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A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) program can help you and/or your business maintain customer records, track customer interactions, and so much more. It gives you a straightforward way to strengthen your business relationships, drive sales growth, enhance your customer retention. For insurance professionals or agencies, CRM can be transformative. But how can you decide what CRM program is right for you and your business? Let’s take a look at some of your available options.
 
Considerations in reviewing your options should focus on features that can streamline processes for you, improve client management, and facilitate communications with prospects and customers alike.
 
In its analysis in Top CRM Software of 2024, Forbes Advisor gives high marks to six platforms:

• HubSpot: 14-day free trial, plans starting at $0 per month; good for growing companies.
• Salesforce: Easy integration with existing systems, automated workflow, 30-day free trial.
• Pipedrive: Plans start at $14.90 monthly per user, 14-day free trial, pipeline management.
• Monday.com: Plans start at $8 per month per user, 14-day free trial, seamless integration.
• HoneyBook: Plans start at $16 per user per month, 7-day free trial, includes contracts, invoices, and payment tools. 

All five of these systems earned a 9.7 or more (on a 10-point scale).
 
PC Magazine’s The Best CRM Software for 2024, featured a dozen CRM platforms in its analysis. Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pipedrive appeared in its list, too. In fact, Salesforce was just best overall. HubSpot was considered easiest to use. Pipeline was deemed best for deal-oriented sales teams.
 
The nine others considered by PC Magazine were:

• Zoho CRM: Deep feature set, steep learning curve, advanced features only at higher-cost tiers.
• Creatio CRM: Best for large sales teams, unified business solution, short trial period.
• Freshsales CRM: Best basic CRM, extensive customization options, no reports in free plan.
• Zendesk Sell: Judged best for integration with Zendesk products, easy onboarding, gets pricey beyond lowest tier.
• Less Annoying CRM: Best for start-ups, plenty of support and help options, limited reporting.
• Sugar CRM Sugar Sell: Offering best customization, deep feature set, significant learning curve, can be expensive at higher tiers.
• Apptivo CRM: Best for small businesses, comprehensive feature set, outstanding mobile applications, performance can be sluggish.
• Insightly CRM: Considered best for growth-stage businesses, smooth data input and sharing, highly customizable, expensive high-end tiers.
• ACT! CRM: Good for longtime ACT! users, integrated email marketing, good marketing automation workflow, external email client required.

For more detailed pros and cons, specifications, and configurations, you can read the Forbes and PC Magazine articles using the links above.
 
Of course, there are numerous other CRM platforms available, too – some specifically geared toward insurance professionals. AgencyBloc, Shape, Freshworks, Applied Epic, and NetSuite CRM are discussed in an online article here.
 
After you have narrowed your contender list to a handful (or fewer), look for user reviews to find out more about what others think. Ask your industry colleagues about their experiences. What do they like – or hate – about the CRM they are using.
 
Finding a CRM system that will work for you or your agency is crucial. Platforms offer distinctive features and benefits, and prices range from no cost to hundreds per user per month. You must decide what you need – and will use enough – to justify your investment. Consider what tools you and your colleagues are using right now, what you can – and can’t – do, how the system might integrate with other software, and the learning curve required to get you up and running on the new CRM. Beware of paying for features you won’t use.