Looking for a sales CRM with built-in calling? Here are 5 things to know
Thanks to CRM software most sales teams can’t complain much today.
CRMs have revolutionized the way teams stay on top of their sales pipeline and the way they organize and track customer information.
Sales CRMs are making teams more efficient, more focused and more productive—basically turning sales reps into better closers.
That’s why we’re committed to launching new features to empower our users. But here’s the thing:
Not every CRM company prioritizes features that make sense for their buyers—take for example the general lack of native calling features.
Cold calling is still a strong strategy for closing leads, but without built-in calling, the process is tedious: Sales reps manually dial number after number, struggle with transferring or forwarding calls, and spend valuable time leaving voicemails.
That’s a massive waste of time!
A built-in calling feature is extremely important for sales success, and it’s something every sales team should prioritize when investing in CRM software. If you’re on the lookout for a sales CRM with built-in calling, here are the four key questions you need to ask before you buy CRM software:
1. Is the sales CRM easy to use?
Until just a few years ago, sales teams didn't have many options for CRM software; now that there are lots of choices, more and more sales teams are searching for a CRM that's easy to use.
Some CRMs are just annoying to use.
When evaluating sales CRMs that have a built-in calling feature, look for a company that is not only experienced but also known for offering a user-friendly, less complicated experience.
On review sites like G2 Crowd, you can find unbiased opinions from people who have purchased CRM tools:
Close’s built-in call feature is extremely easy to use.
Here’s why:
- Eliminates manual data entry – The CRM tracks all call activity so that sales teams can reclaim the time they used to spend manually dialing.
- Outbound calls with a click of a button – The fastest way to call a lead in Close is to click on the phone icon next to the contact’s name. To call a different number for the desired lead, sales reps can simply click on their name under the “Contacts” section to expand additional contact information. What’s more, our sales dialers automatically dial through a list of leads for you, and always pull up the relevant lead page so you don’t even have to click that button anymore. (And if you really want to take things to the next level: our predictive dialer will dial multiple numbers at once so your reps spend less time waiting for prospects to pick up the phone.)
- Simplified inbound calls – A green bar notifies sales reps when they receive a call—they can answer the call, send it to voicemail, transfer it or hang up. And after answering a call, they can choose to mute their microphone.
- Automatic call logging – When sales reps make or receive calls within Close, those calls are automatically logged, as is the duration of each call.
- Simplified call notes – During a call, sales reps can easily take notes by typing in the designated box at the top of the lead’s activity feed.
2. What advanced calling features does the sales CRM offer?
You may be focused on finding a CRM with a basic built-in calling feature, but keep in mind your future needs. Does the CRM offer any advanced calling features that might be useful as your business grows?
You won’t be shopping for a new CRM every year, so it’s important to invest in one that offers advanced features. You want a tool that will scale with you. Not only will this prevent unnecessary spending, but it will ensure that your sales team has the right tools to remain effective at every stage of growth.
In addition to basic one-click calling, the best CRMs offer advanced features like a power dialer, predictive dialer, call recording, call forwarding, voicemail drops and much more.
The aforementioned features are part of Close’s offering. Let’s look at how these features can help sales teams:
- Power Dialer – When receiving or making a call, sales reps can see their history with that lead, add notes before the next call is made, and save their place with the pause-and-resume feature.
- Predictive Dialer – By bypassing dial tones, busy signals and voicemail greetings, a predictive dialer cuts downtime so that sales reps stay focused and increase their reach rate.
- Voicemail drops – Sales reps can leave pre-recorded voicemails with just one click—no more wasting time composing and recording voicemail after voicemail.
- Call transferring, forwarding, and recording – Sales reps can easily transfer a call by selecting the “Transfer Call” button and choosing a team member. If a rep needs to step away, they can turn on call forwarding to have their calls sent to another number, ensuring that they never miss out on potentially closing a deal. The best part is that sales reps can record calls and play them back for development and training purposes.
3. What level of integration does the CRM offer?
A sales CRM with built-in calling is most valuable when it’s powered by the right data. Therefore, it’s important that your CRM integrates with platforms that can help your sales team capture the info you need.
Thankfully Close has powerful integrations that allow sales teams to collect data from the apps they use daily. The CRM connects directly to your support software, marketing, and other sales software, contracts and documents, reporting and dashboard tools, and call analytics tools.
Close also has an API, which means you can create your own integrations, design your own dashboards, and collect contact info for new leads with one click.
4. What data can the sales managers evaluate?
As a company, you need to see how your sales team is doing. Where are they succeeding? What can be improved?
And your sales reps should be able to track their own call performance and activity.
With our actionable reporting, sales reps can see an overview of their activity, including:
- Calls made
- Calls by user
- Call duration
- And more!
But that’s not all—we offer additional features to help sales teams, startups and SMBs efficiently track their sales activities, including:
- Timeline view – Reps can see every touchpoint with a lead.
- Inbox – Shows sales reps items that are in need of attention, such as missed calls, important tasks, unanswered text messages, and more.
- Email – Close automates important email functions so that reps can send emails in bulk, create and personalize templates, and schedule follow-ups. Plus they can track and analyze their email history.
- Built-in SMS – Sales reps can send a text to a lead without leaving Close.
- Search and Smart Views – Allows sales reps to perform real-time search queries and organize leads based on specific criteria.
Wrapping it up
Despite simplified sales processes and well-documented sales playbooks, businesses still find it hard to pull buyers into the fold.
But often the simplest solution is hopping on a call and talking to leads about their pain points. That’s why a CRM with a native calling feature is a necessity for sales teams.
Built-in calling capabilities, customizable integrations, and performance tracking tools make for a winning recipe—the one your business needs to succeed.
Looking for a CRM that supports native calling features? Give us a try today.
