CRM Use

What Is CRM Reporting? How to Use It to Optimize Sales in 2025 and Beyond

What Is CRM Reporting? How to Use It to Optimize Sales in 2025 and Beyond

What Is CRM Reporting? How to Use It to Optimize Sales in 2025 and Beyond

Jun 12, 2025

Jun 12, 2025

    CRMs do more than just track contacts and conversations — the right CRM platform gives you access to essential Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), saving time on manual analysis and improving sales forecasting.

    But not all CRMs are created equal. Some offer far more powerful reporting and analytics tools than others, which can directly impact your sales performance, team productivity, and overall business insights.

    In this article, we’ll break down what CRM reporting is, the most important CRM reports to track, and the best CRM platforms with robust reporting features in 2025.

    What Is CRM Reporting?

    What Is CRM Reporting?

    At its core, CRM reporting is the process of gathering and analyzing data from your CRM system to generate actionable insights. This is typically an automated process, where the CRM compiles key datasets into easy-to-read reports for analysis.

    These reports help businesses identify trends, uncover new opportunities, and understand what’s working — and what isn’t. With accurate CRM reporting, teams can make smarter decisions, strengthen customer relationships, and optimize sales strategies to better hit annual business goals. 

    Benefits of CRM Reporting

    CRM reports provide valuable insights into the more nuanced areas of your business, empowering you to make data-driven, strategic decisions. They help you understand what’s happening across sales, marketing, and customer success in real time.

    Beyond just surface-level metrics, they can also help you:

    • Enable smarter decision-making with data – Get a clear view of what’s working — and what’s not — so you can make informed choices backed by real-time insights.

    • Improve sales forecasting accuracy – Predict future revenue more reliably by analyzing past performance, deal stages, and sales trends.

    • Track and enhance team performance – Monitor individual and team activities, helping you identify top performers and areas that need improvement.

    • Gain visibility into marketing ROI – Understand which channels, campaigns, or lead sources drive the most valuable customers — and which ones drain your budget.

    • Analyze and optimize the customer journey – Spot friction points and engagement gaps across the funnel to create smoother, more effective customer experiences.

    💡 Did you know? 💡

    On average, CRM systems offer a return on investment (ROI) of $8.71 for every dollar spent (Source: Nucleus Research). That’s a strong incentive to make sure you’re using your CRM strategically.

    👉 Want more data-backed insights?
    Check out our guide on 32 CRM Statistics You NEED To Know For 2025 And Beyond to stay ahead of the curve and make smarter CRM decisions.

    Valuable Types of CRM Reports You Need to Use in 2025

    While the exact reports available may vary depending on your CRM platform, most tools offer a core set of standard reports that are essential for effective sales and marketing analysis:

    📊Sales Pipeline Reports 

    Sales Pipeline Reports

    Gain a bird's eye view of your deals across each sales stage to manage progress and prioritize opportunities. This report helps sales managers monitor pipeline health, identify bottlenecks, and forecast revenue with more accuracy.

    Key Metrics:

    • Number of open deals

    • Deal stage distribution

    • Total pipeline value

    • Average deal size

    • Win/loss ratio

    🌐Lead Source Reports

    Lead Source Reports

    Break down where your leads are coming from and highlight the most effective channels. Lead Source Reports reveal which channels generate the most qualified leads, enabling better budget allocation and campaign optimization.

    Key Metrics:

    • Leads by source (e.g., organic, paid, referrals)

    • Conversion rate by source

    • Revenue per source

    • Cost per lead

    📈Forecasting Reports

    Forecasting Reports predict future revenue and growth based on your current sales data and trends. This helps support strategic planning by providing a realistic view of upcoming revenue and potential shortfalls.

    Key Metrics:

    • Projected revenue

    • Expected close date

    • Probability-weighted deal value

    • Historical sales trends

    📞Activity Reports (calls, emails, meetings)

    Activity Reports (calls, emails, meetings)

    Activity Reports track your team’s communication and outreach efforts with leads and customers. This helps improve sales team accountability and productivity by highlighting which activities drive results.

    Key Metrics:

    • Number of calls, emails, meetings per rep

    • Response rate

    • Follow-up time

    • Activity-to-close ratio

    🔁Conversion Rate Reports

    Conversion Rate Reports

    Conversion Rate Reports measure how effectively leads move through each stage of your funnel. This helps you pinpoint drop-off points in the funnel so you can streamline your sales process and boost efficiency.

    Key Metrics:

    • Stage-to-stage conversion rate

    • Lead-to-opportunity rate

    • Opportunity-to-close rate

    • Average time in each stage

    🔒Customer Retention/Churn Reports

    Understand how well you’re retaining customers and identify warning signs of churn. Customer Retention/Churn Reports can improve customer loyalty and revenue predictability by helping you take proactive steps to reduce churn.

    Key Metrics:

    • Churn rate

    • Customer lifetime value (CLV)

    • Renewal rate

    • Repeat purchase rate

    • Time to churn

    Best CRM Tools for Reporting 

    TL;DR Comparison Table

    CRM

    Best For

    Starting Price

    Drawbacks

    Free Plan?

    Breakcold

    Best For Sales and Social-Selling Teams

    $29/user/mo

    Lacks native calling features (for now!)

    Close

    Best For Growing Multi-Channel Outbound Sales Teams

    $49/mo (Max: 1 users)

    No native integration with LinkedIn, requiring third-party tools

    Insightly

    Best For Analyzing Complex, Multi-touch Processes

    $29user/mo

    Steeper learning curve; often requires assistance from a success rep to get started

    Pipedrive

    Best For Advanced Forecasting

    $19/user/mo

    No native LinkedIn integration for lead importing

    Hubspot

    Best for Marketing Reports and Analysis

    $20/user/mo

    Reporting tools lack depth for advanced analytics

    Salesforce

    Best For Comprehensive Range of Highly Customizable Reports

    $25/user/mo

    Complex implementation process that requires time and resources

    Zoho CRM

    Best Enterprise-Level Reporting For Small Business

    $20/user/mo

    Onboarding can be complex without technical assistance

    Freshsales 

    Best For AI-Powered Sales Insights and Analytics

    $9/user/mo

    Reporting and dashboard capabilities may feel limited for larger teams

    Nimble

    Best For Straight-forward Non-enterprise Level Analytics

    $29.90/user/mo

    Essential features are locked behind higher-tier pricing plans

    🥇 Breakcold – Best For Sales and Social-Selling Teams

    Breakcold – Best For Sales and Social-Selling Teams

    Summary

    Breakcold is a next-gen sales CRM designed for closing deals in 2025 — not managing contacts like it’s 2015. Built with social-selling at its core, it’s ideal for solopreneurs and small teams who rely on LinkedIn, email, and messaging apps to build relationships and drive sales.

    While Breakcold isn’t as feature-heavy like most enterprise CRMs, it excels in social-selling analytics, making it ideal for teams who want actionable data on personal engagement, outreach consistency, and relationship strength — not just traditional pipeline metrics.

    Key Features

    • Pipeline Analytics – Track deal stages, status, and values at a glance to keep your sales process organized and measurable.

    • Communication Analytics – Understand which touchpoints (emails, messages, social interactions) are driving the most engagement and conversions.

    • Social Analytics – Monitor how prospects respond to your LinkedIn activity, helping you optimize social-selling strategies with real-time feedback.

    • Sales Lead Tracking - Transform Breakcold into a true Social Selling CRM by tracking your prospects’ and existing clients’ activity directly on LinkedIn.

    • Unified Inbox - Centralize all your conversations — email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, and Telegram — in one easy-to-manage inbox for faster, more efficient communication.

    • Social Engagement Feed - Stay top of mind with your contacts by liking and commenting on social media posts without ever leaving Breakcold. Build relationships through consistent engagement.

    • Sales Pipeline Management - Streamline your sales process with custom workflows designed to fit your business needs. Track deal progress, boost productivity, and scale your operations with ease.

    • In-App Calling - While not a fully native feature (yet!), Breakcold lets you trigger calls directly from the platform to instantly connect with your prospects.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.7/5 (116)

    Capterra - 4.8/5 (93)

    Pros

    Cons

    • Convenient and easy-to-use interface for LinkedIn power users

    • Well-structured onboarding resources, including how-to videos, flowcharts, and best practices

    • Responsive and reliable customer support

    • Powerful social listening capabilities for lead insights and outreach personalization

    • Dependent on external services like Google and LinkedIn, which can cause bugs when those platforms update their policies

    • Lacks native calling features and built-in AI functionality

    • Still a developing platform with evolving features and occasional limitations


    Pricing Plans

    Breakcold Pricing Plan

    CRM Essentials

    CRM Pro

    CRM Max

    $29/user/mo

    $59/user/mo

    $79.99/user/mo

    What's included:

    • Unified Email Inbox

    • CRM Analytics (Last 30 days)

    • Manage from +7 platforms

    • Reminders & notes

    • Engagement Feed

    • Unlimited contacts & pipelines

    • API, Zapier & Make + others


    All Essentials Features and:

    • Unified LinkedIn Inbox

    • CRM Analytics (∞ History)

    • Lead Source

    • Auto Lead Scoring

    • 1-click import

    • 1-click LinkedIn follow up

    • Email campaigns

    • Keyword search for social posts

    All Pro features and:

    • Unified Telegram Inbox

    • Auto-sync of Telegram Activities

    • 1-click Telegram Follow Up

    • Advanced Analytics Blocks

    • Reporting (soon)

    • WhatsApp Inbox

    • Advanced Workflows (soon)

    🥈 Close – Best For Growing Multi-Channel Outbound Sales Teams 

    Close – Best For Growing Multi-Channel Outbound Sales Teams

    Summary

    Close (formerly Close.io) is a sales-focused CRM built specifically for small and medium-sized businesses that want to turn leads into revenue — FAST. It unifies essential sales tools like email, calling, and SMS in a single, streamlined interface, eliminating the need to juggle multiple platforms.

    Close offers granular reporting on outreach activity, team performance, and funnel metrics, making it ideal for fast-growing outbound sales teams. It’s not just a CRM — it’s a performance dashboard that gives managers everything they need to scale smarter and faster.

    Key Features

    • Sales Funnel Reporting – Analyze sales velocity, conversion rates, and pipeline health to uncover bottlenecks and optimize your sales process.

    • Performance Reports – Track individual and team performance with customizable reports and leaderboards that spotlight top performers and highlight areas for coaching.

    • Unified Communication – Handle email, SMS, and calls from one platform, with automatic logging and tracking. 

    • Sales Automation – Build and deploy multi-channel outreach sequences with email follow-ups and task reminders.

    • Workflow Tools – Automate repetitive tasks, create custom workflows, and keep your sales pipeline moving efficiently.

    • Lead Management – Easily track lead progress, prioritize high-value contacts, and assign follow-ups to your team.

    • Power Dialer – Make high-volume outbound calls quickly with the built-in power dialer to boost team productivity.

    • Call Assistant – Use real-time transcription and note-taking tools to improve call quality and reduce admin work.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings 

    G2 – 4.7/5 (1,044)

    Capterra - 4.7/5 (161)

    Pros 

    Cons 

    • Clean, user-friendly interface with a minimal learning curve

    • Robust calling features and automation tools, including Power Dialer

    • Two-way email sync for seamless communication tracking

    • Effective and intuitive email outreach workflows

    • Cost-effective compared to many competitors with similar features

    • Helps streamline productivity and team communication

    • Highly customizable via open API for advanced use cases

    • No free version available — only a free trial

    • No native integration with LinkedIn, requiring third-party tools

    • Smart View filters can be overwhelming or tedious to set up

    • Workflow features are more limited compared to top competitors

    • SMS functionality restricted to the US, Canada, UK, and Australia

    • Some features are gated behind higher-tier pricing plans

    • Users report occasional slow load times and connectivity issues with calling

    Pricing Plans 

    Close Pricing Plan

    Base

    Professional

    Enterprise

    $49/mo (Max: 1 users)

    $99/mo (Max: 3 users)

    $139/mo (Max: 5 users)

    Core features included in all Close plans:

    • Unlimited accounts, contacts, and opportunities 

    • Two-way email sync: send and receive emails directly in Close 

    • Built-in calling & SMS. 

    • Bring your number or rent a number from Close  

    • Centralized inbox to manage your to-do list 

    Everything in Base, plus

    • Use Custom Activities to track unique steps in your sales process

    • AI Lead Summaries bring you up to speed in seconds

    • Enhanced roles and permissions capabilities

    Everything in Professional, plus:

    • Call Coaching to help improve rep performance

    • Predictive Dialer to supercharge dialing

    • Advanced customization on CRM objects

    • Enhanced reporting

    • Priority access to the Close team

    🥉 Insightly – Best For Analyzing Complex, Multi-Touch Processes 

    Insightly – Best For Analyzing Complex, Multi-Touch Processes

    Summary 

    Insightly is a robust, enterprise-ready CRM designed to help growing businesses manage customer relationships, automate workflows, and track performance across sales, marketing, and projects. Its built-in reporting tools make it especially useful for medium to large businesses that need visibility across complex, multi-touch processes — without the high cost of more traditional enterprise platforms.

    Insightly goes beyond traditional CRM reporting by merging sales, marketing, and project insights into a single source of truth. This makes it a top-tier solution for growing companies that need both strategic and operational visibility — without juggling multiple tools.

    Key Features 

    • Sales Reports & Analytics – Generate insights into sales performance, lead sources, and pipeline health with detailed reporting tools.

    • Lead Source & Conversion Reports – Identify which marketing channels or lead sources are driving the highest conversion rates and revenue.

    • Contact Management – Store and organize detailed contact records, including communication history and custom fields.

    • Email Marketing – Create and send targeted email campaigns with tracking for opens, clicks, and responses.

    • Customizable Dashboard – Personalize your dashboard to display key metrics, tasks, and pipeline data at a glance.

    • Project Management – Track tasks, deadlines, and project progress directly linked to client records and opportunities.

    • Workflow Automation – Automate repetitive processes like follow-ups, task assignments, and approvals.

    • Mobile App – Access and update CRM data on the go with a fully functional mobile app for iOS and Android.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.2/5 (920)

    Capterra - 4.0/5 (660)

    Pros

    Cons

    • Highly customizable: create custom fields, reports, templates, and dashboards

    • Reliable and responsive customer support

    • Clean, user-friendly interface with powerful automation capabilities

    • Email marketing is reliable but limited to sending 50 emails at a one time

    • Steeper learning curve; often requires assistance from a success rep to get started

    • Can be costly for smaller organizations, with key integrations locked behind higher-tier plans

    Pricing Plans

    Insightly Pricing Plan

    Plus

    Professional

    Enterprise

    $29/user/mo

    $49/user/mo

    $99/user/mo

    Includes:

    • Lead and contact management

    • Project management

    • Advanced reports

    • Pre-built business dashboards

    All Plus plan features and:

    • Lead assignment and routing

    • Workflow automation

    • Custom page layouts

    All Professional plan features and:

    • Sandboxes

    • Products, pricebooks, and quotes

    • Comprehensive audit logging

    Pipedrive – Best For Advanced Forecasting

    Pipedrive – Best For Advanced Forecasting

    Summary

    Pipedrive is a user-friendly CRM that helps businesses streamline their sales pipeline, automate repetitive tasks, and track customer interactions with ease. It’s especially well-suited for teams that need a clear, bird’s-eye view of their pipeline to ensure the right leads are being prioritized and nothing slips through the cracks.

    Pipedrive offers some of the most accessible yet powerful forecasting tools among CRMs in its tier. Whether you need a quick overview of next quarter’s revenue or detailed performance reports by rep or stage, Pipedrive makes it simple — no analytics expertise required.

    Key Features 

    • Advanced Forecasting & Reporting – Access customizable reports on deal performance, sales activities, win rates, and future revenue projections based on pipeline data.

    • Goal & Performance Tracking – Set individual or team goals (e.g., calls made, deals closed) and track progress with visual dashboards and reports.

    • Pipeline Management – Visualize deal stages, set activity reminders, and use real-time data to ensure deals stay on track — no guesswork required.

    • Lead Management with Progress Tracking – Monitor lead status, set priorities, and track all touchpoints for better visibility into your conversion funnel.

    • Workflow Automation – Automate admin tasks like data entry, email follow-ups, and pipeline updates — all while collecting data for performance reporting.

    • Integrations – Connect with Gmail, Zoom, Slack, and over 350 tools to ensure seamless data syncing and unified reporting across platforms.

    • Mobile App with Reporting Access – Stay connected and check deal status or team performance while on the go — with reporting tools built into the mobile experience.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Rating

    G2 - 4.3/5 (2,445)

    Capterra - 4.5/5 (3047)

    Pros

    Cons

    • Well-structured onboarding materials, including FAQs and videos

    • Offers a wide range of integrations with third-party tools

    • Strong automation and AI features that boost productivity

    • Quick and easy setup with minimal learning curve

    • User interface can feel dated or unintuitive for some users

    • No free plan available — paid tiers start quickly

    • Customer support can be slow or inconsistent.

    • No native LinkedIn integration for lead importing

    • Some users report occasional bugs and performance issues

    Pricing Plans

    Pipedrive Pricing Plan

    Essential

    Advanced

    Professional

    $19/user/mo

    $34/user/mo

    $64/user/mo

    Key features:

    • Lead, calendar and pipeline management

    • Seamless data import and 400+ integrations

    • Create activity, deal and contact reports with AI

    • Personalized onboarding

    Essential Plan +

    • Full email sync with templates, open and click tracking and group emailing

    • Automations builder, including email sequences

    • Meeting, email and video call scheduling

    • Live chat support

    Advanced Plan +

    • AI-powered Sales Assistant and emailing tools

    • Contract and proposal management with e-signatures

    • Streamlined lead routing and team management

    • Revenue forecasts and custom field reporting

    • Extra data entry and data quality settings

    Power

    Enterprise

    $74/user/mo

    $99/user/mo

    Professional Plan +

    • Project planning, tracking and delivery

    • Increased control of account permissions and visibilities

    • 24/7 live chat support

    • Phone support

    Power Plan +

    • Enhanced security preferences

    • Unlimited reports and customizations

    • Maximize the number of automations and email syncs per seat

    HubSpot – Best for Marketing Reports and Analysis

    HubSpot – Best for Marketing Reports and Analysis

    Summary

    HubSpot is a powerhouse CRM built around the customer experience. While it started as a marketing tool in 2006, it’s since evolved into a comprehensive, AI-enhanced platform that brings together sales, marketing, and customer service into one unified ecosystem.

    HubSpot offers enterprise-grade reporting tools across every function — marketing, sales, and service. Its pre-built and custom dashboards make it easy to tie ROI directly to campaigns, rep activity, or support outcomes, helping businesses scale with confidence and clarity.

    Key Features 

    • Contact Management – Store and organize contact information with ease, complete with activity tracking and engagement history.

    • Deal & Pipeline Management – Visualize your sales process and track deals through every stage with intuitive pipeline tools.

    • Marketing Analytics Dashboards – Track campaign performance, lead sources, conversion paths, and ROI across all marketing channels — from SEO to email to paid ads.

    • Email Tracking & Automation Reporting – Get real-time data on open rates, click-throughs, replies, and engagement by sequence or individual campaign.

    • Custom Report Builder – Use HubSpot’s drag-and-drop reporting tools to build dashboards that combine marketing, sales, and service data — perfect for executive-level insights.

    • Sales Hub Analytics – Monitor rep performance, track deals won/lost, forecast future revenue, and optimize outreach sequences based on real-time data.

    • Service Hub Reports – Get visibility into support tickets, response times, customer satisfaction scores, and feedback trends to improve client experience.

    • AI-Powered Insights – Leverage AI recommendations to identify bottlenecks, surface top-converting channels, and uncover hidden opportunities in your data.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.4/5 (12,404)

    Capterra - 4.5/5 (4362)

    Pros

    Cons

    • User-friendly interface, ideal for those who aren’t tech-savvy

    • Clean, intuitive platform that’s easy to navigate

    • Flexible pricing plans with customizable options

    • Serves as a reliable single source of truth for customer data
      All-in-one platform that combines marketing, sales, and service tools

    • Pricing may be prohibitive for solopreneurs or very small businesses

    • Some users report a learning curve during onboarding

    • Automation features can be rigid, limiting customization

    • Reporting tools lack depth for advanced analytics

    Pricing Plans

    Hubspot Pricing Plan

    For Individuals & Small Teams

    Free Tools

    Starter Customer Platform

    Professional Customer Platform

    $0

    $20/user/mo

    $1,450/mo

    Includes:

    • Free for up to 2 users

    • No credit card required

    • Free Marketing tools

    • Free Sales tools

    • Free Service tools

    • Free Content tools

    • Free Operations tools

    • Free Commerce tools

    Includes:

    • Marketing Hub Starter

    • Includes 1,000 marketing contacts

    • Sales Hub Starter

    • Service Hub Starter

    • Content Hub Starter

    • Operations Hub Starter

    • Commerce Hub

    Starter Customer Platform, plus:

    • Includes 5 seats

    • Additional seats start at $50/mo

    • Marketing Hub Professional

    • Includes 2,000 marketing contacts

    • Sales Hub Professional

    • Service Hub Professional

    • Content Hub Professional

    • Operations Hub Professional

    • Commerce Hub

    Hubspot Pricing Plan

    For Businesses & Enterprises

    Professional Customer Platform

    Enterprise Customer Platform

    $1,450/mo

    $4,700/mo

    Starter Customer Platform, plus:

    • Includes 5 seats

    • Additional seats start at $50/mo

    • Marketing Hub Professional

    • Includes 2,000 marketing contacts

    • Sales Hub Professional

    • Service Hub Professional

    • Content Hub Professional

    • Operations Hub Professional

    • Commerce Hub

    Professional Customer Platform, plus:

    • Includes 7 seats

    • Additional seats start at $75/mo

    • Marketing Hub Enterprise

    • Includes 10,000 marketing contacts

    • Sales Hub Enterprise

    • Service Hub Enterprise

    • Content Hub Enterprise

    • Operations Hub Enterprise

    • Commerce Hub

    Salesforce - Best Comprehensive Range of Highly Customizable Reports

    Salesforce - Best Comprehensive Range of Highly Customizable Reports

    Summary

    Salesforce is the original giant of the CRM world — and still a gold standard when it comes to managing customer relationships at scale. Since pioneering the CRM movement in the early 2000s, Salesforce has evolved into a robust, all-in-one platform for sales, marketing, and service teams.

    Salesforce offers the most customizable CRM reporting experience on the market. Whether you're a startup scaling fast or an enterprise with layered sales teams, Salesforce delivers highly granular insights, flexible dashboards, and predictive analytics — all tailored to your business strategy.

    Key Features 

    • Sales Cloud Analytics – Track leads, opportunities, win rates, sales velocity, and revenue forecasts – with customizable dashboards that provide visibility into every stage of your pipeline.

    • Marketing Cloud Reporting – Measure campaign effectiveness, channel ROI, engagement metrics, and customer journeys across email, SMS, social, and web.

    • Service Cloud Metrics – Get granular insights into ticket resolution times, CSAT scores, agent performance, and knowledge base usage.

    • Custom Report Builder – Create custom reports with filters, formulas, and logic to match your specific KPIs — ideal for complex or niche reporting requirements.

    • Salesforce Einstein Analytics (AI) – Tap into predictive forecasting, lead scoring, opportunity insights, and AI-powered recommendations to optimize performance across teams.

    • Chatter + Collaboration Reporting – Track internal communications and collaboration trends to improve team productivity and response coordination.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.4/5 (23,272)

    Capterra - 4.4/5 (18817)

    Pros

    Cons

    • Optimizes lead management and improves conversion rates

    • Excels at data organization and cleanliness

    • Integration-rich with a vast app ecosystem

    • Responsive customer support and helpful community resources

    • Complex implementation process that requires time and resources

    • Expensive, especially for solopreneurs or small businesses

    • Steep learning curve, particularly for non-technical users

    • User interface can be unintuitive and hard to navigate

    Pricing Plans

    Salesforce Pricing Plans

    For SMBs


    Starter Suite

    Pro Suite

    Enterprise

    Price

    $25/user/mo

    $100/user/mo

    $165/user/mo

    Users

    325 max

    Unlimited 

    Unlimited

    Lead scoring

    API

    $15/user/month

    Custom reports

    Advanced Forecasting

    Generative AI features

    For Enterprises


    Unlimited

    Einstein 1 Sales

    Price

    $330/user/month

    $500/user/month

    Users

    Unlimited

    Unlimited

    Lead scoring

    API

    Custom reports

    Advanced Forecasting

    Generative AI features

    Zoho CRM – Best Enterprise-Level Reporting For Small Business 

    Zoho CRM – Best Enterprise-Level Reporting For Small Business

    Summary

    Zoho CRM is a flexible, feature-rich platform tailored for small to midsize businesses — but with the muscle to support enterprise-level growth. With an impressive mix of automation, customization, and AI-powered reporting, Zoho strikes an ideal balance for teams that want to start lean and scale with intelligence.

    Zoho CRM delivers enterprise-level reporting at small business prices. From real-time dashboards to predictive insights powered by AI, it gives scaling teams the tools they need to make informed, data-backed decisions — without needing a full-time data analyst.

    Key Features 

    • Intuitive Dashboard – A fully customizable, user-friendly dashboard with clean navigation designed to boost productivity and streamline your workflow.

    • Cross-Platform Accessibility – Available on both desktop and mobile platforms, Zoho CRM ensures you stay connected and productive wherever you are.

    • Multichannel Engagement – Consolidate communication across email, phone, social media, and live chat in one unified platform. This streamlines your outreach and enables more personalized, timely client interactions.

    • User & Contact Management (Sandbox Environment) – Zoho’s Sandbox feature allows for safe testing of custom-built modules and layouts—particularly valuable for SMEs and large businesses that require tailored CRM workflows.

    • Zia AI – Zoho’s AI assistant, Zia, helps with lead scoring, deal predictions, voice/text chat support, and intelligent sales insights to help guide decisions and improve conversions.

    • Real-Time Reporting & Analytics – Access detailed reports including:

      • Sales performance

      • Individual rep performance

      • Deal progress (closed/won/lost)

      • Revenue tracking over the last 30 days

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.1/5 (2,753)

    Capterra - 4.3/5 (6957)

    Pros

    Cons

    • Robust and customizable interface that integrates well across various platforms and ecosystems

    • Feature-rich with extensive tools for sales, marketing, and automation

    • Highly scalable, making it a great fit for growing businesses

    • Integrates with a wide range of third-party apps and Zoho’s own suite of business tools

    • Onboarding and customization can be complex without technical assistance

    • Outdated UI and occasional syncing issues with third-party tools

    • The platform’s size and complexity can lead to slower load times and performance lags

    Pricing Plans

    Zoho CRM Pricing Plans

    Standard

    Professional 

    Enterprise 

    Ultimate

    $20 /user/mo

    $35 /user/mo

    $50 /user/mo

    $65 /user/mo

    All the essentials:

    • Mass email

    • Custom modules

    • Workflows

    • Cadences

    • Sales forecasting

    • Lookup fields

    • Canvas

    • Office 365 integration

    • Zoho Marketplace

    Everything in Standard +

    • Blueprint

    • CPQ

    • SalesSignals

    • Inventory management

    • Webhooks

    • Assignment rules

    • Validation rules

    • Kiosk Studio

    • Google Ads integration

    Everything in Professional +

    • Zia — AI assistant

    • Territory management

    • Custom functions

    • Journey orchestration

    • Multi-user portals

    • Page layouts

    • Client scripts

    • Approval process

    • Sandbox

    Everything in Enterprise +

    • Enhanced feature limits

    • Extended AI capabilities

    • Advanced customization

    • Data preparation

    • Augmented analytics

    • Data storytelling

    • Unified business insights

    • Advanced administration

    Freshsales – Best For AI-Powered Sales Insights and Analytics

    Freshsales – Best For AI-Powered Sales Insights and Analytics

    Summary 

    Freshsales, part of the Freshworks suite, is a modern CRM designed to help small businesses and account managers streamline and optimize their sales process. While it's built with smaller teams in mind, its scalable features also make it a strong fit for growing companies looking for an all-in-one CRM that’s simple, smart, and customizable.

    Freshsales blends ease of use with powerful, AI-driven reporting tools, making it ideal for teams that want insights without a steep learning curve. Its automation and reporting capabilities are particularly useful for account managers, sales reps, and small teams looking to drive smarter decisions and faster conversions.

    Key Features 

    • AI-Based Lead Scoring (Freddy AI) – Automatically scores leads based on engagement and behavior, helping you focus on prospects most likely to convert. 

    • Reporting & Analytics Dashboard – Generate detailed reports on sales performance, deal velocity, campaign ROI, activity metrics, and more — fully customizable to your goals.

    • Visual Sales Pipeline – Track and manage deals across customizable pipeline stages with a drag-and-drop interface and clear visibility into revenue progress.

    • Campaign Management – Plan, execute, and analyze email marketing campaigns from within the CRM. Track performance metrics like open rates, clicks, and conversions.

    • Email Syncing & Tracking – Sync with Gmail or Outlook to send, receive, and track emails directly within Freshsales. Get real-time alerts when prospects open or click your emails.

    • Workflow Automation – Eliminate repetitive tasks with automated workflows for email follow-ups, lead assignment, pipeline movement, and more.

    • Built-in Communication Tools – Call, email, and chat with leads from one platform — all interactions are automatically logged for accurate reporting and analysis.

    • Mobile App & Remote Access – Stay productive on the go with full CRM access via Freshsales’ mobile app, including dashboards, task management, and contact records.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.5/5 (1,223)

    Capterra - 4.5/5 (618)

    Pros

    Cons

    • User-friendly interface with fast, easy onboarding

    • Provides accurate reporting and essential CRM features

    • Seamlessly integrates with popular tools (Gmail, Outlook, Slack, etc.)

    • Clean, intuitive UI that suits small to mid-sized teams

    • Reporting and dashboard capabilities may feel limited for larger teams with advanced data needs

    • AI-powered features (like lead scoring and predictive insights) are only available on higher-tier pricing plans

    Pricing Plans

    Freshsales Pricing Plans

    Growth

    Pro

    Enterprise

    $9/user/mo

    $39/user/mo

    $59/user/mo

    Includes:

    • Kanban View for Contacts, Accounts, and Deals

    • Contact Lifecycle Stages

    • Built-in Chat, Email, & Phone

    • Email Templates

    • Custom Fields

    • Basic Workflows

    • Contextual Collaboration with Slack

    • Product Catalog

    • Curated Reports

    • Freshworks Marketplace

    • 1 CPQ license

    • Mobile App

    • 24x5 Support

    Everything in Growth, plus:

    • Contact Scoring by Freddy AI

    • Custom Sales Activities

    • Advanced custom fields

    • Auto-assignment Rules

    • Territory Management

    • Sales Sequences

    • Sales Emails by Freddy AI

    • Rephrase, Expand, and Enhance text by Freddy AI

    • Bring Your Own Carrier (B.Y.O.C)

    • Multiple Sales Pipelines

    • Account Hierarchy

    • Deal Insights by Freddy AI

    • Advanced Workflows

    • Custom Reports

    Everything in Pro, plus:

    • Field-level Permissions

    • Custom Modules

    • Forecasting Insights by Freddy AI

    • Workflows for Custom Modules

    • Sandbox

    • Audit Logs

    Nimble – Best For Straight-forward Non-enterprise Level Analytics

    Nimble – Best For Straight-forward Non-enterprise Level Analytics

    Summary

    Nimble is a lightweight, relationship-driven CRM that puts communication at the center of your sales process. It excels at automatically building and enriching contact profiles through email, social media, and web browsing — making it especially effective for solo consultants, freelancers, and small teams focused on personalized outreach and lead nurturing.

    Nimble isn’t built for enterprise analytics — but that’s its strength. It delivers lightweight, actionable insights that help relationship-focused professionals stay organized, follow up at the right time, and make the most of every interaction. If you care more about connections than charts, Nimble is a standout.

    Key Features 

    • Lead Prospecting - Nimble can automatically capture contact data from email signatures, business cards (via its mobile app), or even just a person’s name or company name — pulling up associated social media profiles and contact details it finds online.

    • Communication Management – Store up to 25,000 contact records and create rich profiles for people and companies. These profiles can be automatically updated as you browse the web or interact on social media.

    • Social Media & Email Integrations – Access all email conversations, past or present, from Nimbles Unified Inbox. 

    • Nimble Prospector – This browser extension works outside the Nimble app, enabling you to gather contact and company info directly from anywhere on the web by simply hovering over names.

    • Email Marketing – Nimble includes email-focused features like templates, tracking, and automated sequences to help you engage leads and clients more effectively.

    • Mobile App – Available for both iOS and Android, Nimble’s mobile app brings essential CRM functionality to your phone — so you can manage relationships on the go.

    Ratings + Pros & Cons

    Ratings

    G2 - 4.5/5 (1,102)

    Capterra - 4.4/5 (1883)

    Pros

    Cons

    • Easy to learn and use, with full customization for different industries and workflows

    • Makes it simple to find and organize contacts using tags

    • Clean, user-friendly interface with a mobile app available for iOS and Android

    • Quick to set up and integrates smoothly with email and social media accounts

    • The in-browser widget can be buggy or inconsistent at times

    • Customer support is helpful but not always easy to reach

    • Lead enrichment features are somewhat limited and may require manual updates

    • Some essential features are locked behind higher-tier pricing plans

    Pricing Plan

    Nimble Pricing Plan

    Features

    Nimble CRM plan

    Pricing

    $29.90

    Relationship Management


    Contact Management

    Social Profile Matching & Enrichment

    Browser & Email Extensions

    Agenda & Activities

    Today Page

    Marketing & Outreach


    Web Forms & Lead Capture

    Email Marketing

    Email Templates

    Group Messages

    Email Sequences

    Sales, Pipelines, Reporting


    Prospecting

    Sales Engagement

    Pipeline Management

    Prospect Marketing & Outreach

    Workflows

    Workflows Automations

    Works Everywhere


    Microsoft 365 Integration

    Google Workspace Integration

    Apple Mail Integration

    Integrations


    App Integration Partners

    100 + Integration Partners

    PhoneBurner Integration

    Zapier Integration

    120 + App Integrations

    API Access

    Mobile Apps


    IOS

    Android

    Customer Support


    Online & Email Support

    Comprehensive Support Center

    Daily Live Q&A Sessions

    Weekly Training Webinars

    Free 1:1 Calls

    Final Thoughts

    CRM reporting isn’t just a nice-to-have – it’s a mission-critical tool for making smarter, faster business decisions. Whether you're a solopreneur managing client outreach or a growing sales team juggling multiple pipelines, the ability to track, analyze, and act on real-time data is what sets successful businesses apart in 2025 and beyond.

    By choosing a CRM with strong reporting capabilities, you’ll gain visibility into every stage of your sales process – from lead generation to conversion to customer retention. The right CRM will help you identify bottlenecks, optimize performance, and ultimately, drive predictable, scalable growth.

    Ready to stay ahead of the competition? Start with Breakcold 😉 — it’s built for results, not just records.

    Q&A - Recurring Questions About CRM Reporting

    • What is CRM reporting used for?

      CRM reporting is used to analyze and visualize customer data collected within your CRM platform. It helps teams track sales performance, monitor customer interactions, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Common use cases include sales forecasting, lead tracking, conversion analysis, and campaign performance measurement.

    • How does CRM reporting help improve sales performance?

      CRM reporting gives you real-time visibility into your sales pipeline and team activities. By highlighting which strategies are working (and which aren’t), reports help sales managers optimize processes, improve lead conversion rates, and identify top-performing reps. This leads to more efficient sales cycles and higher revenue.

    • What’s the difference between CRM dashboards and CRM reports?

      • CRM dashboards offer a real-time visual overview of key metrics — like deals closed, sales targets, or lead sources — typically using graphs or charts.

      • CRM reports, on the other hand, provide a deeper analysis of your data, often focusing on specific timeframes, activities, or segments. Reports are usually more detailed and are used for strategic planning and performance reviews.

    Q&A - Recurring Questions About CRM Reporting

    • What is CRM reporting used for?

      CRM reporting is used to analyze and visualize customer data collected within your CRM platform. It helps teams track sales performance, monitor customer interactions, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Common use cases include sales forecasting, lead tracking, conversion analysis, and campaign performance measurement.

    • How does CRM reporting help improve sales performance?

      CRM reporting gives you real-time visibility into your sales pipeline and team activities. By highlighting which strategies are working (and which aren’t), reports help sales managers optimize processes, improve lead conversion rates, and identify top-performing reps. This leads to more efficient sales cycles and higher revenue.

    • What’s the difference between CRM dashboards and CRM reports?

      • CRM dashboards offer a real-time visual overview of key metrics — like deals closed, sales targets, or lead sources — typically using graphs or charts.

      • CRM reports, on the other hand, provide a deeper analysis of your data, often focusing on specific timeframes, activities, or segments. Reports are usually more detailed and are used for strategic planning and performance reviews.

    About the author

    Arnaud Belinga

    Breakcold Youtube Channel

    "i wrote this article"

    Try my sales CRM software
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    BREAKCOLD CRM

    Breakcold Youtube Channel

    "i wrote this article"

    Try my sales CRM software
    (people love it)
    👇

    WATCH DEMO 🎥
    BREAKCOLD CRM

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    Join over +1000 agencies, startups & consultants closing deals with Breakcold Sales CRM

    Try Breakcold NOW

    Are you ready to accelerate your sales pipeline?

    Join over +1000 agencies, startups & consultants closing deals with Breakcold Sales CRM

    Try Breakcold NOW

    Are you ready to accelerate your sales pipeline?

    Join over +1000 agencies, startups & consultants closing deals with Breakcold Sales CRM