CRM Excel: Should You Switch to Lead Management Software?

The concept of CRM Excel has been around for a long time now and there’s no denying that this popular spreadsheet software makes it much easier for people to manage all sorts of data. In most cases, using Excel as a CRM alternative is the go-to option for many small business owners who are just getting started and have limited resources. The software offers basic functions for entering and tracking prospect data, creating charts and graphs, and using formulas to perform quick calculations.

As your business grows, however, you will find yourself needing additional features and more advanced functionalities. For all of its benefits, CRM Excel offers, relying on it solely will soon show its limitations. That’s why small business owners should consider adopting customized, specialized software instead. A software that offers far more features and functionalities than CRM Excel possibly could – one that allows you to streamline daily tasks, work more productively, and keep all of your information organized in one easily accessible place.

There will come a point where CRM Excel will no longer be good enough for a growing organization. At that point, it's time to move to a better software.

Limitations of CRM Excel for Lead Management

We agree that Excel is indeed a great tool and offers a number of advantages for anyone who is starting out their business or runs a small business. It's easy to use the software, anyone can quickly get a grasp of how it works in a short span of time as there isn't a steep learning curve for mastering the basics. And because it is easy to use, most people are familiar with it, either because of work or because they learned it in school or college. Last but not least, the team stores all data in one single spreadsheet, meaning everyone knows where to find it.

However, it soon rums into limitations for lead management. CRM Excel doesn’t specialize in sales, and it doesn’t include certain actions that are important to salespeople. Furthermore, it doesn’t centralize your business or sales process.

Other Challenges of CRM Excel

Lot of Manual Data Entry

Sales representatives can use CRM Excel for many tasks, but they must perform them all manually; they must enter the data you want to store in the spreadsheet. This can become time-consuming as the volume of customer data increases exponentially. Daily manual data entry tasks could take away sales representative's important time, drain their energy, and open doors to human errors.

Loss of Time for Salespeople

Managing prospects and leads in CRM Excel is not the only thing that costs sales representatives time. There are many more examples that follow: creating data visualization graphs, sales reporting and analysis, creating invoices separately for each customer. These only add to the frustration of a salesperson, which again results in confusion and errors.

No Real-Time Collaboration on Accounts

If you’re managing multiple leads amongst multiple sales representatives, brace yourself because there is almost or no room for real-time collaboration. Of course, you can share Excel files, but real-time collaboration? Excel doesn't allow multiple users to work in the same spreadsheet at the same time. One might argue, "oh but Google Sheets does". Yes, Google Sheets does, but it has fewer features and loads slower when the file becomes heavy. If you’re a salesperson who needs to enter data in Excel, you’ll have to wait for your turn until the other sales representative finishes. It's just not practical.

Lack of Scalability & Vision

As your company grows and customers increase, CRM Excel soon becomes insufficient. For example, Excel won't tell you anything about the upsell opportunities for a certain customer, or when you should give them a follow-up call. This means missing out on such opportunities. Also, we need not remind that sales representatives need to juggle several leads at once, and having a notification system to remind them of meetings and calls is vital. It's easy for reps to add their leads to Excel, only to lose sight of them once other meetings and tasks take precedence while they’re spending more time trying to set notifications.

You Don’t Need a CRM

Many companies make the mistake of moving from Excel straight to Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software.

While CRM tools can manage leads and do more, it’s not specialized for salespeople just like CRM Excel isn’t. Moving to a CRM solution is a bit like running before you can walk. A CRM software is much more advanced and is an all-in-one solution for companies that have many verticals. Small businesses need a middle ground between CRM software and Excel. The objective of a small business is to grow revenue and expand its customer base. A CRM software as the name suggests is better designed to maintain good relationships with the customers, rather than acquire new ones.

Switching to Standard CRM could be Overwhelming for SMBs

Salespeople don’t enjoy using CRM software because they must enter extensive amounts of data about leads or customers. If you choose a CRM, don’t be surprised to see your reps return to Excel, as they find it easier and much more practical.

Instead, when moving from Excel to manage your leads, it's important to switch to software that centers around simplicity. Don’t impose complicated tools on your sales reps; this is why they don’t enjoy using CRM software in the first place.

Lead Management Software as CRM Excel Replacement

Like we mentioned before, Excel has many advantages, but its inability to multitask and integrate with other apps can dissuade salespeople easily. We live in a plug-and-play culture where several software solutions seamlessly integrate with each other.

Once your company has reached a stage of consistent growth, it'll need a system designed specifically for sales. Not something that is generic and only works when you’re starting out your new business.

Startups and SMBs are better off turning to lead management software. It's designed with salespeople in mind, meaning they feel more encouraged to use it. The reason? Because it keeps things simple and always focuses on the next step.

The majority of lead management software is now SaaS (software as a service), which means it's easily accessible, and sales teams and managers have access to the whole pipeline. You may think such a solution must be expensive. No, you need not pay for a yearly subscription upfront there is always the option to pay monthly.

Here are some of the benefits that a lead management software such as noCRM will provide you with.

Efficiently manage prospects

Just like Excel, noCRM also has its own spreadsheets. Designed to revolutionize your workflow, they offer unparalleled versatility and efficiency.

Gone are the days of juggling prospects and qualified leads in a single chaotic spreadsheet. With noCRM, you can seamlessly separate prospects (in prospecting lists) and qualified leads (in pipelines), enabling targeted and streamlined processes for each.

In noCRM you can fully customize prospecting lists columns and navigate between prospects in a breeze. Plus, with the ability to add comments, log activities, and even initiate calls or send emails directly from the platform, staying organized has never been easier.

Oh, and if you’re using Excel at the moment, fear not. Importing your existing leads to noCRM is a seamless process. Check out our tutorial video for a step-by-step guide.

Customize your sales process

Managing multiple sales processes and activities in Excel can quickly spiral into chaos. With a lead management software like noCRM, you will get customized sales processes and streamlined efficiency.

With noCRM, creating and logging sales activities is a breeze. You can create your own sales activities and customize pipelines to match your unique sales journey. All you have to do afterwards is log the activities in one click and drag and drop your leads from one stage of the pipeline to the next.

The result? A more efficient team, equipped with the tools they need to succeed.

Stay ahead of your leads

As a salesperson, you need to know the next step, which is why it’s essential to have a tool that easily manages several leads at the same time. This allows both sales managers and sales representatives to have clear visibility over what action needs to be taken. The chances of missing out an important lead significantly reduce.

Every lead in noCRM comes with a next action, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks. Set reminders for upcoming tasks and define the next sales activity with ease. With clear visibility into priority leads and automated reminders, missed opportunities become a thing of the past.

Integrate with your favorite tools and centralize data

Another powerful feature missing from Excel is integration with your favorite tools. With a tool like noCRM you can seamlessly integrate with your favorite sales tools, from VOIP systems to email providers and beyond.

By centralizing your data in one cohesive platform, noCRM streamlines workflows and supercharges productivity. Automate tedious tasks, send emails and make calls directly from one tool, and reclaim precious time for what truly matters—closing deals.

Work even on the go with a mobile app

noCRM.io also features a mobile app that allows users to access data from everywhere and manage leads at any time. This is necessary due to the importance of reps spending time in the field. Sales representatives can literally respond and communicate personally with leads on the go.

No CRM Excel, No CRM, just lead management software

The best way to tell if our lead management software is the perfect fit for your company is by trying the service. noCRM offers a free trial for 15 days. It is enough time to get a feel and implement the service into your set up.

Why not start with a trial and see what you’ve been missing?

FAQ

What are the limitations of using Excel as a CRM for lead management? Excel lacks specialized features for sales, requires a lot of manual data entry, doesn't support real-time collaboration, and is not scalable for growing businesses.

Why should small businesses switch from CRM Excel to lead management software? Lead management software specifically addresses sales tasks by offering features like automation, real-time collaboration, scalability, and integration with other sales tools.

CRM Excel Lead Management Software CRM Excel