How to Use Trello as a CRM: Guide for Small Businesses

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.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block} Is the list of CRM providers  overwhelming  you? You want to choose the best software for your company  but can’t seem to find something intuitive and simple! If that sounds like your situation, you’re in the right place! Small businesses everywhere  need help finding the best customer relationship management system  to meet their needs.  Hi! My name is AJ! After selling my company for  multiple seven figures , I launched Small Business Bonfire. That way,  entrepreneurs  like YOU  can avoid the mistakes I made  while building my business.  If you’ve been looking for a CRM system,  it’s crucial to consider Trello!  Trello helped my team  organize our sales tasks faster  than we thought possible.  So, if you’re ready to learn about  utilizing Trello to help your sales team work more efficiently  and productively, keep reading!









Key Takeaways







Using Trello as a CRM is a simple way to organize tasks associated with your sales pipeline. 




Establishing a sales process helps your sales reps work more efficiently. 




Third-party integrations can take your CRM system to the next level. 




Trello works excellently with CRM, communication, and other third-party tools. 








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.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px} Step 1: Create a Trello Board 



The first step is  creating a Trello board!  The main Trello page is where you can start workspaces, allowing users to do the following things:  Host boards  Manage users  Configure system settings  As you create a Trello board,  you can customize  the following things:  Background color  Visibility settings  The name of the Trello board  What is the purpose of Trello boards?  These boards allow your sales team to  store data, collaborate on marketing or sales tasks, and stay updated on activity progress.  Therefore, as you create a Trello board, ensure it has a unique function or specific activity!















Step 2: Establish Your Sales Process (Pipeline) Steps



The following step is  creating a sales pipeline .  A sales pipeline  details each step a potential customer takes  while becoming a paying customer.  Organizing the sales process is beneficial for the following reasons:  It organizes sales leads  Helps your sales team work efficiently  Ensures sales reps pursue the most qualified leads  Below, I’ve listed the typical steps a sales pipeline includes! Prospecting Prospecting is the initial stage in the sales process where you  identify potential customers, or ‘sales leads.’  Typically, prospecting involves the following steps: Researching customer contacts  Reaching out to leads  Following up with individuals or businesses that have shown interest  Usually, businesses aim to find  as many prospects as possible.  Although  most prospects won’t convert  into paying customers, it’s better to work with a large pool of individuals and  discover the qualities your target audience carries.  Lead Qualification Lead qualification   determines whether a prospective customer has the potential and interest to purchase your product  or service.  Lead scoring is an excellent tool to utilize while qualifying leads.  With lead scoring, you  assign each prospect a numerical value  based on how likely they are to convert into a paying customer.  Lead qualification  ensures your team pursues the leads who are likeliest to convert! Meeting or Demo The next step in the sales process is  having a meeting with the potential buyer.  During this meeting, your sales team does the following things:  Demonstrate how the product or service works Explain how the product can solve the prospect’s problems  Answer questions  Persuade leads  During the meeting,  ensure your sales reps aren’t too pushy , as this can prevent a prospect from purchasing.  Proposal The proposal stage is when the sales rep provides a  detailed proposal  to the potential customer,  outlining the product’s benefits, pricing, and other relevant information to convince them to buy! Negotiation Sometimes,  a company can negotiate the price of its products  or services depending on the circumstances.  Remember, it’s crucial NOT to negotiate a price point that cuts into your profit margins! Deal Won/Lost The final stage of the sales pipeline is whether your sales team wins or loses the deal.  A win is a sale! 















Step 3: Create Your Sales Pipeline as Trello Lists 



After defining your sales pipeline,  you must create it into a Trello board as a list.  Lists allow you to organize projects with defining characters such as: Assigned  In progress Complete  That way, you can  see the progress of each task  within your sales operations.  Trello CRM has  drag-and-drop capabilities , allowing users to move lists around quickly! 





















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Pro Tip #1: Utilize the visibility feature while creating Trello cards to ensure the right employees see the right tasks. 
- AJ Silber









Step 4: Create Trello CRM Cards 



Step four is  creating Trello cards!  A card acts as a record  representing any of the following things:  Lead  Prospect Customer  Specific deal  To create a card, simply select “Add card” and  enter the information into the custom fields.  After that, you can drag the card into the correct stage of your sales process. 















Step 5: Invite & Train Team Members 



After setting up the Trello boards and cards, it’s time to  invite and train your sales team! Click the “Share” button and  enter the email address  of the employees you wish to invite.  After that,  you can determine each member’s visibility or control level.  The various levels of visibility include the following:  Admins : These people can edit the Trello boards, lists, cards, and control board settings and users.  Members : These people can add and edit boards, lists, and card  Observers : These people can only view records on the boards 















Step 6: Integrate Third Party Tools and Automation 



An excellent aspect of Trello CRM software is that  you can include third-party integrations  or a “power up” to enhance your CRM tool.  A power-up allows teams to integrate Trello with third-party products to  improve functionality.  For instance, some of the  popular third-party tools  include the following programs:  Slack  Google Workspace  Microsoft Teams  Zoho CRM Also, Trello offers other native power-ups like  workflow auctions  and  data synchronization.  So, even though Trello doesn’t require advanced sales management knowledge,  you can still create a powerful CRM tool with add-ons. 















Step 7: Refine & Update Your Trello CRM Process 



The final step in implementing Trello as a CRM system is something small business owners often forget.  Reviewing and updating CRM tools is crucial to continually improving!  Meet with each department in your company and review your Trello boards, sales processes, etc., to  identify weak points and areas of improvement.  Remember,  the purpose of CRM tools is to improve customer relationships.  Therefore, you must  ALWAYS  be searching for ways to  understand your customer contacts better,  streamline the sales funnel, and earn more revenue. 

















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Pro Tip #2: Keep track of your win/loss rate to determine how effective your sales pipeline is. 
- AJ Silber









Trello as CRM Pros and Cons



When you use Trello as a CRM system, there are  pros  and  cons  to consider.  Of course, no CRM tool is perfect.  Still,  it’s crucial to understand the upsides and downsides of anything before you implement it into your company. Trello Pros  Some of the  advantages of using Trello as a CRM tool  for your company include the following:  The free plan is beneficial for many sales processes  The drag-and-drop style is accessible to each employee  It’s easy to track calendars and project timelines  Custom fields all users to make the cards unique to their company  It acts as an effective CRM and project management tool  As you can see,  this customer relationship management software is extremely beneficial , especially for small businesses! Trello Cons On the other hand, the  downsides  of Trello CRM boards include the following things:  It’s harder to track multiple sales processes and projects at once  The software relies primarily on Kanban boards (which aren’t ideal for every project management tool)  The free plan only allows for files of 10MB or less  Although  these cons aren’t significant,  they’re worth considering!















When to Use Trello Vs. Upgrade Your CRM 



Trello is a perfect fit for small businesses and startups  looking for an inexpensive, easy-to-use, and versatile CRM tool.  Further, Trello is particularly beneficial for teams that prefer  visual, drag-and-drop style interfaces  and  require straightforward sales process tracking.  However,  a more advanced CRM might be necessary as the business scales  and the number of concurrent sales processes and projects increases! Businesses should  consider upgrading their CRM system  when they encounter the following circumstances:  They need detailed sales analytics The company demands comprehensive customer interaction tracking  The company could benefit from robust automation capabilities 















Trello CRM (Customer Relationship Management) Paid Alternatives 



If you’re looking for another program to add alongside Trello, there are  three alternatives to consider , including: HubSpot  Pipedrive  EngageBay  Here’s everything you need to know about these CRM providers! HubSpot CRM  HubSpot is  one of the most popular CRM providers.  The company offers a  free version  of their services.  Still, the paid plans are really where it’s at,  allowing teams to utilize powerful marketing and sales tools.  For instance, some of the  marketing tools  HubSpot offers include the following:  Email campaigns  Online ads  Web forms  Social media capabilities  Automation tools  HubSpot’s CRM Suite is a bit pricey for enterprises, with  plans ranging from $1,000 to $5,000.  However, there is a Starter plan available for  $20 monthly  for smaller businesses.  One of the best features of HubSpot is that  users can get a free demo  to test the service before committing to it long-term.  So, if you’re looking to  boost sales and utilize customer data to the fullest , HubSpot is the CRM provider for you! Check out our full HubSpot CRM review !






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Pipedrive CRM  Pipedrive is a CRM platform  specifically designed for sales reps , allowing your business to scale quickly! Trusted by over 100,000 companies,  Pipedrive allows you to create sales process stages, track progress, and automate tasks.  More specifically, with Pipedrive’s AI features, you can allow AI to  identify opportunities  that will lead to more closed sales! Some of the  most-liked features  Pipedrive offers include the following:  Visual sales pipelines : You can see your company’s ENTIRE sales process in one place and update them using drag-and-drop functionality.  Customizable features : You can customize your pipeline to match your sales funnel.  Collaboration tools : You can easily collaborate on deals and activities and share updates on everything that’s happening.  Activity reminders : You can schedule reminders for your team’s sales activities and stay on top of all your deals.  One of my favorite features that Pipedrive offers is  revenue forecasting.  Pipedrive’s revenue forecasting tools can  predict sales volume and revenue based on your sales funnel.  Also, Pipedrive allows you to see  automatic calculations  as your team updates current deals.  Like HubSpot,  Pipedrive offers free trials  for new users! And  you don’t have to submit your credit card information  before getting full access to Pipedrive’s tools.  Overall, Pipedrive is the ideal CRM option if you’re looking to boost customer relationships and sales! Do you want to learn more about Pipedrive? Take a look at our in depth Pipedrive review !






Try Pipedrive Free







EngageBay CRM  EngageBay is  a single platform  that supports your marketing, sales, and customer support teams.  Also, EngageBay is  free for up to 15 users , making it perfect for small business owners.  This CRM provider’s software  allows you to store unlimited contacts  and build stronger customer relationships effortlessly.  On top of that, you and your team can keep track of customer interactions and data in one place.  Some of EngageBay’s most popular features include:  Contact management tools  Deal management tools  Sales automation Appointment scheduling  Lastly,  EngageBay is ready to use , meaning implementation couldn’t be easier! Check out our extensive EngageBay review !










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Final Thoughts on Trello CRM Software



There’s everything you need to know about Trello!  As you’ve seen,  Trello is excellent for organizing tasks and assigning things  to specific employees.  With Trello, it’s  easier to see the progress of each task  and ensure every prospective client gets the attention they deserve.  Is Trello the right CRM tool for you and your team? Let us know in the comments section below!




The post How to Use Trello as a CRM: Guide for Small Businesses appeared first on Small Business Bonfire .