HubSpot vs Salesforce: The Best CRM for Administrators

In terms of CRM, Salesforce is the best thing out there! You agree, right? Or do you think HubSpot CRM is better?

How about a revolutionary third notion? If you can make it work, either of the two or both or even a third alternative, such as Zoho CRM, would be the best! The bottom line? If you can master CRM, you can also get a tune out of any other alternatives.

Your dream company may not have your preferred system, or your preferred CRM is not the ideal fit for that company. Do not pass up on such opportunities just because the virtues of one particular CRM blind you.

At its core, a CRM is essentially a data repository with a user interface. While some interfaces are more sophisticated than others, the primary role of a CRM administrator is to ensure that the interface is adequately attractive and functional to capture the necessary data into the system, enabling the business to operate efficiently.

Every CRM has its own strengths and drawbacks, some more than others. But if you have a comprehensive understanding of one CRM, you should and will be able to manage other CRMs.

Why Should You Learn More Than One CRM?

To succeed as RevOps consultants , it is imperative to have flexibility and adaptability across different CRMs. While HubSpot, Salesforce, or any other CRM are different, it is a worthwhile exercise to learn more about other CRMs beyond your preferred one. Doing so will give you the confidence to effectively demonstrate to prospective employers that you are not hung up on any particular solution and are capable of adapting to the specific needs of a business.

It is understandable and common for individuals to have an inclination toward one CRM over others. However, if you give the impression that you are unwilling to learn about any other CRM, this shortsighted mindset will likely hinder job opportunities. Just because your preferred technology is not being operated at an organization should not be the reason for rejecting an opportunity.

Suppose you are a professional offering RevOps as a service . In that case, you should be clear about one thing - your role is to simplify data collection, as your ultimate task is to gather and analyze data to enhance business operations. Your focus should be optimizing processes, not compelling others to adopt your preferred CRM system.

CRMs existed before Salesforce came about, and newer, potentially better CRMs will pop up in the future and may eventually render Salesforce obsolete. So, while Salesforce may be your preferred CRM, staying informed about HubSpot CRM features will likely benefit you in the long run.

Does the Perfect CRM Exist?

Unfortunately, no. If your goal is to find a tool that all salespeople will willingly embrace, you will find it challenging. Similarly, you will likely be disappointed if you want a CRM that can generate every report your executive team imagines.

Nevertheless, specific tools can be more effective than others, depending on the circumstances.

Zoho CRM or Other Freemium CRMs

Bootstrapped startups seeking cost-effective solutions may feel that Zoho CRM or similar freemium options such as Apex Creatives, Wrike, or Monday.com can adequately fulfill their needs. While these choices are budget-friendly, they need more comprehensive features found on top-tier platforms.

However, these CRMs offer significant advantages over managing operations using Notion, Google Sheets, or Airtable.

Managing the CRM-lite group poses more significant challenges due to their limited functionality, difficulty generating comprehensive reports, and the absence of extensive technology partnerships established by industry leaders like HubSpot and Salesforce over time.

When businesses encounter difficulties with the constraints of their economic CRM, it signals the need to consider transitioning to a more premium solution. Investing considerable effort in scaling these solutions alongside organizations' growth is likely futile, as these platforms need more infrastructure to support future reporting requirements effectively.

HubSpot CRM

Over the years, HubSpot has established itself as a viable alternative to Salesforce for small businesses. Recently, owing to a slew of updates, large enterprises have also begun adopting HubSpot.

Easy to use, the HubSpot CRM automation is smooth and effectively supplemented by tools like Zapier to address functional gaps. It provides essential functionalities that marketers find easier to comprehend than platforms like Marketo. However, similar to CRM systems, each marketing automation system has its strengths and weaknesses. The approach of not having a distinct lead object or managing contacts and leads separately are appealing aspects of the HubSpot platform; however, this data structure may not suit every organization equally well.

You may find yourself peeved by the lack of administrative control over visibility permissions. However, this is not a significant issue in transparent organizations that do not operate in heavily regulated industries. The inability to assign page layouts to specific profiles poses a greater challenge and problem.

For organizations with uncomplicated workflows and transparent processes, HubSpot CRM generally meets their needs well. However, if your operations involve highly complex account structures, necessitate tracking channel sales and managing numerous partner accounts, or operate within a heavily regulated industry, Salesforce is the better alternative.

You should not base your decision-making process on your reporting needs. In HubSpot, campaign reporting differs significantly from that of Salesforce. The formula fields can potentially frustrate, and the dashboard design tools are cumbersome. The capabilities for attribution reporting are also somewhat restricted. Nevertheless, numerous organizations are increasingly leveraging data warehouses and BI layers to extract greater value from their CRM systems, and this trend shows no signs of diminishing with the current array of available tools.

Salesforce CRM

Salesforce offers unparalleled customization capabilities, which can be a double-edged sword. Amateur administrators may inadvertently configure their instances excessively, leading to frustration among end users due to validation rules, logic loops, and other potential pitfalls.

A skilled administrator can customize Salesforce to suit the needs of various end users, optimizing their workflow. They can automate routine tasks, establish efficient team processes, and achieve substantial outcomes with proficient developers. Moreover, Salesforce boasts an impressive partner network and seamless integration capabilities with the majority of tools used by B2B go-to-market teams.

However, certain traits can be particularly frustrating for organizations with straightforward workflows. For instance, the separation of people records into leads and contacts can complicate the process of reporting marketing lead volume. Additionally, integration calls that create new lead records instead of merging data onto existing ones can lead to a boatload of duplicate records, causing further challenges.

In a complex organizational setup, the primary concern with Salesforce might be the reporting constraints. Despite the ability to leverage custom code and flows for extensive customization and automation, Salesforce imposes limits on the number of data joins to optimize processing efficiency. The trend reports are also unlikely to offer any utility in practical applications.

Parting Thoughts

As previously noted, numerous organizations are increasingly turning to data warehouses and BI layers to enhance the capabilities of their CRM systems. Given the current landscape of available tools, this trend is likely to continue.

There is not a one-size-fits-all CRM solution, and as RevOps consultants and administrators, we should thus have a flexible mindset. Each platform has its strengths and weaknesses, and while certain aspects may not always meet our preferences, each CRM serves a distinct role in the market. Sometimes, hiring agencies specializing in RevOps optimization for CRMs might just be the way to grow your company.