Best CRM Software for Enterprise

Best customer-relationship-management Software for EnterpriseOur 2019 pick forbest kundenbeziehungsmanagement software for enterprisegoes toSalesforce,because its an established, full-featured customer-relationship-management that can meet the needs of even the largest geschftlicher umganges.Salesforce has been in geschftliches miteinander for nearly 20 years and has the bulk of the market share when it comes to ausverkauf, absatzwirtschaft and customer tafelgeschirr applications. SMBs and international enterprises alike use Salesforce products, including its highly reviewed SaaS customer relationship management solution.Salesforce offers small geschftliches miteinanderes the power and functionality of an enterprise-level kundenbeziehungsmanagement in a package that can be gradually scaled and upgraded over time. For SMBs that want to compete on a larger scale, investing in the industry standard can be a way to even the playing field. While lightweight kundenpflege systems can be eas ily outgrown, sophisticated solutions like Salesforce can serve yur small geschftlicher umgang from the startup stage through to the enterprise level. The fact that Salesforce has an ecosystem that extends beyond kundenbeziehungsmanagement services (and into areas likee-commerce,community engagementandcollaboration) also makes it a good choice for small businesses that want to build out comprehensive systems to serve multiple departments.In 2016, Salesforce was named Innovator of the Decade by Forbes, and, today, Salesforce is one of the top five fastest-growing enterprise software companies worldwide. One major edge Salesforce offers clients is access to the massive Salesforce App marketplace, which makes installing third-party integrations relatively painless. Additionally, the sheer size of the kundenpflege giant makes it an excellent option in terms of scalability your business is highly unlikely to ever outgrow the Salesforce ecosystem.To understand how we selected our best pic ks, you can view our methodology as well as a comprehensive list of customer-relationship-management software, on ourbest picks page.Editors notlagee Looking for the right customer-relationship-management software for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.Why Salesforce customer-relationship-management Is Ideal for EnterprisePowerful, customizable, scalableSalesforce dominates the kundenbeziehungsmanagement market because it can be scaled and customized to meet the needs of a diverse range of businesses. The implementation timeline for Salesforce varies wildly due to different subscription levels and integrations that require varying levels of hands-on setup. However, once implemented, Salesforce offers one of the best benutzer interfaces available.Salesforces gammeln UI is intuitive enough to use that very little training is necessary for non-admin nutzers. Navigation within Salesforce is easy too. Each tab is separ ated into easy-to-understand categories, such as Home, Contacts, Accounts, Leads, Campaigns, Opportunities, Forecasts and Files.This tab-style layout makes it easy to landsee all the infassonation available and jump from task to task. Additionally, Salesforce admin controls make it easy to maintain different permissions and displays based on nutzer groups or individual anwenders, and since the SaaS product is mobile-ready, its accessible from anywhere.While some kundenpfleges we reviewed focus solely on small business use, Salesforce has a much broader scope. This SaaS solution goes beyond the functionality of typical CRM software by delivering project management and workflow tools, content management, and a bevy of third-party integrations. Through Salesforce AppExchange, business users gain instant access to easy third-party integrations. While third-party app integrations are not unique to Salesforce, the variety and quantity of apps the Salesforce store offers are far greater th an the competitions.Additionally, companies that use legacy systems or proprietary software and want to integrate them with Salesforce may either do so themselves in-house or take advantage of the software giants comprehensive gruppe of implementation and customization support staff. Since Salesforce regularly works with enterprise-level clients whose needs are specific and numerous, it has mora than enough consultation services to assist with any level of customization small and midsize businesses could need (for a price).For entrepreneurs who prefer to keep things in-house, Salesforce has an active verbunden user community, and since its so widely used, an inclusive catalog of training resources and implementation documentation is also available online. However, going the DIY route with Salesforce requires some serious tech chops. If you do not have a dedicated in-house tech team, consider the added cost of consultation services prior to adoption.Salesforce PricingSalesforce isnt a budget CRM. While the companys tiered SaaS pricing seems affordable enough on the surface, popular customizations, integrations, additional users and additional storage all come at a premium. Implementation and consultation services also cost a pretty penny, but it is possible to adopt Salesforce without breaking the bank. Below is a price breakdown for the cloud CRM. Like most other CRMs, Salesforce quotes prices per user per month but bills annually.Lightning EssentialsThe entry-level Salesforce CRM, Lightning Essentials, is only suitable for small businesses. At $25 per user per month, this relatively affordable SaaS solution offers price-conscious business owners an opportunity to buy into the Salesforce ecosystem without massive upfront costs. However, Lightning Essentials only provides support for up to five users at a time, so plan on upgrading to a mora expensive subscription level if your team is growing. Lightning ProfessionalOrganizations that require support for more t han five users may upgrade to the next available Salesforce tier, which is called Lightning Professional and costs $75 per user per month. Despite being three times the cost of the Lightning Essentials package, this subscription tier is the least expensive Salesforce CRM level for unlimited users. Lightning Professional includes most of the features of Essentials (except Einstein Activity Capture and the inbox mobile app) plus more in-depth lead management and marketing tools, like the ability to send mass emailles and manage campaigns. Lightning EnterpriseThe most popular Salesforce CRM tier, Lightning Enterprise is significantly more expensive than most SMB-focused solutions at $150 per user per month, but the extensive customization options make it a good fit for businesses with highly specific needs. Unlike lower tiers, this CRM level offers full access to all of Salesforces package-inclusive features as well as unlimited roles and permissions, unlimited record types, unlimited processes, unlimited profiles and page layouts, and one partial sandbox for lightweight dev testing. Lightning UnlimitedIdeal for highly tech-oriented businesses with extensive dev needs, Lightning Unlimited offers the same access as Lightning Enterprise as well as access to a full developer sandbox and developer pro sandbox. For $300 per user per month, this instance of Salesforce also grants access to Premier Success Resources, 24/7 toll-free support, developer support, unlimited online training, configuration services and accelerators. Features like behauptung are not available at any other subscription level but are likely unnecessary for most SMBs.Ease of UseEase of use is a contentious topic among Salesforce users. Small business owners should carefully consider how much time theyre willing to spend learning a new CRM before making a purchasing decision.In general, midsize and large companies that have ample in-house tech support tend to describe Salesforces CRM as relatively easy to use. They describe a long implementation process, which is to be expected when youre dealing with a highly sophisticated and customizable system, but a very slight learning curve when it comes to user understanding of how the CRM works.This assessment is understandable and echoes some aspects of our experience with Salesforce. Throughout the testing process, we were impressed with the overall intuitive design of Salesforce, and the layout of tabs and menu items is easy to navigate without much direction. However, as reviewers, we have an above-average understanding and knowledge of CRM systems, so to get a more comprehensive view of ease of use, its important to pay attention to responses from diverse sources.Through research, we found that many smaller organizations (especially those that are not particularly tech savvy) describe Salesforce as very confusing and difficult to implement and use. Many such users expressed great frustration at figuring out how to set up basic u ser permissions and manage the admin side of the implementation process. Several clients said they had to resort to expensive support services from Salesforce, and many said the entire process entailed far more work than they initially expected.If your staff is familiar with CRM software and you employ a fairly tech-savvy group of professionals, you probably wont have difficulty with Salesforce. If youve never completed a software implementation project, have limited in-house technical expertise and arent familiar with CRM systems, you may be better off with a simpler solution.Customer tafelgeschirrSalesforce hits it out of the park when it comes to offering a feature-rich CRM that can be scaled to suit businesses of any size, but customer service is, without a doubt, its weakness. Judging customer service as a reviewer is difficult, because media inquiries are often given priority over small clients, but at Salesforce, the customer service response time is consistently lacking.Igno red requests are the norm, whether youre a client or a member of the media, and getting anyone to return a call or email is challenging at best. Finding even basic information is frustrating, and getting anything other than a price and feature list requires emailing and filling out request forms with personal information.Its unclear if Salesforces customer service is lacking because the company wants customers to opt for paid consultation services or if it simply pours its resources into servicing enterprise-level clients, but small businesses should seriously consider the level of customer service they require before partnering with Salesforce.Ask upfront how much consultation services cost, how Salesforce reps communicate with their charges, and what type of response time to expect before you estimate the cost of adopting Salesforce for your business. Assume that if you require assistance from Salesforce, you will have to pay for it.Salesforce has a bad reputation with the Better geschftliches miteinander Bureau. The company scored a D- with the rating agency. Despite its size and breadth, its also not an accredited business. It scored 1 out of 5 stars on 28 customer reviews, and it has 72 complaints in the last three years. Seventeen complaints were closed within the last year. Salesforce has one of the lowest-scoring BBB pages of any company we reviewed. While this may not reflect the companys total service, its still something to keep in mind before partnering with it.Salesforce FeaturesSome CRMs have one or two standout features that make them worthy of consideration among business users, but Salesforces sheer variety of features and nearly limitless service options make it a winner in our book. Here are a few of the best CRM features Salesforce offers business users. Keep in mind that some of these features are add-ons and arent included in the tiered pricing structure we outlined.Customizable dashboardsThe CRM dashboard is arranged in an intuitive way, with reporting widgets and real-time summaries of sales numbers and customer data. Dashboard views can easily be customized, so employees with varied roles see only whats important to them. Advanced analyticsBasic business analytics are built into Salesforces CRM, but advanced analytics are available as an add-on for those with extensive data analysis needs. Products like SalesforcesEinstein Analyticsfamilyincludes a variety of products designed to boost sales and productivity by interpreting gathered data. Click-to-callWhile this isnt included in any of the tiered subscription plans, Salesforce CRM users may opt to pay extra for the addition ofLightning Dialer. Salesforces proprietary click-to-call add-on is a must for high-volume call centers and eliminates the need for a third-party calling solution. B2B marketing toolsPardot B2B Marketing Automationis a Salesforce add-on that allows B2B users to streamline the marketing and lead-generation process and maximize ROI. Very few CRM s offer tools specifically for B2B industries, so this is a standout feature. Salesforce Trailblazer CommunityFor the self-serve set, theSalesforce Trailblazer Communityis an invaluable online resource. The comprehensive help forum features knowledge articles, best practices for implementation, interactive groups, a space for QAsand more. Since Salesforce is so widely used, the Trailblazer Community is more active and responsive than other branded CRM user groups. Customer Service ConsoleYoud be hard-pressed to find a company with more customer support tools than Salesforce. In fact, this CRM provider offers an entire Customer Service Consoleadd-on designed specifically for small businesses and help desks. Through the console, you can view customer inquiries from all communication channels in one place, route questions to the correct agents, and maintain records of conversations and response time. Project managementSalesforce builds lightweight project management into its CRM, prima rily in the form of workflows, task assignments, approvalsand permission levels. However, if you require more advanced project management or already use a popular project management system, you can integrate it with your Salesforce CRM through AppExchange. There are currently 112 different project management tools (paid and free) that can pair with Salesforce, including popular solutions like Taskfeed and Tracker by Deloitte as well as industry-specific products like theAdvoLogix Legal Suite. AppExchange free integrationsThere are plenty of paid services you can integrate with Salesforce through AppExchange, but there are also hundreds of free integrations available, some of which are pared-down versions of more expensive products (ideal for very small businesses) and others that are open source or simply available free of charge. Browse theSalesforce AppExchangestore by category to get a sense of the add-ons available.Other BenefitsWith nearly 20% market shareas of 2015, Salesforce owns more of the CRM market than tech giants SAP, Oracle and Microsoft. While size may seem irrelevant to the end user, some companies prefer to implement products from major companies, because larger SaaS providers tend to continue to expand the types of services and products they offer. Getting multiple solutions from one provider can also make it easier for large businesses to keep a handle on the tech they use.LimitationsSalesforce isnt necessarily the best solution for every business user. Like many other business software companies, it offers so many packages and options that simply sorting through all the products and figuring out what you need, what you dont need, and how much it will all cost requires at least a little help from a sales rep. Even gathering general information or viewing a demo requires filling out a form, and many SMBs and multitasking entrepreneurs prefer more of a self-serve approach.Pricing may also be an issue for some small businesses. While the $25 p er-user fee seems like a win, it can only be used for teams of five or fewer people. geschftliches miteinanderes that need more than five subscriptions will have to pay at least $75 per user per month. Customizing the software and adding on third-party solutions may result in additional fees, and if you lack the requisite skills to implement or customize the software, there are additional costs to hire developers to do it for you. Some small business owners we talked to said they were quoted hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars from developers to help them implement Salesforce.FAQs About SalesforceWhat is Salesforce used for?Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) software solution. CRM software is used to help sales teams manage current clients, communicate with future clients, store information, find new leads and optimize sales pipelines. Salesforce also sells compatible business software products to manage advanced analytics, financial services compani es, healthcare companies and more. Is Salesforce a SaaS CRM product?Yes. Salesforces customer relationship management (CRM) solution is considered software as a service (SaaS). Users pay Salesforce for a subscription that grants them access to web-based software that is hosted on a remote server and not managed by the client. Today most small businesses rely on SaaS products due to its affordability, accessibility and low-maintenance nature.What is the difference between ERP and CRM?Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has some overlap with customer relationship management (CRM) software, so its understandable that theres frequent confusion regarding the difference between ERPs and CRMs. ERP software is intended to manage nearly every aspect of a businesss operations, from accounting and menschlich resources to inventory and analytics, so CRM capabilities are often built into ERP software. CRM software focuses specifically on managing customer information, logging interaction s with clients and storing sales-related lead details.Ready to choose a CRM solution? Heres a breakdown of our full coverage Best CRM Software 2019Choosing the Best CRM SoftwareBest CRM OverallBest Free CRM VersionBest Basic CRMBest Low-Cost (Previous Winner)Editors note Looking for the right CRM software for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs. Matt DAngelo Matt DAngelo is a staff writer covering small business for Business.com and Business News Daily. After graduating from James Madison University with a degree in journalism, Matt gained experience as a copy editor and writer for newspapers and various online publications. In addition to his writing and reporting, Matt edits articles. He reviews small business services, including PEOs, small business loans and GPS fleet tracking services. Hes been with Business.c om and Business News Daily since 2017. abflug Your Business Business Ideas Business Plans Startup Basics Startup Funding Franchising Success Stories Entrepreneurs Grow Your Business Sales Market ing Finances Your Team Technology Social Media Security Build Your Career Get the Job Get Ahead geschftszimmer Life Work-Life Balance Home Office Lead Your Team Leadership Women in Business Managing Strategy Personal Growth Find A Solution HR Solutions Financial Solutions Marketing Solutions Security Solutions Retail Solutions SMB Solutions About Us Contact Us Partner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap 200 Fifth Avenue, Second FloorWaltham, MA 02451infobusinessnewsdaily.com Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) All Rights Reserved. Company About Us Contact Us Partner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap Network Business.com BuyerZone.comBest CRM Software for EnterpriseOur 2019 pick forbest CRM software for enterprisegoes toSalesforce,because its an established, full-featured CRM that can meet the needs of even the largest businesses.Salesforce has been in business for nearly 20 years and has the bulk of the market share when it comes to sales, marketing and customer service applications. SMBs and international enterprises alike use Salesforce products, including its highly reviewed SaaS customer relationship management solution.Salesforce offers small businesses the power and functionality of an enterprise-level CRM in a package that can be gradually scaled and upgraded over time. For SMBs that want to compete on a larger scale, investing in the industry standard can be a way to even the playing field. While lightweight CRM systems can be easily outgrown, sophisticated solutions like Salesforce can serve your small business from the startup stage through to the enterprise level. The fact that Salesforce has an ecosystem that extends beyond CRM services (and into areas likee-commerce,community engagementandcollaboration) also makes it a good choice for small businesses that want to build out comprehensive systems to serve multiple departments.In 2016, Salesforce was named Innovator of the Decade by Forbes, and, today, Salesforce is one of the top five fastest-growing enterprise software companies worldwide. One major edge Salesforce offers clients is access to the massive Salesforce App marketplace, which makes installing third-party integrations relatively painless. Additionally, the sheer size of the CRM giant makes it an excellent option in terms of scalability your business is highly unlikely to ever outgrow the Salesforce ecosystem.To understand how we selected our best picks, you can view our methodology as well as a comprehensive list of CRM software, on ourbest picks page.Editors note Looking for the right CRM software for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.Why Salesforce CRM Is Ideal for EnterprisePowerful, customizable, scalableSalesforce dominates the CRM market because it can be scaled and customized to meet the needs of a diverse range of businesses. The implementation timeline for Salesforce varies wildly due to different subscription levels and integrations that require varying levels of hands-on setup. However, once implemented, Salesforce offers one of the best user interfaces available.Salesforces modern UI is intuitive enough to use that very little training is necessary for non-admin users. Navigation within Salesforce is easy too. Each tab is separated into easy-to-understand categories, such as Home, Contacts, Accounts, Leads, Campaigns, Opportunities, Forecasts and Files.This tab-style layout makes it easy to see all the information available and jump from task to task. Additionally, Salesforce admin controls make it easy to maintain different permissions and displays based on user groups or individual users, and since the SaaS product is mobile-ready, its accessible from anywhere.While some CRMs we reviewed focus solely on small business use, Salesforce has a much broader scope. This SaaS solution goes beyond the functionality of typical CRM software by delivering project management and workflow tools, content management, and a bevy of third-party integrations. Through Salesforce AppExchange, business users gain instant access to easy third-party integrations. While third-party app integrations are not unique to Salesforce, the variety and quantity of apps the Salesforce store offers are far greater than the competitions.Additionally, companies that use legacy systems or proprietary software and want to integrate them with Salesforce may either do so themselves in-house or take advantage of the software giants comprehensive team of implementation and customization support staff. Since Salesforce regularly works with enterprise-level clients whose needs are specific and numerous, it has more than enough consultation services to assist with any level of customization small and midsize businesses could need (for a price).For entrepreneurs who prefer to keep things in-house, Salesforce has an active online user community, and since its so widely used, an inclusive catalog of training resources and implementation documentation is also available online. However, going the DIY route with Salesforce requires some serious tech chops. If you do not have a dedicated in-house tech team, consider the added cost of consultation services prior to adoption.Salesforce PricingSalesforce isnt a budget CRM. While the companys tiered SaaS pricing seems affordable enough on the surface, popular customizations, i ntegrations, additional users and additional storage all come at a premium. Implementation and consultation services also cost a pretty penny, but it is possible to adopt Salesforce without breaking the bank. Below is a price breakdown for the cloud CRM. Like most other CRMs, Salesforce quotes prices per user per month but bills annually.Lightning EssentialsThe entry-level Salesforce CRM, Lightning Essentials, is only suitable for small businesses. At $25 per user per month, this relatively affordable SaaS solution offers price-conscious business owners an opportunity to buy into the Salesforce ecosystem without massive upfront costs. However, Lightning Essentials only provides support for up to five users at a time, so plan on upgrading to a more expensive subscription level if your team is growing. Lightning ProfessionalOrganizations that require support for more than five users may upgrade to the next available Salesforce tier, which is called Lightning Professional and costs $75 per user per month. Despite being three times the cost of the Lightning Essentials package, this subscription tier is the least expensive Salesforce CRM level for unlimited users. Lightning Professional includes most of the features of Essentials (except Einstein Activity Capture and the inbox mobile app) plus more in-depth lead management and marketing tools, like the ability to send mass emails and manage campaigns. Lightning EnterpriseThe most popular Salesforce CRM tier, Lightning Enterprise is significantly more expensive than most SMB-focused solutions at $150 per user per month, but the extensive customization options make it a good fit for businesses with highly specific needs. Unlike lower tiers, this CRM level offers full access to all of Salesforces package-inclusive features as well as unlimited roles and permissions, unlimited record types, unlimited processes, unlimited profiles and page layouts, and one partial sandbox for lightweight dev testing. Lightning Unlimited Ideal for highly tech-oriented businesses with extensive dev needs, Lightning Unlimited offers the same access as Lightning Enterprise as well as access to a full developer sandbox and developer pro sandbox. For $300 per user per month, this instance of Salesforce also grants access to Premier Success Resources, 24/7 toll-free support, developer support, unlimited online training, configuration services and accelerators. Features like these are not available at any other subscription level but are likely unnecessary for most SMBs.Ease of UseEase of use is a contentious topic among Salesforce users. Small business owners should carefully consider how much time theyre willing to spend learning a new CRM before making a purchasing decision.In general, midsize and large companies that have ample in-house tech support tend to describe Salesforces CRM as relatively easy to use. They describe a long implementation process, which is to be expected when youre dealing with a highly sophistica ted and customizable system, but a very slight learning curve when it comes to user understanding of how the CRM works.This assessment is understandable and echoes some aspects of our experience with Salesforce. Throughout the testing process, we were impressed with the overall intuitive design of Salesforce, and the layout of tabs and menu items is easy to navigate without much direction. However, as reviewers, we have an above-average understanding and knowledge of CRM systems, so to get a more comprehensive view of ease of use, its important to pay attention to responses from diverse sources.Through research, we found that many smaller organizations (especially those that are not particularly tech savvy) describe Salesforce as very confusing and difficult to implement and use. Many such users expressed great frustration at figuring out how to set up basic user permissions and manage the admin side of the implementation process. Several clients said they had to resort to expensive support services from Salesforce, and many said the entire process entailed far more work than they initially expected.If your staff is familiar with CRM software and you employ a fairly tech-savvy group of professionals, you probably wont have difficulty with Salesforce. If youve never completed a software implementation project, have limited in-house technical expertise and arent familiar with CRM systems, you may be better off with a simpler solution.Customer ServiceSalesforce hits it out of the park when it comes to offering a feature-rich CRM that can be scaled to suit businesses of any size, but customer service is, without a doubt, its weakness. Judging customer service as a reviewer is difficult, because media inquiries are often given priority over small clients, but at Salesforce, the customer service response time is consistently lacking.Ignored requests are the norm, whether youre a client or a member of the media, and getting anyone to return a call or email is challen ging at best. Finding even basic information is frustrating, and getting anything other than a price and feature list requires emailing and filling out request forms with personal information.Its unclear if Salesforces customer service is lacking because the company wants customers to opt for paid consultation services or if it simply pours its resources into servicing enterprise-level clients, but small businesses should seriously consider the level of customer service they require before partnering with Salesforce.Ask upfront how much consultation services cost, how Salesforce reps communicate with their charges, and what type of response time to expect before you estimate the cost of adopting Salesforce for your business. Assume that if you require assistance from Salesforce, you will have to pay for it.Salesforce has a bad reputation with the Better Business Bureau. The company scored a D- with the rating agency. Despite its size and breadth, its also not an accredited business. It scored 1 out of 5 stars on 28 customer reviews, and it has 72 complaints in the last three years. Seventeen complaints were closed within the last year. Salesforce has one of the lowest-scoring BBB pages of any company we reviewed. While this may not reflect the companys total service, its still something to keep in mind before partnering with it.Salesforce FeaturesSome CRMs have one or two standout features that make them worthy of consideration among business users, but Salesforces sheer variety of features and nearly limitless service options make it a winner in our book. Here are a few of the best CRM features Salesforce offers business users. Keep in mind that some of these features are add-ons and arent included in the tiered pricing structure we outlined.Customizable dashboardsThe CRM dashboard is arranged in an intuitive way, with reporting widgets and real-time summaries of sales numbers and customer data. Dashboard views can easily be customized, so employees with vari ed roles see only whats important to them. Advanced analyticsBasic business analytics are built into Salesforces CRM, but advanced analytics are available as an add-on for those with extensive data analysis needs. Products like SalesforcesEinstein Analyticsfamilyincludes a variety of products designed to boost sales and productivity by interpreting gathered data. Click-to-callWhile this isnt included in any of the tiered subscription plans, Salesforce CRM users may opt to pay extra for the addition ofLightning Dialer. Salesforces proprietary click-to-call add-on is a must for high-volume call centers and eliminates the need for a third-party calling solution. B2B marketing toolsPardot B2B Marketing Automationis a Salesforce add-on that allows B2B users to streamline the marketing and lead-generation process and maximize ROI. Very few CRMs offer tools specifically for B2B industries, so this is a standout feature. Salesforce Trailblazer CommunityFor the self-serve set, theSalesforce Trailblazer Communityis an invaluable online resource. The comprehensive help forum features knowledge articles, best practices for implementation, interactive groups, a space for QAsand more. Since Salesforce is so widely used, the Trailblazer Community is more active and responsive than other branded CRM user groups. Customer Service ConsoleYoud be hard-pressed to find a company with more customer support tools than Salesforce. In fact, this CRM provider offers an entire Customer Service Consoleadd-on designed specifically for small businesses and help desks. Through the console, you can view customer inquiries from all communication channels in one place, route questions to the correct agents, and maintain records of conversations and response time. Project managementSalesforce builds lightweight project management into its CRM, primarily in the form of workflows, task assignments, approvalsand permission levels. However, if you require more advanced project management or already use a popular project management system, you can integrate it with your Salesforce CRM through AppExchange. There are currently 112 different project management tools (paid and free) that can pair with Salesforce, including popular solutions like Taskfeed and Tracker by Deloitte as well as industry-specific products like theAdvoLogix Legal Suite. AppExchange free integrationsThere are plenty of paid services you can integrate with Salesforce through AppExchange, but there are also hundreds of free integrations available, some of which are pared-down versions of more expensive products (ideal for very small businesses) and others that are open source or simply available free of charge. Browse theSalesforce AppExchangestore by category to get a sense of the add-ons available.Other BenefitsWith nearly 20% market shareas of 2015, Salesforce owns more of the CRM market than tech giants SAP, Oracle and Microsoft. While size may seem irrelevant to the end user, some companies prefer to im plement products from major companies, because larger SaaS providers tend to continue to expand the types of services and products they offer. Getting multiple solutions from one provider can also make it easier for large businesses to keep a handle on the tech they use.LimitationsSalesforce isnt necessarily the best solution for every business user. Like many other business software companies, it offers so many packages and options that simply sorting through all the products and figuring out what you need, what you dont need, and how much it will all cost requires at least a little help from a sales rep. Even gathering general information or viewing a demo requires filling out a form, and many SMBs and multitasking entrepreneurs prefer more of a self-serve approach.Pricing may also be an issue for some small businesses. While the $25 per-user fee seems like a win, it can only be used for teams of five or fewer people. Businesses that need more than five subscriptions will have to pay at least $75 per user per month. Customizing the software and adding on third-party solutions may result in additional fees, and if you lack the requisite skills to implement or customize the software, there are additional costs to hire developers to do it for you. Some small business owners we talked to said they were quoted hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars from developers to help them implement Salesforce.FAQs About SalesforceWhat is Salesforce used for?Salesforce is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) software solution. CRM software is used to help sales teams manage current clients, communicate with future clients, store information, find new leads and optimize sales pipelines. Salesforce also sells compatible business software products to manage advanced analytics, financial services companies, healthcare companies and more. Is Salesforce a SaaS CRM product?Yes. Salesforces customer relationship management (CRM) solution is considered software as a serv ice (SaaS). Users pay Salesforce for a subscription that grants them access to web-based software that is hosted on a remote server and not managed by the client. Today most small businesses rely on SaaS products due to its affordability, accessibility and low-maintenance nature.What is the difference between ERP and CRM?Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software has some overlap with customer relationship management (CRM) software, so its understandable that theres frequent confusion regarding the difference between ERPs and CRMs. ERP software is intended to manage nearly every aspect of a businesss operations, from accounting and human resources to inventory and analytics, so CRM capabilities are often built into ERP software. CRM software focuses specifically on managing customer information, logging interactions with clients and storing sales-related lead details.Ready to choose a CRM solution? Heres a breakdown of our full coverage Best CRM Software 2019Choosing the Best CRM S oftwareBest CRM OverallBest Free CRM VersionBest Basic CRMBest Low-Cost (Previous Winner)Editors note Looking for the right CRM software for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs. Matt DAngelo Matt DAngelo is a staff writer covering small business for Business.com and Business News Daily. After graduating from James Madison University with a degree in journalism, Matt gained experience as a copy editor and writer for newspapers and various online publications. In addition to his writing and reporting, Matt edits articles. He reviews small business services, including PEOs, small business loans and GPS fleet tracking services. Hes been with Business.com and Business News Daily since 2017. Start Your Business Business Ideas Business Plans Startup Basics Startup Funding Franchising Success Stories Entrepreneurs Grow Your Business Sales Marketing Finances Your Team Technology Social Media Security Build Your Career Get the Job Get Ahead Office Life Work-Life Balance Home Office Lead Your Team Leadership Women in Business Manag ing Strategy Personal Growth Find A Solution HR Solutions Financial Solutions Marketing Solutions Security Solutions Retail Solutions SMB Solutions About Us Contact Us Partner wit h Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap 200 Fifth Avenue, Second FloorWaltham, MA 02451infobusinessnewsdaily.com Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) All Rights Reserved. Company About Us Contact Us Partner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap Network Business.com BuyerZone.com