Sales can be challenging enough in itself. But, when you are selling to retailers and other distributors, it can present a whole new set of challenges. Ones that are not faced by sales reps who are selling products or services directly to the end-user..
Businesses have a growing plethora of options to choose from when it comes to products on offer from wholesalers and are spending more money on products. In August 2022 alone, the total wholesaler sales in the U.S. equaled an estimated value of almost 700 billion dollars. This represents an increase of almost 100 billion dollars from 2021.
So, it’s important for the sales reps to set their products apart from the rest. To do this, there are two core qualities that successful wholesale/distribution sales teams have: they are extremely organized and they form strong, long-term business relationships with their customers.
This is where a CRM for wholesalers comes in. Distribution CRM software is a vital tool that enables reps to easily have all of the sales data and information they need at their fingertips. Thus, allowing them to stay organized and making it easier to better serve their prospects and customers.
But, with so many options of CRMs to choose from, it can, understandably, feel slightly overwhelming to try and determine the best one for your wholesale sales team. That is exactly why we’ve created this guide to choosing the best CRM for wholesalers.
In this article, we’ll explain why you should be looking specifically for a distribution CRM software built for wholesaler teams, as well as recap some of the top options on the market today.
The Importance of Choosing a CRM Built for Distribution Sales
Just as the business model for wholesale/distribution sales is different from one for direct sales to the consumer, so are the CRM needs of the sales reps. A CRM built for outside sales reps in general may not fit the unique needs of reps selling to retailers. So, it’s very important that if you are going to implement a CRM for your team, it truly fits your business model and makes your reps’ daily processes easier, more organized, and more efficient.
To ensure widespread adoption and usage, a CRM for wholesalers should be able to be integrated with your company’s other operational software solutions. Including things like your:
- Supply chain management tool
- Inventory and warehouse management tool
- Order management tool
- Shipping & logistics
It’s also important that the CRM be capable of housing and organizing all of the important business/sales information that you and your reps access daily to adequately maintain partnerships & relationships, including your retailers, manufacturers, agents, distributors, reps, and other stakeholders.
Other features that you should be looking for are quoting capabilities, sales automation features, and real-time metrics and reporting.
With a distribution CRM software like this, you and your team can start automating processes and generating more business than ever before.
To help narrow down your focus on possible CRM options, here are five great options that are purpose-built for wholesale sales teams:
5 Great Options for a CRM for Wholesalers
As a leading wholesale CRM software that truly is relationship-focused, Nimble helps sales teams grow their distribution network and increase business revenue. This universal tool offers a user-friendly interface and a high level of customization capabilities while also integrating your network of other distribution and logistics tools.
The smart platform also directly integrates with Microsoft Office 365 and G-Suite to help create one unified relationship manager for your team.
Key Features:
- Contact management
- Lead management
- Task management
- Customizable calendar/reminder system
- Custom sales pipeline management
- Interaction/communication tracking
- Email marketing
- Marketing automation
- Document storage
- Social media integration
- Mobile-friendly
The CRM software from Infor organizes and provides an overview of every customer touch point across the company’s sales, customer service, marketing, and support teams. Robust sales productivity tools and rich customer profiles can help users streamline sales activities and identify opportunities to maximize each interaction.
With Infor, wholesalers can benefit from effective team and territory management, more informed decision-making, and more accurate forecasting. The platform also integrates with a variety of ERP systems, as well as business management, e-marketing, desktop productivity, and social media tools.
Key Features:
- Real-time analytics and reporting
- Contact management
- Lead management
- Lead segmentation
- Sales team and territory management
- Interaction/communication tracking
- Sales automation
- Marketing automation
- Customizable, proactive alerts
- Mobile-friendly
Built by distributors for distributors, Proton.ai is more than a CRM for wholesalers, it is a “distribution growth platform”. Powered by cutting-edge tech and artificial intelligence, that platform will help ensure that your team never misses a sales opportunity.
For example, the software provides customized product recommendations for each of your customers. Thus, enabling your reps to sell more and increase revenue and market share for your company. Proton.ai provides a user-friendly, centralized platform that your team will actually want to use.
Key Features:
- Contact management
- Lead management
- Centralized sales data
- In-depth customer profiles
- AI-powered sales insights
- Automatic logging of customer interactions
- Real-time product/sales opportunity recommendations
- Document/product info storage
- Data entry automation
- Sales team management
- Cross-channel task management
- Mobile-friendly
SupplyMover is a robust software made for distribution companies, with a built-in sales enablement platform that is designed to increase sales through improved productivity, efficiency, and collaboration. With a suite of valuable tools for customer management, e-commerce, and analytics, the software gives wholesale sales teams everything they need to see, organize, and understand their data in seconds.
With SupplyMover, your reps will know exactly who to call and what to sell, helping to grow your revenue and scale your distribution business.
Key Features:
- Customer management
- Inventory management and insights
- Automated lead distribution
- Order management and tracking
- Purchasing and receiving functions
- Advanced e-commerce functions
- Sales forecasting
- Sales automation
- Performance reporting
- Automated goal tracking
- Prebuilt integrations
A sales-focused CRM solution specifically built for the sales leader, Maximizer is packed with features that are perfect for organizations of any size. With top-rated capabilities for contact management, lead management, business/sales analytics, and customer service, as well as a variety of integrations, your team will never miss another opportunity.
Maximizer is also one of the only CRMs offering both a Cloud and a self-hosted, On-Premise option.
Key Features:
- Contact management
- Lead management
- Lead segmentation
- Customizable calendar/reminder system
- Real-time alerts
- Sales opportunity tracking
- Sales document storage
- Email integration
- Quoting/estimating functions
- Sales activity tracking and management
- Mobile-friendly
Utilize a Distribution CRM Software to Maximize Sales Efforts
For today’s wholesale sales teams, a distribution CRM software is an essential tool for not only success but, more importantly, business growth. As you can see, there are a variety of options to choose from for your team.
No one CRM for wholesalers is perfect for every business. So, it is critical to take the time to evaluate and understand what each one offers. But, finding a good fit for your reps will enable them to optimize sales efforts, build stronger relationships, and improve your company’s bottom line.
Test out one or two of these CRMs, find the best fit for your team, and start maximizing your team’s sales efforts today!
