The best CRM for tradespeople: what to look for
The best CRM for a tradesperson is the one you will actually keep using between jobs. Rather than rank brands that change every year, here is what matters for trades, what to avoid, and when a simple setup beats a big system.
What a trades CRM needs to do
- Capture every enquiry, from calls, texts, email and your website, in one place
- Turn an enquiry into a quote quickly, ideally from your phone
- Chase quotes automatically until you get a yes or a no
- Book jobs into a diary your team can see
- Send reminders before visits and review requests after
- Connect to your invoicing or accounts software
What to avoid
- Systems built for office sales teams, full of features you will never use
- Anything awkward to use on a phone in a van
- Contracts that lock you in or make your data hard to export
Ready-made or custom?
Many trades do well with a ready-made job management app, set up properly. A custom system makes sense when your process is unusual, or when you want your website, quotes, bookings and invoices joined up exactly the way you work. Billy has built CRM systems for businesses from household names to small firms, so we can help you decide.
Start simple
Whatever you choose, start with the basics: every enquiry in one place, and quotes that chase themselves. Add more once the team is using it every day. Our guide do I need a CRM? covers the first step.
Need a hand with this?
CRM setup, migration, integrations and reporting, from people who have built them for household names.