Top 6 Best CRMs For Pipeline Management In 2024

In the exciting and ever-evolving landscape of sales, finding the right CRM for Pipeline Management is like discovering a secret weapon for your sales strategy. It’s all about customization – a CRM that molds perfectly to your unique sales stages and processes, complete with the freedom to add your own custom fields. We’re diving into a world where CRMs aren’t just about contact management but are pivotal in streamlining your entire sales pipeline. Think seamless integration with your favorite sales tools, from email marketing wizards to savvy call tracking systems. And let’s not forget the magic of automation, where routine pipeline tasks are handled with a snap of your fingers, leaving more room for the real sales action. For the sales teams that live life in the fast lane, mobile accessibility in a CRM isn’t just nice, it’s necessary, keeping you connected wherever your deals take you. And when it comes to data, these CRMs turn numbers into narratives with dashboards and reports that speak volumes, providing clear and actionable insights at a glance. Get ready to zoom into the best CRM systems for Pipeline Management, each one a game-changer in its own right, ready to turbocharge your sales process and drive your success sky-high.

10 key features any top pipeline management CRM should have

Whether it’s harnessing the power of data insights to fine-tune your sales approach or leveraging collaborative tools for a united team effort, these key features are the ingredients for a successful sales recipe. Get ready to discover what makes a Sales Pipeline Management CRM indispensable in the competitive arena of sales.

1. Dynamic sales pipeline customization – Imagine a CRM where you can tweak the sales pipeline to fit your unique sales dance. This feature allows you to add deal stages, create custom fields, and adjust workflows, ensuring your CRM grooves perfectly with your sales rhythm.

2. Seamless integration with sales tools – It’s like having a backstage pass to all your favorite sales tools. A top-notch CRM integrates smoothly with email marketing software, call tracking systems, and more, making sure your sales tools sing in harmony.

3. Automated workflow magic – Say goodbye to the mundane! Automation features in a CRM wave a wand over repetitive tasks like follow-ups and data entry, leaving your team free to focus on closing those big deals.

4. Mobile sales superpowers – For sales heroes on the go, a CRM with stellar mobile functionality means you’ve got the power of your pipeline in your pocket, keeping you connected and closing deals from anywhere.

5. Visual sales pipeline overviews – A picture’s worth a thousand words, and in CRM, it’s worth countless deals. Visual pipeline overviews give you a clear snapshot of your sales progress, making it easier to spot opportunities and hurdles at a glance.

6. Real-time reporting and analytics – It’s like having a sales crystal ball. This feature offers real-time insights and data analysis, helping you predict trends, understand sales cycles, and make data-driven decisions.

7. Lead scoring and prioritization – Rank your prospects like a VIP list at an exclusive club. Lead scoring helps you focus on hot leads that are more likely to convert, optimizing your team’s efforts and time.

8. Email integration and tracking – Keep all your emails in sync with your CRM. This feature means you can track correspondence, set reminders, and even send emails directly from the CRM, ensuring no lead falls through the cracks.

9. Collaboration and team management – It’s like having a sales team huddle inside your CRM. Features for team collaboration ensure everyone is on the same page, can share updates, and work together seamlessly to push deals down the pipeline.

10. Customizable alerts and notifications – Never miss a beat with alerts that keep you in the loop. Whether it’s a deal close to closing or a follow-up reminder, these notifications ensure you’re always a step ahead in your pipeline management game.

Top 5 most effective ways to utilize any sales pipeline CRM

From harnessing data insights to personalizing your sales approach, to embracing the power of mobile management for dynamic, on-the-go access, these strategies are designed to enhance efficiency and drive results. Get ready to unlock the full potential of your pipeline management software and elevate your sales game.

1. Strategize with data insights

Use your CRM to become a sales strategist. By analyzing data, you can pinpoint which prospects are most likely to convert. For example, if data shows a surge in interest from a particular industry, you can tailor your pitch to address the specific needs of that sector, significantly boosting your chances of closing those deals.

2. Tailor your sales stages

Customize your CRM pipeline to mirror your sales process. If your sales cycle includes a demo stage, add it to your CRM. This way, your team knows exactly when to prepare and present demos, keeping everyone in sync and moving deals along efficiently.

3. Embrace automation for efficiency

Set up your CRM to automatically send follow-up emails after a client meeting or a demo. This ensures timely engagement without manual intervention, allowing your team to focus on more complex tasks and lead nurturing.

4. Mobile management for on-the-move teams

Utilize the mobile CRM to update deal statuses right after client meetings. This immediate update ensures that the latest information is available to the entire team, enhancing responsiveness and decision-making.

5. Collaborative success

Use your CRM software to assign tasks to team members following client interactions. For instance, after a client call, assign a task to a team member to send additional information or a proposal, ensuring seamless follow-ups and collective effort towards closing deals.

Quick comparison of the top 6 best CRMs for pipeline management

Our top 6 best CRM for pipeline management are

1. Shape CRM
2. Pipedrive
3. Salesflare
4. Close
5. Less Annoying CRM
6. Salesforce Sales Cloud

1. Shape

Shape is an all-in-one CRM for pipeline management designed to help you track, manage, and optimize all the sales opportunities throughout your lead’s journey and close more opportunities. This pipeline is also customizable, allowing you to add up to 20 custom fields to get certain information that may not be present in the default pipeline template.

With features like task management, calendar syncing, lead status milestones, and workflow automation, Shape’s pipeline is purpose-built to increase your sales. The automation tools, including AI-powered lead management, workflow rules, drip campaigns, and more, help the entire sales team guide clients down the buyer’s journey.

Despite these extensive pipeline management tools, Shape also integrates with other tools and platforms to extend its functionalities. It integrates with Zapier, which opens the door to connect with thousands of sales-related apps, including email marketing software like Klenty and call tracking systems like Klenty and CallRail.

For example, the integration with Klenty, a sales engagement and lead generation tool, allows you to send personalized emails and automate follow-ups. Similarly, if you rely heavily on calls and inbound leads, integrating with CallRail and other apps like it through Zapier makes it easy to track and measure your success.

Additionally, Shape directly integrates with major email platforms like Microsoft Outlook and Gmail, which further simplifies your marketing campaigns and communications. But that’s not even the best part. With Shape CRM, you are not confined solely to your computer screen.

Is your sales team constantly on the go? You are in good hands with Shape’s mobile app. You can take your work wherever you go and stay in touch with your leads and customers’ information.

Even without Wi-Fi, you can access your messages, contacts, and prioritized views with your cellular service. The mobile app is also fully functional, with lead nurturing features such as hassle-free calling, in-app text messages, and seamless email communications.

As you continue to manage your sales process, Shape provides actionable insights through its dashboards and reports. The dashboard displays all your important business data as well as 50+ pre-built reports and the option to build custom ones. With this level of data visualization, you can see virtually every detail of your business and make better data-driven decisions.

After digging into Shape’s pipeline management features, it is clearly a comprehensive and flexible CRM for pipeline management. The advanced automation tools, intuitive user interface, seamless integrations, and extensive reporting make it the best sales pipeline software.

Although you may face a steep learning curve, Shape’s 4.7/5 score on G2 for being a blend of robust features and ease of use at $119 shows the initial learning curve takes nothing away from its overall effectiveness.

2. Pipedrive

If you are in search of a simple yet effective solution to simplify your sales cycle, Pipedrive is a great choice. This user-friendly sales CRM system simplifies your sales cycle with its visually compelling pipeline, providing a complete view of the entire sales cycle and necessary activities to boost performance.

During our evaluation, we noticed it seamlessly combines this visual pipeline management with lead generation and sales automation functionality, making it an ideal software for tracking and managing sales processes from beginning to the end.

Pipedrive also offers extensive customization options. Although your leads, deals, contacts, and projects come with default fields, you can also add business-specific custom fields to document, filter, and organize information unique to your business. For example, you can mark a field as “important” in specific pipelines and stages to indicate essential information that will help your team make quick and confident decisions. However, this functionality is only accessible in Professional and higher plans.

Pipedrive also allows you to create unlimited customizable pipelines tailored to your specific sales process. You can add and manage deals, define their value, win probability, and expected close date, and then track them through customized pipeline stages. The colored cues in the interface highlight deals at risk of going cold, helping you prioritize your actions.

However, simply having a database for your deals, goals, and contacts isn’t sufficient. To achieve tangible results, understanding this data is a must. Pipedrive’s Insights feature provides real-time data visualizations that help you understand the factors influencing your win rate so you can identify and close the most lucrative opportunities. You can even add custom fields to your reports to identify trends and obstacles and track performance with real-time metrics.

On top of all that, Pipedrive extends its functionality with 400+ software integrations in its marketplace including software for lead generation, lead nurturing and meeting management. For example, integrating with PandaDoc allows you to add document production and e-signing functionality to the CRM facilitating end-to-end document workflows. Additionally, with Pipedrive’s open API, you can integrate tools that are not available in the Marketplace.

Automating routine tasks is another one of Pipedrive’s forte. From triggering personalized emails after certain preset actions to leveraging its AI-powered sales mentor for personalized tips and recommended integrations, Pipedrive can save salespersons hours of administrative work. The CRM platform also has a Smart Contact Data automation feature that provides valuable information about your customers and pre-qualify leads by pulling data from LinkedIn, Google, and Twitter. Having this information ensures you are addressing your prospect’s major needs and makes closing a deal easier.

Adding to its versatility, Pipedrive also offers a mobile CRM app for iOS and Android devices that allows sales reps to manage their pipeline, access contacts, schedule tasks, and close deals on the go. Features like activity feeds, note-taking, and email syncing make it easy to use the app on the move. However, we experienced occasional performance issues while testing the app and some features are less accessible compared to the desktop version.

Pipedrive’s pricing structure starts at $9.90, with the most expensive plan at $59.90. Although it doesn’t offer a free plan, the affordable tier includes customizable pipelines, seamless data import, and an AI-powered sales assistant. However, the lower tiers offer limited reporting and sales forecasting capabilities.

Overall, Pipedrive’s clear visual pipeline and customizable stages make pipeline management seamless. Its equally seamless email integration also ensures all communications stay within the sales platform. However, although Pipedrive offers customization, user reviews pointed to limitations in advanced customization, leading to workarounds for complex sales processes. Additionally, the occasional performance issues with the mobile app and having to upgrade to more expensive tier plans for advanced customization and reporting features can also be drawbacks. Yet, with ratings of 4.6/5 on Capterra and 4.2/5 on G2, Pipedrive remains a robust yet accessible sales pipeline management software, despite its challenges.

3. Salesflare

Salesflare is a CRM designed for small businesses and startups in the B2B sector. During our test, one of the platform’s defining features was its fully automated contact management and company information. This includes automatic logging of meetings and phone calls, eliminating the need to manually store telephone numbers, email addresses, or postal addresses for every customer.

Salesflare gathers this information from emails, email signatures, social profiles, and more, ensuring everything automatically appears in your address book.

The main aim of this CRM for pipeline management is to eliminate manual data entry and reduce time spent on data entry by more than 70%, so you can shift your focus from managing data to managing customers. To make managing customers easier, Salesflare provides a visual pipeline displayed in a Kanban board view.

Through this visual pipeline, you can drag and drop deals between stages, with a clear view of each sales rep’s activities, the prospects involved, and the potential deal value. Each stage displays the total value of opportunities, giving you insights into your expected revenue from your pipeline.

Salesflare supports multiple pipelines as well, allowing you to create and customize pipelines for different departments, locations, or sales processes so you can adapt your strategy and management to different aspects of your business.

That’s not all, the CRM also provides comprehensive revenue metrics through different dashboards, automatically compiled from CRM data. These metrics are vital for assessing your progress towards your goals and identifying areas for improvement. Every dashboard comes with sample built-in and custom reports but only users on the pro plan can access the custom reports and dashboards.

If you are always on the move or prefer having instant access to all your customer information, the Salesflare mobile app available for iPhones, Android phones, iPads, and Android tablets, brings the CRM’s full functionality to your fingertips. The app offers features like task notifications and call logging, ensuring you stay on top of your affairs at every time without missing important updates.

In addition to these features, Salesflare also integrates with other tools and platforms. It natively integrates with apps like Zapier and Integromat, which allow you to connect other apps with your Salesflare CRM non-natively. Zapier, for example, lets you connect Salesflare with 3000+ other apps.

Salesflare houses all its functionalities in a straightforward, albeit more expensive pricing structure compared to Pipedrive. Starting at $29 and going as high as $99, all of the payment plans offer email-finding credits and personalized support.

Overall, Salesflare does a good job at automating lead generation and offering seamless email integration for personalized follow-ups for B2B businesses. But like every CRM, it also has its limitations. The absence of a built-in dialer means you’d have to rely on third-party apps for calls, which can be cumbersome if you are looking for an all-in-one solution.

Additionally, even though Salesflare offers a range of integrations through Zapier, its limited native integrations may be a challenge if your business requires direct, extensive integration capabilities with a wide range of platforms.

4. Close

Trusted by over 6000 users, Close CRM is a sales-centric platform designed for small businesses and startups. The CRM offers comprehensive features covering pipeline management, email automation, task automation, and reporting features.

Close’s pipeline management feature allows you to customize your sales process and view deals. You can move deals through different stages with the drag-and-drop functionality, set reminders, and deadlines, and receive alerts for deals at risk of being overlooked. Close also supports adding multiple pipelines for more accurate tracking across teams and products. Close’s pipeline view, despite being simple, is one of the most actionable reporting tools.

From sales representatives to sales managers and CEOs, Close’s pipeline view caters to their needs for forecasting and prioritizing deals. It provides a clear and user-friendly interface for effectively tracking and managing opportunities. The default pipeline view only displays the real annualized value of opportunities by their status. However, you can customize the report to show various opportunity types, including one-time, monthly, or annual, or to display expected values.

Unlike Salesflare, Close offers a call feature that allows you to make and receive calls directly from the platform. What stood out for us while testing this functionality was the predictive dialer. This tool takes the call feature a step further by dialing multiple numbers simultaneously, allowing you to reach potential customers faster.

That’s not all. Close offers automation tools designed to double the productivity of every rep. It offers omni-channel functionality so you can integrate emails, calls, and SMS into your workflows to increase your reach.

Our experience using Close’s automation tools was seamless, thanks to the user-friendly design of its workflows. These workflows are specifically tailored for busy sales professionals with no time for complex tool training. From the moment you open the CRM, you can immediately start creating your first Workflow. They can be automated to re-engage your prospects, boost referrals, and increase customer lifetime value. The platform’s iOS mobile app further streamlines communication with prospects and customers, allowing you to reach them regardless of location.

Close extends all its pipeline management functionalities by integrating natively with 100+ apps including lead generation, scheduling, and e-signature software. For example, integrations with e-signature solutions like SignWell speed up contract signing processes and help close deals faster.

Although this CRM for pipeline management does not provide a free tool, it compensates with a 14-day trial that allows new users to explore its functionalities before opting for a subscription plan. The pricing, starting at $49 per month, is on the higher end, with the mid-tier plan at $299 and the premium plan reaching $699.

In conclusion, Close is an effective sales pipeline software. Its strengths lie in its comprehensive features such as advanced pipeline management, email and task automation, and effective reporting capabilities. The platform’s ease of use and workflow customization also cater to the demands of busy professionals. However, the expensive pricing structure, going as high as $699, may not be ideal for many small businesses as the entry-level plan comes with several restrictions.

5. Less Annoying CRM

As the name implies, Less Annoying CRM (LACRM) is designed to provide small businesses with a stress-free experience. Developed by a team of sales experts, this tool excels in driving team collaboration. All team members can access and update customer information, track progress, and manage tasks from a central location. Additionally, the CRM’s email logging feature makes it easy to log emails into the CRM from any email provider.

But what defined Less Annoying CRM (LACRM) for us while testing the platform was its intuitive interface that brings together all the essential tools a salesperson requires in one place. On one dashboard, you can see the day’s schedule, tasks, pipeline results, and other activities.

This simplicity extends to its customizable pipelines. You can easily create your workflows and customize the fields based on any information you’d like to track. These custom fields in the pipeline allow you to track specific data processes, including values, dates, sources, and other important details. Getting these customizations right is even easier as the CRM provides templates and tutorial videos for guidance.

In addition, Less Annoying CRM also has a lead report feature. This report continuously updates information on every lead in your pipeline, including their current status, contact details, and most recent interactions. Having this information ensures that neither you nor your team overlook any lead follow-ups.

To provide more functionalities, LACRM integrates with a variety of tools that may already be part of your workflow, such as ContactLink, JustCall, Lead Mapping Extension, and more. For instance, the integration with the Lead Mapping Extension allows you to seamlessly map your leads geographically, giving you a visual representation of where your prospects are located. This functionality can be important when you are targeting specific regions or planning your routes more efficiently.

However, unlike other software on this list, Less Annoying CRM has no dedicated mobile app. You can only access it from mobile devices through the web platform. This means that if you require on-the-go functionalities, you’ll need to use your device’s web browser, which may not offer the same level of convenience and user experience as a specialized app would.

Yet, what Less Annoying CRM may lack in mobile app convenience, it compensates for with its user-friendly pricing structure. It is unique on this list for offering a single, all-inclusive pricing tier. It is available at $15 per user per month, which covers all its features without any additional costs or tiers.

Overall, Less Annoying CRM is true to its name by offering a simplified, user-centric CRM experience through its intuitive interface and customizable features. It promotes team collaboration, allowing all members to update and track customer information efficiently from a single location.

While it may lack a mobile app and some advanced features like pipeline visualization options and reminders for overdue tasks, the CRM’s commitment to providing a straightforward and stress-free solution for small business CRM needs is reinforced by its all-inclusive pricing at $15.

6. Salesforce Sales Cloud

Discussing the best CRM for pipeline management would be incomplete without mentioning Salesforce Sales Cloud. Salesforce Sales Cloud is a CRM for pipeline management built to support sales, marketing, and customer support activities in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-customer (B2C) contexts.

This software sets itself apart from other CRMs for pipeline management by incorporating sales pipelines into every opportunity through sales paths rather than the usual drag-and-drop Kanban boards.

These sales paths provide a visual representation of where a deal is in your pipeline and are customizable to fit your business’s selling style and customer needs. Apart from sales, you can use the pathing tool to create paths for accounts, work orders, campaigns, and more, offering versatility that many other CRMs lack.

Salesforce also allows you to track pipeline changes over time using built-in charts. The Forecast Management feature complements the pipeline management process through accurate, real-time sales forecasts that help you predict business growth reliably.

Plus, with the Reports & Dashboards feature, you can transform data into actionable insights through the CRM’s several ready-made reporting tools. The dashboards allow you to visualize important metrics and analyze the elements that drive performance. Additionally, you can personalize these reports and dashboards so that salespeople have the precise information they need to sell faster.

It doesn’t stop there. Salesforce also has comprehensive automation features, but they are only available on the enterprise plan. These features boost productivity by automating complex sales processes and workflows. Plus, Salesforce offers a huge market of products and over 3000 integrations to further empower your team.

For example, while testing this CRM, we could extend the automation functionality by integrating with Outreach, a sales execution platform. Outreach can enhance Salesforce’s automation capabilities by providing AI-powered deal insights, automating sales engagement workflows, and offering real-time analysis and buyer engagement signals. This integration speeds up business processes and helps you close deals faster.

Previously, all Salesforce interactions were limited to computers and browsers, which wasn’t ideal for on-the-go users. Now, Salesforce has a fully functional mobile app for both Android and iOS devices. With this app, you can carry all your accounts, contacts, and opportunities in your palm.

The CRM’s pricing varies, with plans between $25 to $165. We’d recommend the Professional plan at $80 per user/month as it covers essential pipeline management features like lead and opportunity management as well as customizable dashboards. Salesforce Sales Cloud also has two Unlimited plans at $330 and $500.

In conclusion, Salesforce Sales Cloud supports complex sales processes and provides a variety of reporting and dashboard tools for tracking performance and making informed decisions. It gives you a unified view of customer data, including contact info, purchase history, and support tickets.

However, some key features, like built-in sales insights, are only available in the Unlimited Edition, which comes with a huge price tag. Salesforce also offers various training resources, but due to the platform’s complexity, it can take time for you to become proficient in all functionalities.

Wrapping Up

As we wrap up our exploration of various CRM solutions for pipeline management, it’s clear that the right CRM can significantly enhance your sales processes. The ideal CRM for your business should align with your specific sales stages, offer robust customization options, integrate seamlessly with other sales tools, provide efficient automation, and be accessible on mobile devices. These key features not only streamline your sales pipeline but also empower your team with actionable insights and greater efficiency.

When choosing a CRM, consider factors such as the size of your sales team, the complexity of your sales processes, and the level of customization you require. Additionally, think about the integrations necessary for your existing sales ecosystem and the level of mobility your team needs.

A practical next step in selecting a CRM is to engage in free trials or demo versions where available. This hands-on experience will provide a better understanding of how each CRM aligns with your sales processes and overall business goals. Pay attention to the user experience, ease of navigation, and the quality of customer support offered by the CRM provider.

Ultimately, the goal is to select a CRM that not only fits your current needs but also has the scalability to grow with your business. The right CRM should be a tool that not only manages your sales pipeline but also enhances your sales strategy, leading to improved efficiency, better customer relationship management, and increased sales performance.

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Please note: All pricing mentioned in this article is based on information available as of 29-1-2024 and sourced from the respective companies’ public pricing pages. While we strive for accuracy, we recommend verifying with the specific company for the most up-to-date details.