We started our outreach just about two weeks ago and already have over 80 leads in our pipeline. At first, we managed everything in a simple Google Sheet. It was our low-budget CRM substitute while we waited to close our first deal before paying for real software.
We did close our first customer, but we had not received the payment yet. Even so, I decided it was time to switch to an actual CRM anyway. The main reason was that Close.com offers local virtual landline numbers, which I really want to use for cold calling.
Honestly, I love Close. I have tried Pipedrive and HubSpot before, but in my opinion, Close is far better. It is faster, simpler, and more intuitive.
We are a two-person founding team, and to save money, we found a little workaround. We only pay for one active seat (currently on the Solo plan for $19 per month) because I am the one primarily doing sales. When my co-founder needs access, he just logs into the same account.
Our plan is to upgrade soon. Once I am using the CRM more heavily, I want to move up to the $109 per month Growth plan, mainly for the Power Dialer and automation workflows it includes. I will probably upgrade within the next two weeks. Paying for two seats would be $218 per month, so I am really happy that one license is enough for us for now.
By the way, Close supports two-factor authentication either by email or via an authenticator app. If you use the app, you can set it up on both of your devices with the same code so both founders can log in securely using the same account.
I really struggled to keep up with follow-ups when we were using Google Sheets. Entering lead information manually was slow and painful. Now, in Close, I can quickly work through lead updates and follow-up tasks. For leads from LinkedIn, I am using a browser extension that lets me send a contact from LinkedIn straight into Close with one click.
Overall, switching from Google Sheets to Close CRM has saved us time, improved our follow-up, and given us better tools for cold calling. Even at our early stage, it feels worth it.
If you are managing your leads in a spreadsheet right now, I highly recommend considering the jump to a real CRM even before you have received your first payment. It can make all the difference in your sales process.
