5 Best CRM for Accountants
So you want answers, and you want em’ fast. Here they are:
Quick links for the Best CRM Software
1) Best Overall 🏆
Monday.com
Customize your workflows to track all aspects of the sales cycle, from lead gen to post-sale support.
2) Good Plugins🥈
Hubspot
Hubspot is the undisputed king of full-stack marketing software. With solid CRM features.
3) Most Features 🥉
PipeDrive
A sales-focused CRM that uses AI to automate repetitive tasks and manage leads and sales.
So, you are in the market for a CRM that suits your activities as an Accountant.
Ideal, because in this article we have our compilation list for our top picks, and we compare the features and pricing for you.
If you just want the best choice, we’ve added that right at the top of the article as this was what is most requested by our customers. So, that’ll be the “can’t go wrong” option.
Otherwise, feel free to explore all the options we’ve reviewed on the market to find something that might fit you a little better.
Enjoy the list!
What CRM would you recommend?
In short, It’s Monday.com CRM
It’s very well rounded, well priced, feature-rich with a large community of support and a very top-notch set of tutorials for every use case. You can’t go wrong with Monday.com. It’s the software we use with our clients at our ad agency.
“🚀Try Monday.com CRM For Free, It’s my favorite webinar software to use and recommend.” -Scott Max
Monday.com is a user-friendly CRM platform that provides advanced solutions with its robust marketing tools. It allows larger companies with complex workflows to perform efficiently and produce nifty results. Monday.com has you covered for your: Service, Sales, CMS, Operations, and Marketing needs.
For more details, read our Monday.com Review.
The best CRM specifically for Accountants
As an accountant, you have to manage several clients and ensure every detail is filled in; perfectly. You also have to manage the financial operations depending upon your role in the organization, so it’s best to choose a CRM that prioritizes client engagement and provides financial management tools, either through integration or inbuilt features. Have a look at the products below to choose the best CRM in this category:
1. HubSpot
HubSpot is one of the best known CRM tools in the world, and one of the undisputed references in the field of inbound marketing. Hubspot’s CRM functionality allows you to manage all marketing and sales activities as you see fit. For example, it allows us to group by campaigns that generate detailed reports of metrics on the real return on investment in the entire conversion funnel experienced.
In addition, it is a complete CRM tool that is completely free of charge. 56,500 customers in more than 100 countries trust HubSpot for their growth.
Hubspot Features
Hubspot is a user-friendly CRM platform that provides advanced solutions with its robust marketing tools. It allows larger companies with complex workflows to perform efficiently and produce nifty results. Hubspot has five modules: Service, Sales, CMS, Operations, and Marketing, so you can include them in the package as per your business requirements.
Here are some impressive features available on Hubspot:
- SEO Tools: Hubspot is one of the few CRM services that provide SEO-related analysis for your website’s content. Once you integrate your business website with Hubspot, it automatically scans it and recommends better optimization. Alternatively, you can paste your website’s URL and get an SEO report.
- Content creation tools: You can create new blog posts for your website and edit the existing ones by simply integrating the website with CRM. Hubspot records all comments and edits made to the original content, so you are always in touch with the changes. Moreover, you can use the editor to start a new blog and add relevant images.
- CPQ Functionality: Every business needs to create quotations for products or services to assist sales reps in negotiations. Hubspot allows you to do it inside the CRM with its “Quotes Tool”. You can add unit price, discount offers, conditions, regulations terms, or any other information that will benefit the buyer and sales process.
- Campaigns Tools: Hubspot has several relevant automation tools that enable smooth interaction with clients and organize workflow. You can make posts on social media, send customized emails and run paid search campaigns to get leads on potential customers. It is one of a kind collection with all the necessary marketing tools and a great addition for larger businesses.
- Contact Attribution Reporting: Hubspot can help your management team understand the latest trend related to customers’ sales processes and identify the sources that influenced their decision. You can customize the attribution parameters to get different insights into your business and recognize the market-making activities.
- Data Quality Automation: It allows you to automate properties like; time, date and add new automation to manage the incoming leads swiftly. Hubspot will follow all the pre-entered instructions and give a reminder every it finds a promising opportunity.
Hubspot Pricing
Hubspot offers you the option to create a customized subscription plan by adding the required services. Alternatively, you can choose from the existing bundles and get a general subscription. The “Starter” plan costs $45/month and offers fundamental marketing and sales features. The “Professional” plan starts at $1600/month with advanced marketing tools and customer service software. The “Enterprise” plan offers all available features of Hubspot and is priced: at $4000/ month, with the price set to go up to $5000/month From December 1, 2021.
2. SugarCRM
Another highlight is SugarCRM, with clients such as IBM, Audi or Zurich, which has a simple user interface and an intuitive personalisation platform, and has two types of CRM adapted to each user: a CRM for SMEs and a business CRM for large companies or multinationals.
SugarCRM Features
SugarCRM is a user-friendly platform built on open-source technologies like JavaScript and PHP to enable mobile computing solutions. It helps businesses build better professional relationships, work more efficiently and integrate with the complete customer lifecycle. SugarCRM has cloud portability, which allows you to switch data between public and private clouds depending on market conditions with minimal disruption.
Here are some unparalleled features offered by SugarCRM:
- Sugar Market: SugarCRM provides an all-in-one marketing automation tool that automatically prioritizes incoming leads based on client engagement. It also recognizes repetitive tasks and avoids them to ensure maximum work is done: in minimal time.
- Revenue Generation: SugarCRM generates revenue for each marketing campaign to let you know where your funds are being used and whether they are yielding desired results.
- Google Ads integration: Users can access Google Ads management tools within the Sugar Market and create shrewd campaigns to target a new clientele base while maintaining the stronghold over existing customers.
- Ease of Use: SugarCRM is exceedingly easy to customize because of multi-API accessibility. Users can switch from their existing CRM service to SugarCRM by connecting the API’s, which leads to a high adoption rate. It allows users to personalize the menu bar and homepage for quick response to the incoming queries.
- Asset Library: SugarCRM simplifies the process of uploading, managing and storing assets to leverage within the emails, business website and other marketing documentation with the asset library. It supports various file types like images, documents, audios, gifs and CSS. Users can integrate SugarCRM with other content management systems with pre-built templates to get a more robust library.
- Sales Automation: SugarCRM’s sales tool offers accurate predictions on the possibility of closing a deal with its AI-powered tools. You can change your marketing patterns and sales process accordingly to attract more clients. Moreover, SugarCRM also provides automated operations to follow-up on potential customers during off-hours till a sales rep is assigned; to the task. You can use SugarBPM to review price quotations by comparing your services to other businesses and getting a fair evaluation of your product.
- Customer support platform: SugarCRM enables businesses to emphasize customer complaints and rectify the situation quickly. It provides a knowledge-based platform: that can be customized to help clients solve minor problems themselves. SugarCRM’s service platform automatically assigns cases to the most qualified representative by analyzing past work.
SugarCRM Pricing
SugarCRM offers 4 pricing options depending upon the products you pick.
The “Sugar Market” marketing tool is priced at $1000/month and can be accessed; by unlimited users.
The “Sugar Sell” sales automation tool is priced at $80/month/user and offers 60 GB storage along with phone support.
The “Sugar Serve” customer service tool is priced at $80/month/user and helps you smoothly assist clients.
The “Sugar Enterprise” offers a generalized subscription plan and is priced; at $85/month/user. It offers SQL-based reporting and SugarBPM.
The “Sugar Professional” plan is priced at $52/month/user and offers a CRM solution for small businesses.
3. amoCRM
The specialization, and the detail that makes it peculiar, of amoCRM is the messaging. Thanks to its technology it adds a complete set of messaging applications to its arsenal, allowing it to respond quickly to potential customers and generate more sales. You can identify the progress of each potential customer, get a preview of the task status and get an overview of the overall sales status. It also has a mobile app.
amoCRM Features
amoCRM stores contact information regarding potential customers and leads, allowing businesses to increase their clientele base. It offers a plethora of options to simplify the tasks related to sales and marketing; while also providing analytical tools to keep track of every lead.
Here’s a list of features that you can use inside amoCRM:
- Pipeline: It allows you to arrange leads based on how advanced the negotiations are. Whenever you create a new lead, it gets added to the “Initial Contact” section and can be moved; to further stages later on. Also, you can use the Digital pipeline to add lead sources like messaging applications, Email addresses, and Web forms, which will automatically move any inquires on the added source to the “Incoming Leads” section.
- Salesbot: It gives an automated response to all inquiries and is customizable so you can pre-enter the instructions. Salesbot is a great tool to engage with potential customers during off-hours and is accessible in every section of the Pipeline.
- Analytics: It provides a detailed assessment of all sales leads with an option to filter out the results you don’t want to see. You can check the Win-Loss record of every sales rep and generate client reports with the advanced filter options. Moreover, you can see what happens to negotiations at various stages and get a detailed analysis, which forecasts your future sales.
- Digital Pipeline: It saves you the trouble of cold-calling by automatically nurturing the client towards making a purchase and keeps you in touch with the latest advancements. You can add automated actions such as email responses or social media advertisements to every stage and set a reminder to call the client if the negotiations move swiftly.
- WebForms: You can create web forms on amoCRM without any programming knowledge and customize every detail; as per your company’s requirements. This webform will integrate amoCRM with your website and move every submission to the “Incoming leads” section.
- Business Card Scanner: It’s a great tool to automatically add client information to the leads: from business cards. All you need to do is click an image of the card, and the system will automatically add it to the “Leads” section after recognizing it.
- Collaboration: Some of your business partners or employees may not use amoCRM, so for such instances, you can communicate through Lead cards by sending mail. The receiver will get a link that redirects to the lead card and gives access to the amoCRM.
amoCRM Pricing
amoCRM has 3 pricing options available depending on your requirements: Base Plan, Advanced Plan and Enterprise Plan. The Base plan offers intrinsic features and is priced: at $15 per month; The Advanced subscription is worth $25 per month and offers added benefits like widget creation, whereas The Enterprise Plan allows you to use amoCRM to its maximum capabilities: and is worth $45 per month. All these prices are applicable only for a subscription period of 6 months or longer.
4. Microsoft Dynamics
Microsoft Dynamics is perfect software for connecting clients, products, people and operations, all from a single tool that can be implemented through an infinite number of options. However, it is a payment tool that will require training time for you to be able to use it to its full potential. For this tool, programming knowledge is necessary. However, once you know how to use it, you will easily be able to simplify and connect business processes, improving customer interactions and facilitating growth.
Get Started with Microsoft Dynamics🔥
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Features
Microsoft Dynamics 365 provides ERP and CRM services on a single platform. It offers a clear view of how sales and marketing efforts are going with automated and intelligent data analysis. You can use tools powered by AI and machine learning to get better insights into your business.
Here are some unique features offered by Dynamics 365:
- Unified Communications: Dynamics 365 allows you to connect with clients through “Microsoft Teams” and simplify the sales process. You can call meetings, have a conversation and send any valued offer or detail in a minute.
- Advanced AI tools: You can predict sales based on the latest marketing strategy and conversion rate with Dynamics 365’s AI-powered tools. It allows you to generate revenue, set automated tasks, analyze data in a 360⁰ manner and much more according to your requirements.
- Finance and Operations management: Dynamics 365 has a financial analysis tool that can help you manage commercial operations and record every transaction. You can store credit card details, annotate tasks and accelerate training for new employees in the organization. Moreover, Dynamics 365 allows a smooth transition of complex workflows and management operations on the CRM.
- Asset Management: You can list your business assets on the supply chain within Dynamics 365 and efficiently manage all the related information, maintenance activities while reducing redundant costs.
- Power supply chain agility: Dynamics 365 can help your business’s profitability through quick lead conversion and high-quality analysis. You can engage better with clients, set priorities, create automated bots, so your sales team has a better chance of securing the opportunity.
- Smart Maintenance: Dynamics 365 suggests approaches to grow your business and increase product longevity with safety through smart maintenance. You can keep a catalog and add relevant notes to help the sales team with the pitch.
- Visual editor: Dynamics 365 lets you create charts, graphs and organizational workflows to simplify performance metrics. You can set the parameters and get different points of view regarding business development.
- Learning Paths: Dynamics 365 provides educational content to help you get familiar with CRM services and implement their use throughout the organization. You can access several how-to guides, watch videos and participate in interactive sessions to get a grip on Dynamics 365.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pricing
Dynamics 365 allows users to choose packages according to their business niche.
Customer Data Platform is available for $1452/month for a single user and $968/month as an add-on plan. You can get a customer voice function for an extra $194/user for a month.
The sales tools are available in 3 different plans. “Sales Professional” is priced at $63/month and $19/month as an add-on. “Sales Enterprise” is worth $92/month for an individual and $19/month as an add-on. “Sales Premium” is priced: at $131/month for a single user, and “Microsoft Relationship Sales” is available for $134/month.
“Finance” package is priced at $172.5/month/user and $29/user/month as an add-on. “Project Management” tools are worth $116.5/user/month and $29.14/user/month as an add-on subscription.
Dynamics 365 has particular subscription plans for small and medium businesses to fast-track their sales process. “Business Central Essentials” is priced at $68/user/month, “Business Central Premium” is available at $97.2/user/month, “Customer Service Professional” is worth $48.6/user/month and “Sales Professional” is priced: at $63.2/user/month.
5. Monday
The Monday software is extremely simple, with pre-defined templates for all kinds of situations, allowing you to start with the one that suits you best. It also gives you the ability to use the columns to display all the information you need at any given time. Monitoring the time for each task, keeping track of who is in charge of what, marking locations, adding text, numbers, links, and much more.
Monday Features
Monday integrates client emails, collects leads with forms, and refines marketing campaigns through scrupulous analysis that greatly enhances your relationship with clients and creates more business opportunities. It’s an easy-to-use platform that simplifies organizational tasks for sales and marketing teams.
Here are some features that make Monday a unique CRM:
- Software development: Monday provides templates to help your technical team quickly organize tasks, find bugs and improve iterations. You can add indicators to let the team know what you are working on and analyze the resource allocation. Every project has a specific ID that can be used; to track it among other tasks. Clients will automatically be alerted once the error is solved to reduce downtime and keep customers updated.
- HR structuring: Monday lets users manage recruiting process and track employee progression through its HR tools such as Applicant Tracker, Employee Engagement, Attendance Tracker, Recruitment Tracker, and Vacation Tracker. You can boost the team spirit of your employees by creating specific goals and giving constructive feedback on their work.
- Inventory Management: Businesses can record product and asset details while setting automation to get regular updates about sales and inquiries. You can create new templates to match the company’s requirements and integrate Monday with other applications to make the tasks easier. Moreover, Monday generates a unique QR code for each product so your clients can coherently buy the inventory.
- Marketing and Creative attributes: Monday can bridge the gap between creative thinking and marketing strategies by merging them into a single platform. You can create visualizations on campaign effects, share ideas and create personalized operations to make information accessible for employees.
- Sales operations: Monday offers CRM customization to make the leads attainable and manage all opportunity stages at a single interface. You can see the combined effect of marketing and sales campaigns to make adjustments accordingly. Moreover, businesses can centralize the available data for ease of use and synchronization of operations.
- IT workspace: You can add educational content for new recruitments to learn skills faster and ensure quality work. Monday lets you set access permissions for tasks and strictly follows security protocols to prevent cyber attacks on your CRM database. You can integrate IT tools and put technical work in order on Monday.
Monday Pricing
Monday CRM offers 4 pricing options depending upon your business size and requirements.
“Individual” plan is free of cost and lets users record work-related activities.
“Basic” plan is priced at $10/month for a single user and offers 5GB storage along with customer support.
“Standard” plan is worth $12/month for a single user and offers additional collaboration tools.
“Pro” subscription costs $20/month for an individual and offers chart view along with time tracking.
“Enterprise” plan is made specifically for large businesses and includes quality security features. You can contact support to get a quote on the “Enterprise” package.
Key Features of CRM Systems for Accountants
When selecting a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system tailored for accounting practices, it’s essential to look for features that streamline operations, enhance client interactions, and integrate seamlessly with existing accounting software. Here are the key features that accountants should consider:
- Contact Management: A robust CRM system should allow accountants to maintain comprehensive contact profiles for each client. This includes tracking communication history, storing important documents, and managing client preferences. Effective contact management ensures that accountants can easily access relevant information, leading to better client service and relationship building.
- Task Automation: Automation is a game-changer for accountants, significantly reducing the time spent on repetitive tasks. A quality CRM will automate reminders for tax deadlines, follow-ups, and client communications, allowing accountants to focus on higher-value work. Features like automated workflow creation can streamline processes, such as onboarding new clients or preparing for tax season.
- Integration with Accounting Software: One of the primary advantages of using a CRM for accountants is its ability to integrate with essential accounting tools like QuickBooks, Xero, or Financial Cents. This integration facilitates smooth data flow between systems, minimizing manual data entry and the potential for errors, thereby enhancing overall efficiency.
- Document Management: An effective CRM should include functionality for document management, allowing accountants to store and share important files securely. This feature not only helps in keeping files organized but also supports compliance with regulations regarding client data privacy and security.
- Client Portals: Secure client portals enhance collaboration by providing clients with a dedicated space to access their documents, share files, and communicate with their accountants. This feature fosters transparency and responsiveness, which are crucial for maintaining strong client relationships.
Benefits of Using CRM for Accounting Firms
In today’s fast-paced business environment, accounting firms are faced with the challenge of managing a growing client base while maintaining high levels of service and accuracy. A Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system tailored for accountants can deliver substantial benefits, enhancing the way firms operate and interact with clients. Here are some key advantages of using a CRM for accounting firms:
1. Centralized Client Management
A CRM system serves as a centralized hub for all client-related information. Accountants can store and easily access comprehensive client data, including contact details, financial histories, and communication logs. This centralized approach not only reduces the risk of errors due to fragmented information but also enables accountants to provide personalized service. By having a complete view of a client’s history and preferences, accountants can make more informed decisions and recommendations, leading to stronger client relationships.
2. Enhanced Efficiency Through Automation
Repetitive tasks such as invoicing, follow-up reminders, and document management can be time-consuming and prone to error. A CRM system automates these processes, allowing accountants to focus on high-value activities like strategic planning and client advisory. This automation not only saves time but also enhances productivity by minimizing the administrative burden that often weighs on accounting professionals.
3. Improved Communication and Collaboration
Communication is critical in accounting, where deadlines and precision are paramount. A CRM for accountants facilitates better communication both internally and externally. With features like secure client portals, accountants can share documents directly with clients, ensuring that both parties have access to the latest information. This transparency fosters trust and collaboration, making it easier to manage projects and meet deadlines.
4. Better Client Insights and Relationship Management
CRMs provide valuable analytics and reporting features that allow accountants to understand client needs better. By analyzing client behavior and preferences, firms can tailor their services and offerings, enhancing client satisfaction and loyalty. Furthermore, the CRM’s ability to track important deadlines, such as tax submissions, ensures that accountants can proactively manage client expectations and deliver timely services.
5. Seamless Integration with Accounting Software
A major benefit of using a CRM designed for accountants is its ability to integrate seamlessly with popular accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero. This integration allows for the smooth flow of data between systems, reducing the need for manual data entry and minimizing mistakes. Accountants can easily pull up financial data while managing client relationships, making it simpler to address inquiries and provide accurate advice.
Why use a CRM at all?
In today’s age, Every sector is undergoing innovation and becoming digitized to maintain operations efficiently. You cannot afford to waste time using different sources to manage different operations. A CRM provides all required functionalities within a unified interface that is easy to access and organize.
You can manage incoming leads, engage with clients through automated messages, track negotiations and assess the marketing campaigns to ensure you are making; most of the resources. A CRM can simplify your business operations and ensure that every task is done: as per instructions.
Why should Accountants use a CRM?
Accountants need to form a service-oriented firm and work with the clientele base to ensure everyone is satisfied with the services. A CRM can help accounting firms grow by implementing sales strategies and processes while providing a framework to function successfully. Strategic CRM systems are built to help you develop a more customer-centric business culture.
Accounting firms have to build client relationships, and if the representatives have to rely on their memory to remember each interaction to have communication, it’s bound to go wrong. A CRM system will help you stay on top of all initiatives and utilize the technology to support your business endeavours.
As an accountant, you need to house all of your customer details, including business and personal information, in one place for easy accessibility. CRM lets you store every detail relevant to the client and send automated messages for special events like; birthdays, business anniversaries or ceremonies.
Accountants usually face trouble with sales forecasting because of the continuously changing market. You can not predict how many clients you’ll serve over the next quarter year or what you expect your workload to be as it all depends on service requirements.
A CRM can produce forecasting reports for budgeting and revenue planning very easily if you’re tracking the information in it. You can use AI-powered insights and tools to get a clear projection and mend the strategies accordingly.
Your business will thrive and operate efficiently with a CRM. Moreover, you can maintain quality customer service and engage with clients effortlessly to build healthy relationships.
CRM for Accountants, A Summary
Accountants have very specific business needs that need to be carried out exactly as instructed. A CRM follows every command and nurtures the lead towards purchasing through automated messages. You can also get financial reports regarding revenue and new accounts.
Hubspot CRM provides a customized CRM platform for accountants that allows third-party integrations to help you bring all operations within a single database. It is our suggested pick if you’re looking for a CRM that suits accountants. Visit the website to get started.