Terms like VoIP and CRM are thrown around all the time at
call centers, but it's how they work together that really matters for your business. Whether or not you're familiar with a VoIP or CRM, this guide will walk you through the crucial details of these fundamental services and help you find an integrated solution that works seamlessly to fuel your business processes.
Key Takeaways
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Streamline Communication and Improve Efficiency: Integrating Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software enables businesses to streamline communication and improve overall efficiency. By combining these technologies, businesses can make and receive calls directly within the CRM system, eliminating the need for separate phone systems and enhancing productivity.
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Centralize Customer Interactions: VoIP integration with CRM software allows for centralization of customer interactions. All call history, recordings, and notes are stored within the CRM system, providing a comprehensive view of customer communications. This centralized approach enables better customer service, personalized interactions, and informed decision-making.
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Enhanced Customer Engagement: By integrating VoIP with CRM software, businesses can enhance customer engagement. Features like click-to-call and automatic call logging ensure that every customer interaction is efficiently captured and recorded within the CRM system. This leads to better customer follow-ups, improved response times, and a more seamless customer experience.
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Improved Call Routing and Personalized Service: VoIP integration with CRM software enables intelligent call routing based on customer data. Calls can be automatically directed to the most appropriate agent or department based on customer history, preferences, or other predefined criteria. This ensures personalized service and a more efficient call handling process.
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Data Synchronization and Accessibility: Integrating VoIP with CRM software facilitates data synchronization and accessibility. Call logs, recordings, and other call-related data are automatically synced with customer profiles in the CRM system. This eliminates the need for manual data entry, reduces errors, and ensures that all customer information is up to date and easily accessible.
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Enhanced Reporting and Analytics: The integration of VoIP and CRM software provides enhanced reporting and analytics capabilities. Businesses can gain valuable insights into call performance, call duration, call outcomes, and other metrics. These insights enable data-driven decision-making, optimization of call center operations, and identification of areas for improvement.
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Improved Collaboration and Teamwork: VoIP integration with CRM software fosters improved collaboration and teamwork within the organization. Features like call transfer, call conferencing, and shared call notes facilitate seamless communication between team members, ensuring effective collaboration and faster issue resolution.
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Scalability and Flexibility: VoIP and CRM software integration offers scalability and flexibility. As businesses grow, they can easily scale their VoIP infrastructure and CRM capabilities to meet changing needs. This adaptability allows for seamless expansion and ensures that the integrated system can accommodate evolving business requirements.
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Training and Support: Implementing VoIP with CRM software integration may require training and support. Reputable providers offer comprehensive training resources and responsive customer support to assist businesses during implementation and daily usage. This ensures a smooth transition and optimal utilization of the integrated system.
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Cost Savings and Efficiency Gains: Integrating VoIP with CRM software can lead to cost savings and efficiency gains. By consolidating communication systems and automating call-related processes, businesses can reduce hardware costs, streamline workflows, and achieve higher productivity levels, ultimately improving the bottom line.
What is a VoIP system with CRM integration?
VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol," and it provides an easy alternative to a phone line, especially when you have many employees that need to take calls at once. With VoIP, you don't need any phone line in place. That means you can skip the local telephone company altogether, opting for a VoIP service provider that operates in the cloud.
Meanwhile, CRM stands for "Customer Relationship Management," and it's another fundamental business software. A CRM system helps businesses track information about their leads, customers, and deals, ultimately giving sales teams the information they need to contact leads and convert them into customers, while also following up after sales are made.
CRM systems have uses beyond your sales team, too. For example, they reveal insights about your audience to inform your marketing campaigns, and they also track metrics relating to your business's financial projections. Likewise,
your VoIP system has an application that goes beyond outbound calling. But if you're looking for a sales solution, there is no combination more powerful than a platform that combines a VoIP system with a native CRM integration.
Advantages of a VoIP with CRM software?
A quick search for VoIP or CRM software reveals a seemingly infinite list of options. But even thinking about going through them all to find the best choice can feel overwhelming. Additionally, choosing two separate software solutions and trying to connect them will easily take twice as much time. That's why you should find a VoIP solution that has a native CRM integration.
Advantage #1: Faster Implementation
Implementing new software can easily turn into a months-long endeavor by the time you get stakeholders involved, discuss your unique needs, test different services that promise to deliver, and get your team up and running with your chosen solution. If you're looking to add or replace both your VoIP and CRM, choosing separate solutions means double the work.
However, it's not just time you'll save when choosing an integrated solution. By choosing a software that easily connects your VoIP to a CRM, you will instantly cut out the headache associated with having to manually integrate the two systems together, which often requires custom connectors (coding) or third-party workarounds that can impact speed, security, and reliability.
Advantage #2: Reduced Costs
While business owners know that good software is worth investing in, why increase your costs and complications by investing in two different platforms and trying to stitch them together yourself? By choosing the right software pair, you can keep your setup costs down.
Ultimately, how much you pay for your solution should be based on volume or usage. For instance, most CRMs charge a flat rate per month for each user at your company, while you should expect to pay per minute for a VoIP solution. If you can find software that follows this pricing model, you'll never pay for what you don't need.
Advantage #3: Streamlined Workflow
Once it comes time to use the software your business has painstakingly selected, even your employees will appreciate an integrated software that connects your VoIP to your CRM. After all, a fully integrated solution means no separate apps or dashboards.
Instead, your employees will enjoy a seamless platform that creates a streamlined workflow without the need to jump back and forth between Software A and Software B. Especially for sales agents where every moment counts, this means they'll spend less time on valueless tasks and more time actually generating revenue.
Advantage #4: Better Insights
Another advantage of choosing an integrated solution is that your agents will never be locked out of the CRM mid-call. While platforms that are connected manually, or not connected at all, might cause login, syncing, or performance issues, an integrated solution puts everything that's important directly in front of your team.
For example, when choosing a solution like FiveCRM, agents are
automatically shown the customer's file whenever they speak with them. Also, FiveCRM even provides an overview of recent interactions so that your agents can pick up right where they left off. As a result, your customers will enjoy better service and your employees will invest more time in valuable activities.
Advantage #5: Connected Features
In addition to showing the right information to your employees at just the right time, an integrated solution offers one final advantage: fully native features. These would include auto-dialers that can pull up a customer's file and automatically start dialing them based on a pre-compiled list of leads, or the option for agents to "thumb through" active leads and dial with just one click.
Other integrated features that will improve productivity include marketing tools that can help agents quickly assemble and send a
follow-up email as soon as they hang up the phone, and the ability to take notes mid-call so nothing important is forgotten during a conversation.
Comparison Table of VoIP Systems With CRM Integration
| Basis |
Built-In CRM? |
Built-In VoIP? |
Free Trial? |
Pricing |
Open Source |
Deployment |
Customization |
| FiveCRM |
Yes |
Softphone |
No |
$70 per user per month |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
| HubSpot |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
$45 per month for two users |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
| CloudTalk |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
$25 per user per month |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
| DialPad |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
$15 per user per month |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
| OpenPhone |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Unpublished |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
| JustCall |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
$24 per user per month |
No |
Cloud |
Yes |
Top Providers of CRM With VoIP Integration
1. Five CRM
FiveCRM is the only solution of its kind built specifically for call centers, which is why it shines as both a
CRM and phone system. In addition to being able to fully integrate with the VoIP system of your choice, FiveCRM stands out for its native SoftPhone solution, which allows your agents to call without needing a stationary VoIP phone on their desk.
- User-friendly interface with features to minimize downtime while improving sales efficiency, lead generation, lead management, and account management.
- Multiple types of auto-dialers to boost productivity at your call center while supporting your telemarketing goals.
- Seamless integrations with leading software and VoIP solutions and a fully integrated SoftPhone for businesses that don't need VoIP.
Pricing starts at
$70 per user per month and is scalable to meet the needs of businesses large and small.
2. HubSpot
HubSpot is a solutions powerhouse, and there's no denying that its developers have come up with a solution for just about everything small business, big business, and all businesses in between. However, because HubSpot is not specifically built as a phone solution or even as a CRM solution, it might not have the latest features your business demands.
- You'll need to combine multiple HubSpot solutions, such as the Sales Dialer, to match the features of any dedicated CRM solution.
- The VoIP system is designed to work with the HubSpot CRM and other tools in the HubSpot Suite, which restricts flexibility.
Pricing can be confusing, as there are multiple collections ("Hubs") and then additional fees based on the number of users and exact tools you want.
All in all, HubSpot will deliver on its promises, but your business is likely to rack up a big bill as you look to piece together various HubSpot tools to make a solution that works for you.
3. CloudTalk
CloudTalk is a reliable CRM solution, particularly for businesses that invest a lot in outbound calling campaigns and need the appeal of a "local" number to get more people on the phone.
- Choose from over 180 national numbers to give your business a local feel, no matter where your agents are.
- Seamlessly integrate with any of the leading CRMs so that your agents can focus on calling.
Pricing starts at $25 per user per month when billed annually. Higher tiers unlock additional features.
CloudTalk is strictly a VoIP solution and makes no attempts at constructing a CRM, which is why it's the perfect integration once you've located your CRM of choice.
4. Dialpad
If you need just a tab more than a strictly VoIP solution like CloudTalk, Dialpad might be the exact step up you're searching for. With built-in tools for calling, meeting, and chatting, Dialpad is a user-friendly platform to help your team stay in touch with each other and your customers.
- Features for communicating over voice or video, allowing your team to be more productive.
- AI features to make your team more responsive and help with outreach, even when they're offline.
Pricing starts at $15 per user per month when paid annually or $23 per user per month when paid monthly.
Dialpad is a powerful, tech-forward solution that offers all the aesthetic appeal you'd expect from a modern software without missing out on any features. Just pair it with your favorite CRM and you're good to go.
5. OpenPhone
A direct competitor to Dialpad, OpenPhone is another modern VoIP solution that focuses on empowering your team with features like call recording, coaching, and more. Using OpenPhone, you can begin to see some of the advantages associated with a telemarketing software, but with a more lightweight feel.
- Routine rules allow you to easily direct calls to the best available agent without overloading anyone.
- In-depth analytics help businesses make data-driven decisions to improve support, sales, and follow-up.
Pricing isn't published, but you can get started for free by reaching out to the OpenPhone team.
OpenPhone is scalable enough for small businesses to tap into, while being powerful enough to create a turnkey solution for large and growing companies. Again, you just need to make sure you match it with the right CRM so that your team can enjoy all of the benefits of powerful sales software.
6. JustCall
JustCall's name says it all: This cloud phone system aims to keep it simple by offering a straightforward VoIP solution for businesses big and small. While you might not see all the latest bells and whistles, you will get a solid solution to power your business's calling needs.
- Over 100 integrations promise to save your team up to 12 hours a week thanks to a streamlined workflow.
- The setup process is simple, and you can get going in just minutes if you already have a CRM to integrate with.
Pricing starts at $24 per user per month for the lowest tier of service. Higher tiers are available to unlock more features.
While JustCall is not the cheapest VoIP solution on the market, it is one of the simplest and more reliable. For businesses seeking a solution with no hidden fees or complications, JustCall is what you're after.
Conclusion
Now that you've taken a look through the most popular VoIP systems that are able to integrate with the CRM of your choice, which one will you choose? Comparing your options in-depth and considering your business's unique use case and requirements is essential to a successful implementation and realizing a return on your investment quickly.
For many businesses, the best option is the simplest. That means finding a robust CRM capable of supporting their ambitious outbound calling goals while offering multiple integrations with the software of their choice (or a SoftPhone solution built right in). Interested in seeing FiveCRM in action for yourself?
Get started today!
FAQ Section
What is VoIP integration with CRM?
A VoIP integration with a CRM basically means a VoIP software that is able to natively connect to the CRM system of your choosing. A native integration means you won't have to code a connector yourself, and you will not run into the same performance issues as you would with a manual connector.
What CRM integrations are needed?
First and foremost, the main system that needs to integrate with your CRM is your phone system. For most businesses, this means finding a VoIP software that has a native integration with their CRM.
How to use VoIP software?
A VoIP software is easy to use, and you just need to get a compatible VoIP phone and connect it to your VoIP account. This generally entails monthly fees for each user. Once you have your VoIP phone in place and connected, you need to integrate it with other essential software, such as your business CRM. From there, your agents will need to get familiar with the VoIP portal and then they can start calling.
Which CRM integrations are a must have?
The most important CRM integration is a VoIP integration or other phone system connection to ensure that your agents are always able to see the most important information about your customers and partners while talking. Without this integration, the calling workflow is scrambled across multiple platforms and can lead to poor customer service, sales, and follow-up.