Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or in charge of a team of skilled professionals, your business needs a system. Customer Relationship Management systems have skyrocketed in popularity over recent years, and there’s a very good reason as to why that is. These systems have proven to increase productivity, help businesses close more deals, and generate more leads. Overall, a CRM system is simply an excellent way to boost your business’ profits.
However, there is a multitude of CRMs to choose from on the market, so business executives can often find themselves overwhelmed by choices. It’s difficult to assess which CRM is the best option for you, especially when you consider the fact that many of them cost an arm and a leg if you have several people using it.
One of the most popular CRMs currently on the market is HubSpot sales which has proven to convert leads and increase profits for thousands of businesses all around the world. But, the real question is: is HubSpot a good CRM for South Africa? Let’s find out.
What is a CRM?
First of all, what is a CRM? If you’re not on the CRM trend yet, then you’re falling behind your competition. The main purpose of a CRM is to manage your business’ relationships and interactions with your customers. This system will vastly improve your customer service, especially if you have a large team that needs to be managed.
But, a CRM is much more than that. These systems provide you with a central database for all of your business information. Whether it’s storing contacts or other important information, your CRM can pull data from anywhere you want it to and keep it all in one centralised database. For example, you can connect your Gmail or other email accounts and sync everything to your CRM, allowing you to use these email accounts without ever having to switch between screens, apps, or windows.
The sales pipeline will act as a project management tool. Whether you want to use it to track the progress of your sales deals or manage a project from the starting phase to completion, you can customise a pipeline to suit your business’ needs and goals. This allows you to constantly track the progress of any given project or task.
Most CRMs also allow you to integrate several different apps such as Zoon, Google Docs, or Slack. The CRM can pull data from these apps and automatically add it to your centralised database. For example, if someone schedules a Zoom call with you, the CRM will automatically pull that information in your calendar and create the event for you. This is just one of many powerful automation tools you can use with a CRM.
Why Does HubSpot Stand Out From the Crowd?
So, why is Hubspot considered one of the best CRM in South Africa? HubSpot is not only popular in South Africa, but also internationally. There are thousands of businesses that use this powerful system, from Walmart to Shell, and even the United States Air Force. So, if they trust this system, then you can rest assured that you’re in good hands!
But you might be wondering what exactly makes Hubspot so special compared to other CRMs? There are two main factors that make it stand out here. The first is its affordability and financial flexibility.
HubSpot is split into three different branches: the Sales Hub, the Marketing Hub, and the Service Hub. All of these can be used free of charge. There are, of course some limited features, but for the average South African business, the free version of HubSpot is still an excellent choice and more than sufficient. Most free CRMs have limited time trials, or they are limited to very few users. However, HubSpot is one of the few fully functional CRMs that can be used for free for an unlimited number of users forever.
Each of the three branches can be upgraded to a paid version independently of the others — this is where the flexibility comes in. For example, if your business needs to unlock additional marketing features, you can upgrade the Marketing Hub to the paid version while keeping the Service Hub and the Sales Hub at their free versions. This allows the CRM to grow with your business, and you won’t be paying for features that you don’t need and don’t use.
The other feature that makes HubSpot stand out from the crowd is the fact that it is one of the most user-friendly CRMs on the market. Not only is the system straightforward to use, but it also comes with an entire online academy where you can learn how to use the system to its full potential and make the most out of it.
How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Business
While HubSpot might be popular internationally, South Africa is an entirely different ecosystem. So, it’s crucial that you choose the right CRM based on your business’ goals and needs.
The most important factor to keep in mind is your budget. Many CRMs can be incredibly expensive and come with some hidden costs. You need to make sure that the CRM you choose fits into your budget.
You also need to keep in mind that every CRM is unique in terms of the features that it offers. You should always do thorough research into the features that the CRM will offer you and make sure that they match your business needs.
Finally, you need to keep in mind that you would likely need help with the implementation of the CRM. It’s important to check how well the CRM is supported within South Africa. Whether that is support from the CRM provider or from an agency in South Africa, you need to be sure that there is someone available that can help you to integrate the CRM and maintain it consistently.
