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Robin Dechant

Robin is one of the founders at Kwest. On this blog, he shares insights gained from discussions with selected renewable energy experts and from working with our customers towards operational excellence.
Market insights

Best solar CRM in 2023

Looking to find the suitable CRM software?

The best CRMs for solar companies in 2023 are:

Our pick

  • Best overall: Pipedrive. It is easy-to-use, flexible and good value for money.
  • Cheapest CRM: Google Sheets. It is very flexible, for free but not very scalable. 
  • Most features: Salesforce Sales Cloud: It is very feature rich, powerful and scalable and often the CRM of choice for enterprise companies. 

In this article, we are exploring the best solar CRMs in 2023 in detail and take a closer look at the product, features, who it is best for and the pricing. Good news if you’re looking for a CRM for your solar business, with Kwest we integrate in every modern CRM to ensure data consistency, avoid manual data entry and enable smooth collaboration.
Please note: all prices are as of May 2023, are indicative and may vary based on factors such as the number of users, billing frequency, and additional features required.


What is solar CRM software?

Solar CRM software is a customer relationship management (CRM) software that is designed for solar businesses to manage and streamline their customer interactions and sales activities. It helps solar companies track their leads, manage customer data, automate sales processes, and improve customer engagement. 

CRM software is not designed to perform beyond the sales process though. Solar companies that are using CRM software to manage their solar projects are dealing with cumbersome collaboration and a lack of automation and customization for their project management.


1. Google Sheets as CRM

Google Sheets can function as a cost-effective CRM solution by leveraging its collaborative and data management capabilities. 

Source: Close Blog

Google Sheets Features

  • Data Organization: Create customizable spreadsheets to store and organize customer data, enabling easy updates, sorting, and filtering.
  • Task and Lead Management: Track leads, assign tasks, set due dates, and collaborate with team members to streamline lead management.
  • Communication Tracking: Log customer interactions, such as emails and calls, within the sheet for centralized visibility and improved follow-up.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports, utilize formulas and charts, and gain insights from CRM data to make data-driven decisions.

With integration capabilities and a user-friendly interface, Google Sheets offers a versatile CRM solution for solar businesses.

For what kind of solar company is it best for?

Small solar businesses that just get started and need an easy-to-use CRM solution. It can be great for the start also to learn more about what you actually need to setup your solar business for scale. 

Google Sheet Pricing

Free


2. Hubspot

HubSpot’s CRM empowers solar businesses with a comprehensive suite of features to effectively manage customer relationships, automate sales processes, and drive growth.

Source: Hubspot

Hubspot Features

  • Centralized customer database: HubSpot enables solar businesses to organize customer data in a centralized database. Easily manage contact details, communication history, and key interactions, allowing for a holistic view of your customers across your team
  • Lead management: Capture and track leads effectively with HubSpot’s lead management features. Assign and prioritize leads, track their progress through the sales pipeline, and automate lead nurturing activities to optimize conversions
  • Workflow automation: HubSpot’s CRM offers automation capabilities that save time and improve efficiency. Automate repetitive tasks, such as data entry and email follow-ups, allowing your sales team to focus on personal touch points and closing deals
  • Communication tracking: Keep track of all customer communications within the CRM. Log emails, calls, meetings, and notes directly in HubSpot, ensuring that important interactions are recorded and accessible for everyone
  • Reporting and analytics: HubSpot provides robust reporting and analytics features to measure the performance of your sales efforts. Track key metrics and make data-driven decisions to improve your conversion rates and optimize your sales strategy

For what kind of solar company is it best for?

Small and medium solar businesses that have several sales people and want to organize all customer data and interaction in one tool. 

Hubspot Pricing 

Pricing TierStarting Price (USD)
HubSpot CRMFree
Starter$50 per month
Professional$800 per month
Enterprise$3,200 per month

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive’s user-friendly interface, along with its pipeline management, contact management, activity tracking, email integration, and reporting capabilities, make it a valuable CRM solution for solar companies of all sizes. 

Source: Pipedrive

Pipedrive Features

  • Pipeline management: Pipedrive offers a customizable pipeline view that allows businesses to track and manage their sales opportunities. You can easily move deals through different stages, prioritize tasks, and gain a clear overview of your sales pipeline.
  • Contact and lead management: With Pipedrive, solar businesses can store and organize customer and lead information in one centralized location. Keep track of contact details, communication history, and key interactions, ensuring effective lead nurturing and personalized customer engagement
  • Activity tracking and reminders: Pipedrive enables solar businesses to schedule and track activities such as calls, meetings, and follow-ups. Set reminders and automate notifications to ensure timely actions, stay organized, and never miss an important engagement
  • Email integration: popular email providers, allowing businesses to manage all email communications within the CRM platform. Log emails, track email opens, and link email conversations to relevant deals or contacts for a complete view of customer interactions
  • Reporting and analytics: Pipedrive provides robust reporting and analytics features to measure sales performance and gain valuable insights. Generate reports on deal conversion rates, revenue forecasts, activity productivity, and more, enabling data-driven decision-making for every sales strategy

For what kind of solar company is it best for?

Small and medium solar businesses that want to organize all customer data and interaction in a CRM that is easy-to-use for everyone. 

Pipedrive Pricing

Pricing TierStarting Price (USD)
Essential$12.50 per user/month
Advanced$24.90 per user/month
Professional$49.90 per user/month
EnterpriseCustom Pricing

4. Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM’s comprehensive suite of features, including lead and contact management, sales automation, pipeline management, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities, make it a valuable solution for solar businesses seeking to enhance customer relationships and drive growth.

Source: Zoho

Zoho CRM Features

  • Lead and contact management: Zoho CRM allows businesses to centralize and manage lead and contact information in one place. Track leads, store customer details, communication history, and interactions, ensuring a holistic view of your customers
  • Sales automation: Automate routine sales tasks and workflows. From lead assignment and follow-ups to email templates and sales forecasting, solar businesses can save time by using Zoho CRM’s sales automation possibilities
  • Pipeline management: Zoho CRM offers visual pipeline management, allowing solar businesses to track deals and opportunities throughout the sales process. Easily customize sales stages, monitor deal progress, and forecast revenue to prioritize your sales efforts
  • Collaboration and communication: Zoho CRM facilitates seamless collaboration among your sales team. Share information, assign tasks, and communicate internally within the CRM platform. Real-time notifications and updates ensure efficient teamwork and prompt customer response
  • Reporting and analytics: Generate insightful reports on sales performance, track key metrics, and gain actionable insights to make data-driven decisions. Visual dashboards and customizable reports help solar businesses monitor their sales processes and identify areas for improvement

For what kind of solar company is it best for?

Small and medium solar businesses that need a very flexible and customizable CRM that can be integrated into multiple different tools. 

Zoho CRM Pricing

Pricing TierStarting Price (USD)
Standard$14 per user/month
Professional$23 per user/month
Enterprise$40 per user/month
Ultimate$52 per user/month

5. Microsoft Dynamics 365 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a robust and enterprise-grade CRM platform that enables large solar businesses to manage their customer interactions, streamline sales processes, and drive growth.

Source: Microsoft

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Features

  • Customer data management: Dynamics 365 centralizes customer data, allowing businesses to store and organize contact details, communication history, and key interactions. The data models are highly customizable to your needs
  • Sales and opportunity management: track and manage your sales opportunities effectively. Monitor deals throughout the sales pipeline, automate workflows, and generate accurate sales forecasts. Stay organized, prioritize tasks, and close deals faster together in a large sales team
  • Marketing automation: Dynamics 365 offers robust marketing automation features to drive targeted campaigns and nurture leads. Create personalized marketing journeys, track campaign performance, and automate lead scoring and nurturing activities to boost conversion rates
  • Customer service and support: You can also use Dynamics 365 to provide outstanding customer service and support. Access a unified view of customer interactions, manage cases, and streamline service processes. Leverage AI-powered tools to deliver proactive and personalized support.
  • Reporting and analytics: Dynamics 365 provides advanced reporting and analytics capabilities. Generate meaningful reports for all your sales agents, visualize data with interactive dashboards, and gain actionable insights. Identify trends, track key metrics, and make data-driven decisions to optimize sales strategies

For what kind of solar company is it best for?

Large solar businesses that need a CRM that scales with its sales organization and has very powerful analytics possibilities. It’s even a better fit if you are using Microsoft Dynamics ERP modules so it can be easily integrated with the CRM. 

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Pricing

Pricing TierStarting Price (USD)
Dynamics 365 Sales$20 per user/month
Dynamics 365 Customer Service$20 per user/month
Dynamics 365 Marketing$1,500 per month
Dynamics 365 Field Service$95 per user/month
Dynamics 365 Finance$180 per user/month
Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management$190 per user/month
Dynamics 365 Human Resources$120 per user/month

6. Salesforce Sales Cloud

Salesforce Sales Cloud is a leading CRM platform that helps solar businesses effectively manage their sales processes and build strong customer relationships. It offers a variety of sales automation, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities for every large business.

Salesforce Sales Cloud Features

  • Lead and opportunity management: Capture, track, and manage leads and opportunities throughout your sales lifecycle. Easily prioritize leads, assign tasks, and monitor deal progress to drive sales success
  • Contact and account management: Salesforce Sales Cloud centralizes customer information, allowing businesses to store and manage contact details, communication history, and key interactions. Gain a 360-degree view of your customers, enabling personalized engagements and targeted sales efforts
  • Sales automation: Streamline workflows with Salesforce Sales Cloud. From lead assignment and follow-ups to email templates and sales forecasting, businesses can save time and empower their sales teams to focus on closing deals.
  • Collaboration and communication: Salesforce Sales Cloud fosters collaboration among team members. Share information, assign tasks, and communicate internally within the platform. Real-time updates and notifications ensure efficient teamwork and prompt customer response
  • Reporting and analytics: Generate insightful reports on sales performance, track key metrics for every sales agent and across your whole sales team. Visualize data with customizable dashboards and leverage AI-powered analytics to make data-driven decisions to drive growth
Source: Salesforce

For what kind of solar company is it best for?

Large solar businesses that need a CRM that need a scalable CRM that experienced sales people are used to working with.

Salesforce Sales Cloud Pricing

EditionStarting Price (USD)
Essentials$25 per user/month
Professional$75 per user/month
Enterprise$150 per user/month
Unlimited$300 per user/month

Conclusion

In conclusion, selecting the right CRM for your solar business can significantly impact your sales processes, customer relationships, and overall business growth. In this comprehensive blog post, we explored various CRM options that are well-suited for solar businesses, including HubSpot, Pipedrive, Zoho CRM, Microsoft Dynamics 365, and Salesforce Sales Cloud. Each CRM offers unique features and capabilities tailored to meet the specific needs of solar businesses.

Implementing a CRM that suits your solar business will not only streamline your sales processes but also improve customer relationships, drive efficiency, and foster business growth. So, take the time to evaluate the different CRMs discussed in this blog post and choose the one that will empower your solar business to thrive in a competitive market.

With Kwest, we integrate in all of the CRMs mentioned in this post. By seamlessly integrating into your CRM, you have all customer data directly accessible in Kwest. This saves you time and ensures smooth collaboration between your sales people, project managers, and installers.

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