional and immediate
    Relationship TypeManages complex relationships through account-based managementSimpler relationship with multiple individual consumers
    Transactions ScopeLower volume of high-value transactionsHigher volume of relatively smaller transactions
    Data TrackingTracks detailed data, including information on multiple stakeholders involved in the decision-making processFocuses on monitoring simpler data, including individual consumer transactions, purchase history, preferences, and behaviour

    Advantages of Implementing B2B CRM

    B2B CRM software offers a range of features specifically designed to meet the unique needs of business-to-business interactions. Their purpose is to enhance operational efficiency and increase success rates by streamlining processes distinctive to B2B companies, such as managing partner relationships, nurturing long-term client connections, and optimising intricate sales cycles that involve multiple stakeholders.

    Robust account management

    With B2B CRM, businesses can adopt a strategic approach to managing and nurturing relationships with key accounts. Account management enables sales representatives to concentrate their efforts and resources on the most promising opportunities, securing deals with the most significant leads and customers. By monitoring account management initiatives in real-time, businesses can also adjust their strategies based on evolving client needs, market trends, and the success of ongoing campaigns.

    B2B CRM encourages collaboration among teams, allowing sales, marketing, and customer service teams to share insights and coordinate efforts to effectively target and nurture key accounts. Moreover, B2B CRM simplifies processes by automating repetitive tasks and workflows, thereby freeing up valuable time for teams to concentrate on building meaningful relationships with clients.

    Enhanced account-based marketing (ABM)

    Account-based marketing (ABM) enables businesses to concentrate their marketing efforts on key accounts and prospects rather than targeting a wider audience. With ABM, businesses can effectively segment accounts, personalise marketing messages, monitor engagement metrics, and coordinate efforts across sales, marketing, and customer service teams, thanks to a centralised database.

    B2B CRM enhances ABM by providing valuable data-driven insights and segmentation capabilities, assisting businesses in identifying high-value accounts, understanding their unique requirements, and crafting personalised marketing campaigns throughout the customer journey. Moreover, CRM for B2B offers real-time monitoring of ABM initiatives, allowing businesses to adapt their strategies based on evolving client needs, market trends, and the success of ongoing campaigns, ensuring they remain agile and competitive.

    Optimised account-based selling

    B2B CRM systems are essential for tracking leads and opportunities associated with specific accounts, allowing sales teams to concentrate their efforts on high-priority accounts.

    Moreover, B2B CRM enhances the management of complex, long-term B2B sales by providing tools to visualise and oversee the entire sales pipeline, which involves multiple stages and touchpoints. With real-time insights, teams are able to identify potential bottlenecks, address issues, and seize new opportunities.

    These features enable sales teams to monitor the progress of leads as they move through the various stages of the pipeline and take prompt action, ensuring no valuable prospect is overlooked.

    Improved partner relationship management (PRM)

    The Partner Relationship Management (PRM) feature within a B2B CRM system is indispensable for fostering and optimising partnerships with external collaborators and managing indirect sales channels. This feature is instrumental in enhancing communication, improving collaboration, and streamlining data management between a business and its network of partners or resellers.

    B2B CRM simplifies communication by providing a centralised platform for information exchange. It ensures that crucial updates, product details, and strategic insights are communicated effectively between the company and its partners. The collaboration tools within B2B CRM software facilitate seamless teamwork, enabling all parties to work together towards shared objectives.

    Furthermore, the data management capabilities of PRM are designed to refine the handling of partner-related information. Whether it's monitoring sales performance, managing inventory levels, or analysing market trends, B2B CRM assists with efficient data management.

    Enhanced strategic insight through AI and ML integration

    The incorporation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies within B2B CRM provides predictive analytics, automates routine tasks, and offers actionable insights derived from collected data.

    This empowers professionals to make data-driven decisions, streamline processes, and proactively address client needs, thereby enhancing the efficiency of businesses in cultivating robust relationships with their customers.

    How to Select CRM Software for Your B2B Company

    Selecting the appropriate CRM software for your B2B company necessitates a bespoke approach that aligns with your business’s needs. Our B2B CRM buyer's guide addresses considerations unique to the requirements of business-to-business companies.

    Consider the range of features

    When selecting a CRM, it is crucial to identify your business needs, unique challenges, and objectives to evaluate the range of features offered by each B2B CRM solution and how they can support your enterprise. Prioritise features that are able to meet your needs to avoid overspending on unnecessary functionalities that may overburden your CRM and budget.

    To enhance customer relationships, optimise sales processes, and drive your business growth, it is essential to seek features specifically designed for B2B companies. Consider functionalities such as a comprehensive customer 360 view, robust account management, account-based marketing, and partner-relationship management, especially if your operations involve a partner ecosystem.

    Go for a customisable solution

    The ideal B2B CRM should offer extensive customisation features to accommodate the intricacies of lengthy sales cycles and complex decision-making structures. Customisable workflows, fields, and data structures allow you to tailor the CRM to your specific processes, ensuring a more efficient and focused approach. Opt for a CRM that provides high levels of customisation to meet the distinctive needs of your business.

    Assess the integration capabilities

    The CRM for B2B should seamlessly integrate with other essential tools and systems crucial to your business. This includes Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and any industry-specific software your business relies on. Ensuring the integration of these vital tools guarantees smooth information flow across your organisation, preventing any potential disruptions.

    Ensure the CRM is scalable

    B2B CRM solutions must grow in tandem with the business, negating the need for companies to invest in supplementary tools as they expand. Scalability is vital for businesses operating in dynamic B2B environments, and your CRM should accommodate increased data, users, and complexity. Select B2B CRM software that will enable your business to adapt to evolving requirements and rising customer demands.

    Seek advanced analytics and reporting tools

    B2B CRM should offer sophisticated analytics and reporting capabilities to assist your team in gleaning actionable insights from data related to customer interactions, sales performance, market trends, and other pertinent metrics. Advanced analytics empower data-driven decision-making, allowing your company to stay ahead in the ever-changing B2B landscape.

    Prioritise security and compliance

    Security is paramount in B2B transactions, particularly when handling sensitive client information. Ensure that the CRM adheres to industry-standard security protocols and complies with pertinent data protection regulations. Robust security measures safeguard your company and client data, fostering trust in your business relationships.

    The Top 10 B2B CRM Software for 2024

    1. Creatio

    Creatio CRM is an all-encompassing solution designed to enhance the management of customer relationships for businesses. Specifically tailored to the needs of B2B interactions, Creatio empowers organisations with versatile features and an intuitive design that facilitates seamless engagement with customers and partners.

    A distinctive strength of Creatio lies in its unlimited no-code customisation capabilities, enabling B2B users to fine-tune the CRM according to the intricacies of their unique business processes. This adaptability proves vital in the B2B landscape, where complex sales cycles, account management, and collaboration with diverse stakeholders demand a flexible and personalised approach.

    Moreover, Creatio's composable architecture aligns seamlessly with the dynamic nature of B2B engagements. This allows businesses to not only build a tailored CRM infrastructure but also scale it efficiently as they navigate complex B2B sales scenarios and diverse customer relationship dynamics.

    Creatio Sales B2B CRM

    Key features of Creatio B2B CRM include:

    • Account management: empowers businesses to efficiently organise, analyse, and cultivate customer relationships, crucial for navigating complex B2B sales and marketing cycles.
    • Account-based marketing: targets specific accounts and organisations, as well as individual contacts within those organisations, with personalised messaging and content relevant to their preferences.
    • Lead automation and sales pipeline management: streamlines lead management by automating processes, from lead generation to conversion, efficiently monitoring and managing leads through the sales pipeline.
    • Opportunity management: automates diverse sales workflows, catering to varying levels of complexity and business models, including both long- and short-cycle B2B sales, along with channel sales, all within a single application.
    • AI/ML tools: enable intelligent lead and opportunity scoring, NBA/NBO recommendations, prediction, prioritisation, and beyond.
    • Partner relationship management: assists in optimising channel sales and facilitates effective collaboration between a company and its partners.
    • Sales performance analysis - provides rich dashboards and reporting with in-depth no-code configuration tools to monitor sales KPIs in real-time.

    The starting price for Studio Creatio and CRM is £32 ($40) per user/month.

    Discover the benefits of Creatio for B2B CRM excellence

     2. Salesforce

    Salesforce CRM is a cloud-based solution that supports businesses in prospecting, closing deals, and delivering customer service. Its comprehensive suite of tools, known as Customer 360, integrates sales, service, marketing, commerce, and IT teams, providing a unified view of customer information.

    Features

    • Account and opportunity management: tailored for sales teams to manage leads, opportunities, and customer accounts.
    • Omnichannel customer engagement: enhances customer service and interaction, ensuring smooth communication and effective issue resolution for B2B clients.
    • B2B marketing automation: enable targeted B2B marketing campaigns, email marketing, and analytics to optimise customer engagement.
    • Einstein analytics: utilises artificial intelligence to analyse data, offering valuable insights for strategic decision-making and B2B strategy development.

    Pros

    • Intuitive user interface: Salesforce is renowned for its user-friendly interface, which is enhanced to offer a range of functionalities.
    • Customizable solution: Salesforce CRM offers a broad spectrum of customisation options, from no-code solutions to advanced coding capabilities, catering to various B2B requirements.
    • Self-service support: Through the Salesforce Easy program, Salesforce assists B2B businesses in minimising setup and onboarding times, streamlining the process.
    • AppExchange Possibilities: Salesforce boasts a vast marketplace of third-party applications tailored to the needs of B2B businesses, along with a large network of implementation partners.

    Cons

    • Hidden additional costs: Salesforce necessitates extra investment to achieve the anticipated value and benefits. B2B customers might also need to upgrade the support packages for direct assistance.
    • Add-on product requirements: to fully leverage the capabilities of account and contact management features, B2B businesses may need to invest in additional products, as some functionalities may be limited otherwise.
    • Complex customisation: customising Salesforce to incorporate more advanced functionalities, particularly for complex B2B features, may require developer support.
    • Data storage limitations: Salesforce imposes data storage limits, which can result in additional costs for businesses with extensive databases needing extra storage space.

    Pricing starts at £20 ($25) per user/month

    See also: Salesforce Alternatives & Competitors and Salesforce Marketing Cloud Alternatives & Competitors

    3. Hubspot

    HubSpot CRM is a comprehensive platform designed for customer relationship management, particularly suited for small to medium-sized businesses. It boasts an intuitive interface and functionalities that facilitate collaboration across sales, marketing, and customer service teams.

    Features

    • Account and lead management: efficiently organises and manages B2B accounts and leads capturing and storing specific details pertinent to B2B relationships and interactions.
    • Deals and pipeline management: assists B2B sales teams in monitoring and managing the progress of complex deals through various stages of the sales pipeline.
    • Email marketing: equips B2B marketers with the tools to craft and dispatch targeted email campaigns, tailored to the needs and challenges of B2B audiences.
    • Analytics and reporting tools: provides valuable insights into lead generation and deal management strategies, specifically geared towards the B2B market.

    Pros

    • Free basic version: Hubspot offers a complimentary version of its CRM software which includes essential tools ideal for smaller businesses.
    • Flexible sales revenue models: HubSpot accommodates various revenue models, enabling B2B businesses to implement diverse sales strategies within a single platform, thus optimising sales operations and catering to different customer preferences.
    • Enhanced customisation: Hubspot provides B2B businesses with the ability to easily tailor data models, CRM interfaces, workflows, and content to their specific needs.

    Cons

    • Lack of vertical strategy: Hubspot does not offer solutions tailored to specific industries and lacks the functionalities designed for the sales processes and data models of particular sectors, which may limit its applicability for some B2B businesses.
    • Limited access to advanced features: utilising advanced features may require special knowledge and additional investment in developer support.
    • No support for indirect selling: Hubspot does not include functionalities for partner relationship management, which are crucial for some B2B companies engaged in direct selling.
    • Not designed for larger enterprises: Hubspot is geared towards small and medium-sized businesses and may not adequately support the complex requirements and detailed workflows of large B2B enterprises.

    Pricing starts at £14 ($18) per user/month

    4. Zendesk

    Zendesk is a user-friendly and intuitive platform designed to streamline sales processes and enhance customer relationships. It offers a range of features, including contact and lead management, sales analytics, and workflow automation, among others.

    Features

    • Account and lead management: centralises the management of B2B accounts and leads for greater efficiency.
    • Workflow automation: simplifies B2B sales processes by automating repetitive tasks such as order processing, invoicing, and inventory management.
    • Pipeline analytics: delivers data-driven insights into lead conversion, deal progression, and overall sales performance.
    • Email automation: enhances B2B communication workflows by automating email processes.

    Pros

    • Advanced service management: Zendesk is recognised as a leading provider in service automation, offering solutions that are particularly effective for small and medium-sized customer service teams
    • Simplicity and ease of use: users appreciate Zendesk’s intuitive and user-friendly interface, which facilitates straightforward navigation and operation without the need for extensive training.
    • Broad app marketplace: Zendesk features a comprehensive marketplace, including with over 1200 applications and pre-built integrations, including popular platforms like Shopify, Slack, Zoom, MS Teams, And Jira, enhancing the platform’s functionality

    Cons

    • Lack of marketing tools: Zendesk's offerings are primarily focused on sales and service automation, which may pose a challenge for teams looking for more robust B2B marketing automation solutions.
    • Lack of industry-specific features: Zendesk does not cater to specific verticals or customer segments, which could limit its effectiveness for B2B businesses with specialised requirements.
    • Insufficient customer support: Zendesk users have reported issues with obtaining relevant and timely customer support.

    Starting price: £15 ($19) per user/month

    5. Zoho

    Zoho CRM is a comprehensive cloud-based solution designed to streamline sales processes, enhance customer engagement, and drive business growth. It enables businesses of all sizes to forge stronger relationships with their clients, whilst simplifying interactions across employees, partners, and technology to improve overall customer experience.

    Features

    • Account management: allows businesses to capture real-time data, creating comprehensive customer profiles that facilitate personalised services for various B2B client segments.
    • Customer segmentation: enables segmentation based on industries or specific requirements, thereby improving the level of personalisation.
    • Personalised engagement: monitors customer interactions across multiple channels to enhance engagement and deliver a tailored customer experience.
    • Analytics and reporting: provides detailed reports and dynamic dashboards, offering insights into various aspects such as email, social marketing campaigns, team performance, and lead effectiveness.

    Pros

    • Customisable and role-based UI: Zoho offers extensive customisation options for its user interface, allowing businesses to create multiple, role-specific views that highlight the information most relevant to different roles within the company.
    • Digital optimisation: Zoho provides a suite of tools designed for B2B businesses aiming to modernise their sales processes and automate manual tasks, enhancing overall efficiency.
    • Transparent ML mode: Zoho’s AI assistant, Zia, is fully transparent about its lead scoring and recommendations, fostering trust in its machine learning capabilities among B2B users.

    Cons

    • No built-in vertical solutions: Zoho does not offer industry-specific solutions directly but provides them through third-party partners available in its application marketplace.
    • Insufficient account-based functionality: Zoho’s capabilities for account-based management are somewhat restricted, and it lacks integration with account-based marketing (ABM) platforms.
    • Fewer large-scale accounts: Zoho is best suited for small and medium-sized businesses and may not adequately support larger B2B enterprises with more complex sales and management processes.

    Starting price: £8 ($10) per user/month

    6. Pegasystems

    The Pegasystems CRM solution integrates workflow automation, real-time decision-making, and a low-code platform to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency. It is primarily designed for large enterprises with intricate processes.

    Features

    • Unified platform: a comprehensive solution for frontline teams, offering customisation options for various B2B scenarios and serving as a central hub for a range of features and resources.
    • Composable architecture: supports a flexible, composable architecture for creating bespoke desktops tailored to specific B2B requirements.
    • Dynamic case management: merges workflow automation with real-time decision-making to ensure smooth and efficient B2B processes.
    • Industry-specific workflows: delivers specialised workflows designed to meet the needs of specific industries, making them suitable for a variety of B2B contexts.
    • Pega Process AI: utilises artificial intelligence to anticipate customer needs, guide users through adaptive workflows, and suggest relevant offers in B2B settings.

    Pros

    • Extensive product portfolio: Pega provides a broad array of native features essential for B2B operations, including proposal and quotation management, lead handling, and more.
    • Robust AI: Pega’s Next-Best-Action Designer aids B2B businesses in crafting sophisticated next-best-action models, suggesting optimal offers, and evaluating the probability of customers purchasing specific products.
    • Enhanced analytics and measurements: Pega equips B2B businesses with advanced customer journey analytics, offering a thorough view of customer engagement across various channels.

    Cons

    • Limited capabilities to support B2B use cases: Pega’s marketing automation features are not ideally suited for B2B demand generation and may require additional configuration from B2B clients to meet standard needs.
    • Steep learning curve: utilising Pega’s AI-driven marketing functionalities demands advanced analytical skills that may exceed the capabilities of typical B2B marketing teams.
    • Limited integration with third-party apps: Pega has restricted integration capabilities with third-party applications and does not interface with ABM platforms, which may constrain options for B2B businesses dependent on industry-specific tools.
    • Post-sales challenges: Pega offers limited support for implementation, onboarding and customer success services, with few service providers and no third-party consultants processing extensive product knowledge.

    Starting price: £27 ($35) per user/month

    See also: Pega Alternatives and Competitors

    7. Oracle

    Oracle CX Cloud offers a comprehensive solution tailored to support customers throughout their journey, blending both automated and personal interactions. By harnessing a diverse array of data sources, it crafts workflows that seamlessly integrate the entire organisation, with a particular focus on industry-specific needs. Oracle’s platform excels in handling complex sales scenarios and business models through AI-driven insights.

    Features

    • Customer data platform: acts as a centralised hub for managing and storing detailed information about business accounts.
    • Customer segmentation: enhances B2B customer segmentation using various criteria such as industry, location, or size.
    • Social relationship management: facilitates the monitoring and engagement with B2B customers on social media platforms, allowing businesses to build relationships in real-time.
    • Lead capture and qualification: aids businesses in identifying potential B2B customers by capturing and qualifying leads from various channels.
    • Oracle CPQ: assists in the creation and management of quotes and orders for B2B transactions.

    Pros

    • Robust audience creation capabilities: Oracle excels in creating highly segmented contact lists by combining account data, first- and third-party intent data, and machine learning (ML) capabilities.
    • Multiple B2B-specific features: Oracle provides a wealth of native features tailored for B2B indirect selling, including Partner Relationship Management, CPG retailer recruitment, and quote-to-order visibility, along with various vertical-specific functionalities.
    • Advanced AI/ML models: Oracle supports a range of functionalities enhanced by its AI and machine learning models, such as predictive lead and account scoring and accessing buying propensity.

    Cons

    • Insufficient integration capabilities: Oracle has limited options for integrating third-party applications and lacks built-in integrations with some commonly used technology add-ons for B2B businesses.
    • Challenging product features: certain CRM functionalities, such as reporting and dashboards, can be difficult to navigate, and Oracle does not provide free access to educational resources to assist users.
    • Additional costs of advanced features: some of Oracle’s advanced features, including AI and machine learning models, require additional investment.

    Starting price: The initial pricing details should be confirmed with the vendor

    8. Microsoft Dynamics 365

    Microsoft Dynamics 365 offers a comprehensive suite of business applications designed to unify customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning capabilities. It enables organisations to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive business growth. With modules covering sales, marketing, and customer service, Dynamics 365 provides flexibility, scalability, and seamless integration with Microsoft's productivity tools.

    Features

    • Customer segmentation: facilitates the segmentation of customers and the creation of subsets of contacts associated with business accounts.
    • Account-based email marketing: assists businesses in crafting personalised email communication using account-specific information
    • AI-driven suggestions: utilises AI to generate engaging messages based on account data, leveraging insights to recommend personalised content.
    • Customisable workflows: supports complex B2B sales cycles by adapting to unique business needs and ensuring smooth collaboration across teams.
    • Lead management: enhances lead scoring and nurturing, which is crucial for effective B2B lead management.
    • Advanced reporting and analytics: offers comprehensive and actionable insights to optimise B2B sales and marketing performance.

    Pros

    • Seamless integration: Microsoft integrates smoothly with its Office ecosystem, enhancing data flow through features such as Dataverse. This is particularly beneficial for B2B businesses that rely on these tools.
    • Citizen developer-friendly: With its low-code tooling, Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables citizen developers to easily extend the CRM, create analytics, and develop new automations.
    • Seamless data sharing: Microsoft Dynamics integrates its Sales and Service clouds into a cohesive suite of CRM applications, ensuring consistent data and insights are shared across the entire organisation

    Cons

    • Limited PRM capabilities: Microsoft has limited native Partner Relationship Management functionalities, often necessitating third-party applications, which may be a drawback for B2B businesses that rely on PRM.
    • SFA integration difficulties: while Microsoft excels with its native environment, its integration with third-party applications, including SFA platforms, can be somewhat limited.
    • High costs: Microsoft solution is among the more expensive options on the market and may require additional investment, such as for upgrading the data storage.

    Starting price: £39 ($50)

    9. Freshworks

    Freshworks offers a comprehensive suite of customer engagement software, including Freshsales and Freshdesk, both of which are designed to streamline customer interactions and bolster business performance. These platforms deliver a customer 360 view, feature intuitive interfaces, and provide actionable insights to maximise customer value.

    Features

    • Account-based marketing: facilitates personalised engagement through bespoke outreach strategies and dynamic content, enabling businesses to deliver tailored messages.
    • Customisable sales pipeline: adapts pipeline stages to align with the unique sales processes of B2B organisations.
    • Intelligent sales insights: AI-driven deal insights assist sales teams in making informed decisions during complex B2B sales cycles.
    • AI-powered customer service: utilises intelligent automation for efficient ticketing, supports omnichannel communication, and offers detailed analysis of customer feedback.

    Pros

    • Freshsales free version: Freshworks provides a free version of its sales force automation product, which is ideal for small to medium-sized businesses looking to explore its features without initial commitments.
    • User-friendly AI capabilities: Freshworks’ AI model is both straightforward and transparent, assisting B2B businesses in comprehending the rationale behind the recommendations and suggestions.
    • Enhanced reporting: Freshworks offers easy-to-use, out-of-the-box reports and customisable dashboards, which enhance data-driven decision-making and performance monitoring.

    Cons

    • Lack of custom audience-building features: Freshwork lacks features for building custom audiences, posing a significant challenge for B2B marketers who need to advertise across multiple platforms.
    • Limited ABM integration: while Freshworks supports basic account-based marketing, it does not but does not integrate with other ABM platforms, which can restrict its use for B2B businesses.
    • Limited flexibility of certain features: Freshworks shows limited flexibility in areas like forecasting and pipeline management, insufficient reporting and dashboarding capabilities, which may not fully meet the needs of larger B2B customers.

    Starting price: £12 ($15) per user/month

    10. Pipedrive

    Pipedrive is renowned for its sales CRM software, celebrated for its intuitive and user-friendly interface. Designed with a focus on empowering sales teams, Pipedrive offers a suite of solutions that streamline sales processes and foster business growth. Its core CRM application provides a centralised platform for managing leads, deals, and contacts, allowing users to gain valuable insights and make informed decisions.

    Features

    • Lead and deal management: simplifies data entry and tracks communications, enhancing the efficiency of lead and deal management processes.
    • Automated campaigns: enables the creation of rules to automatically trigger email and text campaigns based on customer interactions, thus automating B2B marketing efforts and facilitating personalised communication.
    • Deal stage progress: assists in organising and monitoring the progress of each deal, particularly useful in lengthy B2B sales cycles, by providing clear visibility into every stage of the sales process.

    Pros

    • Robust sales pipeline management: Pipedrive is renowned for its strength in visualising and managing sales pipelines, assisting B2B businesses in tracking deals and optimising the sales process.
    • Enhanced integration capabilities: the platform boasts an extensive array of third-party apps and add-ons available in its marketplace, enabling B2B companies to streamline workflows and automate various processes.

    Cons

    • Limited reporting capabilities: Pipedrive reporting features are relatively basic, and configuring detailed reports can be challenging, which may hinder in-depth analysis for B2B businesses.
    • Customisation issues: despite its reputation for customisation, Pipedrive has limits when it comes to tailoring the platform, particularly for specialised or intricate B2B business processes.

    Starting price: £12 ($15) per user/month

    Summary

    B2B CRM software is fundamental for businesses aiming to refine their relationships, boost operational efficiency, and cultivate long-term partnerships. With a range of features specifically designed for B2B needs, companies can adeptly manage intricate sales cycles, personalise client interactions, and drive revenue growth.

    Selecting the right B2B CRM is no simple feat. Businesses must carefully assess the key features, consider their unique requirements, and ensure their organisational goals to make an informed decision.

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