You’re probably aware that your business needs a customer relationship management (CRM) platform. It’s an essential tool for gathering, storing, organizing, and analyzing data about your customers, which allows you to reoptimize your marketing and sales efforts to better reach prospects.
The question, though, is what kind of CRM you should get. There are plenty of different options, and it can take time to figure out the right one. For example, you might ask yourself, “Should I use an industrial-specific CRM or a general-purpose one?”
If you’re still wondering about that, don’t worry—we’re here to shed some light on the subject. Keep reading for a comparison of industrial and general CRMs.
An industrial-specific CRM is—as the name suggests—a CRM designed specifically for industrial companies. They often come equipped with features or design elements that are unique to manufacturers or other industrial businesses.
There are several benefits of using an industrial-specific CRM. Those benefits include:
1. They have industrial-specific features
One advantage of industrial-specific CRMs is that they often come equipped with industry-specific features. For example, an industrial CRM might include features for supply chain management and quality control and use industry-specific terminology.
Of course, the exact features you get vary from CRM to CRM. But industry-specific features aren’t something you’ll find in a general CRM, which is designed to cater to multiple industries. Getting industry-specific features in a general-purpose CRM requires customization or integrations.
2. They often come with a quicker setup time
Another advantage of industrial-specific CRMs is that they tend to require less setup time than general CRMs. Why? Because when you get a general CRM, you have to spend time setting up industry-specific preferences and configurations.
An industrial CRM, however, will already come with many of those configurations in place. That means the setup time goes by faster, and you can start driving results with the platform earlier.
Of course, this isn’t always the case—it depends on the specific tool, but you can often set up an industrial-specific CRM more quickly because it requires less customization for your industry.
3. Compliance with industry-specific regulations
In the industrial field, there are various regulations you’re responsible for following. For example, product safety and environmental compliance are essential for manufacturers.
An industrial-specific CRM may include features to help you keep track of those regulations and stay accountable to them. That’s something you won’t get with a general-purpose tool without customization.
What is a general-purpose CRM?
A general-purpose CRM serves a wide variety of industries. General CRMs don’t contain features that are specific to any particular industry because they are designed for use by everyone from manufacturers to doctors to consultants and everyone in between.
Advantages of a general CRM
Just as there are advantages to using an industrial-specific CRM, there are also benefits to choosing a general CRM. Here are some of the biggest ones:
1. They cost less
One of the best things about general CRMs is that they’re typically less expensive than industry-specific ones. Of course, costs vary from tool to tool, but affordability is more common among general CRMs.
Since general CRMs aim to appeal to a broader audience, they also tend to offer a wider variety of plans, including cheaper options.
That’s because they’re targeting a much wider variety of companies and industries, so they have to account for a wider variety of integration needs. All kinds of organizations, from hospitals to law firms, need to be able to integrate their tools with these CRMs.
3. They’re often more user-friendly
Finally, general CRMs are often more user-friendly than industry-specific ones. Since they aim to appeal to a broad audience, general CRMs tend to focus more on making their tools easy for anyone to use.
Of course, again, this depends on which CRM you use. There are undoubtedly some user-friendly industrial CRMs out there and some general CRMs with a poor user experience. But generally speaking, general-purpose CRMs have an edge here.
Should I use an industrial-specific or general-purpose CRM?
Now that we’ve finished comparing pros and cons, we can get back to the original question of this page: “Should I use an industrial-specific CRM or a general-purpose one?” As with most questions like this one, the answer is that it depends.
If you’re looking for industry-specific features and quick setup times, an industrial CRM could be the better option. But if your priority is low pricing, integrations, or user-friendliness, a general-purpose CRM is the way to go.
It’s worth pointing out that most businesses will fare better with a general CRM. All industries use CRMs similarly, and most CRMs allow you to customize them to your needs, so there’s no strong reason to get one that’s specific to your industry. A general CRM will do the trick for most businesses.
Frequently asked questions
1. What defines an “industrial-specific CRM” and how does it stand apart from a general-purpose CRM?
An industrial-specific CRM is a customer relationship management system pre-configured or designed with the unique sales processes, long sales cycles, complex product configurations, and operational demands of industrial sectors (like manufacturing, wholesale distribution, or heavy equipment) in mind. It might offer specialized modules for inventory management, project tracking for large-scale installations, or integrations with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and MES (Manufacturing Execution Systems) right out of the box.
A general-purpose CRM, such as Nutshell, is built for broad applicability across various industries. It provides a robust, flexible framework for managing contacts, tracking sales pipelines, automating marketing, and generating reports. While it may not have industry-specific modules pre-installed, its strength lies in its adaptability. General CRMs can be customized and integrated with other tools to meet the precise needs of an industrial business, often offering a more cost-effective and scalable solution without the rigidity of a niche product.
2. What are the distinct advantages an industrial business might gain from a specialized CRM?
Industrial businesses often face unique challenges, and a specialized CRM aims to address these directly. Key advantages can include:
Streamlined Complex Sales Cycles: Industrial sales often involve multiple stakeholders, lengthy negotiation periods, and intricate quoting processes. A specialized CRM might offer built-in tools for complex product configuration (CPQ – Configure, Price, Quote) or project management features tailored for large industrial projects.
Integration with Operational Systems: Many industrial CRMs boast deeper, native integrations with ERP, MES, or CAD systems, providing a more unified view of customer data alongside production, inventory, and supply chain information.
Compliance and Regulatory Tracking: For industries with strict regulations (e.g., safety standards, environmental compliance), a specialized CRM might offer features to track and manage compliance requirements, ensuring adherence to industry-specific mandates.
After-Sales Service and Warranty Management: Industrial products often require extensive after-sales support, maintenance, and warranty tracking. Specialized CRMs can offer robust service management modules to handle these long-term customer relationships.
3. How can a general CRM like Nutshell effectively cater to the complex needs of industrial companies?
Nutshell, as a powerful general-purpose CRM, is surprisingly adept at handling the complexities of industrial businesses through its core strengths:
Deep Customization: Nutshell allows industrial companies to create custom fields for tracking technical specifications, project milestones, equipment details, or compliance documents. You can design sales pipelines that mirror your multi-stage industrial sales process, from initial inquiry to installation and ongoing service.
Robust Integration Capabilities: Nutshell integrates seamlessly with a wide array of business tools, including popular accounting software, marketing automation platforms, and communication tools. For industrial-specific needs, Nutshell’s open API and integrations with platforms like Zapier allow you to connect with specialized ERP, inventory, or project management systems, creating a cohesive data flow.
Enhanced Communication & Collaboration: Industrial sales often involve internal teams (sales, engineering, production) and external partners. Nutshell centralizes all customer interactions, documents, and tasks, ensuring everyone is on the same page, reducing miscommunication, and speeding up response times.
Powerful Reporting & Forecasting: Gain clear insights into your sales performance, identify bottlenecks in your industrial sales cycle, and forecast demand more accurately with Nutshell’s customizable reporting features. This helps align sales efforts with production capabilities.
User-Friendly Interface: Nutshell prioritizes ease of use, which is crucial for ensuring high adoption rates across diverse teams within an industrial company, from sales reps on the road to office-based support staff.
4. What are the potential drawbacks or hidden costs of opting for an industrial-specific CRM?
While industrial-specific CRMs offer tailored features, they often come with significant downsides that can impact long-term business agility and cost-effectiveness:
Higher Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Niche CRMs typically have higher licensing fees, implementation costs, and ongoing maintenance expenses due to their specialized nature and smaller market.
Vendor Lock-in and Limited Flexibility: You might become heavily dependent on a single vendor, making it difficult and costly to switch if your needs change or the vendor’s product development stagnates. Their rigid structure can also hinder adaptation to new business models or market shifts.
Fewer Integrations: Specialized CRMs often have a more limited ecosystem of integrations compared to general CRMs. This can lead to data silos, manual data entry, and a fragmented view of your customer if it doesn’t connect well with your other essential business tools.
Steeper Learning Curve & User Adoption Challenges: While tailored, some specialized CRMs can be overly complex, leading to lower user adoption rates if the interface isn’t intuitive or if extensive training is required.
Scalability Issues: As your industrial business grows or diversifies, a highly specialized CRM might struggle to scale or adapt to new product lines, services, or geographic markets without significant, costly re-customization.
5. Beyond industry-specific features, what critical factors should industrial companies prioritize when selecting any CRM?
Choosing the right CRM for an industrial business goes beyond just checking off feature boxes. Here are crucial factors to prioritize for long-term success:
Ease of Use & User Adoption: A CRM is only valuable if your team actually uses it. Prioritize an intuitive interface and a system that minimizes administrative burden, encouraging widespread adoption across sales, service, and even production teams.
Scalability & Adaptability: Your industrial business will evolve. Select a CRM that can grow with you, easily adapting to new products, markets, or changes in your sales process without requiring a complete system overhaul. Look for robust customization options and flexible workflows.
Integration Ecosystem: Assess how well the CRM integrates with your existing and future business tools, especially ERP, accounting software, and communication platforms. Seamless data flow is paramount for efficiency and a holistic view of your operations.
Vendor Support & Training: Evaluate the quality of customer support, available training resources, and the vendor’s commitment to ongoing product development. Reliable support is essential for smooth implementation and continuous optimization.
Data Security & Reliability: For industrial companies handling sensitive client data, product specifications, or intellectual property, robust data security measures, compliance certifications, and a reliable infrastructure are non-negotiable.
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Look beyond the initial subscription price. Factor in implementation costs, training expenses, potential customization fees, and the cost of integrations to understand the true investment over time.
Nutshell is the optimal CRM for your industrial company
If you’re looking for a good general-purpose CRM, Nutshell is the perfect option. It features top-tier sales automation, advanced reporting features, and a stellar customer service team that can help you through any questions or concerns that you may have about the platform.
If you’re interested in trying out Nutshell for yourself, start a 14-day free trial today to see what Nutshell can do for your industrial company!
