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What is the best business management software?
Here are the best business management software tools available on the market today.
1. Monday Sales CRM : Perfect CRM for agile sales teams
In a constantly changing business environment, sales teams need a flexible and efficient tool to manage their activities. That is precisely the mission of Monday Sales CRM.
With its comprehensive features and intuitive interface, it allows salespeople to become more efficient at each stage of the sales cycle.
Key features
- Visual and customizable sales pipeline to monitor deal progress and decision making
- Contact Management and customer accounts for a 360° view
- Monitoring of tasks and business activities for optimal coordination
- Native integration with communication tools (email, telephone, video) and project management
- Customized dashboards and reports for real-time management
- Automation of recurring processes (reminders, quotes, invoicing)
- Mobile access for real-time data entry, even on the go
- Advanced security features to protect sensitive data
- Regular feature updates
Pricing
Like most other SaaS providers, Monday.com has also divided its pricing plans into multiple tiers. All plans are billable annually or monthly; as usual, by opting for annual plans, you can save around 18% compared to monthly plans.
- Free plan (2 users)
- Basic plan: $8/user/month
- Standard plan: $10/user/month
- Pro plan: $16/user/month
Our Take
Monday Sales CRM is a top choice for sales teams looking for a complete and customizable CRM. Despite a certain amount of time to get started and a budget to be planned, its flexibility, its automation and its visual monitoring offer real efficiency gains. Ideal for SMEs, self-employed entrepreneurs and scale-ups wanting to structure and equip their growth in an evolutionary way.
👍 Unique benefits : Flexibility and customization to adapt to all types of teams. Automation of recurring processes. Visual pipeline tracking.
👎 Disadvantages : Learning curve to take advantage of all the features. Rates can be high for small teams.
2. Pipedrive : The intuitive and visual CRM to boost sales
Pipedrive is an online sales management software designed for sales teams looking for a simple, intuitive and visual tool.
Thanks to its interface focused on the business pipeline, it allows you to easily follow the evolution of your deals and to focus on actions that win business.
Key features
- Intuitive and customizable sales pipeline to follow up your deals in the blink of an eye
- Kanban of tasks and activities to organize your business work
- Contact management enriched with buyer insights (social networks, sector news...)
- Integrated communication tools (emails, calls, text messages)
- Automation of recurring activities (tasks, appointments, sending docs, webhooks...)
- Forecasting and monitoring goals to measure performance
- Over 150 integrations with third-party apps (marketing, back office, customer service, productivity...)
- Mobile apps to sell even on the go
- Dashboard with visual monitoring of the conversion rates of business opportunities
Pricing
Pipedrive's pricing plans are spread across four levels, similar to Salesforce Sales Cloud pricing plans.
All plans include annual and monthly billing, but I suggest using the annual billing cycle to save money.
- Essential: €14.90/user/month
- Advanced: €27.90/user/month
- Professional: 49,90€/user/month
- Power: €2.90/user/month
- Enterprise: 99€/user/month
Our Take
Pipedrive is the ally of sales teams who want to follow their pipe in a simple and visual way on a daily basis. Some limitations on after-sales and automation are offset by its refined interface and its practical little extras to personalize your customer relationship. A very good choice for SMEs before moving to heavier CRM software.
👍 Pros : Visual and intuitive interface focused on the pipeline. Native synchronization with emails and calendars. Buyer insights in the contact form.
👎 Cons : Limited ticket management and knowledge base functions for after-sales follow-up. Automation that can be restrictive on specific workflows.
3. Freshsales : The new generation of conversational CRM
Freshsales is a sales management software published by Freshworks, the specialist in customer solutions based on conversational AI.
Thanks to its advanced messaging and sales support functions, it allows you to engage in conversation with prospects at the right time and guide them naturally to the purchase. More than a simple CRM, it is a real augmented sales assistant.
Key features
- Centralization of prospect/customer exchanges (email, chat, social networks, telephone)
- Freddy AI for the qualification and intelligent scoring of leads
- AI-based sales support (product recommendations, suggested answers, next best action...)
- Conversational bots to answer basic self-service requests
- Sales sequences customized according to the profile and behavior of prospects
- Native integration with Freshchat, Freshcaller, and Freshdesk to align sales, marketing, and support
- Advanced reports (pipeline, sales forecasts, sales efficiency...)
- Third-party app marketplace to extend functionality
Pricing
- Free plan : Freshsales offers a completely free plan.
- GROWTH Plan : This plan is available at $15.
- PRO plan : This plan is available for $39.
- ENTERPRISE plan : The high-end plan is offered at $69.
Our Take
Freshsales is shaking up CRM codes by fully focusing on personalization and enhanced conversation. It is the tool of the future for sales teams in B2C or B2B with short cycles and not very complex products. But be careful not to let yourself be possessed of the customer relationship by letting the AI manage everything in the background!
👍 Pros : Integrated conversational AI to guide customer relationships. Smart recommendations on the next best action. Customized sequences according to the profile and behavior of prospects.
👎 Cons : Limited complex deal management functions. Very conversational approach that may confuse some salespeople. Requires a large volume of data to exploit the potential of AI.
4. Zoho CRM : Affordable and powerful business management tool
Zoho CRM is a customer relationship management solution that is aimed at SMEs and growing startups. With its comprehensive functionalities and attractive price, it allows sales teams to optimize their productivity and better retain their customers, without breaking the bank.
Key features
- Management of leads, contacts and accounts for a unified view of its prospects and customers
- Visual and customizable sales pipeline to follow your deals in real time
- Automation of repetitive tasks (email reminders, lead attribution, status updates)
- Advanced reporting and analytics features to measure sales performance
- Intelligent forecasting based on AI to predict revenue
- Numerous productivity tools (SalesSignals, SalesInBox, Zia Voice)
- Library of predefined business processes (Blueprint)
- Mobile application to sell effectively while on the move
Pricing
Zoho CRM offers flexible pricing plans for all user levels:
- Free version for up to 3 users
- Standard: 14€/user/month
- Professional: 23€/user/month
- Enterprise: 40€/user/month
- Ultimate: 52€/user/month
Our Take
Zoho CRM is a treasure to seize for SMEs and startups looking for a rich solution without breaking the bank. Its feature/price ratio is unbeatable on the market, provided you accept some aesthetic shortcomings and a certain rigidity. Its ecosystem makes it a real hub for optimizing its business on a daily basis.
👍 Pros : Excellent value for money for an SME. Advanced automation, forecasting, and AI capabilities. Connectors and integrations to centralize all your activity.
👎 Cons : Interface sometimes dated and customization options limited. Advanced modules that quickly increase the bill.
5. HubSpot CRM: The CRM reference
HubSpot CRM is much more than just a customer relationship management tool. It is a real all-in-one platform to boost your business activity. With its comprehensive features and interconnected ecosystem, it provides sales teams with everything they need to effectively prospect, close more deals, and build customer loyalty.
Check out my comparison between HubSpot and Salesforce to see how it compares to the competition.
Key features
- Free and unlimited CRM to manage all your contacts and deals
- Visual management of the business pipeline to track its turnover
- Prospecting tools (email templates, follow-up of openings, programming of sequences)
- Sales support tools (measuring the interest of prospects, meeting tools, quotes)
- Marketing automation for targeted sales campaigns
- Extensive integration with other HubSpot growth stack tools (Marketing Hub, Service Hub, CMS Hub)
- Scoring and segmentation of leads to prioritize your actions
- Advanced reporting to analyze the performance of its business actions
Pricing
HubSpot offers a lot of tools and pricing plans, so I'm going to focus on HubSpot Sales Hub pricing.
Its prices are divided into three levels, namely Starter, Professional, and Enterprise. All plans support monthly and annual billing.
- Free version (CRM, quotes, meetings, emails, chat)
- Starter CRM Suite: starting at 45€/month
- Professional CRM Suite: starting at €1,275/month
- Enterprise CRM Suite: starting at €4,200/month
Our Take
HubSpot CRM is a safe bet for sales teams who want to professionalize the management of their pipeline. Its unified approach to the customer journey, its integrations, and its gradual rise in power make it an ideal growth companion. A must to adopt over the long term.
👍 Pros : Generous free version. A complete and unified platform to orchestrate the entire customer journey. Extensive integrations with other HubSpot “hubs.”
👎 Cons : Advanced features reserved for expensive paid offers. Limited free version for specific needs. Functional scope that may seem oversized for a small team.
FIND OUT MORE >> Get started with HubSpot CRM for free
6. Salesforce: Leader in CRM for large businesses
Salesforce no longer needs to be presented.
A global leader in CRM, it offers a complete suite of tools to manage the entire customer relationship. Sales Cloud, its sales module, is a real reference in sales management.
Key features
- Advanced account, contact, and opportunity management
- Customizable sales workflows to structure your pipe from end to end
- Advanced process automation (lead scoring, task assignment, alerts...)
- Sales support tools (configure-price-quote, contract management, order management...)
- Advanced territory management and forecasting functions
- Einstein AI for predictive analysis of leads and opportunities
- Salesforce and AppExchange platform for unlimited customization
- Complete application ecosystem: Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, Community Cloud...
Pricing
Salesforce Sales Cloud pricing plans are divided into four levels:
- Essentials: $25/user/month
- Professional: 75$/user/month
- Business: $150/user/month
- Unlimited: 300$/user/month
Our Take
Salesforce remains the Rolls of CRM for large companies with complex business processes. Its functional range, its automation power and its openness make it an unbeatable tool. But its cost, its relative heaviness and its consistent implementation reserve it for structures that are already mature, ready to invest massively in their business transformation.
👍 Pros : The most complete and customizable tool on the market. Open platform for endless customization. Complete ecosystem with numerous modules.
👎 Cons : Very high cost, especially with additional modules. Long handling often requiring support. Not very suitable for small structures due to its complexity.
7. Axonaut: The French-style business management software for SMEs
Axonaut is a business management software made in France that mainly targets SMEs.
With its CRM-Management/Accounting package, it offers a complete solution to manage your business from A to Z.
Key features
- Managing contacts and opportunities to follow your pipe
- kanban customizable salesperson to adapt to its sales cycle
- Quote tracking and integration with invoicing for seamless follow-up
- Automating tasks and reminders to save time
- Native reports on turnover, commissions, the source of each lead...
- Advanced inventory, item, invoice, purchase, and cash management functions
- Marketplace for connectors to sync with business app services
- Collaborative portal to work hand in hand with its customers
Pricing
- 39.99€/user/month on average (annual payment)
- Personalized quote according to number of users and modules
Our Take
Axonaut is a great solution for SMEs looking to centralize their entire information system in a simple and affordable tool.
A well-thought-out French alternative to study before moving to a more complex and expensive CRM or using third-party solutions such as EBP.
👍 Pros : Complete Swiss Army knife integrating CRM, ERP and invoicing. Easy handling thanks to well-thought-out ergonomics. Local French-speaking support.
👎 Cons : Advanced business management functions (automation, forecasting...) that are more limited than a specialized tool. Perfectible customization and reporting.
What is business management software?
A business management software is a indispensable tool for any sales manager who wants to optimize the performance of their team.
A true business Swiss Army knife, it centralized on a single platform all the functionalities necessary to manage the activity.
Concretely, business management software makes it possible to:
- Track and assign tasks to team members for optimal coordination
- Manage leads and sales opportunities at every stage of the sales pipeline
- Analyze performance through dashboards and custom reports
- Automate recurring processes such as customer follow-up or quote generation
- Access key mobile data to never miss a sales opportunity
With such a tool, sales managers havea 360° view of the activity of their team.
They can monitor the progress of deals in real time, identify bottlenecks, and make informed decisions to reach their goals.
More than just a reporting tool, business management software is a real driver of growth.
By streamlining sales processes and empowering teams, it allows you to gain in efficiency and to focus on tasks with higher added value like customer relationships.
Used properly, sales management software can considerably boost the performance of sales forces.
What are the key functionalities of business management software?
A business management software must offer 5 key functionalities to optimize your performance:
- Management of contacts and customer accounts : a powerful business management software to centralize information and interact effectively with your targets.
- Opportunity and pipeline monitoring : a clear visualization of your deals and sales forecasts.
- Automating repetitive tasks : programmable scenarios to save time on a daily basis.
- Performance management : personalized reports to monitor your indicators and make the right decisions.
- Integrating into your ecosystem : connectors to synchronize CRM with your business tools.
As a bonus, the best software offers advanced functions such as integrated telephony, voice recognition or AI.
Summary.
In short, efficient business management software is a must-have for any company that wants to develop its sales.
By centralizing customer data, automating time-consuming tasks and providing real-time visibility into the pipeline, these tools allow teams to focus on their core business: customer relationships.
Whether you are a small business, an SME or a large account, you will inevitably find in This selection a software adapted to your challenges and your budget. Small preference for Zoho CRM and PipeDrive, which offer the best feature/price ratio.
Scale-ups will appreciate the flexibility of Monday Sales CRM while large businesses with complex processes will look to a customizable tool like Salesforce.
The main thing is to choose a solution that integrates perfectly with your uses, that your teams enjoy using and that interconnects with your other tools.
The most powerful software will only be effective if it is adopted by your employees!
