Let’s face it – time is money. And for the average sales team, every minute counts. Between meetings, calls, and chasing down leads, the last thing anyone wants is to waste precious time learning a new complex CRM system. 

Enter Close.io: a simple, yet modern CRM built for salespeople, by salespeople (or so they claim). Close’s CRM promises to double the productivity of every sales rep, but does it deliver? Of course, we had to find out and after seven hours of getting up… close and personal 👀, here’s everything you need to know – from the pros and cons, to key features, and more.

Close CRM Summary:

What Is Close.io (And Who Is It For)?

Since 2013, Close has been on a mission to provide a CRM software that facilitates communication across sales teams, while removing the hassle of data entry and complex user-interfaces. 

Close.io advertises itself as a CRM software provider that anyone can use from startups, SMBs, and even enterprises, but their typical clientele look like:

• SaaS organizations

• Remote sales teams

• Outbound sales teams 

• Inbound sales teams

• Financial services

• Insurance companies 

• Real estate agents/firms

What Is Their USP? 

At a glance, Close’s CRM stands out by unifying essential sales functions like email, calling, and SMS into one centralized inbox, all while backing them with powerful automation and workflow tools that take these functions to the next level. However, what really attracts customers to Close's CRM is a powerful calling automation system that is geared to towards outbound sales teams.

On top of this, Close.io seamlessly integrates over 100 different applications, making its CRM software a versatile tool that can meet the specific needs and requirements of various industries.

Now, let’s dive into what truly makes this CRM tick.

Key Features and Functions 🔑

Product Overview 📖

On the surface, Close.io boasts a variety of features that enhance user experience, making the platform more accessible to the average user. We breakdown what that means below 😉: 

Fast Setup 

Whether you’re inputting your data manually, importing it from a spreadsheet (CSV or XLS file-friendly), or even migrating CRMs entirely, Close.io made sure to cover its bases with a seamless data migration system that even the most tech-averse sales reps can easily navigate. 

User-friendly Interface 

Now, pair that with a sleek, highly customizable dashboard and you could possibly transform what would normally be a several-week onboarding process into just a few hours (their words, not ours).

All-in-one Selling Module

Here’s where things get a little exciting, remember how I mentioned that Close’s CRM has centralized all essential sales functions into one inbox. This allows the CRM software to become an all-in-one selling module where calling, SMS, Zoom, and email + calendar integrations can be accessed directly from the platform – no additional apps needed. 

There’s also the added bonus of Close making their CRM accessible from desktops and mobile phones. 

Communication Tools & Features 📨💬📞

When we start to dig a little deeper that’s where we start to see the magic unfold. Close’s communication tools are designed to accelerate leads through the sales pipeline.

Email 

Imagine this: you're chasing leads over email across multiple platforms (Gmail, Outlook, etc.) and engaging with prospects at various stages of the sales cycle. You’ll find that it’s  a bit like herding cats — while you manage a couple, the rest will eventually slip away.

Close.io answers this pain point by syncing all your conversations into one centralized inbox. This ensures you and your sales team stay in the loop at all times, so no interaction goes overlooked, unnoticed, or even overly-engaged.

Close further supports email communication with a range of powerful automation tools and features like: 

• Bulk email sender

• Multi-channel Workflows

• Shareable email templates

• AI email editor

• Undo send

• One-click snooze

Calls 

What many sales reps consider a bane to their existence, Close.io saw as an opportunity to supercharge the calling process with intuitive features:

• Sales reps can seamlessly save existing numbers and/or add new ones.

• Acquire international phone numbers to prospect globally in over 200 countries. 

• Beyond expanding horizons (literally), Close.io also lets you transfer, forward, and automate calls.

• Log and record calls for later review.

• Drop voicemails in a single click to move you on to your next prospect. 

A feature which won’t be available for all sales reps, depending on your pricing plan, is Call Coaching. Available only on the Business (Legacy) and Enterprise plans, Call Coaching is a valuable tool for even the most seasoned reps – allowing other team members to listen in, whisper tips, or intervene in a call if necessary.

Additionally, Close.io will compile a comprehensive calling report that will highlight total calls made, calls by users, duration, and more — helping you identify gaps and opportunities in your calling strategy.

Video Calls

Close.io understands that video sales is an essential tool for any remote sales team and is why you can link your Zoom account to sync all your contacts and recordings into one place. Inversely, Close will notify you 5-minutes in advance before your next meeting while making each call accessible on the CRM.

SMS 

Close’s CRM includes texting features out of the box to supplement your email and calling outreach. All plans offer SMS functionality, with features that overlap with its other communication tools, such as:

• SMS and custom templates

• Pre-scheduled messages

• Centralized SMS inbox

• API for bulk texting

• SMS reminders and follow-ups

• SMS activity insights

Pricing may vary per text sent in different countries/regions. 

Calendar Sync 

A simple feature at its core, Close’s CRM streamlines the scheduling process by syncing and organizing your Google and Outlook calendar into one platform. This feature can help businesses avoid any potential scheduling mix-ups, saving them time (and money) in the process.   

Collaboration 

Close’s CRM equips sales teams with a task delegation system and a team overview. These features help businesses assess the current workload of their reps, assign the right person to each job, and identify team members who may need additional training when quotas aren’t being met.

Automation Tools & Features 🦾

Hidden away under all the data and code, you’ll find some robust automation tools that help salespeople do what they do best – sell:

Automated Workflows 

Close’s CRM gives you the flexibility to design workflows that best suit your needs. These workflows can – either manually or automatically – trigger a string of functions when a pre-determined criteria is met, allowing you to automate internal communications, task assignment, or outreach via email, call, or SMS. 

Once you’ve found a winning workflow, you can share it as a template to your team. 

Search + Smart Views 

Close.io helps you prioritize the leads that matter and they make it pretty easy for you to spot them even at a glance. With Close’s intuitive contact filter, you can revive a cold lead by simply searching important phrases, contract mentions, past conversations, and more.

Smart View allows you to find the leads that best fit your priority lead data. This helps sales reps identify the hottest leads all in one click and there’s the added bonus of being able to share saved lead filters to the rest of your team. 

Power + Predictive Dialers 

Close’s CRM further supports sales reps in their cold-calling woes with a power dialer that helps them do as advertised: power through! The moment a disconnect, busy number, or a number no longer in service is identified, the power dialer immediately puts the sales reps on to their next call without having to input the number themselves. 

The predictive dialer helps sales reps cut through dial tones and connect them with their leads more efficiently. The predictive dialer dials multiple numbers at once and waits to hear a real human voice answer before routing a sales rep to the call. 

Call Assistant 

Not a fan of taking notes? Neither are Close.io. The call assistant will automatically transcribe and summarize your calls made through Close's CRM. Regardless of the length of the conversation, call assistant will detail out what was being said and by who. 

Integrations 🤝

Close’s CRM makes it possible to seamlessly connect with 100+ integrations that can work with any tool in your stack. 

 Some integrations you’ll find:

Hubspot, Zapier, Calendly, Fivetran, Google, SavvyCal, Segment, Zoom, Microsoft 365, Gong.io, Slack, Docusign, Fireflies, Close GPT, Fathom Video, Clay, Drip, FindyMail, journy.io. 

Reporting & Insights 📈

From projections to leaderboards and every KPI in between, Close’s CRM equip sales teams with robust reporting tools to help them close more deals with actionable insights. 

Sales teams can keep track of their activity and performance while also monitoring opportunities that may emerge in the pipeline. Here’s what you can track:

• Activity Comparison with time-based reports

• Activity Overview with priority metrics

• Status Change with your leads in the pipeline

• Sent Email open/response rates

• Opportunity Pipeline 

• Opportunity List

• Opportunity Funnels

Security 🔒

Close.io has safeguarded its platform with stringent processes that ensure your data and privacy are managed and protected responsibly. 

Close’s CRM is compliant with these data regulations: 

• SOC 2 Type 2 compliant

• GDPR compliant

• CCPA compliant

Close CRM’s Pricing 💰

After your 14 day free trial is over, Close.io offers a range of pricing plans geared towards businesses of different sizes.

How Does Close.io Stack Up to Breakcold? 🧊🔨  

Close CRM Ratings + Pros & Cons ⭐

Breakcold vs Close.io 🆚

If you’re looking for a CRM that’s intuitive, easy to use, and perfect for building personalized relationships, Breakcold is the better option by far. While Close.io promises an all-in-one sales automation system for larger teams, it can be overkill for many startups and SMBs. Breakcold, provides everything you need to grow your business — without the complexity or the high price tag that can leave essential features off the table.

Here's why people prefer Breakcold over Close.io:

Personalization & Outreach

At our core, Breakcold is a sales CRM with social-selling capabilities, with features like social listening and engagement feeds, sales reps can tailor their messages to match the unique interests of their prospects without having to force an interaction. Sales reps also have the added bonus of engaging with their prospects on LinkedIn via our engagement feed, keeping you top of mind organically — all from the comfort of our CRM.

While Close.io does offer automated outreach features, these tools lack the personal touch Breakcold provides. If you're looking to build a meaningful one-on-one connection with your leads, Close.io falls short.

User Experience

Designed with small business and/or solopreneurs in mind, Breakcold is a lightweight CRM that features a minimalist interface. It’s easy to navigate and doesn’t overwhelm you with features you don’t need. It prioritizes simple, effective outreach minus the clutter.

However, if you end up finding a problem that requires a little trouble-shooting, our co-founder (that's me!) won't hesitate to reach out and solve your problems, no matter how small.

Pricing

Overall, Breakcold weighs in at a lower price point, making our features and services more openly available to small businesses and start ups without having to break the bank. Check out our pricing plans below:

Closing Statements 💬

Overall, Close's CRM is ONLY worth it for:

• Sales team that value robust calling automations

• Small teams or solopreneurs that value clean and intuitive interfaces

• Teams that can afford The Startup Plan ($49/month/user) to gain access to the core features without going in the red.

Today, 80% of your prospects hang out on social media. You can close deals faster, be top of mind longer, and fuel your demand generation engine efficiently and that's why social-selling softwares like Breakcold are on the rise. I do believe that Close.io provides innovative sales-forward solutions but If you're not engaging with your leads on social platforms (like LinkedIn), you're missing out. Social-selling is the future of B2B sales, so do yourself a favor and consider us as the only real alternative to Close.io because there's no one doing it better than we are.