HubSpot Free CRM: Top 5 Features for B2B Sales

Every B2B company needs a CRM system. Not a contact list in Excel - an actual integrated CRM.

A full CRM stores your contact information and history: prospects, leads, current and past customers, and more. This database is the central location for storing, tracking, and keeping all visitor activity and info up to date.

There are a lot of CRM options to choose from, but we rely exclusively on the HubSpot CRM. I've used a number of CRMs to assist with B2B sales activities, but this one has been the most helpful.

HubSpot has proven to be a great solution for sales management and customer relations. It has a ton of great options out of the box, plus all the features you get by adding Sales Pro or integrating it with HubSpot Marketing.

My 5 Favorite Sales Features of HubSpot Free CRM

1.  Ease of Use

The user interface is more intuitive than any CRM I've ever used. As a result, it makes the software easy to use AND easy to learn.

Even so, don't expect 100% adoption the first day of use. Give your teams time to get comfortable, and set them up for success by educating them and allowing for a learning curve.

2.  Views & Filters

You can see what you need to see without a complicated set up, unlike other CRM systems (cough, Salesforce).

For example, the Deals section shows a sleek and easy-to-understand visualization of the pipeline. Filter usage is consistent throughout, allowing salespeople to filter data in each view. These filters can be saved & shared for future access as well. For example:

• Last activity date
• Last contacted
• Annual revenue
• Location
• Any other tracked data available (yes, you can create a filter for ANY piece of data you collect & record)

These views are incredibly important, since different roles throughout the organization care about different things. Let them access this information easily!

3.  Customization

Every business has their own methods for handling sales and customer service. If your team relies on software to manage & track those processes, it's important they can customize it (without breaking the bank).

Similar to the user interface, customization is intuitive as well. Notable customizations:

• Pipelines - You can create various pipelines with different deal stages that match your sales process. Each deal stage can be customized based on likeliness of closing. This allows for a more accurate pipeline view.
  
  
• Visibility Access - For each user, you can set different permissions for what they can see and edit. This is helpful for companies that rely on both inside and outside sales.
  
  
• Custom Fields - If there is something unique that you need to track, make a custom field. (You can also filter by custom fields.)
  
  

4.  Integrations

Easy integration with the Google G Suite and Office 365 are the two of the most notable integrations, allowing you to send and track email right from your current email interface. There are many other integration options that require little to no programming skills.

5.  Cost

HubSpot CRM is FREE.

When you compare license and customization expenses of other platforms, this is critical. However, it  shouldn't be your primary reason for choosing HubSpot.

Free is nice... but ultimately, you need to pick what makes sense for your business based on functionality, not cost. Jumping into a suboptimal solution just because it's free can end up costing you more in the long run.

If you're using another CRM and it's working well, great. If you're unhappy with your CRM for whatever reason, explore the options.

If you aren't using a CRM, shame on you! You need to get started now. 

Want to know more about CRM options? Book a free 5-minute call with me below.