CRMs for agencies, compared by kind
Last updated .
The best CRM for agencies is the kind that covers the job your agency finds hardest right now. A CRM keeps your leads, deals and client notes in one place. You can sort the choices into four kinds: a sales CRM, an all-in-one agency system, a project tool with contacts built in, and a marketing automation platform.
What are the best kinds of CRM for agencies?
No single kind is best for every agency. Pick the kind that fixes your biggest gap, whether that's chasing leads, running client work or emailing your list.
| Kind | What it does well | What it leaves out | The agency it suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| A sales CRM | Moves leads and deals through stages, with reminders to follow up | Client tasks, files and due dates live in another tool | An agency that loses leads because follow-ups slip |
| An all-in-one agency system | Puts contacts, deals, projects and often billing behind one login | Some parts can be thin, and leaving it later takes work | An agency tired of copying data from one tool to the next |
| A project tool with contacts | Keeps each client's details beside their tasks and due dates | Deal stages and sales reminders are often basic | An agency that wins work by referral and needs help with delivery |
| A marketing automation platform | Sends emails, tags leads and runs follow-up sequences on a schedule | Day-to-day client work and project tasks | An agency that sells through an email list or opt-ins |
If leads go cold before anyone calls them back, a sales CRM fits that gap. A marketing automation platform fits once you've built a list worth emailing.
An all-in-one system often holds your projects as well as your contacts, so judge it the way you'd judge project software. For choosing project software, see how to choose agency project management software.
Does every agency need a CRM?
No. A new agency with a handful of clients can track leads in a spreadsheet for a while. You need a CRM once leads, follow-ups or client details start to fall through the gaps.
Signs it's time:
- You forgot to follow up with a lead in the last month.
- Client details sit in your inbox, a notes app and your head.
- More than one person talks to leads, and nobody knows who said what.
- You can't say how many deals are open or what they're worth.
- You're about to bring in help, and they'll need each client's history.
DeskTeam360's founder's view is that an agency adds systems and software once its leads, revenue and some help are steady, so the business stops leaning on the owner for every detail.
When several of those signs fit, it's time to choose one. For picking a CRM, see how to pick a CRM for a small marketing agency.
Before you add a new system, write down which jobs you'd rather pass to someone else. DeskTeam360's Task Delegation Template is a free sheet for handing off tasks, and a video walks you through filling it in. You get it with your email address.
What should a CRM for a marketing agency do?
A CRM for a marketing agency should hold every lead, deal and client in one place and show you what to do next. Take this list to any seller and ask how their CRM handles each line:
- Stores each contact with their company, where they came from and your notes.
- Moves deals through stages you name yourself.
- Reminds you when a follow-up is due.
- Logs emails and calls against the right contact.
- Marks a deal as won and passes the details to whoever does the work.
- Shows open deals and their value on one screen.
- Connects to the email and project tools you already run.
- Lets you add users as your team grows, with a clear answer on what that does to the price.
If you'd rather not build it yourself, CRM setup is one of the jobs DeskTeam360's team takes on, along with automation, AI agents, funnels, email campaigns, web builds and video editing.
Choosing the right kind is only half the work, because a CRM nobody sets up well won't get used. For setting the CRM up, see how to set up an agency CRM.
If CRM chores are one of many tasks piling up on your desk, start with a list of what you could hand off. The Task Delegation Template costs nothing, it works for owners who haven't hired anyone yet, and you get it by entering your email.
More on Choosing and setting up a CRM
- Choosing a CRM for a small marketing agency
- Setting up agency CRM software: what to track from lead to renewal
- All guides
Sources
- DeskTeam360, home page, deskteam360.com
- DeskTeam360's founder, Jeremy Kenerson, on running an agency, from his own notes (not published)
- DeskTeam360's founder, Jeremy Kenerson, on what the template is for, in his own words (not published)
- DeskTeam360, Ultimate Task Delegation Template page, start.deskteam360.com/ultimate-task-delegation-template
What changed
- : first version.