Who this guide is for

As a Gmail user on a sales team of 20-50 people, you're already familiar with the power of streamlined communication and easy organization. But managing customer relationships and tracking sales within your inbox can become overwhelming for growing teams without the right CRM solution.

That's where a specialized CRM for Gmail becomes essential for medium-sized sales teams, integrating seamlessly with your existing workflow to help you manage contacts, track emails, and nurture leads directly from your inbox while enabling collaboration across your entire sales organization.

In this blog post, we'll dive into the best CRM options for Gmail-powered sales teams like yours, highlighting those that enhance team productivity, simplify your sales processes, and help your 20-50 person team stay on top of every customer interaction without ever leaving your Gmail account.

👉🏼 Try folk now to manage contact-based reminders with your team

Why you need a CRM

For sales teams of 20-50 people using Gmail, a CRM can transform the way you manage your sales operations and customer relationships. Below we unpack the challenges medium-sized sales teams face without one, and the benefits you can reap from implementing the right solution for your growing organization.

Challenges without a CRM

Medium-sized sales teams often face these critical challenges without realizing how much they impact team performance and revenue growth. Once you're aware of them, it becomes clear how much time and opportunities are lost when 20-50 salespeople attempt to coordinate without a proper CRM system.

• Team disorganization: Multiple team members managing emails manually leads to duplicated efforts and lost prospect information across the sales team.
• Missed revenue opportunities: Important prospect emails can get buried in team inboxes, causing your sales team to miss crucial deal-closing opportunities.
• Inefficient team processes: Without automation, repetitive sales tasks consume valuable time that could be spent on high-value prospect engagement.
• Lack of sales insight: Difficulty in tracking team email interactions and understanding customer behavior across your entire sales pipeline.
• Inconsistent team communication: Hard to maintain a consistent sales messaging strategy across 20-50 team members without centralized templates and processes.

Benefits of a CRM

While it's understandable that sales managers might hesitate to invest in yet another platform for their growing team, there are significant benefits of a CRM that can dramatically impact your sales team's performance and revenue generation.

• Centralized team information: All customer data and email interactions are stored in one place for easy access by your entire 20-50 person sales team.
• Enhanced team efficiency: Automate routine sales tasks, freeing up your team's time for more strategic prospect engagement and deal closing.
• Improved customer relationships: Enable personalized communication and timely follow-ups across your sales team to enhance customer satisfaction and conversion rates.
• Better sales decision-making: Data-driven insights help sales managers make informed decisions about team performance and pipeline optimization.
• Increased team sales: Streamlined processes and better customer management lead to higher sales conversion rates across your growing sales organization.
• Consistent team communication: Ensure your 20-50 person sales team delivers a unified message to all prospects and clients.

3 ways you can boost your efficiency with a CRM as a Gmail user

1. Mapping your process

Defining and tracking the stages of your sales process is crucial for effective CRM usage across medium-sized sales teams. Start by identifying key stages such as lead capture, qualification, engagement, and closing that work for teams of 20-50 people. Use your CRM to create a visual pipeline that reflects these stages, allowing your entire sales team to monitor progress and identify bottlenecks. This structured approach ensures that no lead falls through the cracks and helps your team maintain a consistent follow-up routine across all prospects.

2. Follow-up at the right time

Automated email and LinkedIn campaigns can significantly streamline your sales team's outreach efforts. Use your CRM to set up email sequences that nurture leads over time, providing them with valuable content and timely follow-ups that work consistently across your 20-50 person team. Additionally, integrate LinkedIn to send personalized connection requests and messages, further engaging your prospects with coordinated messaging. Automation not only saves time for your sales team but also ensures that your communication remains consistent and professional across all team members.

3. Send targeted email campaigns

Effective nurturing strategies are key to upselling and cross-selling for growing sales teams. Segment your existing leads and customers based on their previous interactions and purchase history using criteria that work for medium-sized sales organizations. Use your CRM to send targeted email campaigns that introduce relevant products or services, offering special deals or personalized recommendations coordinated across your sales team. By maintaining regular contact and providing value, your 20-50 person team can foster long-term relationships and drive additional sales revenue.

How to evaluate and choose the right CRM platform

With numerous CRMs on the market designed for different team sizes, it can feel overwhelming for sales managers of 20-50 person teams if you're unsure where to start. Below are key considerations specifically relevant for medium-sized sales teams using Gmail.

1. Define your requirements

Start by identifying the key features your growing sales team needs. Look for functionalities such as seamless email integration, contact management, task automation, and analytics that can scale with teams of 20-50 people. Ensure the CRM supports Gmail's native features like email tracking and calendar sync, which can streamline your team's communication and improve productivity across your entire sales organization. For medium-sized sales teams, you should prioritize the following key features.

Key features of a CRM for Gmail users

• Automated processes: Streamlines tasks by automating repetitive workflows across your entire 20-50 person sales team.
• Contact enrichment: Automatically finds prospect email addresses and contact information, enhancing efficiency for busy sales teams.
• Structured pipeline: Tracks prospects through defined stages, ensuring process clarity and effectiveness across your growing sales organization.
• Mail merge and email sequences: Increases communication efficiency with follow-up templates and automated sequences that work for medium-sized teams.
• LinkedIn connection: Seamlessly imports prospects from LinkedIn and tracks conversations within the CRM for coordinated team outreach.
• Analytics Provides essential data analysis and predictive insights for better sales planning and team performance management.

2. Budget considerations

For teams of 20-50 people, budget considerations become critical as costs multiply across users. Balancing cost and return on investment is crucial when choosing a CRM for Gmail that can scale with your growing sales team. Evaluate the pricing models of different CRM platforms and consider both short-term and long-term costs for medium-sized organizations. Free trials and tiered pricing plans can help you determine if a CRM offers the necessary features within your team budget. Remember, a strategic investment in the right CRM can lead to better efficiency and revenue growth across your 20-50 person sales team, making it worthwhile in the long run.

3. Research process

Researching and choosing the right CRM vendor involves several steps specific to medium-sized sales teams. Start by reading reviews and testimonials from other Gmail-using sales teams of similar size. Check the vendor's reputation and customer support quality, especially for growing organizations. Look for case studies or success stories from businesses with 20-50 person sales teams similar to yours. Additionally, ensure the CRM vendor offers robust integration with Gmail and other tools your sales team uses daily, such as Google Drive and Google Calendar.

4. Get a demo

Trial and compare different CRM platforms specifically designed for Gmail integration and medium-sized sales teams. Most vendors offer free trials or demos, allowing you to test the CRM's usability and effectiveness with your 20-50 person team. Pay attention to the user interface, ease of setup, and how well it integrates with your existing Gmail workflow across multiple users. Gather feedback from your sales team and compare the pros and cons of each platform before making a final decision. An informed choice will help you select a CRM that enhances your email management and overall sales operations. To get a demo of folk, you can contact their sales team here.

3 tips for implementing a CRM

At this stage, your main focus should be on getting your 20-50 person sales team familiar with your new CRM and how it can work for your growing organization – pay attention to any automation features it has so you can automate repetitive tasks that consume significant time across your sales team.

1. Import your data in your new CRM

Transitioning to a new CRM involves migrating your existing sales data for your entire team. The most efficient way to do this for medium-sized sales teams is by exporting your data as a CSV file from your current system. This ensures that all your critical prospect and customer information is seamlessly transferred to your new CRM for all 20-50 team members to access.

2. Create a first pipeline

Once your data is imported, the next step is to set up your first pipeline with statuses that align with your Gmail workflow and sales team processes. This could include stages like "New Lead," "Contacted," "Follow-up Required," and "Closed" that work consistently across your 20-50 person team. Customizing your pipeline to reflect your email communication process will help streamline your operations and improve efficiency across your entire sales organization.

3. Onboard your team

Effective implementation of a CRM requires that your entire 20-50 person sales team is on board and well-trained. Schedule training sessions to familiarize them with the new system, focusing on how it integrates with Gmail for daily sales activities. Provide resources and support to ensure they can utilize the CRM to its full potential, thereby enhancing productivity and collaboration across your growing sales team.

The 5 best CRMs for gmail

1. folk

folk is the ideal CRM platform for medium-sized sales teams of 20-50 people managing contacts, workflows, and relationships through Gmail, offering customizable pipelines, AI-driven tools, and seamless integrations that enhance deal management and prospecting for growing sales organizations.

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Key features

• Contact enrichment: Automatically enriches contact details by finding emails and LinkedIn URLs, enabling efficient outreach across your 20-50 person sales team without manual data entry or additional costs for email services.
• LinkedIn integration: Seamlessly import contacts from LinkedIn, track conversations within folk, and use templates for quicker, streamlined communication across your entire sales team.
• Mail merge: Full email sync, templates, and tracking features, enabling your sales team to manage all communications directly from the CRM. Perfect for Gmail-powered sales teams of any size.
• AI-powered features: AI tools assist your growing sales team in managing contacts and relationships, automating routine tasks, and suggesting actions to improve productivity across all team members.
• Integrations: In addition to Zapier and Make, folk provides an open API and native integrations (e.g., WhatsApp, PandaDoc, Salesforge, Kaspr, Allo), enabling connections to 6,000+ tools with robust, two-way sync.

Pros

• Ease of use: folk is praised for its intuitive interface, making it accessible even to non-technical sales team members with quick onboarding and minimal learning curve for teams of 20-50 people.
• All-in-one solution: folk streamlines your sales team's workflow by allowing you to import contacts from LinkedIn, automatically find their emails, reach out through customizable email sequences, and track interactions in a pipeline, eliminating the need for multiple tools and saving significant costs for medium-sized teams.
• Perfect for growing teams: Designed specifically for sales teams of 20-50 people, folk offers the scalability and collaboration features that growing sales organizations need without the complexity of enterprise solutions.
• Customizability: Custom fields, pipelines, and workflows that can be tailored to your specific sales processes and team structure.
• Team collaboration: Built-in features that enable seamless collaboration across your entire sales team, ensuring consistent communication and shared visibility into prospects and deals.

Cons

• Reporting: Advanced analytics are available, including pipeline and deal-stage analytics, revenue forecasting with weighted probabilities, and performance breakdowns by owner, channel, region, or any custom field.
  

Price and plans

You can try folk for free with a 14-day free trial, perfect for testing with your sales team. After that, monthly or annual subscription plans are highly competitive for teams of 20-50 people.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month (ideal for growing sales teams)
• Premium: $40 per user, per month (perfect for established 20-50 person teams)
• Custom: Starts from $60 per user, per month (for teams requiring advanced customization)

2. Streak

Streak is a customer relationship management (CRM) tool that integrates directly with Gmail, designed for smaller teams but can become limiting for growing sales organizations of 20-50 people. While it offers features such as email tracking, mail merge, task management, and pipeline visualization embedded in Gmail's interface, it may lack the advanced collaboration and scalability features that medium-sized sales teams require.

Key features

• Basic CRM functionality
• Limited mail merge capabilities
• Shared pipelines with basic collaboration
• Email tracking and snippets
• Google Workspace integrations

Pros

• Simple Gmail integration: Streak integrates directly into Gmail, suitable for small teams but may feel restrictive for larger sales organizations.
• User-friendly for beginners: Easy to use for individual users, though coordination across 20-50 team members can become challenging.
• Basic customizable pipelines: Allows simple pipeline customization, though lacks the advanced workflow features needed by growing sales teams.
• Basic email tracking: Includes email tracking and simple automation, but limited compared to solutions designed for medium-sized teams.
• Basic collaboration: Offers team sharing capabilities, though may not provide the robust collaboration features that 20-50 person sales teams require.

Cons

• Limited scalability: Designed primarily for smaller teams and may not scale effectively for sales organizations of 20-50 people.
• Basic mobile experience: Mobile functionality is limited, which can be problematic for sales teams that need comprehensive access on the go.
• Limited integrations: Fewer integrations compared to comprehensive CRM solutions, potentially limiting effectiveness for complex sales operations.
• Gmail dependency: Operating entirely within Gmail can lead to clutter and organization challenges for larger sales teams managing high volumes of prospects.
  

Price and plans

• Pro: Starts from $49 per user, per month (can become expensive for teams of 20-50 people).
• Pro +: Starts from $69 per user, per month.
• Enterprise: Starts from $129 per user, per month.

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3. Hubspot

Hubspot CRM is a comprehensive platform offering integrated tools for managing sales, marketing, customer service, and operations, though it can be complex and expensive for medium-sized sales teams of 20-50 people who primarily need Gmail integration and streamlined sales processes.

Key features

• Marketing Hub: Comprehensive email marketing and lead generation tools, though may be overly complex for sales teams focused on Gmail prospecting.
• Sales Hub: Advanced deal tracking and pipeline management, but can be overwhelming for teams of 20-50 people who need simpler solutions.
• Service Hub: Customer service tools like ticketing and live chat, though not essential for most Gmail-focused sales teams.
• Operations Hub: Complex automation across multiple systems, often more than medium-sized sales teams require.
• Lead scoring: Advanced predictive scoring that may be too sophisticated for straightforward Gmail sales processes.

Pros

• Comprehensive platform: Offers extensive features, though many are unnecessary for Gmail-focused sales teams of 20-50 people.
• Free plan available: Basic free version, though with significant limitations for growing sales teams.
• Integration capabilities: Connects with many tools, though setup can be complex for medium-sized teams.
• Automation features: Powerful automation, though often more complex than what Gmail sales teams need.
• Learning resources: Extensive training materials, though the learning curve can be steep for busy sales teams.

Cons

• Complexity overkill: Often too complex for sales teams of 20-50 people who primarily need Gmail integration and straightforward sales processes.
• High cost for full features: Pricing becomes very expensive for teams of 20-50 users when accessing the features that medium-sized sales teams actually need.
• Steep learning curve: Requires significant training investment for sales teams, taking time away from actual selling activities.
• Limited free plan: Free version has too many restrictions to be useful for growing sales teams of 20-50 people.
• Over-engineered for Gmail users: Designed for complex marketing operations rather than streamlined Gmail-based sales processes that medium-sized teams prefer.
  

Pricing and plans

• Starter: $15 per user, per month (limited features for team needs).
• Professional: $450 per month for teams (expensive for 20-50 person teams).
• Enterprise: $1,500 per month for teams (cost-prohibitive for medium-sized sales teams).

3. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a web-based CRM focused on sales pipeline management, offering lead management, automation, and email integration, though it lacks the modern interface and comprehensive Gmail integration that sales teams of 20-50 people often prefer for their daily workflows.

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Key features

• Traditional pipeline management: Centralized deal management, though interface feels dated compared to modern solutions for Gmail-native sales teams.
• Basic sales automation: Standard workflow automation, though less intuitive than newer CRM platforms designed for medium-sized teams.
• Limited email integration: Basic Gmail sync capabilities, but lacks the seamless integration that 20-50 person sales teams expect.
• Standard reporting: Traditional analytics and reporting tools, though not as user-friendly as modern alternatives.
• Basic customization: Pipeline and field customization options, though less flexible than contemporary CRM solutions.

Pros

• Established platform: Well-known CRM with traditional pipeline management, though interface feels outdated for modern sales teams.
• Pipeline visualization: Visual approach to deal tracking, though less intuitive than newer solutions designed for Gmail users.
• Customization options: Allows pipeline customization, though not as flexible as modern CRM platforms built for growing teams.
• Automation capabilities: Includes automation tools, though setup is more complex than user-friendly alternatives.
• Third-party integrations: Connects with various apps, though Gmail integration is not as seamless as specialized solutions.

Cons

• Outdated interface: User interface feels dated compared to modern CRM solutions designed for Gmail-native sales teams of 20-50 people.
• Limited Gmail integration: Email integration is basic and doesn't provide the seamless experience that medium-sized sales teams expect.
• Complex setup: Requires more technical setup compared to intuitive, modern alternatives that sales teams can implement quickly.
• No free plan: Lacks a free tier, making it less attractive than solutions offering free trials or freemium models for growing teams.
• Learning curve: Requires significant training for teams, especially compared to more intuitive modern CRM platforms designed for ease of use.

Price and plans

Annual subscription plans are as follows, which can become expensive for teams of 20-50 people.

• Essential plan: Starts from $24 per user, per month.
• Advanced plan: Starts from $44 per user, per month.
• Power plan: Starts from $79 per user, per month.
• Enterprise plan: Starts from $129 per user, per month.

4. Zoho

Zoho is a comprehensive CRM system with extensive features including journey orchestration, sales process management and workflow automation, though it can be overly complex and difficult to implement for sales teams of 20-50 people who need straightforward Gmail integration and efficient sales processes.

Key features

• Complex sales automation: Extensive automation capabilities that can be overwhelming for straightforward Gmail-based sales processes.
• Advanced lead management: Comprehensive contact management system, though often more complex than what medium-sized sales teams require.
• Basic email integration: Integrates with email services, but Gmail integration is not as seamless as specialized solutions.
• Multi-channel communication: Supports various communication channels, though this complexity may not benefit focused Gmail sales teams.
• Complex dashboards: Highly customizable reporting, but requires significant time investment to set up properly for teams of 20-50 people.

Pros

• Affordable pricing: Competitive pricing structure, though the value may not justify the complexity for Gmail-focused sales teams.
• Extensive customization: Highly customizable, though this flexibility comes with complexity that can overwhelm medium-sized sales teams.
• Zoho ecosystem: Integrates with other Zoho products, though this may not benefit teams focused primarily on Gmail workflows.
• Multi-channel capabilities: Supports various communication methods, though many sales teams prefer to focus on Gmail and LinkedIn integration.
• AI features: Includes AI assistant capabilities, though these are often less intuitive than modern alternatives designed for ease of use.

Cons

• Overwhelming complexity: Extensive features create a steep learning curve that can be counterproductive for sales teams of 20-50 people who need quick implementation.
• Difficult setup: Initial configuration is complex and time-consuming, requiring dedicated IT resources that medium-sized teams often lack.
• Performance issues: Can experience slow performance with larger datasets, frustrating for busy sales teams managing multiple prospects.
• Limited modern integrations: While it integrates with Zoho products, third-party app integrations are limited compared to modern CRM platforms.
• Technical expertise required: Advanced customizations require technical knowledge, making it less accessible for sales teams without dedicated technical support.

Price and plans

Free plan limited to three users, insufficient for teams of 20-50 people. Annual subscription plans are as follows.

• Standard: $20 per user, per month
• Professional: $35 per user, per month
• Enterprise: $50 per user, per month

👉🏼 Try folk now to centralize Gmail sync and never miss a follow-up

Conclusion

Choosing the best CRM for Gmail can significantly enhance your sales team's operations by centralizing customer interactions, automating routine tasks, and providing valuable insights for teams of 20-50 people. Among the top contenders, folk CRM stands out as the clear winner with its seamless Gmail integration, AI-powered features, and comprehensive contact management tools specifically designed for growing sales teams. Unlike Streak which offers basic functionality better suited for smaller teams, HubSpot which can be overly complex and expensive for medium-sized teams, Pipedrive with its outdated interface, or Zoho with its overwhelming complexity, folk CRM provides the perfect balance of powerful features and ease of use that sales teams of 20-50 people need. Folk's intuitive design, competitive pricing, and focus on Gmail integration make it the ideal choice for medium-sized sales teams looking to streamline their workflows and boost revenue efficiency. Try folk CRM for free here.

Need a helping hand? Use our free tool to find your perfect CRM match.

FAQ

Does Gmail have a built-in CRM?

Gmail offers labels and contacts but not a full CRM. Teams add third-party CRMs that sync email, contacts, and calendars via Google add-ons or Chrome extensions.

What features should a CRM for Gmail include?

Look for two-way Gmail sync, visual pipeline stages, automation and sequences, contact enrichment, LinkedIn capture, templates, shared visibility, analytics, and Google Calendar integration.

How do you integrate a CRM with Gmail?

Install the vendor's Chrome extension or Workspace add-on, connect the Google account, enable two-way email and calendar sync, import contacts (CSV), then test sending and tracking from the Gmail inbox.

How much does a Gmail CRM cost for a 20–50 person team?

Most cost $15–$150 per user/month. For 20–50 users, budget ~$300–$7,500 monthly. folk is ~$20–$40 per user/month with a 14‑day trial; pilot first to confirm ROI.