What could be missing from your off-the-shelf CRM that is stunting your growth?
In short: off-the-shelf CRMs such as HubSpot or Pipedrive usually start to hold a business back in four places: integration with quoting and other tools, workflows that don't match how you operate, automation that stops short, and reporting that ends up in spreadsheets. If those gaps are costing real time, a custom or hybrid CRM may fit better. See our custom CRM vs HubSpot or Salesforce comparison.
A good CRM can be a powerful tool for your sales team and drive your business forward. Many people start out tracking things on a spreadsheet or free online tools before they feel the need to move onto something more substantial. In many cases this is an off the shelf CRM such as Pipedrive or HubSpot that claims to have all the bells and whistles you need.
Once everything is up and running, these off the shelf tools can do quite a good job and are probably a good alternative to copying and pasting cells around a spreadsheet. After a while of using them though, lots of people report similar problems that crop up, that may be solved by engaging with a software company for a more bespoke fit.
The following are some common pitfalls of using generic solutions and how a custom solution may be able to fill these gaps.
The biggest pitfall is normally how these systems integrate (or don’t) with the other tools that are used to run your business. The process that stands out the most here is quoting, something that almost everyone does differently. If your quote tool and CRM don’t like to work together, it can mean a lot of copying numbers back and forth or using exports and other intermediary tools that mean extra admin for your team.
A custom solution would mean a CRM that flows cleanly into your quoting process, or even the opportunity to build your quote tool directly into the CRM. Core CRM by Vivato is modular by default, and we consult with our clients to build their processes directly into the system, while still working with the bits that you don’t want to change (everyone loves their Sage accounting packages).
With custom software packages, the integration and workflow management doesn’t have to stop there. While off the shelf CRMs will give you an output and send you on your way, custom CRMs can eventually grow into tools that help manage your whole business. Quotes can become jobs with process management flows that allow you to track work from start to finish. Whether it's unique sales cycles, or internal approval processes, each business is different and what works for other teams may be different for you. We start things off by workshopping with all of your stakeholders to ensure the final product matches how you operate.
Another complaint that many people have is off the shelf CRMs falling short on automation. They promise a lot, but fall short when workflows don’t match up with what they are built to handle. When one size fits all, you also miss out on the complexities of workflows that have grown over time. Unless you want to change how your operational processes work to fit with HubSpot, you may want to find out whether a custom software solution could be more appropriate.
The final pain point that we always hear is to do with reporting. Getting real time info is key and a lot of teams find themselves having to pull together custom data sets to present, meaning time spent both exporting and then collating in spreadsheets. The second you find that Pipedrive doesn’t do something specific your options are sending an email to support that will probably be ignored, or doing it yourself. A custom tool can give you the exact information you need, up to date with live data.
And the best thing about all of the above is, when a custom fit CRM starts to help your business grow, it can change and grow with you. What is working for you when you are at £1M in revenue may need to change when you start to hit £5M or more. If that happens then we can sit down and discuss what might need to change to best support your team and the growth it’s undergoing. Vivato are happy partners of many successful businesses that keep us on retainer for when things change.
If you feel you may benefit from a solution that fits your business, get in touch and we can arrange a no-obligation discovery workshop to explore it.
Related reading
- 10 signs your business has outgrown its CRM
- CRM replacement and migration
- CRM integration and consolidation
- What bespoke CRM development costs
Frequently asked questions
Is a custom CRM better than HubSpot or Pipedrive?
Not automatically. Off-the-shelf CRMs are often the right choice for standard sales processes. A custom or hybrid CRM makes more sense when your quoting, operations, approvals or reporting don't fit the product and the workarounds have become expensive.
Can a custom CRM work with the accounting software we already use?
Usually, yes. Custom CRMs are commonly connected to accounting packages such as Sage or Xero, so customer, quote and invoice information flows between them instead of being re-keyed.
Do we have to replace our CRM all at once?
No. Many businesses keep their existing CRM for some tasks and add a custom system for the processes it handles poorly, or replace it in phases starting with the most painful workflow.
