It’s realistic to claim that 60% of CRM features go unused. A CRM should have the key functionalities of creating a contact list, tracking opportunities, sales projections and generally just keeping you organized.

A small business should be cautious about simply just adding a CRM system to their business because it has become a “natural” thing to do.

Here are the approximate average costs of CRM systems: 

By the way, consider this the MAIN factor why I stopped using a CRM for 1-2 person sales operations.

(considering 2 seats, paid annually to get a discount)

• $600 (Salesforce)

• $600 (HubSpot)

• $336 (Zoho CRM)

• $360 (Pipedrive)

• $360 (Freshsales)

• $1,560 (Microsoft Dynamics) *May need to confirm this one!

• $600 (Copper CRM)

= $4,416

2. Divide by the number of CRMs (7):

• $4,416 ÷ 7 ≈ $631

What I found is that cost can be better allocated to other software programs like video editors (things that can help get you leads to actually put into the CRM).

With a spreadsheet that has Apps Scripts capabilities, you duplicate the CRM’s necessary features in a format that has no recurring costs, you own it.

I had the thought that I was missing out on something absolutely necessary if I ditched a CRM provider but that moment never really presented itself.

The dashboard I put together for this uses some of the concepts taught during my Mastership in Revenue Architecture from Winning by Design, and it gives a top to bottom view of your pipeline in real-time.

Here are the key metrics that I believe drive any business forward: 

• The attention you’re getting. (How many leads generated recently, where are they coming from)

• The amount of pipeline that still needs active work and management.

• The frequency you’re communicating with customers.

• Attribution of your sales to a channel.

I wanted to be able to judge the health of the top and bottom of the funnel with this sheet, and it covers every aspect that you need to predict future sales performance.

*Optional* One item that I found helpful was running an Apps Script feature that sends you an email if one of your deals slips behind. If your last touchpoint is more than 30 days ago, the system will send you an email with a reminder to reach out. 

This CRM should manage most of the needs of a small business sales team (especially if you’re a 1 person team), free of charge. Just click the link below to get it.

Download the Free Google Sheets CRM Template Below:

I will email you a clean copy that you can add your own branding/colors to.